Government Over Taking the Media
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Australian Press Council is butting heads with its government over print media. Before September 14 the press was funded independently. The government took action and stepped in to take over but not just because of the decrease of funding. They also want to regulate the media.
This action that the government is taking reminds one of the Egypt government back in January of 2011. Recalling the events they shut down the internet to block social media sites so that the people could not get together for more protesting.
Media should not be controlled by the government because like the Egyptian people, societies will get upset on what they are blocking and not showing what is in the news.
Rupert Murdoch is an important figure in Australia media because he owns 70 percent of there newspapers. The big scandal with him hacking phone lines is also causing government to step in and make sure that does not happen again.
Even though Murdoch was in the wrong he was just trying to get the news out faster to the people because they have the right to know.
The government is acting out of being scared. They are worried that something is going to go wrong and make them look bad.
The Australian Press Council has to accept the government regulating because that is where all the funding is coming from. Government controlling the media, is that bad? Or against our moral rights?
1 comments:
There must be some standards and legal safety nets when it comes to reporting. It not only protects the government, but people as well. Government regulations that we have seen in places like Egypt and China, however, should cause an outcry.
When leaders of a country begin to dictate what information the citizens are privy to then a complete lack of trust and faith in government is all that can come of it. The news is a vital component of life, and if people are not able to freely view it and expose it then they are left in the dark. It becomes a check and balance on the media when people are involved with the news and it should be a right that is never challenged anywhere in the world.
Post a Comment