They came for the banks, and you said nothing. The came for the car companies, and you said nothing. They came for health care, and you said nothing. Ready to talk now, Obama toadies of the Fourth Estate?
The Federal Trade Commission has just released a major staff study of modern American media titled "Potential Policy Recommendations to Support the Reinvention of Journalism."
[. . .]
But this FTC study is rated R for anyone who thinks the federal government, the object of copious news coverage itself, has no business deciding which sectors of the private media business survive and thrive through its support, subsidies and encouragement with things like tax incentives.
Yet that's what this Obama administration paper is suggesting as another of the ex-community organizer's galactic reform plans.
Would you believe: major changes to the copyright law, including government licensing provisions; government pilot programs to investigate potential new media business models, antitrust changes to allow media companies to unite on imposing online pay walls, establish a journalism division of AmeriCorps with government underwriting the training of young journalists, tax incentives per news employee, increased funding of public broadcasting, a 5% tax on consumer electronics and/or assessments on users of public airwaves.
Another idea would be to allow taxpayers to direct a portion of their taxes -- perhaps up to $200 -- to a specific media institution as payment for media services rendered.
But, hey, don't get in an uproar. The Constitution is a "living document," after all, so if the First Amendment has outlived its usefulness, we'll just pretend it's not there.
Comments
Hope-N-Change baby.
C'mon Leo. Have you forgotten that your industry - newspapers - get a taxpayer-supported reduced postal rate? I assume the N-S volunteers to pay the full first-class postage on U.S. mail subscriptions.
Littlejohn, of course you realize EVERY bulk mailer gets a discount (subsidy), right?
That aside, you like the idea?
The FTC's Working Paper to "Reinvent Journalism" appears to be in favor of cutting off dissenting opinion. Already, the White House does it's own media of some events......like the girls' college basketball team's visit to the White House, like the Elena Kagan interview, etc.
In fact, the Paper suggests that facts need to be pre-determined before being published.
Of course, taxpayers will be footing all the bureaucracies and subsidies set up for such unconstitutional suppression of rights.
You know, there's one thing that gets me......sure a state or a political party or an organization may sue the federal government on the unconstitutionality of a law or directive, but that eats up money and time..........while the hopey-changey crew keeps grinding this trash out.
BTW, I have made contact(s) with each of our federal representatives on many issues.......and even other federal government offices. Only one of our federal representatives has established a personal response to each of my contacts (I mean specifically addressing the very words I had used in my communication and at times, even sending "proof" material). That is Senator Lugar's Office. I even got a phone call from one of his staff (to my complete surprise) to talk about the issue I had addressed in an email.