A4
OPINION
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, August 26, 2020
News business
needs anti-trust
safe harbor
N
ews consumption is
growing exponen-
tially, but for the
past decade, the revenue to
news publishers has been on a
decline. This is, in large part,
because of the unbalanced
relationship between news
publishers and tech plat-
forms. But that relationship
could be changing thanks to
the bipartisan introduction
of the “Journalism Compe-
tition and Preservation Act.”
H.R. 2054 was introduced
by House Antitrust Sub-
committee Chairman David
Cicilline, D-Rhode Island,
and former House Judiciary
Committee Ranking Member
Doug Collins, R-Georgia. A
bipartisan companion bill, S.
1700, was also introduced by
Senator John Neely Kennedy,
R-Louisiana, member of the
Senate Judiciary Committee,
and Senator Amy Klobuchar,
D-Minnesota, ranking mem-
ber of the Senate Antitrust
Subcommittee.
The bill, which would pro-
vide news publishers a safe
harbor in which to collec-
tively negotiate with plat-
forms like Google and Face-
book, could help news
producers receive the fair dis-
tribution and monetization
terms we’ve long been fight-
ing to get from the duopoly.
Because of their market
dominance — and access to
billions of users — the major
tech platforms set the rules
for news publishers and deter-
mine how journalism is dis-
played, prioritized and mon-
etized. They also capture the
vast majority of all digital
advertising dollars because
of their unique ability to col-
lect consumer data across the
web.
All of this has degraded
the relationship between news
readers and publishers and
rewarded low quality “click-
bait” over quality information
from real journalists. It has
also greatly reduced the finan-
cial ability of publishers to
invest in newsrooms at a time
when our society most needs
great, substantive reporting.
It is simply not possible
for any individual news pub-
lisher to change the basic
terms offered by the online
behemoths. They are simply
much too big and much too
influential.
However, there is power
in numbers, which is what
we need in order to have a
fighting chance. The antitrust
safe harbor bill would pro-
vide a four-year window for
news publishers to collec-
tively negotiate for fair terms
that would flow earned sub-
scription and advertising dol-
lars back to the publishers,
while protecting and pre-
serving Americans’ right to
access quality news. Parame-
ters included in the bill ensure
that these negotiations would
strictly benefit Americans and
news publishers at-large, not
just one or a few publishers.
The JCPA has until the end
of the year to pass the 116th
Congress, and we need our
representatives to act now to
support journalism’s future.
If passed, this bill would
allow our industry to more
fully control our product by
allowing market forces, not
two companies, to determine
how and for what price our
content is offered. It would
allow everyone from small
local publications to major
online publishers the oppor-
tunity to receive a return on
their investment and there-
fore sustain quality journal-
ism, which is necessary for
an informed democracy and
civic society.
FARMER’S FATE
Independently messy
ver noticed the correspon-
dence between a child’s
growing independence
and the amount of paper tow-
els and cleaning supplies you use?
It is wonderful when your 4-year-
old takes the initiative to wash the
dishes, right? I mean, who actually
needs full sets of dishes anyway?
Isn’t it chic now to have mismatched
dinnerware? And the sink that was
overflowing with soapy water —
well, the floor needed mopped any-
way. All of those thoughts and more
fluttered through my head as my
barely-turned-4-year-old beamed
at me upon walking through that
kitchen door. He raised his little
hand in greeting, his fingers tightly
gripping the soapy-sponge that
dripped water down his arm onto
his already visibly wet sweat shirt.
“I’m helping you, Mommy!” he
announced proudly.
“Oh, Bug!” the frustration at the
huge mess came out sharper than
I’d intended. His eyes clouded just a
bit, and I surveyed the mess again. I
took a deep breath and started again,
“Oh, Bug, you did the dishes for
me!”
“I love you, Mommy,” he
grinned, splashing more water down
the front of the cabinets. I pushed
his stool closer to the sink. Anyone
wanting to wash dishes should have
proper lessons, right? The next half
an hour was spent washing dishes
that could have been done in half the
time — with half the soap and water
— but without any toddler indepen-
dence. And independence is a good
thing, right?
Later that week I was chatting
with a friend, catching up on our
respective holidays. Meanwhile her
sons were in her kitchen making
smoothies.
“Mom, can we use lemons?”
“Mom, can we use key lime
juice?”
“What about white grape juice —
E
and ginger?”
She finally just
said, “You can put
in anything you
want. Just remember
you have to drink
it. Good or gross, it
Brianna
will have to be gone
Walker
by midnight.”
Independence
with a touch of consequences — I
thought it was brilliant. I recalled
that situation again, when my hus-
band and I came in from the shop
to find that our 4-year-old decided
that he was old enough to take a
turn making supper. Peanut but-
ter and Parmesan sandwiches. He
made enough for the whole family
— and lots of guests. The words
of my friend played through my
head, “Good or gross, it will have
to be gone by midnight.” There
were more sandwiches than my
son could eat by himself (seeing as
how he’d “cooked” for all of us),
and while my head doesn’t like
food to go to waste and my heart
supports 4-year-old independence,
my stomach just can’t.
I’m not sure my friend would
have approved, but technically, she
said “Good or gross, it will have to
be gone by midnight.” And it was
definitely gone by midnight. The
hound and the chickens seemed to
really enjoy their gourmet PB and
Parm meal that night.
Only days later, my little guy
decided the dirt in one of my
house plants was “too old,” and
he took it upon himself to refresh
it. He scooped it out of the plant,
into a little toy cup, and then pro-
ceeded to wash it in the bathroom
sink. While the rest of the family
was intent on building roads and
settlements in Catan, our 4-year-
old walked back and forth from
the plant to the bathroom several
times — until the sink was filled
to the brim with black, soupy, pot-
ting soil and water. “Aren’t you
glad I made new dirt?” he asked
us as we scooped muddy soil back
to the plant. Truth be told, it’s a
good thing he washed it, because I
would never have gotten around to
it — probably never even realized
that the dirt was old and in need of
a wash.
Every day, he becomes more
helpful and independent. He fed
the fish nearly the entire bottle of
food — because the fish looked
hungry. He trimmed the dog’s hair
— because apparently short-haired
dogs need haircuts too. He loves
to make his own toast — with half
a cup of Brewer’s yeast on top, on
the sides, on the floor and usually
down his shirt.
Recently he has been switch-
ing the laundry from the washing
machine to the dryer. It’s one of
his favorite things to do now that
he is “big and 4.” After another
big water mess on the bathroom
floor, we mopped it up with tow-
els and he carried them down to
the laundry room. I quickly for-
got all about them until the next
day when I opened the dryer to
find those wet towels covered with
laundry soap and baking soda.
My house is always filled
with ridiculous and unbeliev-
able messes. Like the day my
son decided to “fix” the vacuum
cleaner in the middle of the living
room floor. Or the day he decided
to strengthen the furniture in the
house with a Costco-size replace-
ment pack of scotch tape.
But I don’t mind too much,
because in the end, our house is
clean enough to be healthy, dirty
enough to be happy, and sooner
than I’ll be ready, he’ll be inde-
pendently messy and buying his
own cleaning supplies.
Brianna Walker occasionally
writes about the Farmer’s Fate for
the Blue Mountain Eagle.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
power by some over oth-
COVID-19 questions ultimate
Not swayed by
ers: parent over child, employer over
To the Editor:
employed, in regulatory agencies like political rhetoric
Blue Mountain
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Copyright © 2020 Blue Mountain Eagle
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www.facebook.com/
@MyEagleNews
I’m curious regarding two
COVID-19-related items. First, why
is the Johns Hopkins COVID-19
website info claiming, as of last Fri-
day, Aug. 21, that our Grant County
infection total is eight, but accord-
ing to the latest Blue Mountain
Eagle, both printed and online, is
only claiming five? Second question
is, exactly what game plan currently
exists at the local hospital or emer-
gency care center if someone pres-
ents themselves with clear evidence
of being infected? Are they admitted
locally for treatment, or sent to some
other facility — or perhaps just sent
back home? Is there an isolated care
room, and personnel to man it? I
would think there are others besides
me wondering what our real world
options are in this community if we,
or someone close to us, are infected.
Gary Davidson
Canyon City
Editor’s note: The Grant County
Health Department reported three
new cases Aug. 24, bringing the
county total to eight.
‘I would prefer
being God-loving’
To the Editor:
This is in regard to the mention
of God-fearing people by the gen-
tle writer in Mt. Vernon. I am quite
attuned to the concept as it has been
presented to me in different con-
texts over the years. In some analy-
ses (mine at present), the concept of
God-fearing, i.e. power-fearing, has
contributed greatly to physical and
other abuse in family, community,
nation. It promotes a relationship of
law enforcement, power over every-
one. With “God equals power” as the
lofty denominator, the very institu-
tions society has evolved for potential
survival of all become contorted to
crass authoritarianism and survival of
only those who abide. The concept of
race pertains.
All this surely dates back to the
beginning of organized religion as
we know it today, Ol’ Boniface cut-
ting down the sacred oaks in Wotan’s
ancient groves, etc., and times began
a-changing for our ancestors in
Northern Europe. Existing minor
power structures grew and solidified,
reinforced by extraterrestrial abso-
lutism, moving from localized tribal
to larger regional arrangements. Feu-
dal society was born, with an over-
lord at every level, serf to vassal, vas-
sal to knight, knight to lord, on up to
duke, prince, king, who in turn was
accountable only to a far-off ephem-
eral heavenly being. So began fear of
might, worldly and other-worldly.
I have always questioned fear
of authority. The worldly version,
in a democratic nation, is intended
to serve safety and security of per-
son and possession, as mandated by
state or nation. When it claims higher
authority, one should beware, and one
should object.
If I were to subscribe to any
notion of deity, it would be one which
does not require obeisance, or thrive
on monstrations of fear. It would be
one more self-certain than that, one
to be quietly omnipresent without
oppressing, one I could see in all I
value around me. And I would prefer
being God-loving most certainly.
Vega Nunez
Ritter
To the Editor:
This letter is a response to the
letter in the Aug. 12 edition sub-
mitted by Ashley Stevick.
The word racism is permeat-
ing our society. This week I saw
it on the cover of a popular maga-
zine and on the wrapper of a pro-
tein bar.
The word racism is being used
without reason, comparison, and
statistics. Is there a documented
problem? Where is it? What has
been done? What is the plan going
forward? Is there a time in his-
tory when people of different races
have lived better lives? Should we
tear down or build up?
Without answers to these ques-
tions, the flood of racism language
turns into propaganda. The defi-
nition of propaganda is: informa-
tion, especially of a biased or mis-
leading nature, used to promote
or publicize a particular political
cause or point of view. It presents
facts selectively in order to pro-
duce emotional rather than ratio-
nal responses. People who react
emotionally are easy to incite. On
another point, the electoral college
was created to give a measure of
equality to all demographics.
The word racism is now being
used to make it unpopular. I, for
one, stand against the national and
local propaganda of the word rac-
ism that causes the population
to believe sweeping statements
as fact that are not undergirded
with knowledge, explanation and
reason.
Terry Aasness
Mt. Vernon