Alan Pugh writes:

Has anyone else out there noticed the strange sounds of silence emmanating from the american print and broadcast media concerning the rider attached to the Telecommunications Act recently signed by President Clinton known as the CDA (Communications Decency Act)?

There seems to be a wide difference in the way the major media is reporting this story. For example, the editorial cartoon in today's (Sunday) San Jose (California) Mercury News: Picture: A man dressed in the style of the American Revolution sitting at a computer. In the background are a two pictures in ovel frames. Next to him on the table are a can of Pepsi and a candle stick. He is typing at the keyboard. The thought baloon above the keyboard says (I substutite XXXXXX for the areas that are drawn as a censor's block blackout): "Dear Congressman -- You XXXXXX XXXXXX have really done it this time! This XXXXXX XXXXXXX telecommunications bill with its XXXXXX XXXXXXX indecency provision is a XXXXXX attack on free speech! You should have your XXXXXXX XXXX dipped in tar and feathered! tjefferson@aol.com" Of course the Mercury News a couple of weeks ago announced that it was going to try to provide first class coverage of cyberspace issues. I give it at least a B+ between its coverage of the CDA and the front page interview with Rich Graves and discussion of the alternate sites to get around the German censorship of Webcom. Bill