Spokesmen at the National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting System are forever asking people to donate money to support themselves and their programs. “Viewers just like you” do so, we are told, and we are exhorted to follow in their footsteps.What are we who love our country to say about such goings on? From a superficial perspective, this seems unproblematic. After all, they are asking for voluntary contributions, and voluntarism is practically the middle name of our political philosophy.But a moment’s reflection can give pause to this conclusion. For one thing, we must be cautious about just how far voluntarism can go in justifying this pitch for funds. If A asks B to murder C, all might be thought to be alright in this regard between A and B, no coercion there, but certainly not between either A or B on the one hand, and C on the other. So, voluntarism takes us only so far in the case of PBS and NPR.
WIKIPEDIA AND LEGACY MEDIA COMPETE TO OUT-BIAS EACH OTHER
There are several reasons to look askance at the behavior of these two organizations. Both are part and parcel of the fourth estate. Which are the first three categories in this regard? First is the executive. Second comes the legislative. Third, the judiciary. In our system of checks and balances, each of the three is tasked with keeping a wary eye on the other two. And what of the fourth estate, the media, television, radio, newspapers, magazines, nowadays, blogs too? This group of journalists, reporters, pundits, editors, etc., is supposed to cast a baleful eye on the other three. This role stems from the injustice of “being a judge” in your own case.
