Ombudsman columns
Page 10 of 11
Media's prime-time crime spree hides real statistics — violence in U.S. is down
Ombudsman Violent crime declined for the sixth year in a row and now is at its lowest rate since 1987, according to a report released this weekend by the Justice Department. Big news story, right? Well, not quite.
11.23.98
Censorship: It's in our genes
Ombudsman The human being arrived in this world with three basic instincts: the urge to hunt and gather food, the urge to procreate, and the urge to censor.
11.16.98
Sooner or later, Hollywood offends us all
Ombudsman "The Siege" opened this weekend under siege from Arab-Americans offended by
the movie's characterization of their religion and culture. Groups planned
to picket and distribute leaflets at a number of theaters.
11.09.98
Citizens get short shrift from officials on public information
Ombudsman After the votes are counted in precincts across the nation tomorrow, the pundits and politicians will no doubt decry poor voter turnout and blame it on poor citizenship.
11.02.98
Books and movies as natural born killers
Ombudsman There are no limits to the limits on free expression if publishers, broadcasters and the producers can be held responsible for crimes of those who try to avoid responsibility by saying a book, movie or music made me do it.
10.26.98
Shackling the world's press with good intentions
Ombudsman Press councils, universal ethics codes sound good but just provide excuses to restrict media at a time when we need more press freedom, not less.
10.19.98
Waving the flag vs. saving free speech
Ombudsman Little-noticed constitutional crisis gone for now - but will return.
10.12.98
High crimes and misdemeanors in the press
Ombudsman Some journalists covering the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal are unindicted co-conspirators in the impeachment of their own credibility.
10.05.98
Book-burning mentality sears society's soul
Ombudsman In the movie "City of Angels," the angels' home away from heaven is not a
church or sanctuary but a library.
09.28.98
When privacy is paramount, is democracy in danger?
Ombudsman This morning, we endured the breach of yet another barrier to the private
and confidential as various media began streaming to us four hours of
unedited and unexamined grand jury testimony by President Clinton.
09.21.98
Page last updated: 5/2/2013 1:00:58 PM
