The Hankyoreh and five other newspaper publishers are asking for money from the National Treasury for the "Newspaper Distribution Service" and the conservative media and some among the conservative opposition are attacking the idea saying that establishing the Newspaper Distribution Service could lead to collusion between government and the media. Some are criticizing the comments of the six papers calling for financial backing for the service when they say it "could be used by national and local government as a public service information network."
The criticism basically originates out of a misunderstanding or distortion of what the distribution service is supposed to be about. It is being established as a result of the passage of the "newspaper law" and is an independent "special corporation" that receives no interference from the government or any specific newspaper. Should it receive financial backing from the National Treasury it would naturally be subject to audits by the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI). Its relationship to individual newspapers would be only about entrusting it with the distribution of their papers. Calling that collusion between government and the media is an overreaction or intentional distortion of the facts.
The newspaper law stipulates that the government may financially support the Newspaper Distribution Service, with the goal of guaranteeing the public's access to information. There are diverse types of information media but it is newspapers and broadcasting that are most basic. The newspaper services is being created to resolve the problem of how farming, fishing, and remote areas are neglected because of the cost of each newspaper building their own distribution networks, and to reduce the economic loss of having redundant networks when each and every paper has one. It can also be expected to contribute to the cooling-off of the excessive competition that includes free papers. Another important effect that is expected is the formation of balanced public opinion through diversity in newspapers.
One can understand some of the concerns about the possibility the service will be used as a government, public service information network. The Hankyoreh and other newspapers that have guarded against collusion between government and the media discussed that possibility precisely because the service has fundamentally nothing to do with any individual paper. It is not by itself wrong for a special public service corporation such as the Newspaper Distribution Service to find ways to contribute to the public interest. Of course, if there is even the slightest possibility that newspapers could turn into government publicity or information collection organizations, that must be firmly blocked.
Questions about the service's operations were decided through social discussion and agreement. For that reason active debate is desirable. Constructive debate, however, first requires that the facts are conveyed accurately and that issues are assessed with objectivity.
The Hankyoreh, 14 June 2005.
[Translations by Seoul Selection (PMS)]
[Editorial] Criticism of 'Newspaper Distribution Service' |
