AUDREY'S MISSILES A newsletter dedicated to the peaceful reform of the United States government. FREE PRESS? There have been so many governments interested in silencing independent journalists who work around the world that organizations have been formed for the defense of the freedom of the members of the press. There is a "Journalists without Frontiers," a "Committee to Protect Journalists" (CPJ), the "International Freedom of the Press Exchange" (IFEX), the Vienna-based "International Press Institute" (IPI) , and others. These groups watch for oppression of individual journalists and call attention to abuses when reporters are murdered, jailed, or otherwise intimidated. Those Americans interested in freedom of the press will readily agree that these groups are badly needed and that they perform a very worthwhile service. In their May issue World Press Review quotes IPI: "two- thirds of the world's population are still living in countries where the fundamental principles of freedom of expression are not embraced." Several organizations agree that 24 journalists were murdered for their reporting last year with many other cases still under investigation. More than 470 journalists have been murdered worldwide during the last decade. WPI reported that 118 journalists were in prisons in 25 countries. Reuters reported (April, 1999) the sentencing of a journalist in Ethiopia to four and a half years in prison. There have been similar reports in Sudan, Sierra Leone, and other African countries. But such violations of the basic right to information also may be seen in Turkey, Yugoslavia, Iran, Singapore, and Peru. In places like North Korea, Cuba, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, and Burma (Myanmar) the governments openly control the press, so in those places journalists do not get into difficulty because only pro-government journalists are hired and only pro-government information gets into print. Of all of the countries of the world Colombia is said to be the most dangerous in which to work as a reporter. Four journalists were murdered there last year, and there is a recent report that a Turkish reporter in that country was beaten to death last month. Forty-three journalists have been murdered in Colombia in the past 10 years where journalists have been targeted amid Colombia's widespread criminal violence. Is it a coincidence that the world's leading cocaine producer is also the most dangerous country for journalists? The world's leading heroin producer (Burma) might be on our list, but in that country the newspapers are owned by the state so there is not even the pretense of free, independent reporting. The United States falls into a group of countries where control of the press is much more subtle. Christopher Ruddy, the reporter who has written effectively about several Clinton scandals, is still alive even though he wrote about the probable murder of Ron Brown (the bullet hole in the top of his head) and the inconsistent "facts" in the "suicide" of Vince Foster. Partial control of the press in the United States has been accomplished by giant mergers, leaving the ownership of the mainstream media concentrated in the hands of a very few people. One of our independent newspapers, the San Jose Mercury News, published the Dark Alliance Series which dealt with CIA connections to the drug traffic. They later retracted the story, even though documents have since come to light substantiating that connection. The Ron Brown story, the problems with the Long Beach lease, the Chinese take over of the Panama Canal, Clinton scandals, and other major newsworthy events which would put the government in a bad light are not mentioned by CBS or MSNBC. (MSNBC tardily made an exception for the Juanita Broderick story only after their initial refusal was exposed in the Wall Street Journal.) Stories about drug smuggling that make the headlines in Toronto, in Reuters dispatches, and in Latin America are not reported in the U.S. Who controls the news on the tube? Is the press truly free in the United States? READ THIS NEWSLETTER AND THEN GIVE IT TO A FRIEND. No copyright on the content of AUDREY'S MISSILES is claimed since it is our hope that the information in this newsletter will be copied and distributed widely. Topics covered are those which are not adequately treated on TV or in the press. If you live in the 209 calling area end a request to 209 847-7588 for a free fax subscription. E-mail is free anywhere. Paid subscriptions are not accepted. Comments may be sent to [EMAIL PROTECTED] ========================================================================== [EMAIL PROTECTED] is an moderated maillist about government reform. To join or leave send e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] TO: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: -------------------------------------- (un)subscribe audreys-missiles Visit http://www.uwsa.com Support UWSA.COM at http://www.uwsa.com/UWSACOMintro.html
