EU: Let’s regulate journalists
posted at 9:01 am on January 22, 2013 by Ed Morrissey
You know what would really improve the quality of journalism, at least in the opinion of the EU? Give bureaucrats the power to fire reporters for, er,abuses. The European Union scolded the UK for not establishing a government “council” to oversee its media industry, and called for “councils” in every member state with the power to fire reporters that they deem outside the pale:
A “high level” EU panel, that includes Latvia’s former president and a former German justice minister, was ordered by Neelie Kroes, European Commission vice-president, last year to report on “media freedom and pluralism”. It has concluded that it is time to introduce new rules to rein in the press.
“All EU countries should have independent media councils,” the report concluded.
“Media councils should have real enforcement powers, such as the imposition of fines, orders for printed or broadcast apologies, or removal of journalistic status.”
And don’t fall under the misapprehension that these “media councils” will operate independently, either. They will be under the jurisdiction of Brussels at all times:
As well as setting up state regulators with draconian powers, the panel also recommended that the European Commission be placed in overall control in order to ensure that the new watchdogs do not breach EU laws.
“The national media councils should follow a set of European-wide standards and be monitored by the Commission to ensure that they comply with European values,” the report said.
One must suspect that “European values” mean “not reporting anything that makes the EU look like a liberty-phobic micromanagers.” Bruno Waterfield would be the first to have his license to write revoked under those “values.” Speaking of liberty-phobic, the EU’s panel didn’t much care for David Cameron’s rejection of the idea that government should approve the news:
“The gross abuses revealed in the Leveson enquiry have led its author to propose much more stringent institutional supervision, where the media would be much more closely monitored,” the report said.
“That judge Leveson’s recommendations should have been rejected out of hand by some politicians in high office, is not very reassuring.”
Perhaps not to the EU, but I’d bet that a significant number of Brits found it reassuring indeed.
Speaking of whom, does Brussels really believe that this effort will make the UK more likely to move closer to integration? This is a big red flag for Cameron and the UK, and it should be for all member states. If newspapers have to worry about falling afoul of apparatchiks in Brussels every time they report on a story — especially in politics — then whose interest will their national media industries serve? Not their own national interest, and not their readers’ interests, either, and most certainly not truth, either. They will be forced to serve “European values” as defined by the central “media council” of the continental government.
Addendum: Perhaps this will make the blogging industry even more influential in the EU, but don’t be surprised when “media councils” turn their attention there, too.
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Is that any way to talk to a professional simply because she’s a woman? Misnogyist.
zoyclem on May 17, 2013 at 7:50 AM
no one seems to ever mention anyore zawahiri’s video calling for retribution for death of Abu Yahya al-Libi. al-libi meaning ‘from libya’. this was AQ central on sept 10 calling for attacks in libya. and all this was KNOWN on sept 12:
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Peace/2012/09/12/Al-Qaeda-Catches-Obama-White-House-Flat-Footed-During-Egypt-Libya-Attacks
and no one seemd to do anything about it. well some one made a video in june i mean, and like hillary says “we’re gonna get that video guy”. or “at this point what difference does it make”
wonder when one of the intrepid truth seekers in cheryls little “gang” is going to find out about that. from all the diggin they are doing. which was known again the day AFTER it happened.
t8stlikchkn on May 17, 2013 at 8:16 AM
Really? What has she reported that has turned out to be not true. What partisan thing has she said in her reporting?
You define as a hack anyone who reports things you don’t want reported. If you really defined as “hack” those with a partisan agenda, you would be talking about CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, The New York Times, etc.
I like how liberals love to hate Fox as not real news, but they only ever point to the clearly opinion journalists as evidence of that (as if all of the other cable news stations don’t have left wing opinion shows). The actual news reporting on Fox is as good as, if not better than any of the other news reporting done by any news program. Just because they cover stories you don’t want covered doesn’t make the stories less newsworthy or less factual.
Liberalism truly is a mental disorder. You are simply unable to think rationally or be honest about anything.
Monkeytoe on May 17, 2013 at 8:40 AM
Like yourself…and all Leftists?
Yeah…none of you “outside of the right wing” takes voting seriously either, as has become painfully obvious over the past four years.
The results of your ridiculousness?
- The highest percentage of unemployed adults in two generations.
- The coming ObamaCare “trainwreck”.
- Dead US border agents and scores of dead Mexicans as a result of the DOJ’s gun-running ops.
- A US ambassador and 3 other Americans murdered after they were left to die in a known terrorist hotbed on the anniversary of Sept. 11th.
- The IRS targeting and attacking Americans for their political beliefs and using it’s power to influence the 2012 election.
- Spying on news services.
And yet, all we get from you Lefties is deflection and excuses.
Your obtuseness is truly vile and disgusting. And you are going to deserve every bit of the misery that you will reap from the society that you are helping to create; it’s just a shame that so many others will have to suffer through it as well.
rvastar on May 17, 2013 at 10:09 AM
Hotlips must be getting mad, She’s letting her true sexist, racist, face through.
Scratch a progressive, find a hater. Nothing new.
The_Livewire on May 17, 2013 at 3:32 PM
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