Joe Fernandez knows nothing of the American media. The US has a 220-year-old history of a free press, and a constitution that works: freedom of speech means freedom of speech, and it is protected. The separation of religion and state is enshrined and steadfast.

It is not the American press that is unbalanced but rather those Malaysian and Arab pundits, their views grossly distorted by a culture of lies, deceit and emotional insecurity that induces them to proclaim the silliest nonsense - anything that makes them feel better about themselves. In other words, anything American must be bad or wrong.

Just take a look at Malaysian and Arab newspapers: any freshman journalism major can see that the 'journalists' in them editorialize in most of the headlines and news stories themselves. This is not to mention that their media are all government-controlled. Thus, there is no tradition of fair and balanced reporting, and certainly no established tradition of journalism schools, as there is in the US (where, of course, the government has no power to censor the free flow and exchange of ideas.) So we are supposed to be impressed by Malaysians lecturing us about fair and balanced reporting?

In fact, the US press has always been characterized by balanced coverage of multiple perspectives on the issues. If you can't believe that, simply flip through back issues of The New York Times , (where, for example, you can usually find news and editorials covering both sides of the Israel-Palestine issue) The Washington Post , New Yorker magazine, Atlantic Monthly , and many others. While you're at it, watch David Letterman, who is available on your local Malaysian television, and watch him make fun of George Bush every night. With impunity, of course - it's called freedom.

In addition to this, remember that there is no Internal Security Act or Official Secrets Act in the US: a journalist cannot be prosecuted for printing or airing state secrets. (Only a government employee who leaked such a secret to the press can)

Remember too that US journalists are protected from the vengeful whims of powerful figures by libel laws that put the burden of proof on the complainant, who must show beyond all doubt a "reckless disregard for the truth" on the part of the journalist or publication. Can you make any of these claims in any Arab country or in Malaysia? Until you can, why not concentrate on your own backyard first.