Senator considering efforts to bring back the "Fairness Doctrine" in the media
In case the liberal crowd has forgotten that it isn't only the right wing of the GOP that occasionally endorses policy that controls what we say, hear and such, Senator Diane Feinstein has reminded us.
Today, on Fox Feinstein said that it might be time to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine for talk radio.
“I am looking at it,” she said.
“In my view, talk radio tends to be one-sided, tends to dwell in hyperbole. It is explosive, pushes people to extreme views without a lot of information,’’ Feinstein said. “There ought to be an opportunity to present the other side.”
This of course brings up the obvious questions that don't ever have satisfactory answers. That is part of the reason we lost that doctrine in the 1st place.
Just who decides who is what, and which views are the exclusive property of which political faction or ideology?
If a regularly conservative talk show host is say, for the immigration package or has nothing against gay marriage, are they then re-classified as centrists or liberals? If a liberal talk show host is pro-life or more hawkish on Iraq, do they then get labeled as a conservative? Beyond that, does anyone need to be reminded that there are more than 2 parties in this country? And furthermore, those "3rd party people" and unaffiliated independents outnumber both parties. Where is the fairness for them, both collectively and as individuals? Does anyone think the Greens are gonna be represented by the Libertarians very well? So do we now have to have dozens of ideologies all get "equal time" on any station that gives any politics any time?
And don't think this won't need to spread to TV as well. And not only strictly political news, but anyone who deals with Politics in general. After all, the Fairness Doctrine was gotten rid of in 1987, and the world of News was much different then.
Will the Daily Show and Colbert Report and any similar show be required to make fun of everyone equally? Will we be tracking their guests, who come from both the political and apolitical world on a standardized scale of ideology? Will Rosie O'Donell have to get a chance to rap with John Stewart every time Bruce Willis has to promote a new movie and by chance mentions his support for the Iraq War? What will be the determining factor on what is comedy and what is political commentary sometimes done with some wit? Will "Lil Bush" have to be followed by "Lil Clinton?"
And of course, who gets to sit on this illustrious board of "deciders" of who is being fair to everyone and who is not and needs to be punished?
In short, Feinstein's idea to bring back the thought police is ridiculous. She should be ashamed. And after she's done being ashamed, she should get back to doing what her constituents and the vast majority of Americans want her to do, namely, her job. And right now the issues on the table involve the war in Iraq, immigration and a host of actual important issues.
Maybe it's time some of these democrats and liberals stop whining about conservative dominance and Fox News's ratings. If one wants to comment about the content they send out, that is one thing. But stop complaining about their ratings and trying to legislate yourselves out of something you simply got out-competed on.
Maybe they should be more like the people running Air America and Current TV and the few other liberal media outlets and actually compete. Maybe they need to realize that Fox was hemmoraging money for their 1st 10 years of existence, as was CNN before Gulf War I introduced many an American to Bernard Shaw, Wolf Blitzer & Company.
And maybe they need to stop whining over Rush Limbaugh, who took over a format the "conventional wisdom" was writing off as obsolete and "in it's last throws." Rush showed that AM radio was extremely viable if you had the right things to say to the right flock. Maybe they can learn from that. Maybe they need to.
And maybe if they keep pushing, the way Air America has, by charting it's way to a successful conclusion in their bankruptcy ordeal, they too might come out ahead. People forget that many a successful organization has used the bankruptcy protection system to ensure a long corporate life. Air America doesn't have Rupert Murdoch bucks to throw away. Looking back, it was a savvy move to do things the way they have. They stayed on the air, and in the end, will probably be ok. And if more liberals got together and took over some airwaves of their town, whether they be on radio, the internet or wherever, maybe the next liberal Rush Limbaugh will be found. One thing is for sure, they won't be found in the pages of a bill and with the force of the U.S. Government.
But complaining, whining and trying to legislate alleged "fairness" in an open market such as ours is just plain dumb. The time, money and recources would be better spent just getting more of their message out, in whatever fashion they can, like the conservatives started doing some 25 or so years ago. That is why they have done so well in the media. Not by trying to get the government to force their message out, but by actually just getting that message out themselves. Starting small, and responsibly and prudently building as they went along.
And after all, that's not a very "foreign concept" at all. It's pretty much the story of America. Some might even call it the "American Dream." And maybe the Democrats and liberals who want to have the governement thought police get their message out for them should try following that "plan for success in America" instead.