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Comment by bogomipz | Hacker News Reader

>"Freedom of the press as commonly understood in the US is a misnomer.

No "freedom of the press" in the US is commonly understood to mean that the press is free to publish any opinions they wish without being subject government censorship. It is codified in the First Amendment with:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press"

"Freedom of the press" has absolutely zero to do with freedom of access to subjects the press might be reporting on. And it certainly has nothing to do with PR flaks at powerful companies. These are not even a common misconceptions either. So no "Freedom of the press" is not a "misnomer" at all.

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That's almost as useless as the FB statement.

"The freedom of the press is currently not being limited, directly, by laws, made by the government"

Just makes it sound like powerful corporations are beyond reproach, no matter how influential.

I think my elaboration would have been sufficient for you to realize there is no disagreement here.

My point is just that a free press, as commonly understood and as in the constitution, is not free. Americans are quick to get upset when legal regulations are placed on press freedoms but slow to recognize the less obvious.

I’m not interested in discussing any further. You appear to just be looking for a disagreement. Good luck.

>"My point is just that a free press, as commonly understood and as in the constitution,"

And your point is patently untrue. Freedom of the Press is not "commonly understood" in that incorrect way in the US.

Honestly it sounded like you yourself didn't understand the meaning of the phrase "Freedom of the Press." You even called it a "misnomer." Accusing people of "looking for a disagreement" simply because they corrected you seems kind of lame and uncalled for.

the OP's post, and your post are not mutually exclusive. I think you both point out inherent flaws in the term "freedom of press" as it is currently understood in society. His point is that they are incentivied not burn bridges with large corps, and your point is they can say whatever the f* they want with zero governmental oversight.

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