The Rights and Responsibility of Media

News You Need To Know

As anyone who’s turned on the news in the last three days will tell you, media is a powerful force in the world today. It seems as if the news has transitioned from being a provider of responsible and factual information, and has instead sought to present the news of the day in as sensational and entertaining a manner as possible. It would be naïve to deny that sometimes news can be entertaining, but this is not supposed to be it’s primary function. I once spoke to a veteran news radio personality, and he defined news as information that is relevant to the listener/reader/watcher. What I find so amusing about modern news is the absurd amount of information broadcast that has no real relevance to the lives of the general population.

The Problem With the Press

There was a time in this country when being a member of the news industry meant you were someone of respectable standing. News personalities were intelligent, investigative, and dedicated to utilizing our freedom of press to the greater benefit of the people. Things have obviously changed. We now live in the era when some of the best words to describe the news industry would be cynical, ruthless, cantankerous, and the like. I can distinctly recall Operation Iraqi Freedom from the perspective of a member of the US Armed Forces. I can recall how troubling it was to hear the news media report intricate details of military operations and troop movements. Many people would say that this should be blamed on the military, but the fact is that the news agencies are researchers and investigators by trade. Much information can be accumulated by reporters embedded with military units as well as those on site at international crises. I am fully in support of the freedom of press, as well as all of the other freedoms that myself and many other veterans swore to protect and defend from enemies both foreign and domestic. I do, however, feel that individuals, and especially citizens of this great country in which we reside, have a responsibility to think about the consequences of their actions. The ruthless dedication of news media to being the first to report, and doing so under the guise of “the people deserve to know” is problematic at best, and deadly at worst. As we’ve seen in recent days, the danger associated with this abuse of our freedoms often comes at great cost.

Do Unto Others

When we look at the recent controversy surrounding the so-called film, “The Innocence of Muslims,” the obvious first question to enter the minds of most creative individuals would be, “Who thought this was a good idea?” The reason for this wouldn’t be simply because of the controversial nature of the subject matter, but more because of how undeniably terrible the production is. Any of my instructors encountered during the pursuit of my bachelors would have most certainly given this project a failing grade. 

Beyond that, though, one must ask themselves what the purpose of a venture like this would be? Americans have increasingly become a society of people who want their rights to be respected at the expense of our fellow countrymen. What I would ask of the orchestrators of this film would be if they considered how disrespectful it would be perceived by even another American citizen who happened to be Muslim. I don’t think anything is wrong with exercising your freedoms, but when did it become acceptable to disrespect the freedom of those around us. I am a proud Christian, but just because one of my classmates isn’t doesn’t mean they deserve any less respect. I feel that this film is one of the grandest expressions of our lack of concern of how our actions affect those around us. Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t believe that government imposed censorship is the answer, nor do I believe that the international response this film has created is justified. I do, however, think that each individual citizen should exercise some responsibility in exercising our rights. When I took high school civics my instructor explained to us that we all have freedom of speech, but if someone yells “Fire!” in a crowded theater, and causes a stampede, that individual would certainly be arrested in the aftermath. So many people think of our freedoms as simply rights owed to us, but too few of us realize that our freedom is also a responsibility. We have an obligation to act in a manner that is decent, prudent, and most importantly, won’t endanger the lives of our fellow countrymen. The same level of patriotism and national pride that made us so supportive and protective of our international athletes just one month ago, should be one of the motivating factors that dictate to us whether in exercising our rights, we are doing so with responsibility.