BCT Editorial – 1/26/10

I don’t know if it’s chutzpah, hypocrisy, or a combination of both, but this editorial is full of it.  Not surprisingly, the opinion expressed in this editorial appears to be supported by most of the left.

In the Times’ own words as of 1/26/10, “The Times is owned and operated by Calkins Media, which also publishes newspapers in Uniontown, Doylestown and Levittown, Pa., Willingboro, N.J., and Homestead, Fla.  Calkins Media also owns three TV stations, interactive media sites, and is poised for growth.”  The full name of Calkins Media is Calkins Media, Inc. (Calkins Newspapers, Inc., until 2002).  Yes, folks, “The Times is owned and operated by” by a corporation.  You would never know that from reading the editorial, however.

The Times has no problem with free speech by corporations as long as those businesses are part of the press.  That is, the Times is all for freedom of speech (“us[ing] their wealth to control the political debate by setting the tone, framing the issues and shaping the images”) for itself, but would deny the same freedom to Jim Bob Steel Company across town.  Why should Calkins Media, Inc., be allowed to use its wealth to publish columns, editorials, and “news” articles advocating candidates and issues, but not Jim Bob Steel?

The comment about the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth is a hoot.  The Times fails to note 527s (SBVT, MoveOn.org, etc.) are the result of trying to control money flowing into politics (The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002, aka McCain/Feingold).  While we can pass laws making certain forms of speech off limits to certain people, all we do is force people to work around those laws.  I believe complete freedom of speech along with full disclosure is the best solution.

As long as there is full disclosure about who paid for a political ad, why would the Times (and the rest of the left) not applaud greater freedom of speech?

Finally, will the Times stick to its principles and refuse to sell political ads to businesses and labor union management?