The very first newspaper in America, Publick Occurrences Both Foreign and Domestick, was printed in Boston on
September 25, 1690, and then suppressed by the British Colonial Authorities after the first and only edition. Authorities were reportedly alarmed by the military news and other content that they viewed as “sundry, doubtful, and uncertain reports.”   

Under British law, it was illegal to publish without the government's approval, and Benjamin Harris, the publisher, didn’t obtain it. Within a few days, the governor and council banned publication of the paper, and authorities collected and destroyed every copy they could find. In seventeenth-century America, colonial officials viewed newspapers as the source of "disobedience and heresy and . . . libels against the best government." (MassMoments.org)

Newspapers were born for noble reasons

People came to America for a variety of reasons, including a desire to be free from a tyrannical government. They wanted religious freedoms, economic opportunity, political liberty, and self-governance.

Newspapers—the original news before the telegraph, radios, televisions, computers, and cell phones—were born with the noblest of intentions: To keep the people informed about the doings of government. But how could newspapers do their jobs with so much government oversight?  If the government granted licenses to print, it could revoke them if it didn’t like the content. And the prosecution of publishers deterred others from doing the same.

The media should not be controlled by the government

The government should not control the media or be allowed to operate behind closed doors. Throughout history, newspapers tried to make sure it didn’t, even if they had to operate covertly to keep people informed. As a journalist, I experienced the government trying to hide behind closed doors several times. A municipal board would say that they were going into executive session (meaning that no press was allowed), and then they were going to adjourn for the night, so there was no need for reporters to stick around. They lied, hoping to get rid of us because they needed to discuss something in an open session that they did not want in the newspaper. Many times, I hung out around the corner in the hallway, waiting for the door to open so the open session could begin. The look on their faces when I walked back into the room, notepad in hand, was always priceless.

It’s safe to say that the government has tried to control the media since the beginning of time, and sadly, it’s still trying, only now it’s not just news media, it’s social media too, something Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg just admitted in front of the United States Senate.

Does propaganda exist in America?

After my last blog, What Happened to Journalism, was posted, I got a message from a friend and former colleague saying that he thought it was a good piece, but he politely disagreed. “Some people don’t understand the difference between news and commentary,” he said. I agreed with him. Wholeheartedly. And that was the point. It’s presented as news, but it’s not news if it’s a biased opinion piece.  There may be information within it, but how can we tell what the truth is, if it’s slanted? I guess a stronger word for this is propaganda. But can propaganda occur in the United States? The land of constitutional freedoms, like the right to assembly and freedom of speech. The land of the free and the home of the brave. Well, it certainly can and it’s up to the readers and/or voters to determine which is which, and it’s not always an easy task.

We deserve better

I love what the news used to stand for, The Freedom of Information Act, and the role the media played in keeping the government transparent and the people informed. I miss the bare facts. I miss the truth. And I’m sure I’m not alone. The people of this country do, in fact, deserve better.

As Abraham Lincoln said in his Gettysburg Address, “Government of the people, by the people, and for the people.” Meaning that in a true democracy, power is with the citizens.

Until next time,

Jean AKA The Strategic Chicken - making life’s journey one strategic step at a time