I don't know anything about FCC rules, or about Network responsibility, but I'm willing to bet there is a joining of the two somewhere, don't you think? This story is exactly where the media has been headed for the past 30 years or so. They have been pushing and pushing the envelope. This story exposes the Big 3 news organizations for what they are, which is far from what I'd be willing to bet their charter requires. So much of the vitriol in political and public discourse today can be laid at the feet of these propagandists who have used a Chinese-water-torture approach to dulling the political sense of Americans to the point where these monolithic beasts feel it is their duty and obligation to filter our news, tell us what is important in the world, shade and distort stories to accommodate a particular (and left-ward) ideology. The mind-numbed, knowing no better, feel a sense of outrage when someone thinks it could be any different from what Dan, or Tom, or Peter have told them it must be.
You are right, we don't want government infringing on free speech. But we also don't want arrogant demagogues ruling our (yes, OUR) airwaves and foisting on us the narrowness that is their opinion.
You are right, we don't want government infringing on free speech. But we also don't want arrogant demagogues ruling our (yes, OUR) airwaves and foisting on us the narrowness that is their opinion.
There are many people who would buy that statement, word for word, except that they would substitute "right-ward" for "left-ward". That is, there are many people who believe that Dan, Tom and Peter slant the news to the right. Should they be in charge of what goes out over "our" airwaves? I prefer letting the marketplace of ideas sort it out, especially now that the market includes talk radio and the web.