I’m well aware of the long-time FCC interest in broadcast “news,” both radio and tv. “News” is/was considered to be part of the “public interest” requirement for a licensee.
However that traditional FCC mission has absolutely, tetotally (a Dan Ratherism) nothing to do with what journalism schools should or should not teach, tax policy regarding news-gathering, steering of government advertising money, or how many reporters a newspaper chooses to hire.
None, Nada, zip, bupkis.
What this is, is one more attempt by a government agency to insert itself into the big fat middle of something that it has no business at all trying to influence - what is and isn’t news and how it is reported.
This is the Stamp Act.
This is Pope Leo X’s Exsurge Domine, his attempt to silence Martin Luther in 1520.
This is the Licensing of the Press Act of 1662.
This is Josephus Daniel’s attempt to nationalize radio after WW1.
This is “Bloody Mary” Tudor’s burning at the stake of heretics who wrote books she didn’t like.
It is what tyranny has tried to do since the dawn of mankind, and always will - control the distribution of information.
I agree.
Our rights haven’t been so precarious since the last progressive era.
True, just don't think it's a new issue, or that it's related to net neutrality. As related to licensing of printers, think of it as a rule that roads must allow any printed materials to be transported upon them as long as the regular toll is paid.