This can't be legal! "Sadam's Nukes"

[blossomstar]

This the the paper in our community, the Carteret County News Times. I still can not believe that they actually printed this article "Sadam's Nukes" as FACT. Unbelievable. My question to you all is, Is this legal? It can't possibly be legal to deliberately state LIES as FACT. I am in total disbelief. There was not a word of truth in the entire piece! They are trying to re-write history, not trying, but they are! There are a lot of people that live here that believe everything in the paper as truth. I am very, very troubled about this article. http://www.carteretnewstimes.com/articles/2008/07/10/news-times/editorial/doc4874e74e1825e855987775.txt Any suggestions as to how to counter this "news" would be greatly appreciated!

[Captain Angry]

1. Freedom of the press.

They are free to print inflammatory information about dead people since they can't be sued for libel (or is it slander? always mix them up.)

For the same reason that Fox News is allowed to be on the air, these guys are going to be allowed to print that crap. They have no responsibility to retract it, and if it increases viewers and adviews, it will be done more and more frequently.

[FiveGoodMen]

12. Should freedom of speech include the freedom to lie in an official capacity?

[frog92969]

2. Looks like the comments are putting them in their place.

But they should get more of a smackdown.

[blossomstar]

6. The comments are comforting..

I left a comment as well, but it hasn't appeared yet. It really was good to see those comments rebutting the story, but there needs to be HUNDREDS of them. It's the people in this county that don't have computers that I'm worried about. The ones that get the paper in their box and read every word. They believe what is written in the paper as the truth or the "news". The majority of people that live here don't have computers to find the truth (like here on DU!). It is relatively a poor county except for the tourists and summer home people and yes, it is predominantly republican. How people can vote against themselves has always been a mystery to me; but, it's starting to make sense after reading the total LIES sent out to people as "news". Thanks for your comment.

[NMDemDist2]

3. looks like the readers have already done a great job of debunking it n/t

[tularetom]

4. I don't think they're fooling anybody.

The comments were pretty harsh.

[ben_meyers]

5. Maybe we need some government regulation of the press,

and while we are at it there are some websites that could use some scrutiny.
Is that what you are suggesting?

[blossomstar]

8. I don't know

what I'm suggesting. Just that this article has left me very, very upset. It scares me that there are so many people here in this community that believe every word they read in the local paper. In my mind, it is a grave responsibility to report the news as "accurate". They have committed a crime in my opinion because they have to know the truth; they are well educated people that own the paper so it has to be deliberate. I am open to any suggestions. All I know is that it has left me so very uneasy for some reason after reading it. Thanks for your comment.

[aspergris]

9. No, we don't

ALL the amendments matter

And there is no freedom of the press (1st amendment) if the press has to pass the "government truth test"

It is fundamentally orwellian to give the GOVERNMENT the power to determine what is and isn't truth.

Bushco has eroded enough of our constitution. Don't propose more

[blossomstar]

10. Oh my goodness

I surely do NOT want or even suggest to restrict freedom of speech or any freedoms! You are right, we have had enough erosion of rights! This is basically the only paper in our little community and to me, that is a HUGE responsibility to print the truth based on fact. If they want to be "biased" and print big whopping lies in their opinion columns, there is where freedom of speech should abound! The absolute only thing I will ever believe written in this paper again are the OBITUARIES! Maybe I will even double check them!

[aspergris]

11. exactly

Freedom of the press NECESSARILY means that falsehoods WILL be written, etc.

Now, some stuff is clearly just plain false. Most of what we would consider falsehoods are more "arguable" iow interpretations and opinion about stuff.

Some are mistaken falsehoods - iow relying on people who are lying or misleading data, or whatnot. Others may be purposeful.

Somebody actually proposing CRIMINALIZING the printing of "false news" is possibly the most orwellian thing I can think of.

[Sherman A1]

7. Somehow the terms

Yellow Journalism & Muckraking come to mind.