media pushing for government openness and accountability

[HM-PuFFNSTuFF]

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20050310/D88NPSKG1.html (full article)



The Associated Press and seven journalism organizations are joining forces to promote policies aimed at ensuring government is accessible, accountable and open.

The Sunshine in Government Initiative seeks to combat what the member organizations see as increased government secrecy since the 2001 terrorist attacks. The coalition will lobby for legislation and seek to educate the public about First Amendment issues.

"National security depends on public trust," AP President and CEO Tom Curley said. "The trend toward secrecy is the greatest threat to democracy. We must be vigilant at explaining and fighting for accountable government in every jurisdiction."...

The seven media organizations involved in the Sunshine Initiative are the American Society of Newspaper Editors, Society of Professional Journalists, Coalition of Journalists for Open Government, National Newspaper Association, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, Radio-Television News Directors Association and the Newspaper Association of America.


When it comes down to it, the media have themselves being failing the US public. Nice to see them pushing for legislation but it'll be interesting to see if Bush's free ride continues.

[prince1000]

of course it will continue. noone gives a fuck here, at least anyone that can affect change which takes more than money if u haven't noticed. soros did nothing to keep from getting bush elected and he's god in some circles. celebrate the new dark age....

[Massive Quasars]

http://slate.msn.com/id/2096848/

That's the government. Are you familiar with the president's council on bioethics?

One by the name of Leon Kass intends to stifle all biomedical research so that a public consensus can be reached.

http://www.reason.com/hitandrun/2005/03 ... n_ka.shtml

As I asked when the report was first issued: What does Kass mean by all research? "Is this an effort to turn back the clock on such beneficial technologies as assisted reproduction or pre-implantation diagnosis of genetic diseases in embryos? Does this debate include another fruitless and contentious effort to force a national consensus on the morality of abortion and contraception? Kass lost the debate on assisted reproduction in the 1970s. Is this a way for him to reopen that debate for a second round in which he hopes to fare better?"

So the answer to my question is yes, Kass is trying to turn back the clock. It is clear that he has never given up on trying to deny the benefits of safe reproductive and biomedical technologies to future generations and that he never will.

Then there's this.

http://slate.msn.com/id/2079099/

God forbid we live in such a world. That's why we have crusaders like Leon Kass fighting against evil progress so we can live in a luddite paradise (whether we want to or not). Meanwhile outside the US, such lunacy doesn't always prevail and research marches on.

/rant