nigel99 144 #1 October 27, 2004 http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=11715 for a country that puts itself out as the "land of the free" I find it interesting how low they are on the list...Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
f1shlips 2 #2 October 27, 2004 Please, I could give a flyin hoot about the press. As long as I am free to have political (or whatever) ideas, and talk about them with my friends.... that's all that matters to me.-- drop zone (drop'zone) n. An incestuous sesspool of broken people. -- Attributed to a whuffo girlfriend. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
EricTheRed 0 #3 October 27, 2004 QuoteAs long as I am free to have political (or whatever) ideas, and talk about them with my friends Problem is, many people rely on the media to get their ideas. If you've never heard it, seen it or smelled it, touched it, chances are you aren't even aware of it. Censorship works.illegible usually Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tonto 1 #4 October 27, 2004 Well they whipped South Africa! We came in 26th! tIt's the year of the Pig. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nacmacfeegle 0 #5 October 27, 2004 Hell's teeth, we came joint 30th. This message has been approved for publication by HM Gov.-------------------- He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me. Thomas Jefferson Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mr2mk1g 10 #6 October 27, 2004 I wonder what the effect the existence of the BBC has on those figures - never mind the effect of their argument with the Govt. about sexing up certain dossiers. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 3 #7 October 27, 2004 Quote Please, I could give a flyin hoot about the press. As long as I am free to have political (or whatever) ideas, and talk about them with my friends.... that's all that matters to me. Without the press, how are you going to get the information required to have the discussion? Would you simply take the word of the government? Further, is simply talking about those ideas with your friends enough? Suppose there was something that you didn't like and you wanted other people to know? How would you go about that? Stand on a street corner and simply talk about it or would you hand out pamphlets, start up a web site, a blog, an email campaign? That's all "freedom of the press". People have a tendancy to think of freedom of the press as it pertains to huge media conglomerates, but it's far more than that.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nigel99 144 #8 October 27, 2004 extracted from the Europe pdf file QuoteThe United Kingdom’s ranking (28th) is largely due to the situation in Northern Ireland, where journalists are constantly threatened by paramilitary groups. The investigation into the 2001 murder of Sunday World journalist Martin O'Hagan has come to a complete standstill.Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
f1shlips 2 #9 October 27, 2004 QuoteWithout the press, how are you going to get the information required to have the discussion? I guess when I think of the press, I think about something like the vans parked in front of the Peterson house right now and reporters acting like rabid children with ADD. The free exchange of ideas and the ability to question government doesn't have much to do with "the press" as far as I am concerned.-- drop zone (drop'zone) n. An incestuous sesspool of broken people. -- Attributed to a whuffo girlfriend. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 3 #10 October 27, 2004 Quote I guess when I think of the press, I think about something like the vans parked in front of the Peterson house right now and reporters acting like rabid children with ADD. There is lots of "bad" press if that's what you choose to focus on and not just at the local level either. There is also a lot of "good" press. Unfortunately, as is the case in almost everything, the "bad" frequently overshadows the "good". Quote The free exchange of ideas and the ability to question government doesn't have much to do with "the press" as far as I am concerned. The free exchange of ideas and the ability to question the action of the government is exactly what I think about when I hear the term "freedom of the press". It was such a fundamental concept to the creation of the U.S. that it was the very first item put in the Bill of Rights.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kelpdiver 2 #11 October 27, 2004 Quote http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=11715 for a country that puts itself out as the "land of the free" I find it interesting how low they are on the list... It doesn't take much to fall to 23rd. That's up 9 from last year when it was held responsible for killed journalists in Iraq (BS, in other words). But their own words for the current ranking: "The two North American giants score well A police raid in Canada on the home of journalist Juliet O'Neil and the national regulatory authority's stand against the pan-Arab radio station Al-Jazeera and the local station CHOI FM downgraded the country to 18th place. Violations of the privacy of sources, persistent problems in granting press visas and the arrest of several journalists during anti-Bush demonstrations kept the United States (22nd) away from the top of the list." Doesn't sound too terrrible. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nigel99 144 #12 October 27, 2004 Quotearrest of several journalists during anti-Bush demonstrations thats what caught my eye... I have no idea on why or where these reporters were involved that warranted arrest - but the fact that it affects "press freedom" I assume means that someone deemed the arrests a supression of free speech. Journalists getting arrested for reporting bad news about the government is the stuff that results in countries having leadership like Mugabe (Zimbabwe = 155 in the list)Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 1,635 #13 October 27, 2004 Quote http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=11715 for a country that puts itself out as the "land of the free" I find it interesting how low they are on the list... Make no mistake about it - the USA is a land of the free, and the people and the press have remarkable freedom. If the USA ranks 22nd, the top 21 are very good company. It certainly doesn't surprise me that Scandinavian countries and the Netherlands come out on top. Claiming to be THE land of the free has always struck me as being somewhat arrogant and indicative of ignorance of what happens elsewhere.... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nigel99 144 #14 October 28, 2004 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3961557.stm More freedom from Bush? Seems he doesn't want "foreign" visitors to his site... Or maybe it's a conspiracy to prevent disgruntled US citizens in Iraq from having their sayExperienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Paulipod 0 #15 October 28, 2004 Think I would do the same... if I wanted to ensure access for the people who vote! Although not sure the volume they must get from overseas would be that big surely?! Bodyflight Bedford www.bodyflight.co.uk Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkyDekker 1,130 #16 October 28, 2004 QuoteIt certainly doesn't surprise me that Scandinavian countries and the Netherlands come out on top. Struck me as interesting how many left leaning, some almost socialist countries have a higher rating when it comes to freedom of the press... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
