Here they come again...
duck!
The Knight Commission on the Information Needs of Communities in a Democracy [erm… we have a Constitutional Republic] expressed worry about whether the news industry’s financial woes will make for a less educated citizenry and considered whether the government should prop up independent journalists.
Like MSLSD? Cuz Breitbart, Malkin—even Koz et al—seem to be doing just fine....
he nation needs to give the same urgency to making sure all Americans have broadband access as the Eisenhower administration did in building an interstate highway system a half-century ago, a report released Friday concluded.
...The commission includes two former FCC chairmen, newspaper publishers, a top Google executive, the NAACP president and a former CNN president. It concluded that a free flow of information “is as vital to the healthy functioning of communities as clean air, safe streets, good schools and public health,” and that it’s time for leaders to give it a higher priority.
Diveeersity? and certainly no Conflict of Interest, there, eh?
The commission said independent journalism plays a vital watchdog role and wrestled with how to encourage it.
Leave it alone and let the Free Market work? Just an idea…
You have to have access in order to be socially first class, economically first class and politically first class,” said Alberto Ibarguen, former Miami Herald publisher and president and CEO of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
“First Class?” WTH?!?
But the commission came to no consensus on whether private-sector journalists should get public subsidies, an idea that would test the historical tradition of journalists’ independence from government.
..."It’s difficult enough when I get the call from somebody in government complaining about the way we reported something,” [ABC News President David Westin, who was not on the commission] said. “But if the person himself who is getting the call is either directly or indirectly employed by government, that could be dangerous."
Thank you for that clear statement of the obvious—though I doubt the commission is capable of comprehending it.
Another “Aww gee” moment.
“... it’s vital to get as many people plugged in as possible ...”
Vital to “a top Google executive”?
“The nation needs to give the same urgency to making sure all Americans have broadband access.”
Including the guy living under the freeway overpass?
“As this is being done, the commission said funding should be provided so public libraries can make Internet access and media literacy programs readily available.”
One of the public libraries near us has internet access. Whenever I’ve gone in there, the terminals were all being used by teens playing games, or twittering away, or checking Facebook and social networking sites.
Perhpas Mr Powell can explain how more of this is going to help turn our kids into little Einsteins.
“Government should increase support for news-gathering at public radio and television stations ...”
Like NPR?
The old-fashined model of advertiser support work real well. Evidence: Glenn Beck and Rush and Drudge are all doing quite nicely. Air America went under the quicksand. Even The Funniest Man Alive, Al Franken, couldn’t save their hide.
“The commission urged that the government operate with as much transparency as it can in coming years, offering low-cost access to public records and making social data readily available.”
The gummint could start by showing us it’s serious about something - anything - by putting that dern health-care bill online and letting us have a look at it. Just as soon or whenever they come up with a final draft.
The only real problem we have is the guy who lives out in the woods that they’re not gonna run cable out to.
Looks like one of Obama’s slogans is gonna be “an internet connection in every pot”. With Keith Olbermann as the default home page. And Michael Moore doing movie reviews. And Whoopie Goldberg doing cultural commentary.
Posted by ZZMike on 10/05/09 at 11:46 AM
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