The press in any democratic society has the enormous responsibility of keeping citizens informed of what is happening around them.
The press in any democratic society has the enormous responsibility of keeping citizens informed of what is happening around them.
But lately it seems it is getting harder for us to be able to turn to the press to accomplish this role.
Just this week, the Coast Guard stopped regulating access of journalists to the BP oil spill. The spill has now gone on for more than 85 days and until now, reporters have been kept at least 65 feet away from boom deployed on oiled coastlines. This has hindered the ability of these journalists to see what is actually going on and then to share it with the rest of us.
But government entities are not the only ones to blame for the growing failure of our media. CNN's recent firing of Octavia Nasr for a tweet which expressed a more nuanced view of the passing away of a Lebanese cleric is more proof that for the mainstream, their jobs is to please those in power rather than give voice to the voiceless and act independently.
It is becoming clearer that we cannot depend on mainstream media to provide us with the information we need to bring about the change we desire.
We, as consumers of this media and citizens of this country, need to make ourselves be heard, say enough is enough and demand our journalists be accountable to us, their readers, listeners and viewers.
Oil Spill: Coast Guard Lifts Ban Restricting Journalists Near Booms
NEW ORLEANS - The Coast Guard has modified a policy on safety zones around boom deployed on oiled coastlines, a policy news organizations had said unnecessarily restricted coverage of the impact of the BP oil spill and efforts to clean it up.
In a statement Monday night, the government's point man for the spill, retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, said new procedures permit credentialed news media free travel within the boom safety zones.
"I have put out a direction that the press are to have clear, unfettered access to this event, with two exceptions - if there is a safety or security concern," said Allen. "This boom is critical to the defense of the marshes and the beaches."
News organizations, including The Associated Press, had argued being kept at least 65 feet away from the boom impeded the ability to cover the spill.
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