DAY 3: What News Story Will WBZ Radio AM 1030 Censor Today ?

[mistermicrophone]

> State Censorhip of the airwaves is NOT fun.
>
> Wake up America. Do you really want the government - here
> the FBI - to tell broadcasting outlets - here WBZ Radio AM
> 1030 - what news items they can broadcast. I don't.
>

They didn't TELL WBZ not to run the story...WBZ could have but they CHOSE not to...by the way, this same government you hate so much is allowing you to bash it on this board...as Alanis Morisstte once sang..."isn't it ironic...don't cha think?"


> If you watched Emily Rooney's "Beat The Press" on Friday you
> would have seen the FBI Office at One Center Plaza in plain
> view on the second floor of that office building with the
> FBI Decal on the window. How about replacing it with a
> bulls eye. Flo Jonic may have save hundreds of lives by
> blowing the cover on the incompetents at the Boston FBI
> office. The FBI was less concerned about public safety than
> a CYA maneuver.

You should really add "the South shall rise again" and post a Confederate flag at the bottom of the page to the end of all your rants...just a thought.
>
> I am not ready to give an inch on freedom of the press and
> any real American or real American broadcaster/newsperson
> must feel the same way.

As an American Broadcaster I am thankful I have the choice to run or not run news as I feel fit to, just what WBZ did, once again regardless of their reasoning for chosing not to.

>
> The WBZ watch will continue until further notice.
>
well I am glad you're here to be the watchdog for us....uummm...keep us posted, would ya?

 

[parklane]

Re: Ok, time to move on pal...

Is is what it is, plain and simple news intimidation by the FBI and resulting news censorship. I expected more from WBZ.


> > First, don't call me "pal" pal. If you think this incident
>
> > is so inconsquential I hope you are not in the news
> > business.
> >
> > Secondly, I wouldn't know Flo Jonic if she were standing
> > here in front of me.
> > She is not the issue. The issue is Freedom of The Press.
> >
>
>
> The "press" in question here WBZ. THEY chose not to run the
> story. Had it beens Flo's newspaper or radio station, SHE
> would have had the right to run the story or not.
>
> So yes, your personal beef with WBZ is justified but don't
> hide behind your mission to defend the Freedom of The Press.
> That's like saying that ANY media outlet is guilty of not
> reporting ANY item that may or not be considered "news."
>
> Choosing what airs and what doesn't airs in news happens
> EVERY DAY at EVERY news outlet in the good ole
> USA...example, if you or I got into a fender-bender on
> Tremont St, would WBZ report it on the news? Probably not,
> even if WBZ gets a fax from the Boston PD. Would YOU report
> it if you were ND @ WBZ? Probably not...but if it was Mayor
> Marble Mouth, you probably would, why? Because he is a high
> profile person? It doesn't matter why you chose to run or
> not run either story, the point is you have the CHOICE.
>
> "Freedom of the Press is to prevent the Government from
> TELLING the medai what they can or can not report. WBZ was
> asked not to run the story, they weren't TOLD not to. It
> was WBZ's "freedom" to not run the story, regardless of how
> questionable their reasoning is or how big of a story this
> is.
>
> By using your reasoning, if this story HAD run as a news
> story on WBZ, then every other media outlet be obligated to
> run it too, right? Would KISS 108 have to run it? JAMN
> 94.5, Mix, ZLX, et al?
>
> Hate WBZ for doing soemething irks you as a news person, but
> don't make it out to be something it's not.
>

 

[MrAl]

comments about the so-called Air America scandal aside, I wonder if Rhodes, Malloy et al would be interested in talking about this on their show. I wonder if the left-leaning FAIR (Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting) will pick up on this story. Or David Brock's "Media Matters"....

> Lets see if the media review shows pick up the Jonic story
> this weekend.
>
> Ill lay gentle preditictions that the FOX News Watch team
> will probably ignore this as it relates to the bumbling
> actions of the Bush administration's FBI management. If they
> do take it on, they won't examine the real issue of
> censorship.
>
> Id lay similar odds with CNN's media event with Howard
> Kurtz. Howard Kurtz will probably address this but he will
> agree with the Corporate Media.
>
> Im curious as to the results this weekend...more to follow
> im sure
>

 

[johnster]

Re: Ok, time to move on pal...

> Is is what it is, plain and simple news intimidation by the
> FBI and resulting news censorship. I expected more from WBZ.

I don't see it that way at all. It was a broadcast station realizing after being asked (not told) to be responsible in this post 9/11 world we live in. They chose not to run a story that could possible compromise the security of people trying to protect all of us. It seems to me a very responsible thing to do in these times. No ones rights or freedoms where stepped on. A radio station woke up.

 

[parklane]

Re: Ok, time to move on pal...

The people who run this FBI Office at One Center Plaza are FOOLS !
They are in a commercial office building and have a FBI Window DECAL on the large window overlooking the street in Government Center.
Why don't they just replace it with a bullsye.
We should be thanking Flo Jonic for possibly saving hundereds of lives not firing her.
We complain that the government and both the Clinton and Bush Administrations didn't pick up enough signals to prevent 9/11. Here, Flo Jonic picks up a clear and present danger and her cowardly bosses at WBZ AM 1030, the "Alleged" News Station, fire her and spike the story because they caved to the fools at the Boston FBI Office.

Seems this Boston FBI Office has a lot of "...splaining to do" as Ricky Riccardo would say to Lucy. One of their "G" men is sitting in a Florida jail as Whitey Bulgers co-hit man and may get the death penalty. And 'BZ listens to these incompetents.

No compromising on Freedom of The Press. Period, end of discussion.


> > Is is what it is, plain and simple news intimidation by
> the
> > FBI and resulting news censorship. I expected more from
> WBZ.
>
> I don't see it that way at all. It was a broadcast station
> realizing after being asked (not told) to be responsible in
> this post 9/11 world we live in. They chose not to run a
> story that could possible compromise the security of people
> trying to protect all of us. It seems to me a very
> responsible thing to do in these times. No ones rights or
> freedoms where stepped on. A radio station woke up.
>

 

[classicradionut]

Re: Ok, time to move on pal...

> The "press" in question here WBZ. THEY chose not to run the
> story. Had it beens Flo's newspaper or radio station, SHE
> would have had the right to run the story or not.
>
> So yes, your personal beef with WBZ is justified but don't
> hide behind your mission to defend the Freedom of The Press.
> That's like saying that ANY media outlet is guilty of not
> reporting ANY item that may or not be considered "news."

I have to enter this conversation at this point. First off, you guys stop throwing flames at each other. This is a MOTHER of an important issue. I agree with the first poster. This is everything about freedom of the press. Only a dummy can't see right through the coincidence of Flo Jonic being let go on the same day this story was supposed to air.

I have always had the UTMOST respect and admiration for WBZ. But, IMHO, this is a case of the FBI getting their feelings hurt, and to save face on what was a real lapse any real control on the part of their security in that building, they leaned on Infinity and likely said something like, "you guys either take care of this little problem or you'll be looking at a serious problem. Pick one."

I don't believe for one minute that WBZ had a problem with Jonic. I do believe the G-D Feds are WAY out of bounds and treading on freedom of the press where they don't belong. And if this post causes the FBI to investigate me, so be it. Good Christ, enough is enough, leave our liberties alone!<P ID="signature">______________
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[classicradionut]

> Thanks for the support. Sometimes I think I am shouting into
> an empty tunnel.
> If we give an inch here we will slide inevitably into state
> censorhip.

I totally agree with that. I'm also going to say something about our policies regarding delving into political issues. I feel that this issue is so important and relevant to radio AND liberty that I'm going to allow this conversation to continue.

What I will do, is from this point forward, posts which get personally abusive will get deleted while the thread can remain intact. So, if you want your opinion heard, keep the insults to yourself and have an intelligent discussion.

This is an area where we can literally be HEARD by millions, and perhaps in some small way, make a difference. It's an issue that absolutely MUST be aired out in public, because in light of the terribly abusive Patriot Act, something has to be done to protect American liberties, especially in light of the broadcasting industry's role in protecting those very liberties. Radio, TV and print media can and should be the watchdogs of government tyranny. I've supported this administration as far as I can and now this is and should be the line in the sand as far as what they're going to take from us without a fight.
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[classicradionut]

> They didn't TELL WBZ not to run the story...WBZ could have
> but they CHOSE not to...by the way, this same government you
> hate so much is allowing you to bash it on this board...as
> Alanis Morisstte once sang..."isn't it ironic...don't cha
> think?"

Give it a rest will ya? This isn't government bashing in this case. There's no proof that anyone will ever find that WBZ wasn't told to run that story. They simply didn't back their reporter, for whatever reason so we're left to speculate... however, there's enough strange smelling odor surrounding this story that I believe the Feds DID have something to do with it. You know, where there's smoke there's fire...

Yes, there is still freedom to discuss things but this issue kinda makes me a bit nervous. And, look... it's NOT unpatriotic to hold government to the same level of accounting as citizens and corporations. I'm a flag-waving, red white & blue military-veteran patriotic American - and even I with my conservative leanings can see this issue has to be hashed out.

I am certainly not bashing the government. But, I am saying that there's too much of this kind of stuff going on. Isn't there still a newspaper reporter in jail for refusing to rat out a news source to the Feds? This is totally rediculous. The 'press', in whatever form it takes, TV, Radio or print, should have the proper legal protections to run an important story as they see fit.

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