‘‘We Must Do Something About The Media’’

Ace:

...What we are witnessing is the full and seamless fusion of media power with government power.
...
[Today] the media considers its adversarial function to consist of serving as adversaries to critics of Obama and the Democrats; thus Terry Moran shaming himself by rushing out to ask what right a Senator has to question the Secretary of State on matters of foreign policy.

They do not consider themselves required to exert any adversarial pressure on governmental power itself...

This is dark, and dangerous, and will lead to horrors.  It always has led to horrors before.

Meanwhile: From Europe, a very ‘‘European’’ approach:

A group reporting to the European Commission has recommended the regulation of the media and bloggers. It also called for the creation of several new regulatory apparatus for fining, monitoring and chivvying the Press.
...
‘‘Fair legal regulation is necessary, balancing the new dimension of freedom of expression and the justified rights and interests of other citizens,’’ the group declared in a new report.

‘‘Any new regulatory frameworks must be brought into line with the new reality of a fluid media environment, covering all types of journalistic activities, regardless of the transmission medium.’’

Then the report’s writers take a sharp turn into suggested punishments for hacks who irritate the powers that be, namely fines, grovelling apologies and the ability to stop reporters from doing their job:

All EU countries should have independent media councils. Media councils should have real enforcement powers, such as the imposition of fines, orders for printed or broadcast apologies, or removal of journalistic status.

...
The report recommends the creation of a ‘‘European fundamental rights agency’’ with ‘‘a monitoring role of national-level freedom and pluralism of the media’’.  In addition, we’re told ‘‘a network of national audio-visual regulatory authorities should be created, on the model of the one created by the electronic communications framework.  It would help in sharing common good practices and set quality standards’’.
...
The high-level group [also] told member states that taxpayers should bail out incompetent or irrelevant media businesses, although naturally there would be a beauty contest first (the emphasis is ours):

There should be a provision of state funding for media which are essential for pluralism (including geographical, linguistic, cultural and political pluralism), but are not commercially viable.  The state should intervene whenever there is a market failure leading to the under-provision of pluralism, which should be considered as a key public good.

...
The aforementioned proposals are the tip of an iceberg...

The Europeans are waiting for a mandate.  The Americans have already volunteered.


Related:

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Clipfile - January 21, 2013

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Yeah, just keep on thinking that...

THE WEEK, January 25:


‘‘The NRA’’ (stolen from Tam):

...and this (from one of William Jacobson’s readers):


Maybe it’s an advantage that progressives get their news from the MSM, too.

Elsewhere:
Related:

LATER (130121 15:00):  I know, I know... ND 1500?

Posted by: Old Grouch in In Passing at 19:51:36 GMT | No Comments | Add Comment
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Topic for discussion...

Instapundit, January 11:

A SUPERIOR PREDATOR: Baby Sharks Can Sense Danger, Even Before They’re Born.

Posted at 2:00 pm by Glenn Reynolds

If an unborn baby shark can sense danger, just what might an unborn human baby sense?

Posted by: Old Grouch in In Passing at 19:00:50 GMT | No Comments | Add Comment
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Clipfile - January 10, 2013

Related (via Insty), and (via nobody).

Posted by: Old Grouch in Clipfile at 15:13:21 GMT | No Comments | Add Comment
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