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| FREE MX!! is it so free? | ||||
| On August 1, the City of Sydney Council decided to proceed with a development application that would permit Rupert Murdoch's "MX" Newspaper to be distributed from city footpaths -for a $362,000 annual fee plus $110 a day. This buying of "exclusive rights" to free distribution on the streets is unacceptable. Since when did we commercialise the streets? After this, only corporate media giants will have a "right" to distribute material because they have bought the "rights" to do so. This forces less well off organisations out of the picture and independent papers like Greenleft Weekly will face heavy fines if they continue to distribute material on the streets. We know that Greenleft is an alternative newspaper printing news that the mass media would not dare to. If they are silenced because they lack the money that these corporate giants have, then in effect, a whole great portion of the news printed by that paper will virtually be wiped from existence. This is a blatant attempt at silencing our freedom of speech. It is a corporate tactic to use money as a tool to repress our voice. And since when have rights become exclusive? Isnt it a right in itself that everybody has rights to freedom of speech, freedom from tyranny, freedom from oppression? It appears a bit of $$bling$$ can play the trick of a dissappearing act on our most vital assets. While the paper is free, we simulataneously lose something which no money can buy- our freedom of speech. This move by Murdoch is despicable. He has no justifiable reason to do so other than to clear the streets of our voice. He HAS NO RIGHT to do this!! The streets belong to the people. The Council must not proceed with a deal that priveledges the corporate media at the expense of public interest and fundamental public rights. Besides, who wants to read that mindless prolefeed anyway? Boycot MX. Come to the rally on Thursday the 8th of September, Town Hall steps, and voice your disgust! While you're at it, please hop over to www.greenleft.org.au and make a donation to their $100,000 appeal.. because they are that much in debt and are in danger of being shut down. Exclusive rights? Rights are not exclusive!!! |
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