Here in North Carolina, just about every MSM “First Amendment” news editor has decided we can’t see the Danish cartoons, at least not in their newspapers.
Greensboro News & Record editor John Robinson told readers, “Yes, it's absolutely within our rights to publish. But for us, it's less a free speech issue than a civic relevancy issue.”
Raleigh News & Observer executive editor for news Melanie Sill told readers, “The N&O, as an American newspaper protected by the First Amendment and traditions of free speech, doesn't have much to prove in terms of being able to publish any material we like. However, when we publish material we know will upset people, we spend plenty of time and discussion weighing our reasons for doing so and the competing public interests in play.”
Robinson and Sill’s insist their decisions have nothing to do with fear for themselves, their staffs or journalist friends.
Robinson and Sill note their decisions have provoked public discussion of how their papers operate. They say public discussion is fine with them.
Well then, to further public discussion of their "no cartoons" decisions, will Robinson and Sill do a few simple things:
1) Make public the total number of Abu Ghraib prison photos each of their papers has published.I hope both editors agree to do what is asked for here.
2) Make public the number of individual Abu Ghraib prison photos each of their papers has published more than once.
3) Each write a column explaining why it was necessary to publish during the past few years all those Abu Ghraib photos but not a single Danish cartoon even once.
4) When Andres Serrano stuck a crucifix in a vial which he then filled with his urine, calling the result Piss Christ, both Robinson and Sill's news columns referred to Piss Christ as art.
Will Robinson and Sill explain why their news columns aren't now referring to the Danish cartoons as art?
Their answers will be very helpful to their many readers who are now discussing their "no cartoons" decisions.
I'm emailing a link to this post to both editors. I’ll offer to publish their responses in full at this blog.
1 comments:
See my comment at "Weary Editor" post. Same basic premise.
I hold these and their ilk in the same regard I do wife beaters and child abusers. You know, the men I mean the big bad punisher and bully of those weaker, but who never ever knowingly contest against men of comparative strength. Those men that run and hide or glad hand the strong,then feeling weak, puny, and full of self-loathing go home and beat up their 105 pound wife to re-establish their "manly"(?) pride.
Riiiight! I believe they're not scared and only have good taste and my interests at heart, because they have been so careful of them before they were threatened by barbarians telling them what they may print. Uh huh, I............. BOO! gotcha, didn't I?
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