Reply #25: I agree with you and I think we need to start with the press. [View All]

[Cadence]

A free press is a requirement for democracy to succeed and we are missing this fundamental ingredient.

I think we need to push to get a Bill like the Fairness Doctrine reinstated. Reagan deregulated the press in the 80's and I believe this needs to be reversed.

FAIRNESS DOCTRINE

U.S. Broadcasting Policy

"The policy of the United States Federal Communications Commission that became known as the "Fairness Doctrine" is an attempt to ensure that all coverage of controversial issues by a broadcast station be balanced and fair. The FCC took the view, in 1949, that station licensees were "public trustees," and as such had an obligation to afford reasonable opportunity for discussion of contrasting points of view on controversial issues of public importance. The Commission later held that stations were also obligated to actively seek out issues of importance to their community and air programming that addressed those issues. With the deregulation sweep of the Reagan Administration during the 1980s, the Commission dissolved the fairness doctrine.

This doctrine grew out of concern that because of the large number of applications for radio station being submitted and the limited number of frequencies available, broadcasters should make sure they did not use their stations simply as advocates with a singular perspective. Rather, they must allow all points of view. That requirement was to be enforced by FCC mandate"

http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/F/htmlF/fairnessdoct/fairnessdoct.htm