American Censorship

CensorshipAmerican Censorship

Article By Saab Lofton - Jun 30 2007 - coanews

Few things in life are more irritating than the naive incredulousness one faces whenever they point out there is censorship in America. That's why I thank God for Dr.Peter Phillips of Project Censored. Walter Cronkite called Project Censored, "one of the organizations that we should listen to, to be assured that our newspapers and our broadcasting outlets are practicing thorough and ethical journalism." Fortunately, I was able to land this interview with Dr. Phillips.

Lofton: Your organization, Project Censored, describes one of the Top 25 censored stories of 2007 as follows: "The world's most neglected emergency, according to the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, is the ongoing tragedy of the Congo, where six to seven million have died since 1996 as a consequence of invasions and wars sponsored by western powers trying to gain control of the region's mineral wealth." This is as bad as the Jewish Holocaust of WWII six million dead within a
decade. Have you received any reaction for running this?

Phillips: Actually, very little overt reaction. For many people it is just unbelievable as are a lot of the stories. Cumulatively, they have a huge impact on our students, and people who follow our stories every year.

Lofton: Given the apocalyptic nature of the aforementioned story and given the ungodly amount of coverage the corporate mass media has given Anne Nicole Smith, how do you feel when the stories Project Censored covers are continually ignored in favor of bread and circuses?

Phillips: Anne Nicole Smith will undoubtedly make our News Abuse list of the year. It was like the O.J. trial with 87 column feet of news in the L.A. Times that year. The opportunity cost is huge. I have long ago realized that corporate media is in the entertainment business and increasingly the propaganda business.

Lofton: When it comes to covering Anne Nicole Smith, Britney Spears, etc. would these mass media companies be remiss if they didn't constantly give the public what it supposedly wants?

Phillips: We could set up cocaine sales booths on campuses and they would be very popular as well. But we have laws against that. Corporate media has abdicated their responsibility to the First Amendment to keep us informed about what the powerful are doing. We need public financed media to fill the role.

Lofton: What would you guestimate is your fan base? How many people have heard of Project Censored?

Phillips: We get ten million hits a year on the website. The stories are published in every European language, Arabic and often Japanese. 85 million people heard us on Al Jazeera English Jan. 1, 2007. Actual number of people in the US who have heard of us is probably about 10-20%.

Lofton: What do you say to those who insist that Stalinistic censorship is the only definition of censorship?

Phillips: We are getting pretty close to a Stalinist type of censorship in the U.S. corporate media around key stories. Voter Fraud 2004, 9/11?Bldg. 7 and Pre-warnings, the Cuban Five, Iran, Immigrant Rights, ACLU Torture case, Israel vs. Palestine deaths, D.U. (Depleted Uranium).

Lofton: Has anyone ever found a fatal flaw in any of the Project Censored stories a flaw so glaring that you had to retract said story?

Phillips: No, although arguments of emphasis continue, and some people would disagree.

Lofton: How has Sonoma State University treated Project Censored?has the college always stood by you?

Phillips: The faculty at SSU is most supportive. I have had a long fight with the administration to have PC accepted as an academic research program. We now get $42,000 a year from student fee money (after a ten year battle and a union grievance) We do not receive any state money, so I have to raise over $80K annually to keep our doors open.

Lofton: How do you feel about the expression, "the pen is mightier than the sword"? Your recent book, Impeach the President: The Case Against Bush and Cheney would be dismissed by the likes of Che Guevara and the SDS/Weather Underground as being impotent in the face of a long overdue armed insurrection?what do you say to this?

Phillips: I strongly believe in non-violent social action. I think our shopping boycott for impeachment is an example of how the people could change the direction of the government with collective non-violent action. General Strikes (1934, West Coast) are very effective for social change and human betterment. Besides, the elites have all the guns and military power and would destroy any violent movement along with a whole lot of innocent folks.

Lofton: So many of the stories Project Censored covers has to do with the world tittering on the edge of an abyss. Do you have hope for Humanity's future or do you think the best we can do is keep things from getting any worse?

Phillips: Things are getting worse; martial laws are in place and can be used at any time. It is a matter of what will get us first: Environmental issues, collapse of the dollar, inflation, massive recession, military law, another 9/11. All are possible and hard to predict.

... and yet, if Project Censored had the household name recognition of, say, American Idol, we the people could prevent all those catastrophes from happening. So let's make Dr. Phillips famous!

SOURCES:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Censored
http://www.projectcensored.org/
http://www.projectcensored.org/censored_2007/index.htm#5
http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0403-25.htm
http://www.lasvegascitylife.com/articles/2005/03/31/letters