An Incoming Media Case?
Update 17th January 2013
Here is a link to an article revealing more about the character in my story. The following article discloses (from another perspective) the incorrect views of the character that I was talking about. This perspective is completing it đ
http://jyllands-posten.dk/indland/article2078783.ece?page=1
“Journalism is a guardian that never sleeps and protects the freedom of the people” – Winston Churchill
Celebrating the fact that the Mayans apparently got their calculus wrong, elements from the Danish press are preparing to balance the things by putting an end to their loudly praised deontology. Appointed as the watch dog of our society in its highly important role of providing a voice for the public, the mass media is bound by a code of ethics and is accountable for its actions. However, the human element in this equation gives room for all the possible nuances of subjectivity to enter into the apparent search for truth and personal agendas and ulterior motives often dictate the outcome. The idea of an institution which correctly, ethically and objectively informs the people is utopic to say the least.
The level of consciousness of a society dictates the possibilities for ethics and rightfulness to be properly adhered to. And as we all bear witness to on a daily basis, the current level of consciousness is a far cry from the spiritually enlightened consciousness needed for the spontaneous following of ethics and principles. Members of the Society of Professional Journalists believe that âpublic enlightenment is the forerunner of justice and the foundation of democracyâ. However, how can an unenlightened media enlighten its society? If the media would stick to its obligation of providing âmediationâ as an âinformation serviceâ without becoming personally involved then it would correctly fulfill its purpose and serve the role given to it within our democratic society.
I have recently had firsthand experience of dealing with a part of the Danish media which has unfortunately only once again led me to conclude that this institution still has a long way to go before it is truly living up to its professional obligations. For those of you unfamiliar with Danish TV, âDanmark ifølge Bubberâ (‘Denmark According to Bubber’) is an ongoing documentary show on TV2. It is hosted by the eponymous Bubber who gained popularity in the Danish media for his career in childrenâs television.
Now âDanmark ifølge Bubberâ is going into its 5th season and according to Bubber it promises to be âeven wilder and even better.â He says that âDenmark is incredible in every way possible, both for the worse and better.â So far the show has covered topics such as bestiality, transvestites, swingers clubs, men in womenâs clothing, Nazism, porn, prison and prostitution. It makes me wonder – how much wilder can it get?! As wild as Natha Yogacenter? Considering they have requested an interview with me for an episode about Natha Yogacenter it seems they think we fit into this category. Should we be flattered?
Where Is the Balance Between Rights and Duties?
Maybe we would be if we were not already acquainted with how the media likes to portray us in such an unflattering light. Correlating this piece of information with the fact that Bubber has said that in the new season he moves âinto a new area where people lose good judgment,” and that the story has come about because of reports by ex-members of the school, we can be sure of the type of story âDanmark ifølge Bubberâ has up their sleeve.
After explaining to Bubber that I am busy for most of December and would probably not be able to do the interview until January, he asked for the interview to take place on the 15th January. However, in his next email he suddenly changed his tune and wrote: âI suggest that I call you/Mihai on Tuesday the 18. or Wednedsday the 19. next week to do the interview (by phone). If I don´t hear anything from you before Tuesday the 18th of December 2012, I must conclude that Mihai Stoian don´t want to participate in the programme and answer my questions.â Which has left me wondering why the sudden change of date and why the urgency to get the interview done now instead of in one monthâs time?
I wanted to give the interview, but told Bubber that I would only do it in certain conditions, as I needed a minimum insurance that my words would not be misused or misinterpreted. Having learnt from previous dealings with the media, we drew up a contract stipulating these conditions in which we would agree to do the interview.
âThe recorded material with me as a participant may be wholly or partly included in the final version of this production. Eyeworks/TV 2 have no right to use or broadcast publically the material regardless of format and method of presentation without my written approval and accept. Eyeworks/TV 2 is aware that in case they do not obtain my written approval and accept of broadcasting, they submit to paying me a penalty fee of 500.000 dkr. pr. broadcast or released example of a production material including wholly or partly my participation. Due to any concern that my rights could be violated, I can anytime cancel any kind of accept or declaration I have previously given for broadcasting material containing my participation, no matter the circumstances and the consequences Eyeworks/ TV 2 will suffer from this decision.â
Eyeworks however declined, stating that âWe are aware that you have asked for the right to choose which part of the interview we afterwards can use. This is unfortunately not a request we can accomodate, as we would then compromise on our constitutional right of the press to collect, treat and pass on information. Also TV2/DK will never accept that these rights to edit the programme are granted to participants, in a programme like this.â
Unfortunately this is not just a singular case. The entire mass media is riddled with this kind of hypocritical attitude.
On one hand they speak of their rights, and on the other they do not care about their obligations to protect the fundamental rights of the people, such as the right of their own image, the property of their words. The right of publicity, often called personality rights, is the right of an individual to control the commercial use of his or her name, image, likeness, or other unequivocal aspects of one’s identity.
The contract Eyeworks asked me to sign states:
âI accept that recorded material with me as a participant may be wholly or partly included in the final version of this production. I also accept that Eyeworks/TV 2 have indefinite and unlimited exclusive right to use the material all over the world, regardless of format and method of presentation. I have no rights to the material and can never raise claims based on my participation.â
Through our correspondence Bubber is twisting his obligation to allow the right of reply. The spirit of the law is that we have the right to reply and he has to give it to us. All that we have asked is that we can make sure that our reply will be put as we intended it, without it being manipulated through editing by them. As he has total freedom in most of the program to say whatever he wants, for giving a fair right of reply we should have the same freedom in the short segment that he gives us a right to reply. Otherwise, what is the point of giving a reply if it is cut out of context or even important parts of it are omitted?
It became glaringly obvious in this communication that he is not allowing us the proper right for reply which is free from his own interests of displaying Natha in a critical way. As he wrote to me: âI have to say that this is not an offer of cooperation. It is an offer to Mihai Stoian/Natha Yoga to answer to critique that will be raised in my programâ. He also stated: âThe program will be broadcasted on TV2 whether he participates or not, which is why this is to be regarded as an offer and I´m afraid the above terms are not open for discussion.â
The Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics states that âThe duty of the journalist is to further those ends by seeking truth and providing a fair and comprehensive account of events and issues.âThe intentions of Bubber and his program are obviously not in accordance with this code of ethical conduct and it is for this reason that I will not participate in a potential immoral attempt to vilify and degrade my person and the school of which I am a part.
Here is an excerpt from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Resolution 1003 on the Ethics of Journalism, which I think speaks for itself.
The right to information as a fundamental human right – Publishers, proprietors and journalists
7. The media’s work is one of “mediation”, providing an information service, and the rights which they own in connection with freedom of information depends on its addressees, that is the citizens.
8. Information is a fundamental right which has been highlighted by the case-law of the European Commission and Court of Human Rights relating to Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights and recognized under Article 9 of the European Convention on Transfrontier Television, as well as in all democratic constitutions. The owner of the right is the citizen, who also has the related right to demand that the information supplied by journalists be conveyed truthfully, in the case of news, and honestly, in the case of opinions, without outside interference by either the public authorities or the private sector.
9. The public authorities must not consider that they own information. The representativeness of such authorities provides the legal basis for efforts to guarantee and extend pluralism in the media and to ensure that the necessary conditions are created for exercising freedom of expression and the right to information and precluding censorship. Moreover, the Committee of Ministers is aware of this fact, as demonstrated by its Declaration on the Freedom of Expression and Information adopted on 29 April 1982.
If there is nothing to hide Mr Bubber, then why do you not allow such an agreement that is only aiming to secure our side of the story? I didn’t ask for full disclosure of the sources or even of the content of all the other filmed material before talking, I have only asked for my rights to present my point of view in the way I consider fits into this context to be respected.
Refusing to accede to this simple agreement clearly shows another interest behind the stage. Why should one be afraid of the story that one is telling since he is free to ask other opinions also? Unless of course he wants a certain result, and not the truth…
As a conclusion, what kind of search for the Truth is that where you are not interested to protect all the opinions in an equal manner? If this is the way one is searching for the Truth, can we call that person honest?
The coming days will tell if these are only some theoretical ideas or the reality will prove them to be right. I dare to anticipate, however, that I will get more lessons from these guys about their constitutional rights, but nothing about their constitutional duties (for which they are paid anyway), and in the end they will anyway tell only the story they were intending to tell from the very beginning. But this is nothing new. When it is an order from ⌠one has to comply with it ⌠and there is no place for negotiation with the victim. So much for professional journalism.
I can foresee that they will not stop here because their orders are aiming to create more trouble. Therefore they will start to question more about our school, trying to take all the old ghosts out of the closet in order to ensure their story has more consistency. … In this way they will prove that it is not the truth they are after but their truth suggested by the hand that feeds them…
Related Articles
Interviu nou despre Gregorian Bivolaru si MISA, la Nasul Special (partea a doua)
Interviu nou despre Gregorian Bivolaru si MISA, la Nasul Special (prima parte)
The High Stakes in the Bivolaru Case at the Court of Justice in Paris – part 3
The abuses and illegalities perpetrated by the judges in Gregorian Bivolaru's case were reported to the Superior Council of the Magistracy (CSM). During the trial, several disciplinary complaints were filed at the Judiciary Inspection against the members of the judge...
It seems that the intention of eyeworks/TV2 is nothing else than using Natha Yoga school and Mihai Stoian as food for an entertainment program where they are far more interested in the ‘story’ (as in fiction) than the truth. – Possibly they are only interested to generate fiction – As we have seen before from ‘friendly’ journalists in the “Te og Tantrasex” documentary by DR.
This Bubber guy is infantile. One needs to be so to even try to do such things. But what can you do when him and people alike live from the money they receive from their job, which is to lie ”beautifully” to create the ”wow..” that people would buy easily, which is scandal news and distorted reality. There is no pure truth in the media, as we all know.
There should be a mental dissociation hospital for this kind of tormented journalists..
Well, hopefully they will have a minimum common sense and would not go so far with the dictated story. Keep us posted anyway with what is going on there. Best to you!
Condemnation without investigation is the height of ignorance – Albert Einstein
Yes, it will be nice when journalists will do their job and respect people’s life and rights. When this will happen, society will be on a right track.. Keep us posted with what is going on.
Check here why, what and who is behind the media and politics in our world : http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=0m4wSs2sMNU
Media has and will keep lying and playing God with people until it will be allowed by the people to do so. This year is, as we can see already in different areas, an year of disclosure of facts and organizations that have damaged human society for too long. Possibly it will come out in this way the role of media and its cheap but well paid mascaraed.
You may be surprised to learn just how many people are living their lives in a constant state of media hypnosis: http://www.naturalnews.com/039117_mass_hypnosis_mainstream_media_test.html
What Bubber does is not news but.. infotainment at the best and he gets to be often nothing more than ridiculous. But to get ridiculous like that is a good pay check nowadays..
We all know that in these kind of shows/media it is all about money and fame. And these journalists are only successfull, because a big part of our society likes gossip, slander and spreading rumours. These jornalists are just blindly trying to satisfy our low desires.
It has nothing to do with being well-informed or with truth. People who watch or read about gossip really get pleasure from it. I takes them out of their routine life. Very sad, but this shows one of the lowest level our society is in.
indeed! most people are in a receptive state nowadays. they just want to get entertained when they switch on the TV!
@Annie
This may be because we have become mired too deeply into this world set up agenda to hear and see and think beyond this low level sensing. And it is a pity because only a breath away đ there is a wondrous universe for us to explore but which cannot coexist within a perception that is that narrow. However, this narrowness could hopefully transform in outlook someday but until then.. this is the situation with media everywhere.
@D. Smith
Very interesting! Isn’t it tough this manipulation of people’s mental functioning outside of their true character, desires and motivation? Media does this, promulgating deliberately erroneous information and omission of factual ones. Actually, it is just another form of mind control, whether or not those who do it know it is false or misleading or that its purpose is to influence people, not to truthfully inform them.
@I am
Yes, mind control is also the strategic conditioning of people through governments, schools, churches, military establishments, and it is the same through media and other institutions, to make people believe what they are told without questioning whether it is factual or sound judgement or even rational, and to behave in accordance with that conditioning. There is a massive amount of false information passed on as truth, sometimes innocently but much more often deliberately – and yes, we should all find this alarming.
But then the question is how long we will abide such perpetuated amnesia of unconsciousness?
First of all people need to want to wake up. They need to aspire for truth. As long as they fell good, in a security system and have a financial stability, many usually only aspire for comfort and entertainment.
With the on-going worldwide media disinformation, one may say that ignorance is bliss, without considering who is taking advantage of this ignorance and who may be harmed out of it.. Keeping the eyes open is more and more a quality..
Hard to understand how come media has to come up with something against spiritual movements when there is so much to catch on about in the world: hunger, corruption, crisis (human generated but still all kind of crisis), war threats.. Why do they have to try to plant a discordant seed in a population that is enough confused already?
Here is a very interesting and pretty accurate article about life in Denmark for any honest citizen ..http://www.danjohannesson.dk/1502
It looks that this Bubber (who has serious psychological problems.. http://www.bt.dk/kendte/bubber-fik-ultimatum-af-konen-gaa-til-psykolog-eller-bliv-skilt) is not taking well his medication and obviously doesn’t find anymore some new entertainment. Pitiful and desperate at the very most.
The old communist system is still too much in game if this would go on.. but I wonder, would they accept someone from the danish yoga school, who knows well the whole situation, to go there on their show (also in other danish TV shows) and express your point of view precisely and without being stopped or ridiculed as these kind of programs have the tendency to do? There should be in Denmark a minimum remaining of democracy and equality. Or?
You may need to ask your lawyers to present to these people a formal warning to not broadcast this divertisment program because they are made to ridiculize MISA and offends all people involved. A LEGAL advice from a juridical authority intended to not allow the broadcasting of such programs may be the best way.
Also, you may as well invest of such topic international organisations, to present the situation. Such as European Union, United Nations, The Council of Europe, Amnesty International, IOM etc.
If you did already these procedures or others, super. Let’s hope stupidity has limits at least in this case and that whatever their intentions and orders would be, they will resume to nothing, and mocking of people who want more awareness in their life will not be allowed.
Hopefully our danish society will not prove to be such degenerated second-hand people to pursue in doing this just for its irony and fun, and for the few people’s satisfaction – of those who made an obsession in trying to damage the school’s image in whatever way they would sickly imagine or project their own life frustration upon this school.
Jo, men jeg synes, at feminisme dĂŚkker mere end âbareâ lige rettigheder for mĂŚnd og kvinder samt ligeløn. Derfor er det i pullahiiri.dk mit hovede ikke bare noget, man kan definere nemt, hvis det ogsĂĽ skal vĂŚre dĂŚkkende. Det er ogsĂĽ noget af det, jeg har skrevet om i det lange indlĂŚg