another deluded reporter seeking democracy

[Anonymous]

another crappy article from HK

http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_deta ... 80731&fc=7

Proper practices make perfect

Soon wall-to-wall Olympics coverage will inundate things political. Despite Legco elections being near and even with more new faces running than ever, eyes will focus on entirely different competitive events.

That's not just a Hong Kong phenomenon. US and UK political journalists are bemoaning the shift of public attention away from still-building torture scandals and imminent elections.

Political journalists expect only those with no interest whatsoever in world-class sports competitions, exotic pageantry, split-second wins and losses by physically attractive competitors with compelling stories of dedication and sacrifice ...

Admit it. Nobody will notice anything else during August.

So political journalists (and op-ed writers) try to figure out ways to tie Olympics and politics together. And thus Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Judith Miller came to Hong Kong to talk about government secrecy, press freedom and treatment of journalists.

But neither locally nor abroad did the somewhat discredited Miller get much press out of her call for "shield laws" to protect journalists. Yet this is a vital message, far more important than the messenger.

It deserves attention, even during the Olympics.

Why? Well, consider how much time, money and effort are going into insuring the integrity of the upcoming Olympic competitions.

Sports writers expect that about 40 cases of illegal performance-enhancing drug use will be uncovered. That is based on the use of the mo
st sophisticated and advanced drug-testing equipment available.

The best scientists and technicians will thoroughly test every athlete in every contest. This elaborate and very expensive regimen is designed to make certain that competition is fair.

But in case of disputes, retesting by independent labs and by athletes' own national labs and legal representatives will be used to ensure fair assessment and the highest integrity of results. The purpose of all this is not only to root out cheating but also to reassure every nation sending athletes to international competitions that results are truly representative of the athletes' unenhanced skills, talents and preparations.

There is a similar elaborately redundant system of human and electronic monitoring of timed results and judges' marks.

All these tests and procedures will be conducted by professionals who know any careless errors or intentional bias on their part, if uncovered, will cost their certification and thus end their professional careers.

Political competitions also need professionally supervised systems to ensure fairness of results. Government without accountability - open, full, professionally supervised accountability - degenerates into corruption and ineffectiveness at best or into all- out civil conflict and national collapse at worst.

This is where journalists and shield laws have their place. Shield laws are designed to protect journalists' ability to secure sources from vindictive officials or bosses.

Also needed are whistle-blower laws to protect those telling journalists about cover-ups of wrongdoing.

Redundant checks open to all parties - not just political parties but also journalists who inform the public - are necessary to ensure fair electoral competitions and good governance.

That is why freedom of the press is a primary human right.

But journalism fails in one critical aspect - professional accountability. Miller, who spent months in jail, was concealing instead of revealing official wrongdoing, a twisting of journalistic ethics and the purpose of shield laws.

No one would accept Olympics drug testing conducted by nonprofessionals. But journalists?

Today, as Miller could attest, all a journalist who breaches standards will suffer is possibly a lost job. No certification is required to practice journalism. Little regulation exists.

Because lab techs require professional certification and must have government licensing and meet regulatory standards to practice, technicians fear losing their hard-earned means of making a living.

That type of professional accountability works.

Journalists need professional standards and certifications by independent professional bodies with power to revoke their license to practice if they act unprofessionally.

Democracy fails without an informed public, but media fail to inform without professional standards. It takes professionalism to ensure Olympic quality, even outside the Olympics.  

my letter

Hello Michael

I suppose I scared you with my last email, for that I am sorry.

I have to disagree with your Opinion. The whole idea that a License will make things better is slavespeak. You have to apply or submit or in other words beg for a license. The very nature of a license is the very nature of volunteering ones rights to an authority. As a professor of the government and international studies, I assume you have studied the history of "the Republic" not democracy of the thirteen colonies.

I am sure you know the difference between a republic and democracy.

I am sure you are aware of the first constitution known as the articles of confederation.

I am sure you are aware of the battle between federalist vs anti-federalist and the great victory of the anti-federalist getting human rights written into the new constitution.

Governments can only be controlled by such a constitution, not the constitution on the US today but the original, and by the people being informed of their rights. Unfortunately the media does nothing to educate mankind, but when you understand the owners of the media and all the gate keepers employed to drive the message of the elite masters, you understand why.

if you like liberty and freedom, look inside your heart and inform the public of the truth.

here is a nice little video for you on the concept of liberty, because in such an Orwellian way words change their meanings day to day, but concepts will last forever.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muHg86Mys7I

peace to you and yours
John of the Family Savage