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From: raghu@rlgvax.UUCP (Raghu Raghunathan)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: ...free press <> impartial press
Message-ID: <263@rlgvax.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 28-Nov-84 18:19:41 EST
Article-I.D.: rlgvax.263
Posted: Wed Nov 28 18:19:41 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 30-Nov-84 19:15:17 EST
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> >	Maybe that says something about the alleged "impartiality" of
> >	the American press.

> I have never been under the illusion that the American
> press and media were impartial; just that they seem to have an
> extraordinary amount of freedom to decide what they will and will
> not cover and how they will cover it.
> 
> Mark Modig
> ..ihnp4!btlunix!mom

	I really meant to use the word "objectivity" in my original posting,
	not "impartiality". Sorry for the bad choice of words. What I had
	believed so far was that the US press was objective in its news
	coverage, giving both sides of every story and not slanting the
	coverage with the personal opinions of the newspeople or the
	interests of the government officials.

	Infact, I have known many news programs being advertised (on TV)
	as being objective and fair, and go to great depth to cover the news
	from many points of view. But apparently when it comes to covering
	foreign policy issues, especially involving Central America and the
	fictitious MIGs, the US press knows of only the Administration's
	point of view.

	The US press might be free to choose what it wants to cover, but if
	chooses to ignore all developments not favorable to the Administration
	or the US interests, then it is no better than any State Run news
	media which chooses not to report any news that might hurt it's image.

	The purpose of the press is just dissemination of cold bare
	facts so the public can form it's own opinions. It is not for the
	press to influence the opinions of the public by their calculated
	selectivity in the coverage of the news.
						 seismo!rlgvax!raghu