RE: Pentagon Access Kerfuffle & Media Lies
Please take the time to read this lengthy post, it’s important.
There is SO MUCH lying and distortion on this matter, we need to cut through the garbage.
So I’m here for it.
Go ahead and Google this phrase (you'll see it everywhere in sooooo many legacy media reports):
“. . . information must be approved for public release by an appropriate authorizing official before it is released, even if it is unclassified."
Google it with quotes around it so you get that EXACT phrase. See how much it shows up, VERBATIM, with those EXACT WORDS in that EXACT ORDER in so, so, so many media reports?
Go look for yourself. I’ll wait.
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Welcome back.
Now.
This quote strongly suggests that what the Pentagon is saying is that the media cannot publish an article without Pentagon prior approval. If this were true, that would, in fact, be an egregious example of prior restraint and a grotesque First Amendment violation.
But…
See…
That VERBATIM quote is NOT TRUE. Here is the actual quote:
“. . . information must be approved for public release by an appropriate authorizing official before it is released by any military member, DoW civilian employee or contract employee, even if it is unclassified.”
(I’ll link to the source document in my post immediately below, because the algorithm hates links.)
Notice the words that are DIFFERENT in the actual quote. (I bolded and italicized them.)
The lying media—the ones mewling about First Amendment violations—PURPOSELY LEFT OUT THOSE KEY WORDS.
Liars, liars, pants on fire.
Let me explain the difference:
1. In the media’s distorted, untrue quote, the language suggests that any news story requires pre-approval by the DoW. If this were true, it would be a clear First Amendment violation.
But it’s not true.
2. The ACTUAL quote merely says that people who work in the Department of War are not allowed to provide important defense-related information to the media without the appropriate national security approval party in the DoW authorizing that DoW employee to share such information first.
THIS IS NOT A FIRST AMENDMENT VIOLATION. THIS IS NOT PRIOR RESTRAINT. The press is still allowed to write whatever it wants. The limitation is on DoW employees, military and civilian, and NO ONE ELSE.
THERE ARE NO LIMITS ON THE PRESS IN THIS MATTER, and the press is purposely and deliberately lying to you about this issue—lying by omission.
Please spread the word. Otherwise well-meaning people are being snookered by this propagandistic sleight of hand these evil journotards are foisting on them.