Gov. Mike Pence has stepped in something Hoosiers try to avoid in farm fields with his idea to start a state-run, taxpayer-funded news operation that at times would compete with independent media. “Just IN” would offer only the party line disguised as news, not anything resembling the watchdog traditions of the Fourth Estate and its goal to seek truth wherever it leads. The “state-run” tag that accompanies it is ripe picking for those who want to compare the plan with media from the old Soviet Union, North Korea and a whole bunch of totalitarian regimes.
Pence and his supporters say this venture is nothing more than a better way of providing news and information to the public. There’s already a website that publishes news releases and posts documents so that anyone can see them, they say. In fact, a news release issued by his office Tuesday afternoon had a headline that included: “Office of Governor Pence Provides Clarification Prior to Upcoming Launch of Website” and suggested this is just a new way to package up the information already being provided.
But that’s not the entire story, according to information about the plan gathered by the Indianapolis Star. The fine print describes part Web portal, part faux news outlet that would compete with professional journalists who don’t draw a paycheck from the state.
Independent media outlets represent the public by pushing for answers to questions that sources might not want answered. They highlight the real story instead of the story as seen by the person providing the news. They watch over government activity, pointing out the inconsistencies, the flaws, the questionable behaviors. They see public officials as employees of the people, not their bosses.
Don’t expect that from Just IN.
The governor’s idea is to use tax dollars to compete with organizations that pay those taxes. The Star quoted a fact sheet about the concept: “At times, Just IN will break news — publishing information ahead of any other news outlet. Strategies for determining how and when to give priority to such ‘exclusive’ coverage remain under discussion.”
Beware the “strategies” chosen to control public information.
This all should come as no big surprise. We live in an age in which information can be customized by anyone, gaining political advantage trumps good government, and questions or opposing views are unwelcome. That may help explain why Pence thinks this is a good idea.
But it’s not. Information is power, and this is simply an attempt to control information to the advantage of those in power.
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