From: utzoo!decvax!cca!ima!inmet!porges Newsgroups: net.college Title: Re: Flame, Anyone? - (nf) Article-I.D.: inmet.31 Posted: Sun Feb 27 03:22:14 1983 Received: Sun Feb 27 06:27:12 1983 #R:ucbesvax:2900008:inmet:11800002:000:1406 inmet!porges Feb 25 13:42:00 1983 I don't disagree with most of what you say, but I think the response "We have a controlled press in this country" is not the way to express what goes on. The phrase "controlled press" needs a subject. Do you mean that the government controls the press (obviously false), that the government TRIES to INFLUENCE the press (obviously true), that the government tries to influence the press and is highly sucessful (fertile debating ground indeed, but probably endless source of circling and swirling arguments), or something else? You should bear in mind that those on the right also think that the press is controlled -- by "forces on the left". (Of course the mere fact of both accusations existing doesn't mean that it couldn't be more true in one direction than in the other.) The "press" -- even the Big 3 network newses -- is paranoid enough about its independence that efforts to influence coverage directly are usually not helpful to the attempters. (Remember how when the Saudis tried to get "Death of a Princess" off the air PBS ended up having to make sure they showed it BECAUSE of the pressure? If you want to claim that the accumulated prejudices of the people who do the news influence what gets on, I'll go for that 100% .. but how else would you have it? Thank you and come again, -- Don Porges ...harpo!inmet!porges ...hplabs!sri-unix!cca!ima!inmet!porges