EDITORIAL 

     THE TYRANNY OF SILENCE
        Carol Spooner	

 

We just had a fundraising marathon where KPFA proclaimed itself: "The only Pacifica station without a gag rule -- and we're very proud of that."

Throughout this marathon listeners who could stomach it endured daily doses of censored Pacific Network News (except one notable Friday when we were treated to "Freespeech Radio News" -- Bravo!) What news did we not hear that would have been deemed newsworthy by Dan Coughlin and Verna Avery Brown? We'll never know.

But we don't have a gag rule at KPFA.

For months listeners' groups have been meeting, organizing, planning, strategizing, debating -- how to get rid of all or some of the Pacifica board; local KPFA interests vs. national strategies; whether KPFA staff should lead this fight or must be led; how to democratize the local station board (LAB); how to support the PNN reporters' strike (and persuade KPFA not to broadcast the scab news); the best wording for a proposed "free speech policy" for Tomas Moran to present at the February board meeting; racism and sexism in KPFA programming and personnel policies; the influence of Corporation for Public Broadcasting money on Pacifica program content, governance structure, politics and direction ..... There is no time on KPFA for a listeners' program to air these important discussions.

But we don't have a gag rule at KPFA.

There is an alternative listeners' fund for people who don't want to give Pacifica it's 17% cut but do want to help pay for KPFA station operating expenses. You have not heard about it on KPFA air. This KPFA Folio resurrection project began last Fall with a request that the station send a notice about the Folio to each station donor along with their "Thank You" acknowledgment. That was not possible because "Pacifica management might object."

But we don't gag rule at KPFA.

KPFA's job is to "do good radio' -- not "political battle" with Pacifica, said Mark Mericle at a recent Coalition for a democratic Pacifica meeting. That's one explanation for all the discussions you don't hear on KPFA. Another might be: "What you don't know won't hurt you." Who decides what might be hurtful? Hurt who? Know what? When a rule of silence is internalized, does it even exist? Obviously not,

since we don't have a gag rule at KPFA.

The KPFA we are fighting for may never have existed, or may exist only in the memory and imagination of listeners. When silence endures too long, we may no longer know that we are forbidden to speak. Forbidden truths become forgotten dreams.

Return to NB4KPFA FOLIO Home Page