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FINS: Communicating the Emerging Philosophy of The Information Age       
FEDERAL INFORMATION NEWS SYNDICATE                    
Vol IV, Issue No. 11 (116 lines)                               May 27, 1996
 
 
CLOSING THE "VALUES-GAP":
Outlawing Advocates of Democracy
By Vigdor Schreibman

     The lack of credibility of the mass media, and its destructive impact on
American democracy was explored by James Fallows in "Breaking The News"
(Pantheon 1996).  The ideological blinders that distort the perceptions of
American journalists was addressed by Fallows with this observation:
     "Most journalists, of course, don't like to think of themselves as
     *anybody's* advocate," Jonathan Cohen wrote in the American
     Prospect in 1995.  But that's most likely because advocacy of elite
     interests comes so easily that it scarcely seems like bias at all. 
     
Id at 79.  A description of the mass media devoted to materialism and the
privileged elite was documented by Herman and Chomski in "Manufacturing
Consent" (Pantheon 1988).  Yale Professor of Political Economy, Charles
Lindblom had a decade previously described, in "Politics and Markets" (Basic
Books 1977), how the American business propaganda system had inculcated a
"rigged and lopsided" competition of ideas.  

     "Fire your staff, get yourself a search engine, and put up a one-graf
news blurb with links to original content sites" is the latest advice to the
online-press from Rosalind Resnick, Editor and Publisher, Interactive
Publishing Alert .  Assuring everyone that she was
"dead serious" Resnick recommended that people take a look at the latest
media payola offered at the Riddler site , where
"visitors spend more than an hour per visit playing trivia games and
crossword puzzles."   The online news game-show in well on its way to
significantly undermining the many-to-many potential of the Net, replacing
this hopeful development with an abusive, new communications wasteland.  Rene
Sanchez reported in The Washington Post, in a page 1 story May 22, that many
students at the University of Maryland, MIT and Alfred University in New
York, have become addicted to playing computer games.  Sanchez observes,"A
growing number of students are letting computers overwhelm their lives."

     Not satisfied with their own ubiquitous advocacy of materialism, in all
its destructive forms, the press also wants to outlaw other advocates by
censoring access to public information at the US Capitol.  "Keep advocates
out" trumpeted an editorial published by The Hill Newspaper, Apr 10, 1996,
widely distributed on Capital Hill.  The editorial supported a decision by
the Executive Committee of Correspondents, denying Congressional press
credentials to this reporter, ironically bringing into question the devotion
of FINS to "Communicating the Emerging Philosophy of the Information Age." 

     The press cabal that wants to "Keep advocates out" includes: House and
Senate Periodical Press Galleries, Superintendents, David W. Holmes and Jim
Talbert; Executive Committee of Correspondents members: Richard S. Dunham,
McGraw Hill Publishers; Craig Winneker, Roll Call; Karen Tumulty, Time
Magazine; Alexis A. Simendinger, BNA Publications; Sean J. Ford, Tax Notes;
Richard E. Cohen, National Journal; and Rick Maze, Army Times Publishing.

     In the name of defining "Who is a professional journalist?" the clear
intent is to outlaw political ideas that question the devotion of privileged
groups to the morality of the marketplace, which is rigged to serve the self-
interests of strategically placed individuals based on raw power not merit. 
Understandably, the published editorial policy of FINS is perhaps, as
subversive a mission as narrow materialism has encountered.  Let's face it,
Capitalism is at war with democracy.  The slogan used by FINS: "Communicating
the Emerging Philosophy of the 'Information Age'" expresses our intent to
link legislative news events in Congress with the nation's democratic
heritage, defending the democratic mission and confronting "Wild Capitalism." 

     "Wild Capitalism," as Benjamin Barber explained in "Jihad vs. McWorld"
(1995), is destroying democracy.  The Capitol Hill cabal is one pack of the
mind guards of Wild Capitalism.  Their strategy is to unilaterally declare
that freedom of the press is irrelevant, at the US Capitol [Fins-IPG-02]. 

     FINS is challenging that strategy, supported by a careful and searching
report on Reporter's Right To Congressional Press Credentials [Fins-IPG-18].

     Congress has the power to determine the rules of its own proceedings,
under US CONST. art. I, sec 5, cl. 2.  We do not question the rules of the
Press Galleries.  Members of Congress and their aides, including presumably
officials of the Press Galleries, are protected by legislative immunity from
any interference in the exercise of legislative functions, under US CONST.
art. I, sec 6, cl. 1.  We do not question that immunity, within its limits.

     Yet officials of the Press Galleries cannot make themselves into a media
dictatorship, above the commands of the First Amendment, by violating at will
freedom of the press.  Members of Congress have the power to make the laws
and rules, even unconstitutional acts, but they have no power to enforce such
measures through aides, in violation of the Constitution. Say what they will,
one cannot deny a reporter his right to Congressional press credentials,
arbitrarily, nor outlaw advocacy by the press in support of democracy.

============================================================================ 
**THE PENNY PRESS AND CITIZEN-BASED JOURNALISM IS RETURNING WITH AVENGENCE**
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Federal Information News Syndicate, Vigdor Schreibman, Editor & Publisher, 
18 - 9th Street NE #206, Washington, DC 20002-6042.  Copyright 1996 FINS. 
Internet: fins@access.digex.net.  Browse Fins Information Age Library at the
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