POLITICS: Fairness Mongers
Fund, John H.
POLITICS Fairness Mongers by John H. Fund T’S AN OLD STORY. Political scientists and foundations bemoan “voter apathy.” Then when the electorate gets engaged, whether it’s on taxes or...
...There’s nothing fair about the Fairness Doctrine,” is how U.S...
...We have to deal with that problem...
...It could be reimposed by a simple vote of the FCC, which would quickly be dominated by Democratic appointees...
...Dick Durbin of Illinois said the doctrine needs to be reinstituted because “I have this old-fashioned idea that when Americans hear both sides of the story, they’re in a better position to decide...
...John H. Fund,The American Spectator’s Politics columnist, is author of Stealing Elections: How Voter Fraud Threatens Our Democracy (Encounter Books...
...Minority Whip Trent Lott isn’t a supporter of bringing back the Fairness Doctrine, but he sure is hot under the collar about how populist talk radio hosts came out four-square against the immigration compromise he supported...
...Does anyone honestly believe that liberals lack for outlets in the American news media...
...Accuracy in Media and Phyllis Schlafly saw it as a way to pressure liberal network spin...
...Political scientists and foundations bemoan “voter apathy...
...Lott admonished fellow senators in May to decide if they are “men or mice” and complained: “Talk radio is running America...
...Mike Pence, an Indiana Republican and former talk-show host, put it in June before the House voted 309 to 115 in favor of his bill to block any future president or the Federal Communications Commission from reinstating the Fairness Doctrine...
...Democrats have now suddenly become Fairness Mongers, and for a while this summer were flocking around calls for its return...
...Consider the words of Bill Ruder, President Kennedy’s assistant secretary of commerce: “Our strategy was to use the Fairness Doctrine to challenge and harass rightwing broadcasters and hope that the challenges would be so costly to them that they would be inhibited and decide it was too expensive to continue...
...It was dreamed up by Federal Communications Commission staffers in 1949 and was quickly dubbed the Blandness Doctrine...
...T HERE ARE REPUBLICAN SENATORS who are also upset at how much talk radio can drive public debate...
...They are all against voter apathy unless it is stirred up on the issues that make them uncomfortable...
...We have to deal with that problem...
...But that doesn’t mean the Fairness Doctrine wouldn’t be on the top of the “To Do” list for the next Democratic president...
...Dianne Feinstein of California floated the idea on Fox News Sunday...
...POLITICS Fairness Mongers by John H. Fund T’S AN OLD STORY...
...Remember the Fairness Doctrine...
...The Reagan administration killed it in 1987 after proving Congress hadn’t authorized it...
...But the telecommunications revolution has made the debate largely irrelevant...
...Obey is of course fooling himself...
...Many Democrats were spooked by the power of hosts such as Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity to make their lives miserable and reluctantly backed the Pence bill...
...JOHN H. FUND In radio alone, the most extensive network in the country is National Public Radio, partially subsidized by the government, and a clear vehicle for many liberal voices...
...It was precisely the fear of populist talk radio that compelled over half of Democrats in the House to back the Pence bill rather than court the anger of the airwaves...
...David Obey put on a brave face as he rose to support the Pence bill...
...Both sides...
...Liberals have a lower market share because, according to listeners, conservative talk radio provides information that isn’t carried, or is mocked, in the mainstream media and press...
...Let’s hope Lott doesn’t want to deal with this problem by trying to kill the messenger...
...What’s really behind the proposed return of the Hush Rush Rule is that liberals just don’t like the wide interest in certain public policy matters that talk radio generates...
...In practice, it mainly gave incumbents leverage over their opponents...
...The Nixon administration used it to torment left-wing broadcasters...
...We know what Senator Lott meant...
...SEPTEMBER 2007 THE AMERICAN SPECTATOR 51...
...Then when the electorate gets engaged, whether it’s on taxes or immigration reform, the concern flips and there is talk about the negative impact talk radio has in stirring passions up...
...His comments set off a storm of controversy...
...It claimed to require broadcasters to provide equal time to all sides of “controversial” issues...
...It’s true most of the popular national hosts— Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, Michael Medved—are conservatives...
...The Fairness Doctrine had fans on the right and left...
...Mr...
...Liberal groups are once again decrying that perhaps four out of ten Americans are listening to the likes of Rush Limbaugh...
...In practice, a revived Fairness Doctrine, coupled with the FCC’s license-renewal power, would be a muzzle...
...The Kennedy administration used it as a political weapon...
...It led to timid, don’t-rock-the-boat coverage,” recalls Bill Monroe, the former host of NBC’s Meet the Press...
...The decline of the networks’ viewership 50 THE AMERICAN SPECTATOR SEPTEMBER 2007 and the rise of CNN, C-Span, talk radio, and blogs have shown that the answer to media bias is more competition, not control...
...Even Democratic U.S...
...Rush and Sean are just about as important in the scheme of things as Paris Hilton,” he told the House...
...That’s why so many of them are talking about reviving the Fairness Doctrine...
...I would hate to see them gain an ounce of credibility by being forced by a government agency or anybody else to moderate their views enough that they might become modestly influential or respected...
...Talk radio is getting in the way of a political goal, and therefore talk radio needs to be dealt with,” said national radio host Neal Boortz...
...Lott admonished fellow senators in May to decide if they are “men or mice” and complained: “Talk radio is running America...
...In the House, Republicans are much more willing to stand up for free speech...
Vol. 40 • September 2007 • No. 7
