Finkelstein report triggers hysterical response from the press

Submitted by 2SER on Sun, 18/03/2012 - 12:28pm

The Finkelstein media report has sent the press into a frenzy about the notion of free speech.

Some journalists say the hysteria is stifling community debate about effective complaint handling and promoting quality journalism. Ensuring independence and funding, and questions about the power of a new media council, are central issues.

Also on the table are concerns about media ownership concentration and the extent to which the internet facilitates diversity. Despite the need for healthy debate about the media some newspapers have attacked academics; accusing them of using the inquiry to vent grievances and attack large corporations. One person copping some vicious and misleading opinion is renowned journalist, Professor Wendy Bacon.

2ser spoke with Wendy Bacon about media inquiry issues and some of the accusations in the Australian newspaper. Text and audio here:http://2ser.podomatic.com/entry/index/2012-03-17T18_16_39-07_00

Geography: 
Sydney
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Comments

Submitted by Lau Guerreiro (not verified) on Tue, 20/03/2012 - 5:27pm

I’ve just written a couple of blog posts on this subject, which makes some good arguments that I think you might find interesting and useful.

The first one is titled “Freedom of the press argument is deceitful” and debunks the argument that says that the public is smart enough to identify biased and untruthful media for themselves and that therefore we don’t need any regulation.

Here’s a summary of the second post titled “what’s better than freedom of the press”

Many of the opponents of media regulation will blindly hold aloft the sacred cow of the freedom of the press as if it is an indisputable truth that can not be surpassed by anything else.

Well I dispute its importance.

Freedom of the press is not the essential ingredient that ensures a well functioning democracy – it is truth in media that’s most important.

Freedom of the press may or may not lead to a diversity of opinion, and a diversity of opinion may or may not lead to the truth being made public.

What is important for society and democracy is that the truth is made public; and if we could get to the truth via another path other than through freedom of media and diversity then we should be prepared to take that path, rather than to keep holding aloft the sacred cow of freedom of the press.

Freedom of the press is a means of getting to the desired goal – it is not the desired goal – but some people have made it so. Truth is the goal.
Sometimes freedom will lead to truth but sometimes it won't... its not the freedom we seek ... its the truth!

If we make this paradigm shift then the debate will become very different.

I've written a couple of blog posts related to this subject on my blog
www.amimakingsense.com.au and I'd appreciate hearing your opinion of the arguments I put forward there.

Regards
Lau

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