Comments on: MORE BAD NEWS ON FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS

By: Bob Doyle

Bob Doyle — Mon, 04 Apr 2005 20:20:31 +0000

Well, I’ll have to check into whether this is the “actual” or “correct” take on this ruling, but if it is, then this is an incredible assault on freedom of speech and the press. The press has a responsibility to report the “truth.” In that regard, if some (hypothetical) fat, inebriated, delirious senator guilty of vehicular manslaughter were to state that, say, a political opponent on the illegal immigration issue is a racist Nazi, one might think the press not only has a right, but also, an ethical obligation to report what the senator said. In other words, what the senator said and that he said it IS the “news” that the press has a right and an obligation to report. Whether or not what the senator said is or is not true has no bearing on the truth of whether or not the senator said it. The press must have the right to reveal truthfully what the senator said with no further obligation to ascertain whether what was said is true. Certainly, the press is also free to inquire into whether the statement is true or not. However, if they cannot report what was actually said simply because what was said is untrue, then the press will fail to perform one of its most important functions: that is, revealing to all the world what moonbats some people are!

By: superhawk

superhawk — Thu, 31 Mar 2005 14:40:16 +0000

AA:

That’s a good question. Given that it would be live TV and thus not subject to a standard of editorial control, my guess would be that the answer to your question would be no.

Then again, the way the courts are mucking around with our 1st amendment rights, anything is possible.

By: ArchAngel

ArchAngel — Thu, 31 Mar 2005 04:48:13 +0000

Does this “judgment” also apply to Television? What about a live report where someone tells a lie about someone. Is the television station responsible, for spreading that “lie”? Does this mean that politicians now have to keep their mouths shut?

By: Gun-Toting Lib

Gun-Toting Lib — Wed, 30 Mar 2005 16:16:00 +0000

JASON! Think BIGGER than that! This will most certainly impact you and your blog in the near future. Not EVERYTHING is “left vs right” dood.

By: Kobayashi Maru

Kobayashi Maru — Wed, 30 Mar 2005 12:10:04 +0000

Bloggers Feel a Chill
Despite all of the mud that’s been slung at Karl Rove, the party out of power seems likely to benefit more from a strategy of stoking the libelous rumor mill while suing those who report such statements directly (i.e., blogs). In such a climate, how …

By: NIF

NIF — Wed, 30 Mar 2005 01:06:31 +0000

Regent of The Opposite of Paranormal Vegetables
Today’s dose of NIF - News, Interesting & Funny … pray for Terri!

By: TJ

TJ — Tue, 29 Mar 2005 22:29:11 +0000

Jason - that’s not the problem; the problem is now a reporter cannot quote someone … the person who made the original statement is the problem, not those unknowingly repeating a falsehood.

I’m sure you will be a little upset the next time you quote someone on your site and get sued …

/TJ
… NIF
… The Wide Awakes

By: Jason Cuevas

Jason Cuevas — Tue, 29 Mar 2005 20:05:57 +0000

Hahahahah… only people on the right would be pissed that news papers have to report true claims about candidates. Yeah what a horrible world it would be if candidates had to stick to the issues and hersay and lies couldn’t be just thrown around in the mainstream media.

By: Jay

Jay — Tue, 29 Mar 2005 19:22:46 +0000

It is getting ridiculous. Something is gonna have to be done about all of this judicial tyranny. I’ve got petitions on my site asking Congress to do something. It is in an older post called Judicial Tyranny. It may be time for me to pull that one up to the top again!