posted on Jun, 1 2006 @ 09:22 AM
^^ This is a very good point. It's really easy to get caught up in the idea that any government censorship will be blatant, with all of the subtlty
of a 2-year old hiding a toy, but Nygdan is correct in pointing out that this is a bad way to look at it.
True censorship is subtle. It's the government applying a little pressure here, and a little there, so that the networks end up censoring
themselves. It's a bit of noise about the AG cracking down on ill-defined "indecency in popular media" and then sitting back and watching the big
3 networks scramble to bowlderize their own news and shows.
Heck, if you want to jump off the deepend into conspiracy mode, the best way for the government to ruin the check the so-called "fourth estate" has
on it is to encourage hacks like Dobbs, Limbaugh, Dr. Laura, and other commentators who are as much sideshow barkers as they are journalists, to have
an even greater representation on the news shows and networks, crowding out real news in favor of shouting matches and grandstanding.