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Show opinions C8 MONDAY • AUGUST 20 - 2007 Dear Media, please do your job of the tobacco industry. It is amazing to think that such an important story would be kept from the public simply to please a company completely unrelated to the field of journalism. One of the most crucial responsibilities of the media is to promote freedom of speech and journalists should never feel the pressure to cut a story for financial gain or to cover a certain story to pleas6 an advertiser. Also,-the media should make more of an effort to relay stories without apoJessica Beck litical agenda or a biased tone. BroadOpinions writer casters that'.allow bias in journalism are truly doing a ^service to their James Madison once stated: "A audience. By not providing accurate popular government without popular information; the general public is ill" information or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or tragedy, informed on world issues and then the or perhaps both." The media is a critiviewers create ill informed opinions. cal part of the framework of American For example, one of the most fa- The media has a responsibility to emsociety. It is where the public receives mous whistleblowers in history is Dr. brace freedom of speech, whether they agree or disagree with the accurate vital information, learns about content that they -are providing. current world events and devel- As it stands currently, there are only a Mark Fowler, an FCC chairman ops opinions and insights about handful of companies left for Americans to the world around them. Perhaps in the early 1980's, stated, "televithe most unique thing about the receive news and information from. sion is just another appliance. It's media is that it belongs to you, a toaster with pictures." Many critthe American consumer. In fact, broad- Jeffrey S. Wigand, widely known as ics believe that the media should be run casting licenses are given to media "the Insider," who exposed the tobacco just like any other business and its succompanies for free, and all that is asked industry for lying about the level of nic- cess should be judged on the amount of in return is that they be of good char- otine in their products. As a high-rank- money that it generates. However, the acter and serve the public interest. Un- ing executive in the tobacco industry, media is not like any other business, it like other profit driven industries, the he took part in an exclusive interview is at the heart of the American demomedia industry has a truly unique duty with the widely syndicated news show cratic system. Television is so much to provide accurate information and to 60 Minutes to expose the truth about more than a toaster with pictures; it is promote a healthy and vital democracy. the tobacco company Brown and Wil- an important tool to provide truthful In a capitalist economy based liamson. The tobacco industry, being a information and a variety of opinions. around growth, new technology and crucial advertising asset to CBS, was Media mergers are detrimental to pron* t, consolidation has become a irate at the decision to air the program the U.S. by decreasing our freedom of large trend in the U.S. The wave of and threatened to pull their advertising choice and allowing a few elite cormedia consolidation, meaning differ- money from the CBS network. Be- porations to select our news and posent media companies merging together cause of this financial dilemma, CBS sibly filter out.important information. to create one company, has grown rap- initially chose not to air this ground- If the press was just like every other idly throughout the last twenty years breaking interview in order to please capitalistic industry, the framers of and continues to increase today. As the the tobacco industry. After a period of the constitution would not likely have market stands currently, there are only time, the Wigand interview did even- written an amendment devoted to the a handful of companies left for Ameri- tually air due to the major importance press and its freedom thereof. Indeed, cans to receive news and information and public interest of the story. It was the media has a unique duty to serve from. This can be problematic for the a story that shocked the nation and has all forms of people and to promote American public in numerous ways. tremendously affected the business the democratic welfare of our state. Media mergers are serving the interests of stock holders not the interests of the publ tc Media mergers can severely decrease competition, which takes away from the development of new ideas and entrepreneurship. It is true that the media is dependent on profits to survive, but in order for a capitalist economy to function properly, healthy competition is necessary. Consolidation also decreases diversity in news coverage as well as ownership of companies, which can result in a dismissal of opposing viewpoints. Most importantly, consolidation can detract from the quality of news coverage that is presented in the media. A lack of quality can occur when too much emphasis is placed on making money versus serving the public interest. Many times important news stories are cut for the purpose of pleasing stockholders or advertisers. Amnesty, Right or Wrong identity theft, according to MSNBC's Red Tape ChronDaniel Parkins icles and basically destroy Opinions writer any kind of border control Some of you are prob- we might have in place. ably wondering what exBy allowing amnesty, we actly amnesty is. In fact, I allow others to think that would imagine that most of they have an easy way into you didn't even know that America. So for the entire there was an amnesty bill duration of this amnesty bill circulating through con- we will see a large increase gress these last few months. in "border jumpers." This, This is no light subject my friends is only the beginand I would suggest fthat ning. As this bill was creyou take an interest L$ it. ated anSd presented in our Amnesty is nothing S^ore legislature our beloved conthan a pathetic demonstra-. gressmen for, some reason tion of leniency by ouirgov- . felt that the American public emrnent. It would allow all didn't need to know about it. illegal immigrants Within In fact, this feeling was so our borders to obtain Sgreeri strong among obr congresscard. This is in no WijSy ben-\ men that they went so Far as eficial to our countrjf,-' and 1; to hold debates on this bill fear that our liberal congress-' behind closed doors. Not men are blind to that fact. In to mention that the bill was all actuality, that's exactly written with such elaborawhat our congressmen were tion that it was too large for trying to do to the Ameri- many of our congressmen to can public. If you don't see even fully read before it was how strong of an affect this voted on. This, my fellow would have on our coun- readers, is a direct attack try let me enlighten you. of our freedom of speech. As of 2005, ^ e were .;. All I have to say is thank 10.85 million illegal immi- god for the few Americans grants in the U.S."accord- who caught wind of this and ing to the United' States had the power to publicize it Census Bureau's statistics. before it was too late. One However, there are'•'. some of these Americans goes by who estimate that number the name of Sean Hannity, to be around 30 million, which I assume some of you the vast majority of which might know. Fortunately, being unaccounted for. after the American public By allowing amnesty, we was notified of this, Washessentially allow 10.85 mil- ington DC was flooded with lion criminals to be pardoned phone calls of disapproval for entering this country il- and the bill was shot down. legally. Not only does this I just hope that next time give them the opportunity to something of this magnitude stay and obtain citizenship, comes about, we as Ameribut it also allows them to take can citizens will have the American jobs, use Ameri- opportunity and enthusiasm can welfare -which many to do something about it. are already doing through WEDNESDAY BAND-MESA r 15 E E •: ' @1 1 A M P O p s-i.«f|p-,rs'.:::-' : THURSDAY -•' -' " i O E I V E 71/\7 &^$ - ' x y ; % a D B CJ @ 1 V A M M O V I E ••.•• 4 IN ..: 1 3 7- , CO U R T Y A R D — $ I '-:"') lf Sponsored by ASUVSC N EW VI V 9 - M I D N I G H T @ M C K A Y $5 W/UV ID $6 •>•. •' ' •• ''• C O U R T Y A R D N I G H T - O C E A N S .. 9 PM I N •; '' E . C . WITHOUT '* |