Re: Gasp! For broadcast media, patriotism pays

["Sean Smyth" <ssmyth@suscom.net>]

Sven writes:
> On Fri, 28 Mar 2003, Brian Vita wrote:
> > So, as a motorist, since these folks are obstructing my freedoms, can I
> > sue them or at least just drive over them?  Four wheel drive is a good
> > thing...
>
> They weren't obstructing your freedom.
>
> You have the freedom to make a right turn and avoid them, or not bring
> your car into the middle of a busy city unless you really had to (delivery
> truck or repairman's step-van).
>
> That's what we have subways for! :-)

Bringing this back around to radio (kinda)...

Say that protesters decided to block a station's entrance. Employees
couldn't get in and the station at the time of the blockade was automated.
Say some sort of emergency (think a chemical attack, something maybe not
immediately perceptible to the naked eye) happened somewhere and
broadcasters really needed to get out info, and couldn't get into the
station to do so, because these protestors refused to end their blockade. Do
you think the protestors hold any responsibility for preventing the info
from going out?

Some people may choose only to listen to Station X, and Station X couldn't
begin its relay sensitive info to listeners because of someone trying to
make a point. Some people may be able to receive a strong signal only from
Station X. Yes, they have First Amendment rights, but where does protest end
and common courtesy begin?

I agree that anti-war views should be permitted more than they are in the
mainstream media, but at some point following Mom's point of "if you don't
have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all" holds true. How much
good is it doing for these protestors to block streets? None. Why not
channel that anti-war energy into programs that might foster economic
development in another country that could prevent a despotic regime such as
this from coming up. In reality, they are playing into the hands of
terrorists, who want our country disrupted (as they did on 9/11, and they
got their satisfaction and acknowledgement of the way they affected our
lives through radio and TV coverage).

One last thing: of all the talking heads I've heard so far speak out, I have
to say that Hannity (like him or not, I personally sit on the fence when it
comes to him) comes across as the most believable of the bunch. I heard him
speaking on his radio show the afternoon before Bush's speech, and you could
tell that he had convinction about what he was saying. (I wonder how true
that is of many of these guys; a lot of times, it seems to me O'Reilly's
schtick is just that, schtick.)