Censorship or Selection

I read that Felix Grant has taken exception to my post asking what CBS was thinking.  He certainly is correct that I would not support censorship.  I seem to have developed a habit of jumping off the end of the pier without enough thought.  I believe this is such a case. 

I would never want the British film makers to be restrained from making their film.  If it's in a local theater, I might even go see it, though that's doubtful.  What I object to is CBS having its prime-time evening news magazine  have a major segment that was mostly about Dresnok.

There is a difference between censorship and editorial selection.  No editor can ever put all the news that comes across the desk or on the wire services into the newspaper or magazine.  There is a certain amount of selection that simply must occur.  I believe that CBS made a bad decision in airing this piece.  This was not, in my opinion, newsworthy. 

Felix is correct in saying that:

This topic has clearly touched old nerves for Jim ...

It sure did, and I reckon I should have put more thought into my own reaction this time before sitting down and thinking through my fingers.  Marrianna and I discussed this again last night, and I remain convinced that the military should have seized Jenkins when he was here, and should Dresnok ever return to the States, he should be seized and tried too.  In the meantime, as Marrianna said, "Let North Korea have him."

In assurance to Felix and others, my commitment to openness remains as strong as ever,  At the same time, I believe that editorial selection should not have put this segment on 60 minutes.  As I said, it was, or should have been, a non-story.

Comments

[Mac]

Perhaps its value as a story was in the discussion it generated between two individuals whom I've come to respect very much. even while I disagree with each of them on occasion.

Mac