Real Journalism Versus "Professional Journalism" → Washingtons Blog
Real Journalism Versus "Professional Journalism" - Washingtons Blog

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Real Journalism Versus "Professional Journalism"

If Jon Stewart walked out of his studio with his camera crew, went to where establishment figures were speaking, and threw tough questions at them, you'd get something like We Are Change.

The We Are Change reporters have asked the tough questions - a la Stewart (well, minus the comedy) - to former presidents, secretaries of defense, leading Neocons and Iraq war architects, and many other establishment figures.

So their interviews are syndicated nationally and they've all received Pulitzer prizes, right?

Not exactly . . .

We Are Change founder Luke Rudkowski was arrested for trying to ask New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg about his refusal to pay for the health care of 9/11 first responders.

The charges? "Impersonating a member of the press" and trespassing.

11 comments:

  1. Execellent post.can't remember who said it but 'when the autopsy is performed on democracy, 'the press'
    would be listed under cause of death...

    ReplyDelete
  2. According to Wikipedia: "In Lovell v. City of Griffin, 303 U.S. 444 (1938), Chief Justice Hughes defined the press as, "every sort of publication which affords a vehicle of information and opinion."
    This means that bloggers too, are press if they are disseminating information or opinion, which is what a blog is. So Rudowski's arrest is unlawful and there is legal precedence to support that position.

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  3. “Rudkowski’s arrest - like Amy Goodman’s arrest at the RNC convention for documenting violence against protestors - is an attempt to crack down on real attempts to question the powers-that-be and to document their actions,” concludes the George Washington Blog.

    The problem with this statement is that Amy Goodman and Democracy Now! is wholly funded by the Rockafeller Foundation and her arrest was a staged dog and pony show.

    Luke’s arrest, however, was real attempt at silencing a legitamate reporter and a blatent violation of rights.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Comparing a comedian to someone worried about the 9-11 victims is the move of a coward. It isnt funny that nobody will take responsibility for the tens of thousands dying RIGHT now. 3000+ on day one, now its probably at 20,000 and that isnt a problem for Bloomberg? I beg to differ. Those are still 9-11 victims.

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  5. Great article as usual!

    However (and Infowars had this wrong as well in one of their articles), Luke's last name is Rudkowski, not Rudowski.

    Keep up the good work. Long live real independent media!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I worked on newspapers for 44 years. There is no such thing as an objective reporter or editor. We all filter our reporting and editing through our worldview.

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  7. The funny thing about the establishment journalists is that they think they're being responsible and feel proud for their work. See Matthews. See George on ABC This Week. They see the real press as the voice of the rabble. You can see their contempt on their faces.

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  8. I am more and more impressed with your writing here at Washington blog. After 5 years of surfing the alternative online news, it's nice that I can still discover some good talent. Just this year I have discovered you, aangirfan, and les visible. The 3 of you are on my daily bookmark. Great article and insight by the way.

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  9. That may be David, but some folks have a better view of the big picture-rather than a narrow one. I'll take the big picture-it's far more objective.

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  10. "The Press" did not exist at the time of the founding fathers, it was a creation of the early 1900s. The freedom of the press was for anyone that could run or operate a printing press, write pamphlets, investigate. Citizens of all stripes were the press, your journals and blogs are equally part of the press, your opinions, and anything you should choose to write.

    The objective was to prevent a government-sponsored 'press', which I can only argue that the current press corps is. It has its own agenda.

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  11. Great Blog. I am in total agreement with you. Journalism is now so controlled in this country it is no longer 'free'.

    Visit our blog...

    Twenty-First Century Revolution

    ReplyDelete

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