What is the primary duty of 'free press'?To give all the news or to display offensive caricatures?
157187
Free press means the ability to report the news without fear of retribution. Free speach means the ability to express an opinion without fear of retribution. No true free society can exist when someone expressing an opinion must fear for their life by doing so. As such, the followers of Islam who protest a cartoon by burning the national flags of other countries, (which many people find offensive), just prove that they prefer the rule of dictatorships, where they can spend their entire lifes bending over to the whims of those in power.
154262
there are many different sources of news today: the internet is good because of its immediate nature, tv and newspapers are good because they can provide and in-depth local slant on a story.  but if you try to stay on top of everything, you'll suffer from information overload. \n\nindividually:::if you are asking how to pick and choose between the wide variety, i think a person should take into account the time they have available to digest the news, and what things they feel they need to know.  i've customized my yahoo page to bring up only those sources i trust, so in a sense i've censored myself.  there's too much out there and i feel the need to draw a line.\n\nas a society:::on the other hand if you're asking how much of our national defense policy should we give away, or should we publicize crimes that might incite others to repeat them, then it's a much finer line, with much more at stake.  where does the public's right to know overlap the potential dangers to them?  it can be decided on a case-by-case basis, but do we really trust news editors to make that call for us? they are biased by their own opinions too, so what they want us to see and hear will be colored by that.  credibility is an issue when the media are businesses that exist to make money 1st and report 2nd.  it's small wonder that people view the mass media with more than a little suspicion.
807960
File a case in court for public disturbance being committed by newspaper men.  You have a valid reason and this must be entertained.
509447
more like the official propaganda dissemination agency of the religious right.  news has nothing to do with it.  all they need is a Goebbels to be in charge...
984584
Very little these days.  The press needs to be free to keep the society honest and well informed about what is really going on.  It used to work pretty well, but today, all major news sources are owned by  international conglomerates of business interests.  These interests do not wish to have anything reported that makes them look bad, so if you want to know about the exploitation of the poor, environmental violations by business or governments they support, what is really happening in war, who supports and directs politicians, are elections rigged, or any number of other important issues relevant to your life and your future, you can no longer rely on the press to be independent and give you that information.  Press, TV news etc., have all been bought up by those you would hope the press would tell about.  No more.  Not here.  Go to Al Jazeera and you will get better news that we do in our "free country."
362043
The news (except Fox) is typically liberal.  And besides, what would sell better: "Water is healthy" or "Water can kill."
995556
In other words, you prefer to have the media report news with a right-wing slant.\n\nThe media is only as liberal as the conservative corporations that own them.
971814
The Press is indeed doing yeomen service in keeping the public informed about the events of importance. But for them, much of the public would remain ignorant and politically unaware. It plays an important role in educating the public and in forming the opinion. However, very often they tend to overdo the thing. They often sensationalize and incite passion to a degree uncalled for. The Press Council should be more vigilant in containing this problem.
1161486
You ask the question with the premise that main-stream media isn't corporate controlled by a few individuals with specific interests.  The media isn't "regurgitating" propoganda, it is creating it wholesale.  Our media conglomerates were quietly de-regulated in 1981 and can no longer be considered "independent" news sources.  Couple this with the fact that, by and large, popular press has ALWAYS been about selling newspapers, ad space, etc.\n\nIf you want a real clue as to what is happening you must unfortunately do your own research, which means cracking a real 1st-tier history book.
612324
Journalism has as its main activity the reporting of events — stating who, what, when, where, why and how, and explaining the significance and effect of events or trends. Journalism exists in a number of media: newspapers, television, radio, magazines and, since the end of the 20th century, the Internet.\n\nGenerally, publishers and consumers of journalism draw a distinction between reporting — "just the facts" — and opinions (such as editorials, the official opinions of the paper, and op-ed columns, "opposite the editorial page" commentary). However, this distinction sometimes can break down. Journalists may unintentionally fall prey to propaganda or disinformation. Journalists may give a biased account of facts by reporting selectively, for instance, focusing on anecdote, giving a partial explanation of actions, or engaging in "gotcha journalism." Foreign reporting may become more susceptible to bias, because the writers or editors of a newspaper in a given geographical area may find it more difficult to check the facts in reports about distant places. Budget cuts also can affect the bias of a story if they affect a writer or editor's resources.
542400
really simple! because the media is a tool utilized as any other tool to serve the purposes of political powers ! it has never been about the truth, he who wants the truth must seek it the hard way not be fed by propaganda machines
758739
No!\nYou are free to say what you like, just I prefer funny to insulting.\nI will never report anyone. Who am I to do that?
977217
A Press Release means news about anything to be published in the newspapers or the TV news.
1012204
I hope this is an opinion piece.\n\nRewording:\nAlthough it is ethically right for journalist to write only the truth in journalism, in reality this seldom.
1129435
What utter nonsense. What you want is freedom to say whatever you want without consequences.  That's a very different thing.\nPeople using this kind of question to make political points against ANY administration are just silly, as some of your answers did.  They are willing to undermine our country's reputation for political "points".\nTruth is, we have free speech, and so do the people who respond to you, argue with you, disagree with you, and even insult you. If you are watching what you say, it's because you are too timid to say what you mean and stand by it.\nYou still have the freedom to do that, and that was all that was ever granted us in the first place.\nPeople also have a right to respond to your speech.\n\nYahoo! Answers and other groups that provide a forum for you to speak get to add their own rules.  Just because you use the forum does not mean you get the right to dictate what the rules of that forum are.  They have the right, as owners of the site, to determine that.  If they wanted to limit it to people who can talk only about pink dyed poodles without the participants using the letter "p", they could (not much of a market in that), and have the right to do so.\n\nSomeone loans you a soapbox, but they get to decide whether you use it, or get to take it away if you don't follow their rules.\n\nHOWEVER, you are free to start your own website, your own newsletter, your own T.V. station, your own radio station, and you get to make the rules.\n\nIF you did, would you want people coming with insults about you and your views, or spewing filth to insist that you had to spend your money so they could "speak freely"?\n\nWhat nonsense.  You have no right to ask that.
804667
There is a difference between free speech and inciting a riot.  Free speech also doesn't give one a license to say whatever, whenever.  There still is a responsibility for the words one speaks.  Don't know what promted this question, but I don't have any issue with yahoo's policies governing posting on the site.
92885
Nothing.  It was an independent private newspaper that published the cartoon.  It would be no different than the United States government doing something over a New York Times editorial.  This is a problem that other governments have that they can't effectively control their populations and that the moderate Muslim leaders have that they can't stop their followers from rioting and killing.