Ice Hockey Players
08-03-2004, 02:57
Due to several recent fabricated news stories in the @@NAME@@ media within the past few months, a rash of public debate has been sparked over whether the government should brfeak with its history of free press and require news organizations to print the truth.
The Debate
1. "We can't trust the media anymore!" clamors consumer advocate @@RANDOMNAME@@. "As big and powerful as the news media is, someone has to keep it in check by telling it to tell us the truth! Reporters and fact-checkers, as well as the businesses themselves, should be fined or relieved of duty for telling lies or screwing up stories. Who knows what a false or errant news story could do to @@NAME@@?
[effect]news organizations are purged routinely of reporters who fabricate stories or give false information
[stats]civil rights decrease, cynicism decreases
2. "Restrictions on media? What is this, fascism?" cry members of the @@NAME@@ Civil Liberties Union. "This nation was founded on free press, and the presses must remain free! First you want to ban them from lying - well, who decides what a lie is? The government must keep its hands off the presses!"
[effect]sensationalized news stories are often hard to check for truth
[stats]civil rights increase, cynicism increases
3. "This raises an interesting question," argues your brother and chief adviser. "And that is, why do we need privately owned presses anyway? I say you secure your position and nationalize the presses and turn them into propaganda machines. You're never going to be voted out after that."
[effect]the presses are tightly censored and strictly pro-government
[effect]civil rights decrease, patriotism increases, taxes increase, apathy decreases
Back in a week to update the stats, as I gave up NationStates for Lent and can only check it on Sundays.
The Debate
1. "We can't trust the media anymore!" clamors consumer advocate @@RANDOMNAME@@. "As big and powerful as the news media is, someone has to keep it in check by telling it to tell us the truth! Reporters and fact-checkers, as well as the businesses themselves, should be fined or relieved of duty for telling lies or screwing up stories. Who knows what a false or errant news story could do to @@NAME@@?
[effect]news organizations are purged routinely of reporters who fabricate stories or give false information
[stats]civil rights decrease, cynicism decreases
2. "Restrictions on media? What is this, fascism?" cry members of the @@NAME@@ Civil Liberties Union. "This nation was founded on free press, and the presses must remain free! First you want to ban them from lying - well, who decides what a lie is? The government must keep its hands off the presses!"
[effect]sensationalized news stories are often hard to check for truth
[stats]civil rights increase, cynicism increases
3. "This raises an interesting question," argues your brother and chief adviser. "And that is, why do we need privately owned presses anyway? I say you secure your position and nationalize the presses and turn them into propaganda machines. You're never going to be voted out after that."
[effect]the presses are tightly censored and strictly pro-government
[effect]civil rights decrease, patriotism increases, taxes increase, apathy decreases
Back in a week to update the stats, as I gave up NationStates for Lent and can only check it on Sundays.