Nothing's Fair About the Fairness Doctrine

November 14, 2009
By Vincent R. Caravan
The Valley News, Fulton, N.Y

In television, Fox News is alone in presenting the conservative side of the news. All the other networks emphasize the liberal slant. Yet, Fox’s audience continues to grow, even though it does not refrain from featuring left-leaning politicians on its talk shows.

Radio conservative talk show hosts dominate the airwaves; no doubt because that’s what the listeners prefer to hear. It’s gotten to be so dominant that it is virtually impossible to find a liberal station.

The Fairness Doctrine, which would be more appropriately named the “Unfairness Doctrine,” is designed to “even the playing field” – meaning, schedule as many liberal programs as there are conservative.

The trouble with that idea is, listeners will not tune in. It has been tried and failed. When there is no listening audience, there will not be any paying customers – namely, advertisers.

In a speech last year, President Obama told a minority group, “…they are counting on us to stop the hateful rhetoric filling our airwaves.”

According to Michelle Malkin, writing in the Washington Times, “The Interfaith Coalition for Media Justice is led by the United Church of Christ, headed by former pastor Jeremiah Wright.” She lists other members as Presbyterian News Source, Evangelical Lutheran Church, and National Council of Churches.

Ms Malkin further writes, “
Last week United Church of Christ officials met privately with FCC Commissioner Michadel Copps in advance of the ‘So We Might See’ campaign.” Jeffrey Lord, who happens to belong to United Church of Christ, reported in The American Spectator that a mass emailing went out to the millions of members urging them to join a nationwide and regulatory drive.

The church-state alliance missive told participants to sign a petition to the Federal Communications Commission, asking it to open a notice of inquiry into “hate speech in the media” – specifically Fox News, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Michelle Malkin, and Monica Crowley.

It is doubtful that an inquiry will be launched into the “hate speech” of MSBC and Air America Radio hate mongers, “who,” says Ms Malkin, “have openly wished on their airwaves for the deaths of George W. Bush, Rush Limbaugh, Sarah Palin, and Glenn Beck.”

The most immediate target of “So We Might See” is the anti-immigrant hate speech which, according to Ms. Malkin, employs flawed arguments to appeal to fears rather than facts.

“Their ire is currently aimed at Fox News and conservative talk show giants,” writes Ms Malkin, “but how long before they target ordinary citizens who call in to complain about the government’s systemic refusal to enforce federal sanctions against illegal alien employers or the bloody consequences of lax deportation policies?”

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