doit@ihlpa.UUCP (Roeseler) (10/15/85)
There has been quite a discussion on the net lately whether the free flow of information in the media is guaranteed or not. Opinions are ranging from: 'The news media are controlled by lobbyists that decide what information the public gets' to 'the free flow of opinions is guaranteed under any circumstances and nobody is trying to change this.' In NEWSWEEK, October 14, 1985, is an article about the involvement of Marilyn Monroe with the Kennedys on page 43. > It says that an ABC 20/20 segment reportedly revealing > new information about the Kennedys' ties > to Monroe, and the Mafia, has been > canceled last week. Roone Arledge, > President of ABC News and a friend of the > Kennedys, said the program's allegations > had not been adequately substantiated. However, > Hugh Downs, the coanchor of 20/20 disagreed. > He said that the segment > was "more thoroughly documented than network > coverage of Watergate at its height." To all of you who think the free flow of information is guaranteed because Dallas is on TV every Friday and Eyewitness News is on at 6:30 pm: Make sure you look beyond the surface and do not confuse the amount of information that is available to you with its quality. No matter how free a society might call itself, there will be interest groups that try to control information or, at least, manipulate it. How can anybody fail to see this ?! Armin Roeseler AT&T Bell Laboratories ihlpa!doit