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Path: cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!rochester!rutgers!uwm.edu!math.ohio-state.edu!howland.erols.net!netcom.com!elna
From: elna@netcom.com (Esperanto League N America)
Subject: Freedom vs freedom of access 
Message-ID: <elnaDwrvKJ.1zK@netcom.com>
Organization: Esperanto League for North America, Inc.
References: <4v08hq$9ss@sunburst.ccs.yorku.ca> <3216B4EE.4FBC@gold.tc.umn.edu> <elnaDwLuzr.1v5@netcom.com> <321f12c5.9785510@news.nando.net>
Date: Tue, 27 Aug 1996 01:17:06 GMT
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Sender: elna@netcom19.netcom.com

dgary@nando.net (D Gary Grady) writes in a recent posting (reference <321f12c5.9785510@news.nando.net>):
>elna@netcom.com (Esperanto League N America) wrote:
>
>>A Japanese friend of mine pointed out a nice distinction- he said that 
>>when he wants to *find out* something, he uses English; but when he
>>wants to *express* something, he uses Esperanto. The Esperanto press is
>>less censored that the English-language press!
>
>With all due respect, Miko, that's hogwash. Both the Esperanto and the
>English-language press are on the whole very free and uncensored.
>(Yes, I can think of exceptions with respect to particular
>publications and in particular countries.)
>
Perhaps I was too lax with my use of the word "censored". I ought to have
said that the Esperanto press is "less controlled" or "allows easier
access". 
When my Japanese friend visited Mexico to investigate the conditions of
workers in Mexican factories, he could publish articles in "Monato" but 
not in "Newsweek" or even "Nation" because the English-language press is
largely _controlled_ by a cadre of professionals, who discourage the 
publishing of articles by amateur reporters, however qualified they are, and
regardless of the quality of the reportage. Some people fault the open
nature of the Esperanto press, which accepts stories from non-professionals;
but I relish this openness, which is mostly absent in the mainstream
English-language press. [To be sure, if you include all the indie 'zines, 
my argument collapses-- I was referring to the main players.]  
]
It is also a question of quantity: there are so darned *many* aspiring
writers in English that the simple effect of competition lowers the chance
of being published. Many Esperanto periodicals are rather hungry for 
content, and are glad to publish well-written and -researched articles.

Another aspect of control which I alltoo loosely referred to as censorship
is the tendency of the English-language press to send Americans (or Brits)
to report on stories in other countries, while the Esperanto press mostly
relies on locals to give insights into their own country's issues-- Russians
report on Russia, Hungarians on Hungary. [I realise that my earlier example
referred to a Japanese man reporting on Mexican society, but this is the 
exception to a tendency of same-country reporting.]

-- 
Miko SLOPER                   elna@netcom.com         USA  (510) 653 0998
Direktoro de la          ftp.netcom.com:/pub/el/elna   fax (510) 653 1468 
Centra Oficejo de la     Learn Esperanto! Free lessons: e-mail/snail-mail
Esperanto-Ligo de N.A.      Write to above address or call 1-800-828 5944
