A Ban on Bad News
Bad economic news got you down? Well… just pretend it’s not happening.
That’s sort of what the United Arab Emirates is doing with pending legislation. Some government officials hope to make it a crime to report news that would “harm the economy.”
It’s a pretty vague rule, but, if enacted, coverage of tumbling property values, record job losses, and other serious problems could simply disappear when sources, fearing fines of up to 1 million dirhams (approx. $272,000), clam up.
This will, of course, allow the government to fix the economy in peace and quiet without meddling reporters and oversight getting in the way.
(Source: Boing Boing)
I don’t think banning bad news is a very good idea in any country. Not only does it hinder democracy and free speech but it does a much greater harm by acting as a precedent to other things the government can legislate and clamp down on. There are many opportunities born out of desperation exactly like the one we are experiencing right now. When I read the bad news, I think of ways to mitigate the negativity rather than be despondent. SO, my suggestion is to allow the bad news and encourage people to write about how they are dealing with the global financial problems constructively. This will not only promote free speech (as opposed to thwart free speech) but also enable others to think creatively when they experience any type of crisis, personal or global.