• Dagwood222@lemm.ee
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    3 months ago

    This is why Reagan was so hot to get rid of the Fairness Doctrine back in the day.

    After Watergate the different sides learned two different lessons.

    The Left learned that we needed an open media because without it democracy was in peril.

    The Right learned that they needed to destroy the idea of an open and honest media.

    • acosmichippo@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      the fairness doctrine only applied to broadcast TV and radio. the logic was since there were limited airwaves, news was required to present both sides. never had anything to do with cable networks, print media, the internet, or anything else.

      in fact the fairness doctrine could lead to false balance being presented, depending on how courts rule “fair”. for example, do we want to give equal time and attention to both sides on mostly settled issues like climate change?