[MGP-Forum Announce] Can Verizon be trusted to allow the news to go through?

[Bill Densmore]

Fellow journalist:

Please read the statement below from Free Press.

Last summer, at the MGP2006 conference at UMass, I spoke about the danger that one day all of the "presses" on which America's newspapers are now printed will be virtual -- news will travel on the network. I spoke about the danger that one day it would be possible for the people who control the network to begin making business and editorial judgement about when -- in effect -- the press roles.

HERE'S WHAT I SAID (CLICK ON AUDIO STREAM): 
http://newshare.typepad.com/mgp2006/audioand_multimedia_resources/index.html

Verizon is now doing so. Now flash forward 10 years to a point where the central message of news organizations is delivered digitally to home printers, or screen or portable devices, not on a printing press. With one phone call, an adminisration official could tell the network operator: "The story the New York Times is carrying on their website now is a threat to national security -- please block the IP address of the New York Times." Will a network operator stand up to that pressure?

If would be as if a company controlled the expressways on which today's newspaper delivery trucks drive, and that company started stopping trucks and looking at the front page before letting the truck through -- because it was worried it might lose a government license.

To protect the First Amendment, the ability to communicate, we need a law which prohibits those who control the pipes from having and obligation -- or right -- to discriminate based upon the speech carried on those pipes.

What do you think?

-- bill densmore

NEWS RELEASE BELOW FROM CRAIG AARON, FREE PRESS
Feb. 27, 2007
Craig Aaron, Free Press, (202) 265-1490, x25

Verizon Can't Be Trusted to Protect Free Speech

NARAL censorship shows urgent need for congressional action

WASHINGTON -- Today's New York Times reports that Verizon censored a text message from the National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL). The phone company is claiming that the incident was the result of "dusty internal policy."

Josh Silver, executive director of Free Press, the group that coordinates the SavetheInternet.com Coalition, issued the following statement:

"Verizon and AT&T cannot be trusted to safeguard basic American freedoms. Every time one of these phone companies is caught red-handed -- spying on Americans, censoring musicians and now silencing political views -- they claim it was a one-time glitch. But how many mistakes does it take before we admit there's a bigger problem here?"

"The fundamental democratic principles of free speech, privacy and open communication are too important to be entrusted to these corporate gatekeepers. Whether it's liberal or conservative, Democrat or Republican, pro-choice or pro-gun, the phone companies can't get to pick and choose what messages get through. Congress needs to step in immediately to protect free speech and the free flow of information."

Free Press is a national, nonpartisan organization working to reform the media. Through education, organizing and advocacy, we promote diverse and independent media ownership, strong public media, and universal access to communications. Learn more at www.freepress.net