Admittedly, I first reacted to Rohter's expulsion by framing it as a PR blunder on Lula's part. (That in no way excuses the trash gossip that Rohter put to pen under the guise of journalism.)

But now I realize I didn't even consider the planes of perception outside my gringo-land dimension of existence. Maybe the boot in the ass Lula dished out to Rohter will play well in Brazil, and elsewhere in the world.

Another thought also occurs to me. At what point does a "journalist" in one land become a "spy" in another? Was Rohter -- through his trash talk -- acting in the interest of journalism or in the interest of some foreign government against Brazil?

This is a very dangerous line to play on, as good journalism can often seem to be against the interest of a government. Is it only bad or dishonest journalism, then, that should be punished with exile? Who decides which is what, politicians and the courts?

And then we have the problem of how the U.S. treats the media, both inside its borders and overseas. Al provided us a good example of the former, in terms of how the U.S. government intimidated the authentic journalist from Brazil. Overseas, the experience of
Al-Jazeera with the U.S. military paints an even darker picture.

The ultimate penalty for journalism a government doesn't like is death. In that vein, Rohter got off with a slap on the wrist; all the chest pounding over his "free-press rights" should be directed toward more pressing journalistic issues.

But I keep coming back to my roots on this question. And I have only one position, even though it may seem that it lets some scoundrels off the hook. I am an absolutist when it comes to freedom of the press, in the tradition of Erwin Knoll.

If you recall, Knoll's magazine, the Progressive, made a mark on history with its publication of "The H-Bomb Secret: How We Got It, Why We're Telling It."

The following is from the U.S. District Court judge's order in the prior-restraint case of United States of America v. Progressive Inc., Erwin Knoll, et al:

Erwin Knoll, the editor of The Progressive, states he is "totally convinced that publication of the article will be of substantial benefit to the United States because it will demonstrate that this country's security does not lie in an oppressive and ineffective system of secrecy and classification but in open, honest, and informed public debate about issues which the people must decide."

That's right, Knoll says the people are in charge of this, not the journalists, politicians or scoundrels.

But, with that in mind, Knoll also offers some good advice in dealing with the likes of a Rohter:

Everything you read in newspapers is absolutely true, except for that rare story of which you happen to have first-hand knowledge. -- Erwin Knoll