pudge's Journal: Seditiousness

Newsweek is apologizing for its report on desecration of the Koran at Gitmo, a report which caused violent protests, resulting in hundreds injured and 16 dead people. All from a report the magainze no longer stands by as accurate and truthful.

What to do about it? Many people probably would like to see criminal charges brought, but none fit, that I can see. It's generally legal to print falsehoods, even outright lies. You could try to prove they intended people to die by their actions, but that would be nigh impossible.

We can't make a new law to punish them, because the Constitution prohibits that. But maybe we can do something about it for next time. Maybe a law that makes it illegal to "print false, scandalous, and malicious writing against the government of the United States with intent to defame the said government into contempt or disrepute."

Call it an immodest proposal.

Stop buying newsweek.

[Jhon]

What to do about it?

The solution is that simple...

60 mins lost viewership after the Rathergate fiasco and I doubt the environment that allowed that to happen will soon be repeated. Mapes will never be taken seriously as a journalist/producer again.

Are Michael Isikoff and John Berry on the same level as Mapes? I've no idea at this time what their responsibility is or how far up the chain it goes -- but my *guess* is that more information will come out in the near future.

It's generally legal to pr

Re:Stop buying newsweek.

[baldass_newbie]

I doubt the environment that allowed that to happen will soon be repeated.

You would be wrong [legendgames.net].

fuckers

[robi2106]

and I rarely use that word, but that publication deserves every once of scorn I have. What a lod of complete shit they just dumped on the Iraqi people, not the mention the entire friggin Arab world, which didn't need another exuse to try and stir up more hate (they manufacture hate by the barrel along with oil).

Man I cannot believe the lack of integrity at some of our nation's (or are they really working for the UN / EU) media outlets.

jason

Cause and Effect

[Kymermosst]

What they did was print something that directly led to violence and death. It's not "fighting words" or really incitement under most legal definitions, since printed speech never has an "immediate" effect.

Honestly, I feel that printed speech should only be restricted in the most dire of circumstances, if ever. (I write for a conservative/libertarian magazine on a liberal college campus, and we've been under fire for printing some things... so that might bias my opinion in this area).

However, an organiza

intent

[capoccia]

you have to show malicious intent for anything newsweek did to be illegal. someone who really believes there is fire in a crowded building is not as culpable as someone who just calls "fire" for the entertainment value.

Re:intent

[Red Warrior]

"readily foreseeable result"

Unbelievable

[kikta]

And reporters wonder why we have trouble trusting them.

Re:Unbelievable

[kikta]

Well, at least some people are are getting the idea (left) [cnn.net]. I'm not sure that the guy on the right got the word.

Thoughts...

[FroMan]

1. Somehow I do not think we'll hear from the left, "Newsweek lied, people died!"

2. I am more for the print what you want, let the market sort it out kind of guy myself. Just don't forget to do your part in letting folks know that Newsweek prints this kind of crap.

3. If they did print with the intent of Newsweek was to create riots in the middle east and lied for that express purpose, then sure, find those responsible and prosecute.

4. Folks in the middle east need to learn to respond in moderation. Rio

Wrong, wrong, wrong!

[Saint Aardvark]

Sorry, but wrong!

Look, the Newsweek mistake/horrible awful terrible wrong reporting if it was that was bad and wrong and all the rest.

But when you start proposing -- in seriousness! -- such a vague law, something that seems meant to shut up opponents, something infinitely maleable and infinitely applicable to anything unliked by whatever administration is in power, then I have to wonder what the hell is different between your idea of appropriate behaviour and that of the PRC.

The consequences of stif

Re:Wrong, wrong, wrong!

[pudge]

You didn't get it at all, and I think I am probably therefore incapable of explaining it to you.