Calls to ban RT in the UK reflect what politicians really think about freedom of expression

When it comes to unplugging international broadcasters operating in a reality, things get really serious. However, if the regulators of British broadcasters Ofcom Really want to turn off RT, do it yourself, without Involve politicians waving hands, or many other requests.

What amazes us is that we have all those channels to choose from, with literally hundreds entering our living rooms every day. Yet we still find ourselves day and night on the internet only to complain that there is nothing interesting to watch.

But – and this is important – we still have an incredible choice, and it is not just a technological marvel, but a tribute to the wonders of the information age in which we live. Now nothing is limited to terrestrial, cable or satellite, we can watch a lot directly from the internet.

UK regulator responds to request to ban RT. Yes, I know, it confuses this thing. Yes, that’s right, there are a lot of not-so-pretty things. And yes, it is equally true that there are some opinions expressed that we may not agree with. But at least we have a choice, and that is the beauty, not only of the democracy we live in, but also of the high esteem in which we hold the right to freedom of expression.

You can say anything to whomever you want, even if it destabilizes him. You don’t have to expect that everyone will agree with you. This is true around the table when having dinner with someone and it is true with a TV show.

Former Scottish Prime Minister Alex Salmond, who clue Broadcasting over RT may not be best for everyone. So what? it shouldn’t mean silenced, as suggested by current Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon. Nor do they make her, or sometimes her TV colleague George Galloway, A kind of demon to challenge public fiction. They may be completely wrong or catch us, but at least they ask unusually weird questions.

If either of the two lied or spread fake news, then the matter is different. But this is not the case. They are only among the voices of dissent, a mass audience in the media who is better off being identified as a traitor or urged to quit their roles and return to ranks, simply because a government minister says so.

(…) If the Russians decided to shut down the BBC in their country or to prevent Sky or ITN journalists from working with their time, the British would be outraged, and rightly so.

The current cultural climate requires that warnings indicating the nature of the content before TV shows are potentially dangerous and while most of us simply turn off the TV when we watch this nonsensical content, we need to stop in the process. Politicians do not need to be involved in this. Because they think it makes them tough.

Anyone who can make their way through the TV Guide maze should be left alone so that they can’t celebrate the very small milestone and calmly watch their choices without feeling guilty.

Inspiringly, Ofcom has this hurry up to respond to Demand Policies to review RT’s position on the UK media landscape through bureaucratic language, which on the one hand agree with the request, while leaving enough room for maneuver for not meeting the minister’s request. Think of it this way: “Yeah, Prime Minister”.

Addressed to Nadine Dorries, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, her response read in part: “Ofcom takes our role as an independent communications regulator very seriously, ensuring that television and radio viewers are protected from anything that could harm them, charged with defending free speech. .

And while Ofcom can be criticized at times, it was a response arguing for one thing in the series “get the tank off our lawn“, on the other hand, it gives the certainty that the situation in Ukraine was monitored, it was sufficient to meet the expectations of those who expected protests and those who expected subjugation. Ofcom also said : “We are accelerating complaints in this area as urgent and will not hesitate to take prompt action where necessary“. It’s a position on the wire.

Our regulators aren’t perfect, not even one bit, but at least they try to be fair. And when the hype about the need to ban foreign media gets so intensified, it must be really hard to stay calm.

For now, Ofcom has done enough to calm both sides in this free speech debate, but if the stakes go up, questions will be asked and we can’t be sure at this point how the situation will develop.

Of Damien Wilson Via RT, translation Martina Gintolic

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