Star-Advertiser Stages Pro SOPA/PIPA “Ad Out”

While many Internet sites went dark, the Star-Advertiser goes all ads (actual unaltered screen shot shown above).

Several major Internet players like Wikipedia, Google and WordPress recently blacked out or self-censored their sites to protest ill-conceived proposed laws known as SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (Protect IP Act). Viewed as granting irrevocable censorship powers to government bureaucrats, critics fear the laws could lead well beyond their purported anti-copyright infringement powers and lead to catastrophic politically motivated censorship.

Locally, however, the online Website of the Star-Advertiser, demonstrated its support for the concept of a government controlled news monopoly by staging an “Ad Out.” While critics of the proposed laws “blacked out” their sites, the Star Advertiser completely covered their news content with obnoxious advertising banners.

Wikipedia is defending the idea of free content whose objectivity is not distorted by the highest bidder. The Star-Advertiser is pretty much on the other end of the spectrum and underscored their position by charging their online customers for premium content that they can no longer access because of an impenetrable crust of solid advertising.

“You might say we’re becoming less “Star,” more “Advertiser,” said newly appointed Online Political Editor, Benny Klumpus,. “We support the idea of advertising and news content merging.”

Now that the Star Bulletin and Honolulu Advertiser have consolidated, and half of the journalists have been let go, the newspaper’s management claims it’s a simple matter of economics… they can only cover half of the story now.

“So, why not the half that represents the interests of major advertisers?” asked Klumpus. “it’s Darwinian Capitalism at it’s best. I think it will help free people up from floundering around on subjects and issues they will never understand and really don’t need to get involved with.”

“People want simplification,” added Klumpus. “We help them by providing what they need to know instead of overwhelming them with too many messy options…and they’re willing to pay good money for our professional “filtering.”

When it was pointed out that average people can still get unfiltered news and content from the Internet for free, Klumpus smiled, “for now…for now.”

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