It's the freedom to distort and invent facts which support official government policies.
It's the freedom to shape the national conversation in ways that aligns with the official view of developments and incidents.
It's the
freedom to shape public perception by using loaded phrases and
unrepresentative images, to editorialize while hiding behind a facade of
objectivity.
It's the
freedom to malign and demonize both national and international figures
who the U.S. government has targeted for character assassination and
marginalization.
It's the
freedom to do balanced journalism, but with a new, different twist.
Individual correspondents will balance their desire for career
advancement with the demand they write the right kind of articles given the correct spin
about a range of "acceptable" issues. News media organizations will
balance their need for access to the White House and other high-level
officials with the kind of coverage that meets the approval of those
they access.
But I will give credit where it's due. Under this new definition of "freedom of the press", American journalists can now surely be saluted for unfailingly and aggressively exercising this time-honored privilege.
"A cynical, mercenary, demagogic press will in time produce a people as base as itself." --- Joseph Pulitzer
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