Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Paula Murray, UK "Journalist"

A GUN NUT who kept more than 2000 dum-dum bullets at his home was jailed for two years yesterday.
Nothing like a little unbiased objectivity, eh, Paula?

At least they're more open about their prejudices than our domestic "authorized journalists," who, for the most part, still rely on weasel-wording, manipulation and selective omissions to deceive, rather than outright pejoratives, although that is changing.

What else do we expect from government dependency nuts?

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

This may be slightly off topic, but just *how* does one become one of these so-called "authorized journalists"? How is the First Amendment actually applied, to secure the "freedom of the press"? To whom does this really apply?

me said...

why it's a collective right of course. It also only applies to a printing press comprised of moving type and handmade parchment. At least it is if the same standards the antis use to interpret the second are applied.

The Russian assault rifle - a favourite of Iraqi rebels and Taliban fighters - can fire up to 600 rounds per minute.

nevermind the use of many countries, they're apparently ONLY used by TERRORISTS which is what anyone who opposes their governments totalitarian tendencies has become in this day and age.

I also note just below that story is one where a guy got 1/4 million bucks for being called a "wee p**f" If that's all it takes to cash in feel free to call me whatever you want, I could use the cash.

David Codrea said...

Nimrod, this originates with govt officials trying to declare bloggers not journalists so that protections like confidentiality of sources don't apply, and to non-credentialed writers without a "press pass" get excluded from access to events and persons--I've even written about how a cop implied I would be arrested for asking questions of my representative at a public park during a public event because questions were limited to "the press."

My whole point is, once govt gets to decide who gets to exercise free speech or be a watchdog against got abuse, once they claim a power to recognize or license, we will have surreendered the 1st Amendment.

Anonymous said...

I understand the origins of the term as you are using it, David, and I do agree with you.

What I'd like to know is just how these "authorized journalists" go about becoming "authorized". What do the courts say about being "authorized" under the First Amendment. To whom does this actually apply, and why?

To whom did the Founders think it applied?

David Codrea said...

Different government bodies set up different hoops--I know WorldNet Daily fought for years to get a Senate Gallery press pass. I myself have a press card from FMG Publications because of the magazine, but that's really more to get me into trade shows, etc., and I don't do hardware reporting.

In terms of the Founders, they itended it to apply to anyone who wanted to set up a press or write a pamphlet or speak in the town square, that is, to all of us.