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 Post subject: THE TIMES' CORPORATE PRIOR RESTRAINT DISINCENTIVIZES
PostPosted: Mon Apr 08, 2013 11:23 am 
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It was noted by bloggers to the Times notification-editorial that after years of permitting comment, it was shutting down its comment section, suddenly and without warning, on the eve of an important and contentious public issue. This action deliberately eliminated the Internet feature crucial to the People for weighing-in, for & against, enactment of a county income tax.

Some backstory, as gathered from numerous Internet reports. In an attempt to continue exercising their role as communicators, many traditional media outlets have adopted different convergence strategies. News outlets have submerged into technology convergence.
Interactive journalism via interactive computer service (ICSs) has developed as an effort to redefine and reengage the audience. It has the redefined news, enabling the consumer to determine what has news value. Consumer/readers have since become producers and/or editors of the news. As the role of the consumer is being redefined by the via Internet usage, journalists must also undergo the process of redefining their roles.

Equally, it was the expressly stated goal of the U.S. Congress in enacting 47 USC Section 230 to “offer a forum for a true diversity of political discourse, unique opportunities for cultural development, and myriad avenues for intellectual activity.” As observed by Rodovich, "Near-unanimous case law holds that Section 230(c) affords immunity to ICSs against suits that seek to hold an ICS liable for third-party content." Chicago Lawyers’ Committee For Civil Rights Under The Law, Inc. v. Craigslist, Inc. ("Craigslist I"), 461 F.Supp.2d 681, 688 (N.D. Ill. 2006), aff’d, 519 F.3d 666 (7th Cir. 2008). "This is to say nothing of the Indiana Code's anti-SLAPP suit provisions at IC 34-7-7-1 et seq: Chapter 7. Defense in Civil Actions Against Persons Who Act in Furtherance of the Person's Right of Petition or Free Speech Under the Constitution of the United States or the Constitution of the State of Indiana in Connection With a Public Issue and, Section 10: Remedy in addition to other remedies provided by law - Sec. 10. The remedy provided by this chapter is in addition to other remedies provided by law.

As more people have moved from consuming news through traditional outlets—such as newspapers and broadcast news— the barely surviving traditional news entities were forced to transform their reporting process and respond to the desires and needs of the 21st Century news consumers. This inevitable change of reporting techniques was based on a universal question: “If reporting is distributed in a community but no one pays attention to it, is it journalism? Can journalism exist without an audience?”

Technological progress and the paradigm shift from traditional media towards online media have altered the way journalists develop their stories, but also the relationships between news organizations, reporters and the public.
Interactive journalism is a new type of journalism that allows consumers to directly contribute to the story. The digital age has changed how people collect information. Newspapers, once the only source for news, have seen declines in circulation as people get news on the Internet.

Contrary to the ostensible concerns of Times editor Doug Ross, gauging from the more than 122 comments posted on the Times editorial board about its decision to discontinue its Comment feature on the Internet, few of these representative samplings believe "silence is golden." Only someone of Ross's limited skills could think the snide, artless allusion to the 1964 Four Seasons song (later re-issued in 1967 by the Tremeloes) had any relevance whatsoever to the values and protection of free speech - and this from a so-called newspaper man!

No, the silence corporate-types like Ross and Gerry Scheub desire is the prior restraint of any dissent, opposition, criticism and most of all, that of critique, especially of Times reporters and editorialists. It's the silence desired of all totalitarians, corporate and political.

"We expected serious dialogue about serious issues in our community," complained Ross.
Take a look in the mirror, buddy. We the People, expect informed perspectives, not political biased agenda reporting or equally uninformed and biased editorials. Indeed, if there is anything lacking serious it is all too often the critical merits of the Times editorialists and guest columnists, to say nothing of artlessness.

William O. Douglas's view in the majority opinion of Terminiello v. City of Chicago (1949): “Accordingly a function of free speech under our system of government is to invite dispute. It may indeed best serve its high purpose when it induces a condition of unrest, creates dissatisfaction with conditions as they are, or even stirs people to anger. Speech is often provocative and challenging. It may strike at prejudices and preconceptions and have profound unsettling effects as it presses for acceptance of an idea.”

As one writer contends: Don't be fooled. This is a corporate injunction against the People, a commercial form of prior restraint; censorship of free speech. A corporate gag order. Here the Fourth Estate has finally come into its own. Welcome to the agent-in-chief of Big Brother: Pravda-like central control of public opinion. This truly demonstrates the totalitarian corporate small-mindedness of the Times.

Lastly, you will note that Ross omits mention of newspaper liability, despite all the vitriol and purported unfairness on public issues. If I had to guess it due to the 2010 Purdue case and the opinion written by our own renown federal court magistrate Andrew Rodovich. "As the internet communities have developed, so has the case law. Although much of the initial CDA immunity was granted to internet service providers like AOL, Collins incorrectly asserts that the immunity ends with such providers. For example, there are many cases holding that websites are under the umbrella of protection of §230(c)(1)." See, Collins v. Purdue; Federated Publications, Inc. (Lafayette Journal).


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 Post subject: Re: THE TIMES' CORPORATE PRIOR RESTRAINT DISINCENTIVIZES
PostPosted: Mon Apr 08, 2013 12:39 pm 
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Just like when the Times shut down the old discussion board when the politicians didn't like the citizens practicing free speech.

Lake County, and the media, are run by the left.

If this behavior upsets you, then LEARN YOUR LESSON!

Next time vote Republican.

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“At the core of liberalism is the spoiled child — miserable, as all spoiled children are, unsatisfied, demanding, ill-disciplined, despotic and useless. Liberalism is a philosophy of sniveling brats.”
P.J. O'Rourke


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 Post subject: Re: THE TIMES' CORPORATE PRIOR RESTRAINT DISINCENTIVIZES
PostPosted: Fri Apr 12, 2013 6:03 am 
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I really enjoyed the way they did it also. First it was certain articles that had no comments, then it went to the letters section, then it was entire site. All this in a 3 day span of time.

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Loves the fact he doesn't require taxpayer assistance to send his kid to college, and the kid will not need to take out financial aid to pay for school either


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