Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2003 22:14:47 -0700 From: Saul Steier <sauls-AT-sfsu.edu> Subject: Re: postcolonial-digest V2 #2222 This is absurd. He is a full time journalist- a correspondent at that- for a major English newspaper.He draws a respectable salary and has done so since the 80"s. He isn't paid by the word and probably earns more than most of the folk on this list.You're naive if you think any of the money we will now have to pay to read him will go to him.It will go to the owners and stockholders of The Independent. Given the importance of what he has to say and the limited number of folks who are saying similar things availability should outweigh all other issues. I'll stop reading him unless his stuff gets sent to me by friends-I have no desire to contribute to the enrichment of the Independent itself-especially in the light of its decision to go for the money but that's of no importance. What is important is that my working class students who can't afford a pound per article and who really need to be able to read what he has to say will no longer be able to do so.In some circumstances I do think the left ought to feel shame for its complicity with the market and this is one of them. His voice is needed sorely now and for far too many it will be silent. >In a message dated 4/27/03 6:23:02 PM, >owner-postcolonial-digest-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu writes: > >>Does he have to stay in a five star hotel? Probably cheap >>in Baghdad, but in NYC that will run you at least $250 a >>day. A satellite phone, I realize, is a necessary tool in >>his business? >> > > >What kind of nonsense is this? I assume you are referring to the >hotel Palestine where most of the unembedded journalists stayed >during the American attack on Baghdad, under the assumption >(erroneous to a certain extent given the shooting at the hotel by >American troops) that this hotel would (as in the last invasion) be >a safe place for journalists to stay. It seems a reasonable call to >me. > >At any rate, I don't think that either of us is in a position to >deliver a judgment on some fantasy of the arrangements, financial >and otherwise, between Fisk and his employer. You recognize your >privilege (even without the rich parents you seem to desire) as a >graduate student who has easy access to electronic media that others >routinely pay for. Your students enjoy this access, as do many >users of public libraries throughout this country. > >I think it is important to remember that the spread of the internet >has given unprecedented access to publications from all over the >world. Indeed it is through such clearing houses as znet that many >of us are made aware of exemplary progressive writers. With wider >use and in times that unfortunately generate many pressing areas of >coverage, issues of payment are necessarily going to arise (znet has >placed many of its articles off-limits to non-subscribers). Fisk >regularly appears on Pacifica Radio, and as far as I know, their >streaming audio is still free. > >I think we should acknowledge the reality that certain types of >work--such as the intellectual work you feel so poorly remunerated >for and the kind of reporting Fisk produces--do require some kind >of funding to continue. No one has complained that academics write >for publishing companies who make a profit from their books, even if >many of us do continue to publish articles for no remuneration at >all. > >Although I think the struggle between opening access and preserving >economic viability for alternative news online is important, I feel >that governmental restriction and hacking of progressive sites is a >much more pressing issue. Please, let's remember who the enemy >really is. > >Anne Rice
HTML VERSION:
In a message dated 4/27/03 6:23:02 PM, owner-postcolonial-digest-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu writes:
Does he have to stay in a five star hotel? Probably cheap
in Baghdad, but in NYC that will run you at least $250 a
day. A satellite phone, I realize, is a necessary tool in
his business?
What kind of nonsense is this? I assume you are referring to the hotel Palestine where most of the unembedded journalists stayed during the American attack on Baghdad, under the assumption (erroneous to a certain extent given the shooting at the hotel by American troops) that this hotel would (as in the last invasion) be a safe place for journalists to stay. It seems a reasonable call to me.
At any rate, I don't think that either of us is in a position to deliver a judgment on some fantasy of the arrangements, financial and otherwise, between Fisk and his employer. You recognize your privilege (even without the rich parents you seem to desire) as a graduate student who has easy access to electronic media that others routinely pay for. Your students enjoy this access, as do many users of public libraries throughout this country.
I think it is important to remember that the spread of the internet has given unprecedented access to publications from all over the world. Indeed it is through such clearing houses as znet that many of us are made aware of exemplary progressive writers. With wider use and in times that unfortunately generate many pressing areas of coverage, issues of payment are necessarily going to arise (znet has placed many of its articles off-limits to non-subscribers). Fisk regularly appears on Pacifica Radio, and as far as I know, their streaming audio is still free.
I think we should acknowledge the reality that certain types of work--such as the intellectual work you feel so poorly remunerated for and the kind of reporting Fisk produces--do require some kind of funding to continue. No one has complained that academics write for publishing companies who make a profit from their books, even if many of us do continue to publish articles for no remuneration at all.
Although I think the struggle between opening access and preserving economic viability for alternative news online is important, I feel that governmental restriction and hacking of progressive sites is a much more pressing issue. Please, let's remember who the enemy really is.
Anne Rice