hankyoreh

At the weekly cabinet meeting Tuesday, president Roh Moo-hyun had some more to say about his "Scheme to Elevate the News Coverage Support System." No small amount of what he said appears to be the result of arbitrary interpretations and unmitigated rage. Before we even talk about his position on the media, we would like to say we are sad and concerned.

Roh is confusing the essence of the issue here. We say this all over again, but the reason we oppose this move is not because we support the media culture of old, symbolized as it was by the briefing rooms, or because we have any obsession with the "conveniences" we might enjoy. We oppose the plan because it blocks media access to various government activities, which by themselves are important news items, and by doing so will ultimately seriously hurt the "people’s right to know." Restricting news coverage capabilities ahead of making government activities more transparent can only be interpreted as the government saying it is going to say only what it wants you to hear. Just as the Blue House says in its sophistry, anyone can access information. The problem is that the information will be one-sided, information which is provided by the government. Information people need to know or information the government is not interested in having people know can be easily suppressed. It will become harder for the media to fulfill its duty to the public to keep government and those in power in check on behalf of the people.

Roh is wrong for continuing with nothing but his own claims and calling for "briefing room reform," all while ignoring these concerns. It is also a distortion of the facts to say there "are no filing rooms in foreign countires" including the United States when they clearly exist, or that only "certain sectors" of society are opposed to the plan, when in fact most media, political parties, and potential presidential candidates are opposed.

It is a good thing that Roh has expressed his willingness to debate the issue publicly. However, a few conditions will need to be in place if the debate is going to be a healthy public discussion. For starters, he needs to completely withdraw his plan and debate the issue from the starting point. A proper debate requires that participants be open to changing their approach if they end up being wrong, or if the views of others prove better. It must not be a situation in which one decides on a direction and then criticizes anyone who does not go along. He needs to engage in debate with an open attitude.

This time around, when Roh talked about getting rid of filing rooms, you felt like you were hearing a threat issued on the street somewhere. Filing rooms are provided by the state at its many ministries and agencies out of respect for the aspects of the media that serve the public good. Also, you cannot show off the power you hold if you want a debate. Finally, the issue being debated needs to be perfectly clear. The government’s moves restrict news coverage and infringe on the "people’s right to know," and, as such, opposition to the plan must not be portrayed as an attempt by the media to maintain special privileges.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]