Reference :- If one decides that censorship is sometimes justifiable , one must be prepared to grasp the horns of many a dilemma .
Indeed Peta , censorship of the media is always a cause for concern . Right now today's current contemporary era of high tech and big business is adding to this concern . I like the clever way that Sky News portrays itself as the journalistic equivalent of David confronting the evil Goliath of YouTube. Of course Sky News , as part of the Murdoch empire , is no David with his feeble slingshot . Your team can overthrow Prime Ministers , and well you know it . But in this instance , pretending to be helpless serves your purpose well .
An older chap like myself finds it difficult to understand these issues involving high tech "platforms " , as they are called . My experience of " platforms " ended in 1978 when they closed the local train station . I still remember the excitement of watching the steam locomotive depart from "Platform 1" at the Kooralya Station , laden with the bags of wheat to help feed the nation . Of course we only had the one platform , but we still placed a sign above it that read " Platform 1 " , out of respect .
Anyway Peta , Ken junior tells me that I should think of a media platform as a pencil and paper . A tech giant provides somebody with an electronic pencil and paper so they can write down their thoughts and let others read them . Banning somebody from YouTube is like taking back the pencil and paper because the person who gave them to you doesn't like what you have written . This adds considerable complexity to the concept of freedom of expression .
Ken junior tells me that in Australia we rate about 26th in the world for freedom of the press . So Peta , perhaps that means we don't value it highly anyway ?
And to confuse the matter still further , one of our senior politicians , the Right Honorable John Barilaro is currently taking legal action against YouTube for allowing a comedian to post a video that questions his suitability for his position . I asked Ken junior to explain what that means .
" It would be like the person who gave you the pencil and paper being sued because you used the said items to write something that somebody found offensive . " Ken junior said .
" Jeez , does it mean that if Mr Barilaro wins his case it will set a precedent and the lawyers will have a feeding frenzy suing the media platforms. ", I said
" Yeah , I think so. " , Ken junior said .
My head is swimming Peta , but I reckon you should get Mr Barilaro on the blower and tell him to withdraw his complaint . Otherwise Sky News might soon be banned from YouTube forever .
Your comrade , Ken
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