[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 152 (Friday, December 12, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1842]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          FREEDOM OF THE PRESS

                                  _____
                                 

                          HON. STEVE STOCKMAN

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, December 12, 2014

  Mr. STOCKMAN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to discuss today a very 
important and serious issue that is seemingly taking hold within our 
nation and that is an ``assault on our freedom of the press''. Mr. 
Speaker, I would like to submit a recent article in Roll Call entitled 
``Congress: Support Higher Level of Press Freedoms, End Propaganda''. 
In particular, the article opines ``that administration officials have 
gone to great lengths to control media messages and the President's 
refusal to grant free and easy access for photographers and 
reporters''. Mr. Speaker, clearly, restricting or controlling media 
messages is without a doubt--propaganda.

                    [From Roll Call, Dec. 10, 2014]

   Congress: Support Higher Level of Press Freedoms, End Propaganda--
                               Commentary

                           (By Maayan Jaffe)

       It seems that recently, U.S. media took a turn for the 
     worse. In 2013, Reporters Without Borders noted a profound 
     erosion of press freedom, which included a year of attacks on 
     whistleblowers and digital journalists, and revelations about 
     mass surveillance. The U.S. plunged 13 spots on the group's 
     rankings to No. 46.
       Simultaneously, reports continue to surface that 
     administration officials have gone to great lengths to 
     control media messages. Associated Press editors have decried 
     the president's refusal to grant free and easy access for 
     photographers and reporters and equated his actions as 
     tantamount to propaganda.
       It's striking that with what the Obama administration is 
     doing--and is only getting away with it because the media use 
     the handout copy and photographs--that America's closest 
     allies are regularly maligned. In the last month, for 
     instance, it was reported with sensation and disdain that a 
     top U.S. official referred to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin 
     Netanyahu as ``chicken- - - -'' and that U.S. ally 
     Azerbaijan, apparently, is trying to promote its relationship 
     with the U.S., instead of supporting radicals around the 
     world like some others.
       All this, while arch enemies--or countries that pose a risk 
     to national security, sponsors of the murderous ISIS to the 
     Mullahs of Iran--are given a free ride . . . even by state-
     sponsored media. The Washington Free Beacon reported that 
     Congress was calling for an investigation into Voice of 
     America's Persian language news service as a result of the 
     station's systemic pro-Iran bias and cozy ties to the anti-
     American ruling regime, according to a letter sent recently 
     to Secretary of State John Kerry.
       The Free Beacon wrote, ``Lawmakers and Iranian dissidents 
     have long accused VOA's Persian News Network (PNN) of 
     producing sympathetic coverage of the Iranian regime and 
     blacklisting prominent Iranian opposition voices . . . The 
     call from Congress for an investigation into these alleged 
     practices comes just a month after the Washington Free Beacon 
     revealed that PNN had banned a prominent Iranian opposition 
     member and placed him on a so-called `black list' after he 
     attacked Iran's ruling regime for sponsoring terrorism.''
       Earlier this year, I penned a piece in Roll Call about the 
     tragedy of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's bias against 
     Azerbaijan. I asked Congress why it allows $750 million of 
     American taxpayers' money to fund a media outlet that is 
     attacking our allies. That report--which found that in a one-
     month period RFE/RL had managed to publish 30 articles and 
     videos about Azerbaijan (not one celebrating Azerbaijan's 
     accomplishments), while it ran nothing of pressure against 
     America's adversary, Armenia--was met with an explosion of 
     Twitter fury.
       Americans don't want to face up to what the media has 
     become: a propaganda machine, pandering to the special 
     interests, superficial stereotypes, personal agendas and 
     money, and fear of reprisal by extremist regimes.
       Azerbaijan and Israel are attacked not only because attacks 
     sell, but because they are two of the few Middle Eastern/
     Muslim countries with pro-Western, anti-terrorist governments 
     and societies and therefore journalists are less afraid to 
     come out against them. Israel is accused of war crimes for 
     protecting itself from a daily barrage of rocket attacks and 
     trauma, while the world is silent to Egyptian action recently 
     taken against Gaza, a country which clearly understands the 
     difference between Palestinian civilians and the terrorists 
     of Hamas.
       Israel and Azerbaijan take this pressure because the 
     alternative is siding with extremism and neither country is 
     willing to compromise their democratic, open ideals. But 
     Congress needs to pay attention to this growing trend because 
     good friends can only take so much bullying.
       Israel and Azerbaijan--or any U.S. ally--are not without 
     challenges and growth opportunities. Iran is a rogue regime 
     developing nuclear weapons that could shift the world's 
     balance, and we are supporting a media outlet that panders to 
     that regime. The media, with the support of Congress, needs 
     to be bold about what is really happening on the ground. A 
     truthful report here and there is not enough. We need to 
     regain a top level of freedom of the press and be confident 
     that if we tell the full truth, then truth will prevail.
       Congress has an obligation to retain American freedom of 
     the press. I hope this new Congress will see access to 
     information as a fundamental freedom and strength. If we lose 
     that right, I don't want to think about what will be next . . 
     .

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