NationStates Jolt Archive

I implore all regional delegates to please consider supporting this UN Proposal.



Independent News Sources

A resolution to increase democratic freedoms.


Category: The Furtherment of Democracy


Strength: Significant


Proposed by: Optunia

Description: This resolution calls for the establishment of at least one independent news station and/or newspaper in all UN member states.

Independence is hereby defined as the absence of affiliations with any corporate body, governing body, political group, special interest group or lobby groups.

This resolution aims to further the democratic rights of the citizens of member states through serving as a source of unbiased information upon which people will be informed of various issues including those affecting their government and governance.

Furthermore, in order to bring about the effects of this resolution, each member state shall establish an independent Commission which should carry out the establishment/regular inspection of these independent news organisations and report biennially to a purpose-formed UN committee.

This resolution aims to further the democratic rights of the citizens of member states through serving as a source of unbiased information upon which people will be informed of various issues including those affecting their government and governance.

Furthermore, in order to bring about the effects of this resolution, each member state shall establish an independent Commission which should carry out the establishment/regular inspection of these independent news organisations and report biennially to a purpose-formed UN committee.

The only problem I can think of is that if the state is creating/funding the news service, and the government is paying this "independent" Commission, then how can they truly be "independent" and impartial?

How is this independent news source going to be funded? For complete unbiasedness, there cannot be any advertising, because then it would be reliant on money from corporations. This problem is solved by public funding, a la the BBC, but then this wouldn't count as "independent" by your definition, since then you could consider it affliated with the government.

The money to run it is the problem - where are you going to find it? Radio broadcasts are non-excludable; you can't stop people from tuning in for free. And the price of the newspaper, because it doesn't have any other revenue source, will be so high that people will probably take their chances with those which are partly supported by ads.

I am in favour of this idea, but more thought needs to be put in. Public funding which the government cannot retract, in my opinion, could be the solution, but you have already excluded it.

Also, in case you haven't noticed (though it doesn't directly address your issue)...

UNITED NATIONS RESOLUTION #63
Freedom of Press

A resolution to improve worldwide human and civil rights.


Category: Human Rights

Strength: Strong

Proposed by: Tuesday Heights

Description: 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.

Votes For: 12,882
Votes Against: 3,446

Implemented: Mon Jun 21 2004

Yeah, I was having something like the ABC (Australia's BBC I guess) in mind in that if it appears for example if in a current affair program that one of the major parties gets more interview time, the other gets quite vocal about it.

Yeah, I was having something like the ABC (Australia's BBC I guess) in mind in that if it appears for example if in a current affair program that one of the major parties gets more interview time, the other gets quite vocal about it.
You do realise that both ABC and SBS receive their funding in full from the Federal government. Doesn't mean their run by it, and independence is still allowed, but they are still 'associated' with a governing body, and as such would not count in your definition.
Come to think of it, I can't think of any Australian media organisation that fits your bill.

This proposal seems to do exactly what it seeks to undo - it makes no more sense than this statement.

When the government establishes an 'independent' news agency, this would be done with government funds, and thus would not be independent.

The government, rather, should not prohibit the establishment of an independent news agency, and should not regulate it in an intrusive manner. You just have to leave the rest to the people.

This should be phrased as a limitation of government powers, rather than an empowerment to create such a news agency.

You do realise that both ABC and SBS receive their funding in full from the Federal government. Doesn't mean their run by it, and independence is still allowed, but they are still 'associated' with a governing body, and as such would not count in your definition.

Yes, I'm fully aware the the government funds the ABC (and also blatantly slashes funding from the ABC) :(


Bah! I give up on this whole business!

Oh, come on. I find one proposal I like the sound of, and the guy gives up... and when I launch into long destructive dissections of those I don't like the proposer gets more persistent. It's like I can't win here.

Seriously, though, it is a good idea, you just need to think of a way to get the money for it. I think the public funding track is the way to probe, but it is your proposal.

It's not a terrible idea, but I believe it's been gone about all wrong. You can't set up a news agency "independent" of the government when it's funded by tax revenue. Independence is achieved by the limitation of government intervention, not the opposite.

I implore all regional delegates to please consider supporting this UN Proposal.



Independent News Sources

A resolution to increase democratic freedoms.


Category: The Furtherment of Democracy


Strength: Significant


Proposed by: Optunia

Normal.



Description: This resolution calls for the establishment of at least one independent news station and/or newspaper in all UN member states.

Ok.



Independence is hereby defined as the absence of affiliations with any corporate body, governing body, political group, special interest group or lobby groups.

Wouldn't this include the corporate body of the station itself??? Which would make it illegal to its own resolution upon inception?



This resolution aims to further the democratic rights of the citizens of member states through serving as a source of unbiased information upon which people will be informed of various issues including those affecting their government and governance.

Furthermore, in order to bring about the effects of this resolution, each member state shall establish an independent Commission which should carry out the establishment/regular inspection of these independent news organisations and report biennially to a purpose-formed UN committee.

No more UN commissions, please.

Not bad for a start. With some tweaking, I think this could make quorum.


Approvals: 65 (The Derrak Quadrant, The Wild Cards, Republic of Freedonia, Gaiah, One North, South Shields, Oleria, WZ Forums, Arendstan, Cihlar, Maraque, Bijanian Utopia, New Akana, JS Nijmegen, Khanrad, Proletarian Continents, Texas and Missouri, Hado-Kusanagi, Great Mertonia, Monadnock, Yew Island, Sonopress, The Iroqouis, East Lithuania, Pencil Suckers, Joedabo, BLACKGRUE, Looplyness, Manfredonia, New Faluya, North-East Asia, La Commune Quebecoise, Northern Caesarea, Golden Rangeria, Prutenia, Das freie Land, Telaristan, Gopryalabe, GreenDaystan, P BONIA, The Great Bud, Dizziness, Khyshaak, Amerieurostralia, Oniram, Jadeseraphim, Kirstland, Pennsylvania and Me, Klashonite, Democrat Refugees, Memorial Park, Magnificata, Tuonela, Nate Mulder, Ostui, Neopunis, Kevin Islands, Mehleesser, Callisdrun, Nowitzkland, America---, Nan Og, Naval Snipers, Orthodontics, Czech Minutemen)

Okay, some ideas.

Like Vastiva said, drop the commission. The UN Gnomes will take care of everything. They have special powers beyond our comprehension.

My idea to solve the money problem is TV taxes. A small tax charged on every new TV when it is bought, which goes to fund the "independent" media. Many RL countries fund their national broadcasters this way (BBC, CBC, etc.)

The problem is that the money has to come from somewhere, so it cannot be fully independent as you've defined it. The best compromise would be public funds, but this implies some level of government dependence. I suggest writing in explicit protections of the press freedom here, protection against having the TV/radio licence money withdrawn, or a reference to the previous "Freedom of Press" resolution, and to Article 2 of the Universal Bill of Rights -

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