The Best media law is No Law!
The free word can be a melody, the title of a collection of publications (1984-2014) made by Gerard Schuijt, Professor of Media and Law at the University of Amsterdam and Leiden.
In search of the answer to the question; what makes a reporter?. I started to look for definitions/ descriptions for the job. Getting a living out of it makes you a professional and eligible for wearing your “Colors” PRESS.
Back in the days of radio broadcasting, there was no clear ruling on this new media, after much ado about rights and censorship the broadcasters could operate under the strict ruling.
Technically made possible by the NSF, the Dutch Transmitter Factory, in Hilversum Netherlands, my hometown. (N.S.F. which became PTI, Philips Telecom Industry, and became part of ATT). My father worked at NSF /PTI and so did half of the town.
The Dutch Government needed a tool to make new broadcasters and public service work together, of course, by regulations. Mostly about morals and decency, programs had to be in the general Interest and uplifting…
The organization was called NRU the National Radio Union, but it was short-lived, soon a new way of broadcasting and means of funding for broadcasters appeared quickly.
At first, the broadcasters, gov, and businesses had to work out how they all could make money, so they needed no more subsidized programs to make,
which came with regulations of course.
Finally, we got a working system of public/free broadcasts to watch, The NOS channels by the government and the independent commercial ones, bonded together by a set of rules of soft regulation by Dutch law and politics, combined with European treaties on Human rights and
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights backs up largely the European ones.
The means of communication is not relevant to the message, the content is freedom of expression and today, information.
Freedom of Information and the freedom of expression is too limited to cover all the tracks of a free press, but Freedom of Communication does. I agree with Professor Gerard Shuijt because it allows you to receive/gather and share it all, freely.
In theory every word sticks, but in real life, the Free Press gets suppressed by governments and shot with bullets.
Wisconsin’s Pioneering War Correspondent
She covered U.S. military involvement in Vietnam well before it escalated into a grueling and unpopular war, and it was in Vietnam that she became the first female American war correspondent killed in action.
As a kid growing up with the Vietnam War on television (black and white, we were late with color-TV) on the daily news. Reading the publications of the World Press Photo books in those days impressed me and felt respect for the photographers, they were heroes to me.
(Later found out that a lot of them died on the job.)
So I also wanted to be “Press” and had the badge “Official USA Army Photographer” on my army green school bag. (from Airbase Soesterberg-NL, with thanks to my eldest brother)
So, I started to work at the professional photo labs, a lot for news agencies and photographers.
That’s why I’ve seen ALL the pictures of Tiananmen Square, not only the newspaper-printed ones, they were too horrific…
The crackdown by Chinese forces.
New means of communication, streaming, and interactive apps provide at least a possibility to document, record, and share your daily life.
It depends on where you stay, a country without (direct) war, a stable economy, or a harsh climate.
Let alone Autocrats or Occupiers.
Journalist for Al Jazeera.
Journalists and reporters are the guard dogs of society, pressing social needs, and addressing questions, facts, and also opinions, even if it is not what I would like to hear or even endorse.
You can inform with the objective of shocking, disturb public discussion, or even offending…
“God is crazy” is an affront but is it my opinion or freedom of expression?
Tells a government me to speak otherwise or do parties in my society force me, will public-moral bring on self-censorship?
Democracy
is the best option for getting free and factual news but it is no guarantee for not having conflicts. Fake News is the slogan of a former president and conspiracy lovers, using doubt and fear as a tool to disperse social behavior, creating classifications for “the other one”.
I can’t be a journalist because I am a poet, and as you know; they “Lie the Truth” ….
Every civilian can be a reporter, even if it’s not their profession, they intend to gather information and share it publicly and should be free of repression and restrictions.
Privacy National security and personal threats are obvious matters that can conflict with the Freedom of Information( Gathering / Sharing) of the free press, although since 1978 you can by law tell on TV shows the S; F; AH. Words and more…(in the NL that is)
The Information Wars also kill people and eventually, a whole social structure can be destroyed by disinformation and false narratives. (Ad Hominem)
The rights of individuals or whole groups are put under pressure as never before, the interpreters of the free Word and our rights to receive information are gunned down by several forces of evil.
“Freedom’s just another word for Nothing else to lose” sang Janice Joplin,
The pillars of Democracy, like freedom of speech and movement, are essential for civil society to function properly, not a free haven for hatred and unbiased attacks on individuals/groups or anyone else you like to blame for today…
We are like popcorn, sweet, salt;
this gentleman prefers salt.
Nevertheless, I like to switch occasionally of flavor and even try out a mix, but only if I want to.
Came across an old magazine, clearing out the place of a friend, an opinion magazine called Panorama, still exciting today, in a completely different setting. It was from around 1948,
a major article, including photos with the big headline:
“Terrorists storm English police post”, Palestine.
Opinion or History lessons, the spirit of the time, or individual prosperity, all scream for attention, Do we ever listen and understand each other again?
I will try so,
You’ve got my word on it!
Luc van de Steeg /
LucFineArt.com
@UrlDukeNL
Remembering Shireen Abu Akeh, 1971-2022
Killed in action by Israeli forces, at Refugee compound Jenin, Occupied Westbank, Palestine,
while Reporting for the Aljazeera news agency.