South Korea government faces media anger

[unreal.livejournal.com]

South Koreans go to the polls next week in a vote that is expected to be one of the most closely contested general elections in years.

However, the vote comes in amid a strike joined most recently by seasoned media practitioners from the country's largest television network, the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS), who say their freedoms - and thus their work - are being compromised by government interference and control.

They say Lee Myung Bak's administration selects the channels’ senior executives, who in turn prevent reporting that criticises the government.

While everyone does not agree with their sentiment, these media personnel have taken their work and protest online to tell what they say is the "truth".

Al Jazeera's Harry Fawcett reports from Seoul.

Can't embed the video so watch it here

Source: aljazeera

Comments

[neumi.livejournal.com]

Those banners gave me chills. Makes me wish the media here gave a shit as much as they do. Folks here just roll over and collect the check (except comedy news shows). -_- SKOR, Y U BEING SO COMMUNISTY?!??!

[benihime99.livejournal.com]

Do you really believe that only communist country have issue with the freedom of expression and free press????

[aleexnews.livejournal.com]

where did she even say that...?

[benihime99.livejournal.com]

SKOR, Y U BEING SO COMMUNISTY?

[aleexnews.livejournal.com]

I still don't see it? Some of the things going on in the sk gov't are what's attributed with a communist society so her comparison is right, just because she didn't go into how other countries that aren't a communist country still have these same problems doesn't mean she believes only communist countries can do such things. You were jumping to conclusions from just that one line when she didn't even go into the topic.

[benihime99.livejournal.com]

Ok.
So me asking someone clarification is jumping to conclusion, nice to know.
Have a nice day

[aleexnews.livejournal.com]

Your question didn't sound like asking for a clarification, "do you really believe.." that sounds more like you were implying that she really already believes that and that's how it can be interpreted.

[benihime99.livejournal.com]

When someone critize a gov' action (legitimately here) and then say that this particular gov' action is "communisty" that usually implies that this person thinks that this action (for example censorship) is linked to communism, and it's not. Hence I ask if (s)he believed it was the case.

You and I obviously have different opinion on OP's comment. I choose to ask OP, you choose to argue with me.
To each its own way but I don't understand why you're wasting time arguing with me tbh.

[aleexnews.livejournal.com]

That's exactly what I just said up there. She called it "communisty" because freedom of information, speech and the press are 3 things you don't get in a communist society. Censorship is not linked to communism? lol can you please do a google search real quick? Censorship is the suppression of speech and public press.

lol who's even arguing? im telling you OP's comment never implied that she believes ONLY communist gov'ts can do these type of things, she only associated certain things from the SK gov't to a communist belief because those are some of the kind of things that happen in a communist gov't. ok lmao this isn't arguing to me but if it is to you then ur just wasting ur time too

[benihime99.livejournal.com]

I think you're making a confusion between communism and Stalinism which are two different things. Maybe you're the one who need to do some google search real quick (you're free to use another search engine of course).
Censorship is not a communism feature is a totalitarian feature.
Then if we're talking about restriction of the freedom of expression it's in every single country not just the commuist one.

Again we understand OP comment differently, and I'm asking OP clarification.
You on the other hand basically came in a starting conversation to make comment about how I understood OP comment while you have no idea about OP's intention. So you're basically saying that I should agree with how you perceive OP's comment. And I won't do that. I'd rather have this discussion with OP and not with you.

So thank you for your comment and have a nice day.

[aleexnews.livejournal.com]

lol girl i hate history, its the subject i hate the most so im not about to get into this but this much i definitely know. censorship is part of communism, the freaking definition of censorship defines a huge part of communism. "Censorship is the suppression of speech or other public communication which may be considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or inconvenient to the general body of people as determined by a government, media outlet, or other controlling body." I'm not saying censorship doesn't apply to other type of gov'ts like the ones you mentioned, or that it only belongs to communism but it plays a part in it. I never said it was only in communist countries though? But no actually its not in every single country, the U.S's very first amendment is the freedom of speech and expression and religion.

That's the thing though, there's nothing to understand about her comment because it can only be taken one way unless you choose to jump to conclusions from it like you're doing. Just because she didn't freaking mention other countries that do the same thing and aren't communists doesn't mean she believes only communist societies do these things, why is that so hard to understand? No you dont have to agree with me cause there's nothing to agree on since her comment is just so obvious and straight forward. lol ok then why are u still talking to me then? go ahead and wait for her reply lol

[benihime99.livejournal.com]

I think you should really check the difference between communism as defined by Marx and Stalinism.
Communism has a bad reputation because of how it was applied by man like Staline or Kim Il-sung (and because it not workable in most country, kindda like Rousseau's Social Contract) but censorship really is not a feature of communism.
Staline however did suppress the freedom of expression (among others) but that's stalinism not communism.

However if you're nor interested in history of politics I guess you won't care for it. I, on the other hand, find this interesting but different strokes...

[aleexnews.livejournal.com]

....sigh im done repeating myself over and over again lol i've been saying the same thing in all my comments but ur never gonna get it so its pointless, believe what you what but it takes like 2 mins to do a search and realize that censorship is associated with communism in some ways at least.

good for u but i have better things to do right now and its not my major or something my country is dealing with therefore not an interest of mine.

[shiz-lestat.livejournal.com]

A+

[aleexnews.livejournal.com]

im glad they're standing up and doing something about this instead of just sitting down and being afraid of the gov't. i hate how shady everything relating the gov't in sk is, though its like that in any gov't tbh but hiding their shady shit and using other scandals to cover themselves needs to stop.

[fivil.livejournal.com]

Wow. :|

Will be following the election to see what happens on this front.

[deerlike.livejournal.com]

Saw this on youtube yesterday, I am rooting for the SK newsmedia.

[asnindie.livejournal.com]

Politics are a dirty business, I'm glad the Press is taking a stance on the corruption but I fear for the ones after the elections, they might be blacklisted.

[yingmoon26.livejournal.com]

at the same time though...don't the media also twist the "truth" for viewership?
censor and block broadcasts? or are they saying this happens because of the government?

[pon-pon-pink.livejournal.com]

i'm really looking forward to what happens after wednesday. too bad i'm not gonna be here for the presidential elections any more but this will be really interesting. Also regarding NK.

[pon-pon-pink.livejournal.com]

i'm really looking forward to what happens after wednesday. too bad i'm not gonna be here for the presidential elections any more but this will be really interesting. Also regarding NK.