[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 13]
[House]
[Page 19436]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                   THE MEDIA SHOULD GIVE US THE FACTS

  (Mr. SMITH of Texas asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the media, newspapers, radio and TV 
stations, have a huge impact on our lives. They influence how we think 
and act.
  Protected by the constitutional right to free speech, the media have 
few restraints on what they can say and do. They enjoy a ``public 
trust'' not to abuse their power. But I wonder how objective Washington 
political writers can be, when 89 percent acknowledged in a survey that 
they voted for Bill Clinton and Al Gore.
  What concerns me is that we all need accurate and objective 
information if we are to reach informed opinions about national issues.
  The media needs to treat their readers, listeners and viewers with 
respect, respect for their intelligence to make the right decisions for 
themselves and for our country. News stories should give us the 
unvarnished facts and then let us draw our own conclusions.

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