Category: Journalism

The Fugitive Goes Home

By Bob Small

This is good Independence Day story. The world’s longest-running real-life fugitive saga is finally over. Journalist Julian Assange left the U.K.’s Belmarsh Prison, June 24, to accept plead guilty to a single count of conspiracy to obtain and disclose classified US national defense documents in the US District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands. He was sentenced to time served and granted his freedom.

Thanks to my friend, Carol of Swarthmore, for sending me this Hugo Black quote: “The press was to serve the governed, not the governors.”

Many world leaders have expressed joy for the decision and praise for Assange.

Anthony Albanese, prime minister of Assange’s Australia stated  “There is nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration and we want him brought home to Australia.”

Prime Minister Lula Da Silva of Brazil, a bit more left than Albanese, said Assange’s  “release and return home, albeit belatedly, represent a democratic victory and the fight for press freedom.”

And there were officials, especially in the US, who were definitely displeased, though.

“Julian Assange endangered the lives of our troops in a time of war and should have been prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said former Vice President Mike Pence.

“Never a ‘journalist.’ Never. He did irreparable harm. He endangered lives,” said former Assistant FBI Director Frank Fibliuzzi.

Trump-era CIA director Mike Pompeo who called Assange’s WikiLeaks a “nonstate hostile intelligence service”

Sheila Assange, who married Assange in prison that the British Labor government would not have extradited Assange if they take over the U.K.’s government on July 5.

And there is a dark lining in the silver cloud.

“The US Dept of Justice still holds the Espionage Act over journalists worldwide,” said John Simpson of the BBC.

“It will still hang over the heads of national security reporters for years to come,” said Seth Stern, director of advocacy for the Freedom of the Press Foundation.

“We all still live under a globe-spanning power structure which has shown the entire world that it will destroy your life if you expose its criminality,” said journalist Caitlin Johnstone.

Luckily, as a local blogger, we don’t worry about . . .

The Fugitive Goes Home

Tik Tok And The Telegraph And Foreign Control

By Bob Small

The venerable British newspaper The Daily Telegraph — founded June 29, 1855 — has been a Tory (conservative) mainstay but has become a source of controversy due to a proposed takeover by groups backed by the United Arab Emirates.

With Labour (liberals) attempting to stop it.

Baroness Stowall, of the House of Lords, has contacted all 170 Labor Peers, to suppport a law allowing Parliament reject any takeover of a news organization by any foreign country.

Because the UAE laws ban any direct criticism of the country’s ruler there is a rational reason not to allow this. The article states “Democracy depends on a healthy disdain for those in positions of authority”.

The Guardian, which is the left to the Telegraph’s right, also opposes the takeover. The Tory government is also considering amending existing legislation to prevent foreign takeovers.

Well, that’s only a problem they have across the pond. Surely, the US has laws to prevent this. Well, don’t we? US Senate to vote on Tik Tok ban Well, maybe our congress is finally waking up to the issue. Chinese propaganda has infiltrated our public schools, so why not our Internet.

According to an article updated in 2022, most of the top 25 companies, had US ownership. Only Rubert Murdoch (Australia) and (Axel Springer) (Germany) had roots outside the US.

Lastly, let’s move to radio giant Audacy, which is set to have the George Soros fund become the biggest shareholder.

Hungarian-born George Soros (1930) is noted for supporting what are considered progressive causes.

Among the Audacy Philadelphia market radio stations are sports Station 94.1 FM, and conservative talk radio 1210-Am. One assumes his ownership wouldn’t change the format but could we now have 1210 presenting the Larry Krasner hour, or “wake up and woke up” presented by the Philly Socialist Truth Party and…..nahh, never happen.

Tik Tok And The Telegraph And Foreign Control