Can the Pentagon 'ban' the free press from reporting the news?

[Q]

- The Pentagon (and the Bush* banana republic) has no authority to ban or censor the American media...even during a (phony) 'time of war'. This is not only morally wrong...it's an affront to the first amendment of the Bill of Rights and to those sacrificing their lives for Bush's* re-selection.

- Many Americans seem to accept that the Bush* government has the right to censor the media simply because the 'commander in chief' wants it that way.

- But to those of us who lived through the Vietnam and Gulf police actions...this is nothing more than the Bush* government playing politics and striving to fight a bloodless 'war' where casualties and body counts are downplayed in the news.

- The Bushies are spreading the LIE that the families don't want to see a parade of coffins streaming from Bush's* illegal war. But this has traditionally been a way for our nation to mourn and honor the dead as they return to American soil.

- It's sickening the way the Bush* government plays politics with the dead of both the 9-11 tragedy and the illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq.

[havocmom]

1. Can see denying reports on troop strength and movement

as that could be bad for the troops. But this BS about not showing the boxes coming back to Dover is only protecting the malAdministration and has nada to do with security for military operations.

That is why we need to keep yammering about the ban on photos of returned fallen troops. Keep nois up until every man, woman and child in America knows policy is to only assure protection for the junta and they don't give a fig about the troops

Chicken hawks.... a pox upon them

[Q]

4. It goes without saying...

...about troop movements, etc. But the American media is hiding FACTS about this war that both the people and their represenatives NEED to know to make decisions about funding and voting.

[tom_paine]

2. What Free Press?

???

[Q]

7. I meant to post: "Free Press"

- The corporate media uses the government censors as an excuse not to report the real news. It's their intent to hide the truth about 9-11 and Iraq until their CEO puppet is safely back in office.

[doni_georgia]

12. "Freedom is never given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by

the oppressed" Martin Luther King, Jr.

[maggrwaggr]

13. that quote should be on the home page of DU

It sucks that we have to fight for it, but we sure as hell do.

I used to take it for granted.

I guess a lot of people did.

Now we have to fight like crazy.

[PaDUer]

16. Exactly....

the people need to get out on the streets in DC..show them that we're onto them instead of them continue w/ their plans of "dumbing the people" PNAC plan.

[PaDUer]

18. WNEP, channel 16 news..

has a "talkback" board. http://www.wnep.com/Global/link.asp?L=103920&nav=LxnX I've lost count of how MANY posts I've made that have been censored along w/ many others..Matter of fact, someone posted about this very subject in the thread within the past couple of days...They also have a "talkback" segment nightly at the end of their show where people can call in, those are also censored.

Last nite I wrote a message on Hans Blix being that he was here in Scranton yesterday--guess what, they did NOT post it. They like to keep the people unaware of MANY things!

-edit-Our local newspaper, The Scranton Times, used to have areas that people were able to comment on whatever article, news--they did AWAY with that completely!

[napi21]

3. I don't know, but once a pic is on the net, it's out!

I saved the pic of the caskets inside the C130 to my hard drive. I know there have been pics and articles on the Pentagon site that were remived too. I don't know if they can ban people from taking pictures, but I think once something is posted on the net, wether is was on the Pentagon site or somewhere else, it's the public domaine.

I suppose someone could take this to court, but it would take so long to get a decision, it would be moot.

[Q]

5. The People are missing the point...

...and that is: an agency or department of the government can't BAN anything to do with the media. Why is it that so many Americans seem to accept this without question?

- Only the military of a totalitarian government can censor the media.

[Muddleoftheroad]

6. They can forbid access

That means the media has to sue to get access. Even then, there is no requirement that the government folks talk to them.

It can be the death knell for a media group.

[Q]

9. They can't legally forbid access...

...and I would think that most Americans should know this. This is the outright censoring of information the public needs and has a right to know.

- The media demanded and received full access to the Vietnam war. It wasn't until Poppy Bush's* Gulf war that the media was restricted in order to make WAR seem more acceptable and 'bloodless' to an uninformed electorate.

- Can you imagine what the media's and opposition response would have been if this type of censorship was attempted under a Clinton or Gore administration?

[Muddleoftheroad]

15. They can indeed

Access to military folks and locations during a time of war or threat of terror is bound to be limited.

While the media got access during Vietnam, Vietnam also did not come home to the U.S. Today, we live under a very real threat of attack IN the U.S.

Actually, this media plan has been relatively unchanged since Vietnam. The Pentagon realized that media reporting hurt them in Vietnam, so they have changed the rules ever since.

[PaDUer]

17. PUSH the...

Freedom of Information Act...and if denied, APPEAL, APPEAL, APPEAL.

[Muddleoftheroad]

19. Years later...

You will get an answer. Meanwhile, they will change the policy and you will have to start all over again.

[doubles]

8. My college professor told me the Government DEFINITELY censors the media!!

[Q]

10. How is that possible...

...unless there exists a 'state-contolled' media?

[leftofthedial]

11. the could not in the United States of America

prior to the coup.

But they can here in Enronia.

They could always restrict access to the location of the war.

and they can restrict access to military facilities.

[maggrwaggr]

14. they can't (legally) ban it, but they can keep journalists far away

that's why they wanted to get Al Jazeera the hell out of Fallujah.

Bad PR, you know, pictures of dead babies and all.