New legislation aimed at taking over global media (scary!)

Saw this bill posted on another forum. It basically gives the United States government authority to influence international media. Scary stuff! (Read Section 4043 especially!)

Senate Bill S.2845 (AKA 9/11 Bill)

SEC. 4042. ENHANCING FREE AND INDEPENDENT MEDIA.

(a) Findings- Congress makes the following findings:

(1) Freedom of speech and freedom of the press are fundamental human rights.

(2) The United States has a national interest in promoting these freedoms by supporting free media abroad, which is essential to the development of free and democratic societies consistent with our own.

(3) Free media is undermined, endangered, or nonexistent in many repressive and transitional societies around the world, including in Eurasia, Africa, and the Middle East.

(4) Individuals lacking access to a plurality of free media are vulnerable to misinformation and propaganda and are potentially more likely to adopt anti-American views.

(5) Foreign governments have a responsibility to actively and publicly discourage and rebut unprofessional and unethical media while respecting journalistic integrity and editorial independence.

(b ) Statements of Policy- It shall be the policy of the United States, acting through the Secretary of State, to--

(1) ensure that the promotion of press freedoms and free media worldwide is a priority of United States foreign policy and an integral component of United States public diplomacy;

(2) respect the journalistic integrity and editorial independence of free media worldwide; and

(3) ensure that widely accepted standards for professional and ethical journalistic and editorial practices are employed when assessing international media.

© Grants to Private Sector Group to Establish Media Network-

(1) IN GENERAL- Grants made available to the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) pursuant to paragraph (3) shall be used by NED to provide funding to a private sector group to establish and manage a free and independent media network in accordance with paragraph (2).

(2) PURPOSE- The purpose of the network shall be to provide an effective forum to convene a broad range of individuals, organizations, and governmental participants involved in journalistic activities and the development of free and independent media to--

(A) fund a clearinghouse to collect and share information concerning international media development and training;

(B ) improve research in the field of media assistance and program evaluation to better inform decisions regarding funding and program design for government and private donors;

© explore the most appropriate use of existing means to more effectively encourage the involvement of the private sector in the field of media assistance; and

(D) identify effective methods for the development of a free and independent media in societies in transition.

(3) FUNDING- For grants made by the Department of State to NED as authorized by the National Endowment for Democracy Act (Pub. L. 98-164, 97 Stat. 1039), there are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of State such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2005, 2006, and 2007 to carry out this section.

SEC. 4043. COMBATING BIASED OR FALSE FOREIGN MEDIA COVERAGE OF THE UNITED STATES.
(a) Findings- Congress finds the following:

(1) Biased or false media coverage of the United States and its allies is a significant factor encouraging terrorist acts against the people of the United States.

(2) Public diplomacy efforts designed to encourage an accurate understanding of the people of the United States and the policies of the United States are unlikely to succeed if foreign publics are subjected to unrelenting biased or false local media coverage of the United States.

(3) Where freedom of the press exists in foreign countries the United States can combat biased or false media coverage by responding in the foreign media or by communicating directly to foreign publics in such countries.

(4) Foreign governments which encourage biased or false media coverage of the United States bear a significant degree of responsibility for creating a climate within which terrorism can flourish. Such governments are responsible for encouraging biased or false media coverage if they--

(A) issue direct or indirect instructions to the media to publish biased or false information regarding the United States;

(B ) make deliberately biased or false charges expecting that such charges will be disseminated; or

© so severely constrain the ability of the media to express criticism of any such government that one of the few means of political expression available is criticism of the United States.

( Statements of Policy-

(1) FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS- It shall be the policy of the United States to regard foreign governments as knowingly engaged in unfriendly acts toward the United States if such governments--

(A) instruct their state-owned or influenced media to include content that is anti-American or prejudicial to the foreign and security policies of the United States; or

(B ) make deliberately false charges regarding the United States or permit false or biased charges against the United States to be made while constraining normal political discourse.

(2) SEEKING MEDIA ACCESS; RESPONDING TO FALSE CHARGES- It shall be the policy of the United States to--

(A) seek access to the media in foreign countries on terms no less favorable than those afforded any other foreign entity or on terms available to the foreign country in the United States; and

(B ) combat biased or false media coverage in foreign countries of the United States and its allies by responding in the foreign media or by communicating directly to foreign publics.

© Responsibilities Regarding Biased or False Media Coverage-

(1) SECRETARY OF STATE- The Secretary of State shall instruct chiefs of mission to report on and combat biased or false media coverage originating in or received in foreign countries to which such chiefs are posted. Based on such reports and other information available to the Secretary, the Secretary shall prioritize efforts to combat such media coverage, giving special attention to audiences where fostering popular opposition to terrorism is most important and such media coverage is most prevalent.

(2) CHIEFS OF MISSION- Chiefs of mission shall have the following responsibilities:

(A) Chiefs of mission shall give strong priority to combatting biased or false media reports in foreign countries to which such chiefs are posted regarding the United States.

(B ) Chiefs of mission posted to foreign countries in which freedom of the press exists shall inform the governments of such countries of the policies of the United States regarding biased or false media coverage of the United States, and shall make strong efforts to persuade such governments to change policies that encourage such media coverage.

(d) Reports- Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act and at least annually thereafter until January 1, 2015, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on International Relations of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a report regarding the major themes of biased or false media coverage of the United States in foreign countries, the actions taken to persuade foreign governments to change policies that encourage such media coverage (and the results of such actions), and any other actions taken to combat such media coverage in foreign countries.

The media is free to report only on events that make the United States look good.

The media is free to not support terr by running our propaganda.

This wording of "supporting terror" in legislation is muy troubling to me. I wonder if they've started building the camps yet.

We saw it coming here first.

...a bill to fund propaganda in oil-rich areas.

All Reuters reporters must wear teeshirts with their logo and large clearly marked bullseyes printed on them. This will insure a free U.S. friendly media.

And who owns the communications satellites?

If it were to be carried out by impartial beings, then I'd say that it was a great idea. But, as we've seen by the left and right media in this country, you really can't count on impartial beings.

Maybe we can rally some up at area 51. Right, they'd put a martian spin on it.

Unless you mean AAR, I think you are delusional.

CNN started under a republican president, so their views were somewhat 'anti establishment' in order to differentiate themselves from the mainstream which had typically been centric. Then FOX came on as the anti-cnn as the new (ultra) 'anti establishment' voice under a democratic president. It's been a mess ever since.

.

We have no real standing in the world any longer. We are no longer the "leader of the free world." We are a rogue state, with no real leadership, fighting wars just for the sake of making $$$$ for the regime's friends.

I love this about "free media." Already in Iraq they have Allawi instructing their press on what they may print and what they may not and how to phrase news items about the war. This is after they have closed down the opposition's media, tossed out Al Jazeera and arrested Al Aribiya.

So GD pompous. I hate this regime, passionately. If you don't broadcast US PROPAGANDA you will be frowned upon.

Like we're ever gonna see Condi demand equal time on the Saudi airwaves from Bandhar. She'll probably go after Chirac and get told to go Cheney herself.

9/11 Recommendations Implementation Act
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c108:3:./temp/~c108TZzc9O::

:(

just imagine how horrible it would be if another country continually accused the USA of having some awful weapon that they really didn't have. If the government representatives were constanly shown on the country's TV peddling lies about the USA's capabilities. If the country's "newspaper of record" reprinted whatever a USA exile said about the USA as if it were solid fact, while he was getting hundreds of thousands of dollars from that foreign country. Why, it might make the USA unpopular in the world. The UN might pass a resolution against it. And then that country might take that as an excuse to launch a unilateral attack against the USA, despite the fact that the UN didn't want that to happen. This might kill 0.4% of the USA's population in 18 months - or 1.2 million.

God, what a nightmare. Thank goodness we have the vigilant American government to prevent things like that happending in the world.