Is a free press really free?

[B5C]

I get into made debates with many liberals or progressives lately about Snowden's chance into Ecuador.

They continue to say that Ecuador and Venezuela are hypocrite nations on "human rights" because they attacked capitalist media outlets. I continue to say an capitalist control press is not truly free press because the captialists have no interest of providing truth or fairness unless it's their truth. I even suggested worker cooperatives media press. I get trashed as that an attack against "free press."

I'm I saying the right thing?

[ComradeOm]

Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one
(A. J. Liebling, 1960)

[Conscript]

Freedom of the press is meaningless if people/groups have grossly unequal access to it. The capitalists speak the loudest and their issues are what is important. Property and freedom aren't very compatible.

[Decolonize The Left]

I get into made debates with many liberals or progressives lately about Snowden's chance into Ecuador.

They continue to say that Ecuador and Venezuela are hypocrite nations on "human rights" because they attacked capitalist media outlets. I continue to say an capitalist control press is not truly free press because the captialists have no interest of providing truth or fairness unless it's their truth. I even suggested worker cooperatives media press. I get trashed as that an attack against "free press."

I'm I saying the right thing?

You can go two ways:
1) The first has been elaborated above. Capitalism/private property and freedom are not compatible given that the former prevents enormous portions of people from accessing said freedoms.
2) Freedom is an abstract concept which has no bearing in actual reality. The truth is that all we have are liberties, and liberties can be revoked at any time and often are. There are countless examples of American citizens whose 'freedom' was taken from them by the state whenever the state felt it necessary. Hence there is no such thing as the 'free press,' it is purely a bourgeois ideal which is used to maintain a hegemony over information.

[Fourth Internationalist]

I get into made debates with many liberals or progressives lately about Snowden's chance into Ecuador.

They continue to say that Ecuador and Venezuela are hypocrite nations on "human rights" because they attacked capitalist media outlets. I continue to say an capitalist control press is not truly free press because the captialists have no interest of providing truth or fairness unless it's their truth. I even suggested worker cooperatives media press. I get trashed as that an attack against "free press."

I'm I saying the right thing?

Tell them: "Yeah the U.S. has only killed hundreds of thousand people in multiple invasions of countries, and is continuing terrorist attacks against innocent men, women, and children in the Middle East, but attacking corporate media that defends this government that has committed these crimes is against human rights. Oh, sure..."

Keep in mind, all that and much more was in the 21st century alone. We go back to Vietnam, the Atomic bombs, war-time censorship, etc. etc. etc. etc.! Too many to list! But, yeah, sure, America is the sacred champion of human rights despite all those crimes but Venezuela and Ecuador ,which has done no such things, is an evil satanic dictatorship.

[Fourth Internationalist]

You could also reply sarcastically. "You know what, you're right. I mean, have you seen the invasion of the Middle East that Venezuela is doing? It's horrifying. And the droning of innocent men, women, and children in the middle east? You're right. They're horrible countries."

[Djoko]

Look, most of TV stations/radio/newspapers are money dependent through advertising, that's their main income. At the same time, that is a mechanism by wich media are discretly blackmailed. If they talk about things that capitalists or govermetnt don't want to be talked about, they get into the danger that advertisers leave them and that media will be shut because of lack of money.

P.S. In my country during the last goverment (2009-2012) there wasn't a single one opposition media. It sounds unbeleivable, but it's true. And you know why? Because mayor of Belgrade (capital) bought all advertising space in media and was re-selling it to customers (companies). There wasn't a single one free big tv station/radio station/newspaper.