Restore Fairness (Doctrine), Return to Reality

[babylonsister]

http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/6820

Restore Fairness, Return to Reality
by Patricia Goldsmith | Apr 16 2007

Forget Imus. All this fuss will be just so much wasted outrage unless we use it to direct public attention to the big picture: the way the media information cartel has rigged journalism in this country. We need to agitate to break up and re-regulate the media, beginning with restoration of the fairness doctrine.

Ever since the fairness doctrine went down for good in 1986, hate and misinformation have taken over the airwaves, beginning with Rush Limbaugh on the radio and spreading to TV. As Rep. Louise Slaughter said in a 2004 interview with Bill Moyers, after fairness was defeated,

AM radio rose. It wasn't even gradual, Bill. I mean, almost immediately. And I should point out to you that when we tried to reinstate again in '93, one of the reasons we couldn't was that Rush Limbaugh had organized this massive uprising against it, calling it "The Hush Rush Law."

Slaughter goes on to explain that the law wouldn't have hushed Rush-that would take more than an act of Congress, I'm afraid-but it would have mandated that time be given to people who represent other sides of any issue discussed by Limbaugh. The same is true for Hannity, O'Reilly, and even Imus. They just wouldn't have the airwaves all to themselves the way they do now.

The defeat of the fairness doctrine was followed in 2000 by the defeat of two corollary FCC guidelines: the political editorial rule, which required stations that editorialized against a political candidate to notify the candidate within 24 hours and allow him or her to respond; and the personal attack rule, which required a station to notify someone within a week of a personal attack made on the air and offer them time to respond.

Ask yourself, would Orrin Hatch have lied about fired US Attorney Carol Lam-he falsely claimed she was the southern California campaign manager for the Clinton campaign and had no previous prosecutorial experience-if he knew she would be offered a comparable Sunday morning time slot to rebut his claims? Doubtful.

The roll-back of fairness tilted the broadcasting playing field heavily to the right and led directly to the rise of Fox News and hate radio. Without constraints on how to present an issue, propaganda replaced real reporting-and became wildly popular. News suddenly became revenue stream responsible for generating ratings and earnings, and the race to the bottom in network news reporting began.

more...

[BOSSHOG]

1. Imagine conservatives disapproving of the idea of fairness

As they chatted in their klaverns back in the 80's when their hero ray-gun wasn't ordering the murder of priests and nuns and children he was doing away with the doctrine. The right wing lunatics with access to microphones decided no way in hell they could succeed on a level playing field. Comparable to free republic members wanting to do away with laws against incest.

[madinmaryland]

3. You owe me a new keyboard with that last comment!!1!!

:spray:

[BOSSHOG]

4. Like their hero bush

they really don't give a fuck about the law anyway. Per your keyboard, I'm having a conservative moment, I'm not responsible for anything.

[IWantAChange]

2. well said Babylonsister, well said

[KoKo]

5. I noticed both Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton spoke about "our airwaves"

and both focused that our airwaves shouldn't be used the way Imus and others are using them with hate speech. I got the impression that the African-American Community might make this an issue in supporting a return to the "Fairness Doctrine."

If our Dems weren't aware of how they can't get their messages out ...after taking back House and Senate and seeing their words and actions distorted and lied about they must have gotten a rude awakening.

This is a Number One Priority. It would open up more balance and give opportunities for adding Left and Mainstream news and entertainment which has been lacking for almost two decades with much of it starting during Clinton and reaching its worst under the Bushies.

Nothing is more important to getting our Government and Country refocused than bringing back "Fairness."

Nothing we Dems do will be reported accurately until we have equal opportunity.

[dsweet]

6. Destroy the Liberal Media: Restore the fairness doctrine!

Gotta sell it to the masses, mythology always works better than facts, so let's sacrifice our mythical liberal media in the battle against the corporate media. That damn demcrat congress killed the doctrine under St. Reagan's rule.

[cyberpj]

7. Can you briefly explain the Fairness Doctrine. Yes, I can Google later but for now...a quick def?

I thought I was savvy but I swear to you, this is new to me.

[babylonsister]

9. Here you go:

Lots more info at link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairness_Doctrine

Fairness Doctrine
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The Fairness Doctrine was a regulation of the United States' Federal Communications Commission which required broadcast licensees to present controversial issues of public importance, and to present such issues in what was deemed an honest, equal and balanced manner. It has since been repealed by the FCC and aspects of it have been questioned by courts.<1>

[cyberpj]

10. Thank you. It would seem that this part is the most important right now:

Two corollary rules of the doctrine, the "personal attack" rule and the "political editorial" rule, remained in practice until 2000. The "personal attack" rule was pertinent whenever a person or small group was subject to a character attack during a broadcast. Stations had to notify such persons or groups within a week of the attack, send them transcripts of what was said, and offer the opportunity to respond on the air. The "political editorial" rule applied when a station broadcasts editorials endorsing or opposing candidates for public office, and stipulated that the candidates not endorsed be notified and allowed a reasonable opportunity to respond.

The U.S. Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit, ordered the FCC to justify these corollary rules in light of the decision to repeal the Fairness Doctrine. The FCC did not provide prompt justification, and ultimately ordered their repeal in 2000.

As of early 2007, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), along with Representatives Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), and Louise Slaughter (D-NY) have announced their support of legislation which would reverse the 1987 FCC decision and restore the Fairness Doctrine.<4>

[Benhurst]

8. Patricia Goldsmith is brilliant.

I've been saying the same thing for several days now.

That's ok. I'm modest. Feel free to hold your applause.