Why we post documents from government and other self-interested sources
FreeMediaOnline.org works with independent institutions and organizations to make their information more accessible and free to independent journalists in media-at-risk countries
Use information from government sources with caution
Many journalists, news organizations, and news consumers are rightly suspicious of any government-issued documents dealing with public relations. We fully agree with this assessment. We choose, however, to use documents and information released by governments and other self-interested sources when we feel that by doing so we will help journalists and other users of our web site in evaluating the effectiveness of taxpayer-financed programs and reporting on government actions. In most cases, journalists should avoid relying exclusively on information produced by governments and should seek information and analysis from independent sources. FreeMediaOnline.org is working with many independent institutions and organizations in trying to make their information more accessible to independent journalists free of charge.
One of the reasons we post information from U.S. government sources is the fact that most of such information is in the public domain and can be used without paying copyright, royalty, or other user fees. This is an important consideration for independent journalists in developing nations and in countries struggling with censorship and propaganda.
International journalists should not expect the White House, the State Department, or the Pentagon to post the pictures of the Abu Gharib torture, but they can find many other useful pictures, documents, video, and audio that are in the public domain and can be used immediately without having to pay a license fee. Some U.S. government agencies, such as the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) [Link] or the Congressional Research Service[Link to CRS reports on U.S. State Dept. web site | About CRS ] often post reports highly critical of various U.S. government policies. We will try to show how it may be sometimes possible to find controversial information by checking different government and non-government sources and by asking government officials the right questions.
Outside of the materials prepared specifically for the media, which can be deceptive if not properly interpreted and used, various U.S. government agencies publish thousands of studies and other documents that may not have a hidden agenda. They contain a wealth of information which could be useful for international journalists. They may include information about free training opportunities for journalists, educational opportunities in the U.S., grants of equipment to support independent media outlets, support for nongovernmental organizations (NGO's), technical and other media studies, assessment of media support programs, and many others.
The use of government studies is often necessary for our own analysis of government policies. Their posting on our our web site gives users an additional opportunity to check our conclusions. We also collect and present such material in an easily accessible way to create a historical record and to assist in historical research of propaganda and public diplomacy topics.
Advice on the use of free programming from international broadcasters
We consider some of the taxpayer or government-funded international broadcasting organizations to be by and large reliable sources of information. Each may have its own national or cultural bias. But the major international broadcasters such as BBC, Radio France Internationale, Radio Canada International, the Voice of America and many public broadcasting organizations in democratic countries employ enough independent journalists and operate under sufficient protection from political interference that they can be considered relatively objective in their reporting.
We understand, however, that there can always be a bias in any reporting even by the most reliable broadcasters. Organizational bias, bias on the part of individual reporters, and honest journalistic mistakes can never be excluded. We always warn our site visitors and users to be mindful of the origin of any information and urge them to carefully check it for accuracy and balance. If we notice any problems with such information, we will report it and will try to balance it ourselves with opposing points of view and alternative interpretations. We cannot guarantee, however, that information on our web site is always accurate and objective. Each user must make their own judgement.
