我们的开国元勋们相信，新闻自由有助于促进不受限制的政治辩论，将政府的行为暴露在知情和参与的民众的严格审查下，从而为民主服务。然而，如今，大型媒体集团已经成为根深蒂固的权力结构的一部分，利润和公共使命感同样重要。我们还能相信新闻界不负我们开国元勋的崇高理想吗?John and Ken are joined by former TV news anchor and investigative journalist Leslie Griffith for a programrecorded liveat the Marsh theatre in Berkeley, California.
“新闻自由”是一项宪法权利，受到第一修正案的保障，并由我国的开国元勋们写入《权利法案》。但是新闻自由真的符合我们的最大利益吗?肯本着约翰·斯图亚特·密尔的精神认为，真相是政府控制的敌人，新闻自由是确保我们的新闻不只是宣传的唯一途径。但是，正如约翰所指出的，控制是可以避免崩溃的。毕竟，医生和律师都有执照，为什么记者就没有呢?政府评分什么都有，连牛排都有，为什么政府就不能给记者评分呢?政府能否在不完全摧毁媒体必要的独立视角的情况下对媒体进行监管?
Ken and John are joined by Leslie Griffith to discuss these questions. Leslie, a casualty of the ruthless corporatization of the media, points out that the current press is certainly the worst in our nation’s recent history. John and Ken agree that the first amendment does not seem to have successfully ensured that the press provides independent opinions. The nature of our capitalist press entails that the media only provides the opinions of their parent corporations. But, as philosophers, our question remains to be answered: Should ‘freedom of the press’ be sacrificed to free the press from its corporate masters?
Ken wonders if the press isn’t simply capitalizing on human nature. Lots of current research has shown that confirmation bias, the tendency to favor information which confirms one’s preconceptions, is a prevalent and powerful force in the human psyche. Perhaps the press simply tells people what they want to hear. If so, should the government have the authority to force people to hear something different? Leslie seems to think that it should, that, in her words, “too stupid to be on TV oughta be a standard.” John points out that excellent information is out there to find on the internet, from foreign news agencies, and that, if people were determined to find the truth, they could within our modern, hyper-connected world.
