As a long-standing free speech advocate, the last few years have been alarming and, frankly, depressing. The censorship efforts of the government are, unfortunately, not new. However, what is new is the support of the media and the Democratic Party in such censorship. That was on display on various channels after the recent opinion finding that the Biden Administration had violated the First Amendment in “the most massive attack against free speech in United States history.” However, the New York Times immediately warned that the outbreak of free speech could “curtail efforts to combat disinformation.” Yet, no one expressed more simply and chillingly than CNN Chief White House Correspondent Phil Mattingly who stated that it “makes sense” for tech companies to go along with government censorship demands.
Mattingly admitted that social media platforms “more often than not” gave in to the censorship demands by the Biden administration. However, he insisted that it “makes sense,” and is “probably what we should do on public health grounds.”
“[T]he Biden administration would regularly reach out to Twitter and Facebook and other companies in kind of the early stages of their COVID response and say, this person is spreading lies about vaccines, this account is spreading misinformation that is inhibiting — not just our efforts, the administration’s efforts to address COVID — but also public health, do something about it. And often, I think more often than not, the companies would respond and say, okay. And there are emails that came out during the course of this case that that was something that I think — when it was explained to me at the time, I thought, alright, that makes sense, that’s probably what we should do on public health grounds.”
What is striking is not just the blind acceptance that the government should be protecting us from harmful thoughts. It is also the failure to recognize that the government was wrong on many of these points while experts were being banned and blacklisted.
Many people were routinely censored on Twitter and other platforms for daring to challenge the official position on masks.
The Centers for Disease and Control Prevention (CDC) initially rejected the use of a mask mandate. However, the issue became a political weapon as politicians and the press claimed that questioning masks was anti-science and even unhinged. In April 2020, the CDC reversed its position and called for the masking of the entire population, including children as young as 2 years old. The mask mandate and other pandemic measures like the closing of schools are now cited as fueling emotional and developmental problems in children.
The closing of schools and businesses was also challenged by some critics as unnecessary. Many of those critics were also censored. It now appears that they may have been right. Many countries did not close schools and did not experience increases in Covid. However, we are now facing alarming drops in testing scores and alarming rises in medical illness among the young.
Masks became a major social and political dividing line in politics and the media. Maskless people were chased from stores and denounced in Congress. Then-CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield said during a Senate hearing that “face masks are the most important powerful health tool we have.”
However, there are now ample studies stating that “a new scientific review suggests that widespread masking may have done little to nothing to curb the transmission of COVID.” It added that “wearing a mask may make little to no difference in how many people caught a flu-like illness/COVID-like illness (nine studies; 276,917 people); and probably makes little or no difference in how many people have flu/COVID confirmed by a laboratory test (six studies; 13,919 people).”
It also found little evidence of a difference from wearing better masks and that “wearing N95/P2 respirators probably makes little to no difference in how many people have confirmed flu (five studies; 8407 people); and may make little to no difference in how many people catch a flu-like illness (five studies; 8407 people), or respiratory illness (three studies; 7799 people).”
Again, I expect that these studies will be debated for years. That is a good thing. There are questions raised over the types of studies used and whether randomized studies are sufficient. The point is only that there were countervailing indicators on mask efficacy and a basis to question the mandates. Yet, there was no real debate because of the censorship supported by many Democratic leaders in social media. To question such mandates was declared a public health threat.
The head of the World Health Organization even supported censorship to combat what he called an “infodemic.”
Scientists previously objected to the suspension of Dr. Clare Craig after she raised concerns about Pfizer trial documents. Those doctors were the co-authors of the Great Barrington Declaration, which advocated for a more focused Covid response that targeted the most vulnerable population rather than widespread lockdowns and mandates. Many are now questioning the efficacy and cost of the massive lockdown as well as the real value of masks or the rejection of natural immunities as an alternative to vaccination. Yet, these experts and others were attacked for such views just a year ago. Some found themselves censored on social media for challenging claims of Dr. Fauci and others.
The media has quietly acknowledged the science questioning mask efficacy and school closures without addressing its own role in attacking those who raised these objections. Even raising the lab theory on the origin of Covid 19 (a theory now treated as plausible) was denounced as a conspiracy theory. The science and health reporter for the New York Times, Apoorva Mandavilli, even denounced the theory as “racist.”
Yet, Mattingly and others are defending censorship by repeating a tautology: the government must seek the censorship of ideas because some ideas must be censored. Governments have always claimed that censorship of critics and dissenters is for the public’s best interest. They have always defined certain views as harmful or false.
Now, however, major media figures are shrugging off free speech concerns and supporting censorship as what former CNN media host CNN media correspondent Brian Stelter called a “harm reduction model.” While once fiercely opposed to censorship and government-supported blacklists, many in the media are echoing Mattingly’s view that the natural default should be to obey the government and its directions on permitted speech. After all, this is all for our own protection. Censorship just “makes sense.”
I have not read the whole article yet–some of it; but I am presently reading The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah and I recently finished Corrie Ten Boom’s autobiography–both are WWII. I am to the part in The Nightingale where the Germans have arrived in town, called all the town people together, told them to turn in their radios, the Germans will determine the food rations, curfews, and the Germans will decide what houses will provide sleeping/living quarters for the German soldiers. Residents are given identity cards to wear at all times.
Mattingly and others are now defending censorship by repeating a tautology
Mattingly, who is 37 years old, per Wiki, did not study logic nor philosophy. He studied Journalism at the ultra white, Boston University for the affluent. So it follows Mattingly knows better than us
Boston University Student body composition as of May 2, 2022
Race and ethnicity
Black: 4%
Economic diversity
Low-income: 17%
Affluent: 83%
– Wiki
If Mattingly’s CV does not impress, then you are not alone, per recent TV ratings:
HGTV is a home-buying, renovation and flipping network.
INSP is the former Jim & Tammy Faye Bakker PTL / Praise The Lord religious network
Hallmark Channel has been the brunt of jokes for decades because of their tear jerker shows
Yet all of these subpar networks get higher ratings than CNN.
CNN is what bottom dwelling Leftists use as their source for feeding.
The Left would do more good by selling CNNLOL and giving the money from the sale to the poor, the hungry, and the homeless. But then that would end their Woke religious dogmatic network even if Jim and Tammy Faye’s former religious network gets higher ratings.
🤣
Weekly Cable Ratings: Fox News Takes Primetime Crown From ESPN
The news network wrested the top spot in primetime from last week’s winner, ESPN, with an average of 1.4 million viewers during the week of June 26 to July 2, according to Nielsen figures supplied by Fox News. MSNBC, which topped the primetime chart during the week of June 5, finished second with 1.1 million viewers, followed by ESPN with 1 million viewers.
HGTV was fourth for the week with 785,000 viewers, followed by INSP with 768,000 viewers. USA Network pulled into sixth place with 661,000 viewers, followed by History (645,000 viewers), Hallmark Channel and TLC (tied with 622,000), and CNN (571,000).
https://www.nexttv.com/news/weekly-cable-ratings-fox-news-takes-primetime-honors-from-espn
Estovir,
That is still 571,000 Americans fed misinformation, disinformation and out right lies.
I think that is great!
The dumbing down of America continues!
They [The Networks and the Government] are deliberately building a facade between The Reality and What They want You to see.
A Potemkin Village, What you see before the Curtain is Their Agenda of Lies an ‘Act’ (a smoke screen),
What is going on Behind the Curtain is Their Boots-on-the-Ground Socio-Millitary-Ops (Censor the Reality to shield the Mission).
Folks ‘WE’ are going to have this War, whether You like it or not. These Idiots think that It’s the Answer. And they aim to make sure of that.
The Supreme Court may have bought US some time (to get the word out), BUT the Mission, Their Mission is right on schedule.
The a “Gulf of Tonkin moment” is coming.
Ukraine ‘Preparing For Nuclear Explosion’ As Russia Reduces Zaporizhzhia Plant Presence
by Tyler Durden – Tuesday, Jul 04, 2023
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/ukraine-preparing-nuclear-explosion-russian-reduces-zaporizhzhia-plant-presence
Openly questioning authority birthed the modern world and for the “party of science” I might point out that it is a fundamental requirement of a functioning process of inquiry. Sometimes people and even entire countries backslide. These never result in nice places.
Only the very stupid and brainwashed listen to the Marxist propaganda at CNN or any other legacy media.
Tucker was the last of truth at Fox.
The MSM is CIA government propaganda.
Professional liars like Turley insist on their ability to lie with impunity and attack those who offer fact checking as “censors.”
Go on….
You see, on my side we don’t try to stop you from speaking. We believe, instead, that your speech:
1. will reveal a lot about you, and
2. if false or plain stupid, will be down to be so by more speech.
What’s your side’s reasoning? Particularly given your side’s track record of being both wildly wrong and blatantly totalitarian in trying to hide that fact?
Though I am on board with the sentiment expressed, the Professor ignores how pernicious this has all been. They knew and know full well they were and are spreading propaganda, and they have already shown they will stop at nothing to enforce compliance. The modern left has no intention of respecting law, any facade of impartiality has been tossed aside. It is madness. We are already far past the point of debate. It is despicable and unacceptable.
RE ‘harmless thoughts’: it is also apparent that a great many do not take seriously how badly damaged multitudes of younger people are who were raised to honestly believe words can literally kill them. Again, it is madness, and it is going to take a long, long time to fix, if that is even possible.
Americans have been exposed to those grocery store tabloids all our lives. Now we learn that “social media” and some broadcasters actually belong in that category. Ok we got it.
What I find interesting is how little the government or MSM now acknowledges studies from other countries showing exactly how much they got wrong and the Great Barrington Declaration got right.
And Sweden.
This idea or ideology of just believing or trusting the government and the “experts” is scary. We need to have open discussions, debates about issues. Not censorship.
They’ll agree with censorship for as long as the Democrats stay in power. When a Republican gets elected, Democrats will suddenly rediscover the First Amendment.
YUP MSM =CNN=MSNBC-Wash Post-NYTIMES ETC – along with DEM’s, Global Elite-Davos/World Economic Forum Crowd- Left Wing UN all want censorship-hide the Truth from the people- threatens the Elites-Are now in PANIC with this Ruling – so they are appealing-Biden has a very poor track record on appeals for obvious reasons – they make it up as they go – radical – so the courts rule against them over and over
Americans have been exposed to those grocery store tabloids all our lives. Now we learn that “social media” actually belongs in that category. Ok we got it.
Were there any actusl demands as Turley states? CNN or the government aren’t the only ones capable of misinformation. Fox News is getting closer to $1 Billion in steelements for their lies, I’m hoping someone sees things through to an actual trial so we can get all the facts. Turley works for Fox and complains about alleged misinformation elsewhere.
He also works for USA Today and we all know how far Left they are.
He saves his lies for those who will believe them.
You are conflating a number of things here. Prof. Turley’s column was mainly about the censorship of health claims. The Fox News settlement is about political claims over an election. It was never adjudicated, so we can’t say anything about the truth of the matter, but it does share this with the usual point of censorship and to Turley’s column — it is done to protect a cherished person, position, group or reputation from embarrasment. It’s elitism. It’s control. But as far as the government directing things it never should have, well, there is overwhelming evidence that they did just that.
At any rate it was known well before the Covid-19 pandemic that masks, especially as used by the public, do nothing to halt spread of a respiratory. It’s difficult to get masks to accomplish any good in the best controlled of circumstances and even then people misunderstand the purpose of masks. Experts knew that masking and other social control mandates would have very bad effects which could not be outweighed by any benefits. Experts objected, but ignorance and the mob won with all the resulting damage to schools, learning, small business, employment and the distribution of wealth. It was simply wrong. As you say, everyone can be wrong, but censorship does nothing more than hide that inconvenient fact. It empowers the mob.
Turley’s premise was that the government forced social media companies to censor views, they didn’t, he lied. I pointed out he works for a company that lies. There is enough public information for you to know that, particularly in the Dominion case. Not only did they lie, they lied to you, saying different things on the air than they did in private e-mails, Turley knows better than to say the government forced people to do things, he is just talking down to his audience.
Apparently, you only read censored information.
The Twitter records document that the government coerced social media. Mark Zuckerberg buttresed that on a pod cast.
Do your homework before commenting.
Bill,
Even right-wing reporting of Zuckerberg’s comments go no further than saying the government requested they not print misinformation, some of which he later believed was debatable or untrue. Turley says the government demanded it which is different. I do my homework.
The settlement is not what you think it is. Fox chose not to go to court for many reasons. If you do not accept any of them, Fox’s loss of money proves libel laws maintain a degree of honesty, making government censorship unnecessary.
He also writes columns for The Hill, The NY Post, USA Today, and the Messenger.
So, what are they telling him to say?
Turley shifts his tone depending on where he writes. He knows his audiences, one could say it’s you telling him what to say. Nobody yet has come back and said he wasn’t lying about the government forcing social media companies to censor content.
Cui bono?
For what purpose?
Bottom line, the Democrats and the legacy media are just getting downright scary and threatening.
Government does one thing extremely well, it grows.
Author Edward Abbey said something like this: Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of a cancer cell.
Governments, federal and states have become a cancer upon us and the earth itself. It is now evident to me that governments have only ever existed to protect wealthy interests. Wealth is considered the way to longevity, to life itself. But Jesus Christ said you cannot serve hod and riches because you will love one more than the other. Those striving to obtain the best of both worlds bring destruction upon themselves and everyone around them. The truth of biblical words exposing the evils caused by “the love of money” is now blatantly obvious to anyone watching it. Governments are no mediator between divine goodness and men. Instead, governments rob all of us of our divine inheritance as laid out in Genesis chapters 1 & 2 and they’re selling it back to us a sliver at a time to those who can afford to pay for it with adulterous manmade dollars. “No one can buy or sell without the mark of the beast.” Although I’ve long seen the sanctions against other nations, I now recognize the almighty dollar has sanctioned all of us unless we bend our knees to that beast.
Any organizations capable of hiring the likes of Joy Reid at MSDNC or Dom Lemon at CNN illustrate the fact that they do not possess the erudition sufficient to comprehend the importance of our Constitutional guarantees. We may not survive as a species if we do not begin thinning the herd.
Of course CNN is against “misinformation”, they never lie or obfuscate. Don’t forget that CNN is the “news network” that is trying to belittle the coke at the WH story by smirking, making jokes and laughing off this latest bit of “Biden class and dignity”. Yesterday they were actually making jokes, e.g. “let’s have a blow by blow account” as they laughed it all off.
There are many forms of disinformation and the left wants to control all of them. Censorship, lies, spiking of stories, false planted stories, ignoring stories and now the smirking and mocking of stories.
The appetite to censor is insatiable.
Once allowed, censorship will grow.
And only an idiot trusts government to be both smart and honest.
It should be clear that the current state of the MSM is as a defacto Propaganda Division of the Regime!!!
MRR wrote, “It should be clear that the current state of the MSM is as a defacto Propaganda Division of the Regime!!!”
I call the left’s MSM complex Pravda-USA.
Fortunately, MSNBC and CNN’s audience has dwindled significantly. Fox is also experiencing the same downward trend in traditional media audiences. Some of this they did to themselves and part of it is a trend. People are moving into the digital lane.