NationStates Jolt Archive

All right, help me out everybody who supports this and approve it, it's on page two of the proposals list, and it only needs 3 more to go!

The General Assembly,

CONVINCED that the freedom of press is a vital part of every nation's fundamental right of expression and a vital part of every human's right to the truth and knowledge of one's given country and one's perception of other countries. Freedom of press allows objective members of society to highlight the good and the bad of a given nation and to allow for members of that nation and members not of that nation to see an unbiased account of the current state of a given country.

DEEPLY DISTURBED by the quality of information on the state of the union in every member nation is widely disregarded to ignorance by the world because of lack of knowledge. Freedom of the press gives precedence to expanding the knowledge base of the current state of member and non-member nations alike.

CONDEMNING the misinformation of governments to the world that wish not to share the everyday occurrences in a given country through strict control of what can and cannot be reported by all forms of the press.

1. APPEALS to all member nations to enact legislature to allow immediate freedom of the press within their borders.

2. URGES all member nations to send the press to neighboring countries, far away countries, and even to areas of combat to bring back the full story to its citizens.

3. RECOMMENDS all members promote and expand the reaches of press within their given countries so that all citizens have some access to the news.

4. SUPPORTS all member nations in an effort to expand their news capabilities with needed funds, government assistance, and trade agreements to conform to the new standards of freedom of press.

So if this passes I can assign a reporter from Greenspoint Daily News to move into your home and report on everything you do, everyday, every minute of the day, down to how many times you pick your nose and which brand bathroom tissue you use, and how many squares you use at a single sitting?

As much as free-press advocates push for it, most people don't actually want to know everything, and they sure don't have any imagined 'right to know'. Some things are necessarily kept secret at the governmental level so that government can continue to govern properly and efficiently.

We of the Militant Mercanile Alliance of Greenspoint cannot support this proposal.

James Moehlman
Asst. Mgr. ico UN Affairs

So if this passes I can assign a reporter from Greenspoint Daily News to move into your home and report on everything you do, everyday, every minute of the day, down to how many times you pick your nose and which brand bathroom tissue you use, and how many squares you use at a single sitting?

Individual right to privacy is much different than a national level of privacy. If there's a large wildfire that threatens a nation or some other type of disaster or war-looming, people within and without that country, should be informed of it in order to prepare justifiably for it.

As much as free-press advocates push for it, most people don't actually want to know everything, and they sure don't have any imagined 'right to know'. Some things are necessarily kept secret at the governmental level so that government can continue to govern properly and efficiently.

This has nothing to do with safeguarding government secrets, this has to do with the right of the people to know what is going on elsewhere and what is going on internally in different regions and nations throughout and outside its borders.

Freedom of the press doesn't necessarily preclude government secrecy. You don't want the schematics for your new fighter planes published? That's fine; don't give them out to people, and especially don't give them out to media people. It's also important to note that very few freedoms are considered to be all-encompassing -- to butcher a particular quote from a US Supreme Court ruling*: the walls of certain freedoms are neither infinitely high nor thick.

I don't believe the NSUN has yet recognized a freedom of the press. There are, admittedly, some potential flaws to this legislation, but considering that a full accounting of possible exemptions seems to me impractical, unneccesary, and counterproductive, I find it likely that I will endorse this.

Slight p.s.: I looked already and didn't find this proposal. Is this a draft?

p.p.s.: Checked the past resolutions, the closest is in the Universal Bill of Rights, which lists freedom of expression but not an explicit freedom of the press.

Article 2 -- All human beings have the right to express themselves through speech and through the media without any interference.

--

*Granted, that case was regarding the seperation of church and state set forth in the establishment clause, but the quote seems appropriate enough to me in this situation.

The Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah already provides for a couple of the points outlined in this resolution as our TV coverage is quite good across our nation. However, point 1 needs to be elaborated since how much information is enough information for the media? We would be willing to give official government statements but that really is all the people need to know.

Sheikh Khalifa bin Muhammad Al Nahyan
UN Ambassador for the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah

Lets look at a real world issue that has resulted from free press.

The images of British soldiers abusing Iraqi prisoners.

These images have been proved to be fakes, however it's too late the situation in Iraq has gone from bad to worse for the soldiers out there. These pictures have fuelled a large amount of hatred and endangered the lives of men and women trying to do there job.

The free press printed these pictures not for the reason that it was an important issue the country needed to know about but instead to sell more papers. I find it particularly offensive that they try to hide behind a mask of 'patriotism' to excuse there sickening paper selling tactics.

Theres nothing wrong with the press reporting on natural disasters such as the bush fires you mentioned, but in matters of such high seriousness, that can have huge reprecussions, such as creating more deaths in Iraq, they should think about what they are doing rather than thinking "how many papers will this sell"

As soon as they recieved those pictures they should have been taken to the government so proper and correct action could be taken should they be proved accurate. Instead they are now being used as a weapon of propaganda in Iraq rallying the populace against the English men and women.

In closing i'd just like you to consider the effects of a 'free press' and think wether it's a worthy cause or wether they would just use their 'freedom' to sell more papers.

You did not just justify your argument using the real world did you?

Besides the paper believed it to be true at the time and they judged it to be an issue of importance. Yes it sold papers but that doesn't mean it had no merit.

Anyway you could have just said freedom of speech gives freedom to lie.

Desdemona,
UN representative,
The Black New World (mongrel nation!)
Do you know what ‘gay science’ is?
Meet The Reps (http://www.nationstates.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=132588)

How strong is this proposal?
It seems tome with the language used, "Appeals", "Urges", "Recommends" and "Supports", doesn't really force anyone to do anything. Do it?

Slight p.s.: I looked already and didn't find this proposal. Is this a draft?

Yes, this is a draft, I failed to mention that. Sorry, guys!

How strong is this proposal?
It seems tome with the language used, "Appeals", "Urges", "Recommends" and "Supports", doesn't really force anyone to do anything. Do it?

The UN never has and never will be about forcing member nations to do what they do not wish is right for them, hence, the reason why all resolutions and proposals are put to a vote.

To Ingleby Barwick, I'd put forth the following: Would you rather have a world in which British soldiers can and do abuse prisoners of war and then prevent the media from reporting such happenings?

The free press printed these pictures not for the reason that it was an important issue the country needed to know about but instead to sell more papers. I find it particularly offensive that they try to hide behind a mask of 'patriotism' to excuse there sickening paper selling tactics.

An executive at the Daily Mirror responsible for printing those photos has since resigned his position. If those photos had been real, it stands to reason that they very well should have been published; that they were not is unfortunate, but does not appear to have a direct bearing on this debate. I could also point out that the efficiency of a free media is well demonstrated in that so many people are aware that the aforementioned photos of British soldiers were faked.

Nor does a freedom of the press preclude the possibility of libel and slander laws.

As soon as they recieved those pictures they should have been taken to the government so proper and correct action could be taken should they be proved accurate.

In this particular case, that may have been true, but I do not see justification to make that policy the norm. Media should not be forced to obtain government approval to print stories, nor should they be required to notify government officials of their intentions -- both actions allow governments to easily restrict the media.

The UN never has and never will be about forcing member nations to do what they do not wish is right for them, hence, the reason why all resolutions and proposals are put to a vote.

What I meant was the proposal seems to have been designed as a suggestion, not a means to effect policy change.

What I meant was the proposal seems to have been designed as a suggestion, not a means to effect policy change.

Ah, I see.

Well, this is why it's a draft. :wink:

Ah, I see.

Well, this is why it's a draft. :wink:[/quote]


Yes, I guess it would. :D

This proposal has been submitted for viewing and voting by the UN Delegacy; please, support it, and let me know your thoughts!

I will support this proposal by Tuesday Heights as I believe that every citizen is entitled to being informed of events in their and other countries. I believe that this legislation will do this.

Australian Yobbos supports Freedom of Press Proposal.

You have my support.

Desdemona,
UN representative,
The Black New World
Do you know what ‘gay science’ is?
Meet The Reps (http://www.nationstates.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=132588)

You have our support and endorsement.

Thank-you for your support everyone!

BUMP.

My region is currently considering whether or not to approve this proposal but I do have to agree with this statement:

Freedom of speech gives freedom to lie.

In just about any contry where the media is allowed free reign, this is the result. I cannot say now whether or not support will be given, but right now, I'm leaning toward no.

It is up to your individual country to regulate your citizens, the UN regulates governmental forces and the powers behind its citizens.

Seriously... can anyone out there tell me why one shouldn't endorse this proposal?

I've seen no serious interest, and I don't understand why. It is a vital issue for today's society.

Seriously... can anyone out there tell me why one shouldn't endorse this proposal?

I've seen no serious interest, and I don't understand why. It is a vital issue for today's society.

Because there is a serious block developing from the recent "controversial" resolutions... Of which I am part of that block, that is getting trying to allow more sovereignty to the nations of the UN... You could call it the political version of the U.S. Civil War..... Federalists( pushing more control over nations) on one side, and Democratics(trying to keep control at the national level) on the other....

http://www.nationstates.net/images/flags/uploads/tekania.jpg

"Qui Desiderant Pacem Preparate Bellum"
("Those who desire peace, prepare for war.")

This is why the proposal is worded the way it is... it allows governments to control the way the laws are enacted for members of the press in their countries, without giving up all powers to the UN.

If you wish for sovereignty, completely, leave the United Nations.

You have our support.

This is a good UN proposal because it doesn't do anything, it's just aspirational which the UN should be, thus respecting our right to make our own laws. This is much better than the abortion and nuclear proliferation questions that set down firm laws and will quash any diversity at the UN. I will endorse this proposal.

This is a good UN proposal because it doesn't do anything, it's just aspirational which the UN should be, thus respecting our right to make our own laws. This is much better than the abortion and nuclear proliferation questions that set down firm laws and will quash any diversity at the UN. I will endorse this proposal.

Thank-you for your support and seeing this proposal what it was for! Much thanks!

Thank-you for your support everyone!

go Tuesday!

While I, leader of an inoffensive centrist government, feel that Freedom of the Press is a vital and necessary evil of government service, I do not feel it should be within the power of the UN to dictate that need to all other countries.

There are some countries, whose government is not ideal to our own (whether by intention or by the choices made since leadership began). Some of these countries are UN countries, and have the right of sovreignty to decide whether to allow free press within their borders.

The position of the UN can not and should not be to enforce all other UN countries into our own views of democracy or freedoms. Freedom of speech is a sovreign right to give, and does not include nor threaten the ability of the UN to make laws that are beneficial to global society or address the problems thereof.

Therefore I feel it is with poor judgement that this proposed resolution exists and have every intention of opposing the resolution should it come to vote.

We can not allow ourselves to determine the decisions of other governments on every issue. We can only address those issues which vitally affect citizens on a global scale.

BUMP!

BUMP.

This one's on me...

Giordano,
UN representative,
The Black New World
Meet The Reps (http://www.nationstates.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=132588) ~ What can the UN do and what can it do for me?
(http://www.nationstates.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=132588)

I will support this proposal by Tuesday Heights as I believe that every citizen is entitled to being informed of events in their and other countries. I believe that this legislation will do this.

Master Abdullah,

The freedom of press is something that our nation will always stand behind. Virtillius supports this resolution.

- Virtillius UN Committee