roundtable: Cleansing of the Press

roundtable: Cleansing of the Press

Cleansing of the Press

Vigdor Schreibman - FINS (fins@access.digex.net)
Mon, 5 Feb 1996 14:17:22 -0500 

Date: Mon, 5 Feb 1996 14:17:22 -0500
From: Vigdor Schreibman - FINS <fins@access.digex.net>
Message-Id: <199602051917.OAA24014@access2.digex.net>
To: roundtable@cni.org
Subject: Cleansing of the Press


POLITICAL "CLEANSING" OF THE PRESS--IN CONGRESS
by Vigdor Schreibman *

In Congress, some strategically placed persons say, "freedom of the press 
is irrelevant."  This is a direct quote!

Amazingly, the statement comes not from rough members of Congress or some
cabal of outsiders, but from people like Rick Maze, a reporter for the Army
Times and a member of the Executive Committee of Correspondents, and from
other key officials of the Periodical Press Galleries at the US Capitol.  
The statement was made to this writer, editor and publisher of FINS, in an
attempt to justify management of the process of accreditation for members of
the press, by arbitrarily disregarding settled First Amendment principles.
  
FINS publishes over the Internet a biweekly news column that specializes in
communicating the emerging philosophy of the Information Age.  FINS is well
know as a critic of the telecom industry for their lobbying and influence
peddling in Congress, which have locked the public interest community out of
the legislative process related to the Telecommunications Act of 1996
[S.652], passed by Congress Feb 1.  FINS applied for membership in the
Periodical Press Galleries last August.  If approved, FINS would be the first
all-electronic news organ admitted to membership in the Press Galleries.

On Mon Jan 29th, FINS was informed by David Holmes, Gallery Superintendent
that the application was denied.  In making their decision the Executive
Committee of Correspondents who manage the accreditation process construed
the Press Galleries rules under a sophisticated yet merely parochial culture,
arbitrarily disregarding First Amendment doctrines of freedom of the press. 
They claim, for instance, that FINS does not qualify because it is a one-man
publication.  Admittedly, I.F. Stone, and other commentators who managed
one-man publications--did qualify.  They also claim that the editor and
publisher of FINS cannot use his retirement income to help sustain FINS. 
Finally, they claim that FINS is not qualified because it is only a "hobby." 

Mega-corporations are facilitated to use their own capital and income to
inculcate the global society with business propaganda--but a citizen reporter
will be constrained from utilizing his meager retirement income to serve the
cause of liberty.  The Wall Street Journal, a member of the Press Galleries,
publishes verbatim the press releases from corporations for as much as 50% of
the editorial content of that newspaper, whereas, FINS takes pride in
violating with impunity the tyrannical norms of corporate domination.

The doctrine of freedom of the press in the Periodical Press Galleries was
sustained in an opinion issued by the US District Court in _Consumers Union
of United States, Inc. v. Periodical Correspondents Ass_, 365 F.Supp 18 (D.
DC 1973) (Gesell, DJ).  The case was reversed on other grounds reported in
515 F.2d 1341 (1975).  In the latter case the Court held that rule making in
Congress was committed to the jurisdiction of Congress. Nevertheless, the
Appellate Court did not consider the Constitutional free press issue.  That
part of the Gesell opinion remains binding, namely, that the free press
principles of the Constitution must govern the process, albeit within
Congress, of accrediting newsmen.

Superintendent Holmes complained to FINS about the _Consumers Union_ opinion,
charging that the Press Galleries were not effectively represented in the
court proceedings by the US Attorney assigned to the case.  Nevertheless, it
is simply incredible that any member of the press would treat as irrelevant
the doctrine of press freedom guaranteed by the First Amendment with regard
to the use of press facilities made available to the news media in Congress.

Those officials and newsmen are exercising the same kind of political
"cleansing" option that is now going on in the media: Jim Hightower canceled
by ABC/Disney; strategist William Kristal hired as a political consultant by
ABC/Disney; the giant cable operator TCI imposing a huge rate hike on
citizen-oriented 90s channel that is forcing them off the air.  Private
industry may be free to act in a prejudicial manner to suit its
self-interests, but the exercise of such a policy within the very body of
Congress concerned with protecting freedom of the press and the right of the
people to know about the conduct of their government, is a cause for alarm.

Net pundit, Jack Hirshfeld, sent an email message to FINS, Jan 31, observing:
     If the opinion of the Executive Committee were allowed to stand, a large
     community of readers would be deprived of an important source of news
     and information - often the first source, and sometimes the only source.
     The mainstream press often writes of the "people's right to know."  Few,
     however, act to guarantee that right as consistently as Vigdor
     Schreibman.

Jerry Landy, a writer, teacher on issues relating to mass telecommunications
and society at the University of Illinois, and a client of FINS, also sent an
email message to FINS, Feb 2, commenting (in part) that "you provide an
invaluable resource  n o t  provided by other services .... I am prepared to
do what I can, at the highest levels I can reach, to help reverse the
Gallery's decision."    

FINS has filed an appeal from the decision denying membership in the Press
Galleries.  Marc Rotenberg, esq., of Washington, DC, will represent FINS in
the appeal.  

----------
*  Vigdor Schreibman, is editor and publisher of the Federal Information News
Syndicate (FINS), owner of Fins Information Age e-library at the University
of Maryland inforM system, co-founder of The Cyberspace Society, and author
of "The Politics of Cyberspace" Journal of Government Information, May/June
1994, pp. 249-280.  Schreibman's email address is fins@access.digex.net.

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