Should the news be censored?

19 Comments

The riots that are breaking out across England are partially fuelled by the knowledge that the populace far outnumbers the police force and that, if enough of us join in, the chance of being apprehended is minimal.

For economic reasons as much as anything else, England is a tinderbox. During such times, should the news be censored so the idea of rioting doesn't spread (as it already has)?

The news should always tell the truth, even if people die as a result. 59
The media should be responsible enough to know when to keep quiet. 20
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Comments ( 19 )
  • Dozis
    12 years ago

    Censored?Are you fucking kiddind me?
    They should be reporting way more stuff than they are.
    They are afraid to "hurt the feelings" of the civilized people of.....the fourth fucking reich.
    What a bunch of cockroaches.
    The news machine is in reality a part of the propaganda machine.Where do you people think you live?
    The land of freedom? Have you got any idea how much shit goes on that we will never know about because it suits the governament or some shithead who behaves like a fucking mobster and thinks that the whole world is nothing but his own little fucking oister where he can do whatever the fuck he pleases?
    Censor the news.
    DO me the fucking favor will ya? they already are.

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  • chubbawubba69
    12 years ago

    "Even if people die as a result." You can't take blame from the person responsible and pin it on someone or something else. If I work at a liquor store, sell someone a twelve pack, and they later drive drunk and kill someone, is it my fault? No. Individuals are responsible for their own actions, and freedom of speech and information is a crucial right.

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  • Smartasscookie
    12 years ago

    No, I believe they should stick to the truth, but I think they shouldn't hype up some stories

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  • karmasAbich
    12 years ago

    Shiiit I scrolled down to the bottom of this page to post a comment because apparently I had something to say but now that I'm here I forgot what the poll was about. Ha!! Laziness is the definition of me.

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  • zenji
    12 years ago

    The news already is censored. Look at Fox, bias is the same thing as censoring. The movie Network brilliantly predicted the downfall of media. These days, you can choose your reality, via cable tv.

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  • joybird
    12 years ago

    I live in Northern Ireland and only heard about the riots in England tonight through a friend.

    Why?

    Because I haven't watched the news for many many years since our local news showed two British soldiers being stripped, tortured and shot on TV. I couldn't believe what I was watching - and no consequences to the ones who were doing it!! Eh? I cried buckets of tears for those boys and their parents watching that happening to their children.

    Also, our 'Troubles' in 1969 were hyped up by the press who paid young lads to throw stones and bottles at the police so they could get good photographs.

    I don't follow politics of any sort but to me, it's not as if the media aren't showing enough, they're showing and creating too much!! So if it even saves one life, everyone should do what I do, and turn the news off. I love my life living in a happy little bubble and how dare the media come into my home and distress me!

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  • casualcrow
    12 years ago

    In some instances news organizations need to know when to keep quiet. Not because they should keep information from the public, but because the public needs to be treated like a little kid sometimes and lied to in order to keep control over them.

    And the fact that the general public outnumbers police is common knowledge. In any country do you really think people who work in law enforcement outnumber everyone else?

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    • chubbawubba69
      12 years ago

      The public needs to be lied to in order to CONTROL them? I sure hope you don't live in the U.S. No organization has the right to control individuals.

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      • casualcrow
        12 years ago

        I do live in the U.S. And when i say control I'm not talking about some sort of Communist or Fascist regime controlling its public, I mean to keep order and stability.

        If a comet was heading towards Earth, do you think it would be smart for news stations to tell everyone that the world is about to end? Or would it be smarter to wait until the government came up with a plan on how to stop it first, and then tell the public after we have a solution?

        The human species isn't the most rational species. Intelligent yes, rational...only a few.

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        • flutterhigh
          12 years ago

          "I'm not talking about some sort of Communist or Fascist regime controlling its public, I mean to keep order and stability."

          Well I lol'd.

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        • chubbawubba69
          12 years ago

          What you describe as a solution is a totalitarian policy. You are saying the government should hide things from the public until they come up with a solution. In a free society the people control the government, not the other way around.

          The direction this country is headed in should make you happy though, get ready for a nanny-state!

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          • casualcrow
            12 years ago

            You're simply not understanding me. It's very easy to play to good guy and act like you stand for peoples freedoms and blah blah blah, but if you were the ones making tough decisions, like the one I illustrated you'll probably sink the country in one fell swoop.

            You would truly be the dangerous one in a position of power.

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            • chubbawubba69
              12 years ago

              But who are you (or anyone else) to decide what information is safe or dangerous? What is the standard? Don't you see the problem with your logic?

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    • MissClaire
      12 years ago

      In Canada our news cannot be biased - so I understand what you are saying to a degree. We have limitations on freedom of speech, that is we have some censorship that highlights slightly liberal views (in my opinion). We have the most hate crime (arguably) legislation forbidding certain ideas from being promulgated, especially by the media.
      The Canadian Association of Broadcasters has their own set of rules - in Canada's eyes it is to protect the residents.
      I think that certain censorship is not necessarily a bad thing. If there wernt regulations, who knows what could be said that is strictly opinion and has little backing.

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      • casualcrow
        12 years ago

        Yes, that's what i was trying to convey, that some regulation is necessary to control what information is sent out into the general public.

        I'm in no way in support of suppressing the freedoms of anyone, but when you misjudge the power of information and you're in a position of strong political influence then you put everyone in danger.

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        • MissClaire
          12 years ago

          I agree with you 100%.
          I felt so bad for you, you were dying out there. Could you imagine if every slack jawed racist was able to promote the KKK idealisms on the news (one example). I dont want to live in that world.
          THe reality is TOO many people beleive EVERYTHING they hear, so with that said, it is dangerous for the media to have COMPLETE freedom.

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          • Anonymous Post Author
            12 years ago

            And I agree with both of you. The news in this country seems to have caught on overnight and it's being reported differently today. Plus it's raining heavily in my city. Rioters may think they are big, tough mercenaries but they shrink against a little bit of weather.

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  • [Old Memory]
    12 years ago

    london riots are pointless anyway...

    No matter what the media says all the rioters are doing is making things worse by damaging the economy, ruining their own street, hurting their own services, etc. It is just an excuse for low life people to go around and throw a few bricks at police etc. Why should the media not display that it is wrong?

    And yes they should not show that more people could outnumber the police but in my opinion it would be better if we just bought the army in and started shooting them with rubber bullets until they stop!

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