Strange Sounds of Silence

[Bill Frantz]

Alan Pugh writes:
 > Has anyone else out there noticed the strange sounds of silence
 > emmanating from the american print and broadcast media concerning the
 > rider attached to the Telecommunications Act recently signed by
 > President Clinton known as the CDA (Communications Decency Act)?

There seems to be a wide difference in the way the major media is reporting
this story.  For example, the editorial cartoon in today's (Sunday) San
Jose (California) Mercury News:

Picture: A man dressed in the style of the American Revolution sitting at a
computer.  In the background are a two pictures in ovel frames.  Next to
him on the table are a can of Pepsi and a candle stick.  He is typing at
the keyboard.  The thought baloon above the keyboard says (I substutite
XXXXXX for the areas that are drawn as a censor's block blackout):

"Dear Congressman --

You XXXXXX XXXXXX have really done it this time!  This XXXXXX XXXXXXX
telecommunications bill with its XXXXXX XXXXXXX indecency provision is a
XXXXXX attack on free speech!  You should have your XXXXXXX XXXX dipped in
tar and feathered!
                        tjefferson at aol.com"

Of course the Mercury News a couple of weeks ago announced that it was
going to try to provide first class coverage of cyberspace issues.  I give
it at least a B+ between its coverage of the CDA and the front page
interview with Rich Graves and discussion of the alternate sites to get
around the German censorship of Webcom.

Bill