Why a free press (as well as an honest one) is so important

Having recently blogged “What is going on in Ukraine?” and “Where to go to for news?”, events continue to unravel to confirm the concerns I had articulated are indeed valid.

Reports of Russian troops massacring innocent Ukrainians dominate current news reporting, e.g. from the BBC website:

1. Russians trying to cover up war crimes – Zelensky
2. Zelensky to address UN Security Council after Bucha killings
3. Ukraine war: Biden calls for Putin to face war crimes trial after Bucha killings
4. More Nato weapons needed to save lives – Ukraine

The Sun newspaper, for example, reported on similar lines, demonising Putin and praising Zelensky. Pertinent to this article, in its editorial, it made the point that a free press is important, for if such existed in Russia, it argued, the Russian people would see through the rotten antics of its president.

Given my distrust of the BBC, I checked out items of alternative reporting, I have previously found helpful:

1. Bucha Massacre False Flag: Reporter Exposes the Truth Behind Ukrainian War Atrocities
2. UK Column News – 4th April 2022
3. Footage shows Ukrainian troops brutalizing captives
4. Was Bucha A False Flag, A Massacre, Or Both: A Review Of The Evidence

I have yet to come to a fully rounded view, but I am of the view the hysteria over Russian actions is exaggerated and is done for purely propaganda purposes to make the enemy look bad in world opinion and escalate a conflict. As often is the case, there needs to be independent investigation by seasoned truth lovers to establish where the truth lies. There are many factors to consider, including Ukrainian military resistance using civilian populations as shields and the war is not Russia against Ukraine but rather the US led Deep State. Without exonerating Putin / Russia, there is much to question the actions of Zelensky / Ukraine, begging the question: what are the facts and who we can rely on to present them?

Yesterday a friend, mindful of some of my views that question the “official narrative”, shared a link to a BBC video report: War on Truth. The blurb to accompany the video stated: “What does the invasion of Ukraine have in common with the coronavirus pandemic? On the face of it not much at all, but disinformation about the war is also fuelling existing conspiracy movements around the world. Covid denialists who claimed the pandemic was invented by a shadowy elite to impose a tyrannical global government, now believe that the conflict in Ukraine is part of the same evil plot. It’s a bizarre offshoot of the extraordinary information war that’s being fought over Ukraine, in parallel to the military campaign on the ground. So how and why are these baseless conspiracy theories taking root? In this podcast series, BBC disinformation reporter Marianna Spring investigates stories from Ukraine, Russia, and around the world, and hears from those caught up in the battle over the truth”.

My response to my friend, after checking out the report, was: “Interesting presentation coming from an employee of a fake news outlet (the BBC) – who glibly uses phrases like misinformation, unfounded and Russian disinformation to make it clear her antipathy toward Rob and the Facebook friend who posts upsetting memes, overlooking what alternative reporting, I often discuss, says. A salutary thought though for those of us who sympathise with the folk this BBC disinformation reporter is seeking to expose is that we need to know our facts, clearly and correctly argue our case and even if we do believe Covid and Ukraine are plots by evil globalists, we must be careful not to jump to conclusions”.

Ever since I was a young teen, I was impressed for the need to have a free press, as well as when later in life the need for an honest one. Notwithstanding, having my fair share of pride and prejudice, I tried to find truth, albeit based on my belief in biblical Christianity. Ironically, the Sun’s gripe over Russian censorship can just as easily be applied to Ukrainian censorship and the subtle and not so subtle shutting down of dissenting voices in the West, with mainstream media offering their own brand of fake news, supported by social media fact checkers etc. who try to squash dissent. My impression nowadays is we have neither a fully truthful press nor a free one, although, thankfully, news custodians of major news reporting outlets will not cover, as it doesn’t fit the narrative they want to promote, can be found if you know where to look (to the credit of those honest journalists who report the truth even if it costs them). I sense we are living in a post Corona paradigm when large sections of the population are prepared to jettison having a free press for the illusionary promise of peace and safety – a prospect I find deeply concerning, not least when good people don’t care those who media gatekeepers disapprove of are increasingly being de platformed.

Besides people who fall in this disapproved category having their own websites, there are outlets (I use) like Bitchute, Rumble and Telegram, and who knows where we might go with Trump’s “Truth Social” and Twitter now that Elon Musk is a majority shareholder. When it comes to the truth getting out, this is good news. Going back to when I first began to follow the news, I admired many good journalists, like Bernard Levin and, while these days I see too many bad journalists come to the fore, I believe and am hopeful this now is changing. In this day of misinformation, hiding truth and outright lies, I urge readers to question everything. As painful as the journey might turn out to be, be a seeker out and practitioner of truth.