Fair and Balanced

When I was young, the news included both sides.  (As was required, back then.)

That 'balance' was required by the FCC's Fairness Doctrine.  Introduced in 1949, the policy required licensed broadcasters to present controversial issues of public importance in a manner that was—in the FCC's view—honest, equitable, and balanced.  That policy was rescinded thirty years ago marking the end of 'fair and balanced' and the beginning of the most extreme polarization our culture has seen since the Civil War.

              - The struggle for free speech and a free press -

• Through the '60s, the FCC policy applied to all licensed broadcasters and was upheld by the courts. 
• In 1985, as corporate interests challenged the policy, the FCC eventually released a report stating that the doctrine "no longer served the public interest".   
• In 1986, Congress directed the FCC to examine alternatives to the Fairness Doctrine and to report to Congress.  
• In 1987, the FCC abolished the doctrine in the Syracuse Peace Council decision. 
• The ruling was upheld by the D. C. Appeals Court in 1989.  The FCC suggested in Syracuse Peace Council that because of the many media voices in the marketplace, the doctrine be deemed unconstitutional, stating that:

"The intrusion by government into the content of programming occasioned by the enforcement of [the Fairness Doctrine] restricts the journalistic freedom of broadcasters ... [and] actually inhibits the presentation of controversial issues of public importance to the detriment of the public and the degradation of the editorial prerogative of broadcast journalists."

          At the 4-0 vote, Chairman Patrick said,

"We seek to extend to the electronic press the same First Amendment guarantees that the print media have enjoyed since our country's inception."

Today, we find it difficult to get a clear and objective view of local and world events.  There's a broad spectrum in the mainstream from true to biased to fake.  There has been discussion of reinstating the Fairness Doctrine in some form, but defenders of free speech have opposed any such change.

It has been suggested that the media mainstream is a product.  The FTC's Fair Packaging and Labeling Act requires that all 'consumer commodities' bear a label with an accurate 'statement identifying the commodity'. If revenue-generating commercial broadcasts (whether by radio, tv, or internet) are a 'consumer commodity', then they must be accurately labeled. That would seem to preclude 'News' that is not genuine, 'Opinion' that is not the author's actual opinion, or 'Analysis' that is not at least arguably analytical. In general, however, the FTC only has authority over commercial aspects (pertaining to revenue) rather than speech.

So, 'the news' is redefined.  As American consumers of mass media, we're given truth and lies, bias and misrepresentation, and half-truths sponsored by commercial interests.  The industry priority is profitability via persuasion and specific appeal to a target audience's bias.  Objective analysis and information are not part of the business model, nor is there any policy for serving public interest.

If you're curious about how misrepresented information might affect our communities, note that many continue to believe the link between certain vaccines and autism, or Iraq and WMDs, or the necessity of hospitalization for childbirth.  'Junk science' has been used to defend the tobacco industry, the petroleum industry, the abortion industry, and to deny climate change.  False facts are now in common use by key players in national leadership.

That's the challenge we now face and must deal with thoughtfully.

Note that there are now several public forum organizations that publish 'fact checks'.  FactCheck.Org is perhaps useful.  You might appreciate Digital Literacy in the Age of Fake News.