> The fairness doctrine had two basic elements: It required broadcasters to devote some of their airtime to discussing controversial matters of public interest, and to air contrasting views regarding those matters. [0]
Modern Fox News often satisfies the letter of the fairness doctrine when they invite allegedly nonpartisan figures on to interview. For example, when Andrew Ngo mischaracterizes left-wing protests in Seattle, that’s a contrasting view.
Since enforcement was left up to the ruling party’s FCC, the effects were predictable:
> While the original purpose of the doctrine was to ensure that viewers were exposed to a diversity of viewpoints, it was used by the Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon administrations to combat political opponents operating on talk radio and television. [0]
It’s very unclear how a Fairness Doctrine-like could function in today’s legal environment. SCOTUS has made it nearly impossible for any federal agency to levy fines or adjudicate rule-breaking.
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