Opinion: News reporting has become more sensationalized without the FCC Fairness Doctrine
James Madison’s advocacy for the Bill of Rights, in essence, makes him the father of the Fourth Estate, the right of the people to be informed. Thomas Jefferson believed self-government was dependent upon an educated citizenry. Those are just two of the foundational thoughts that allowed this country to be a country whose direction is determined by its citizens. We have the power to make this a nation about the will of the people and also have the power to place this nation in the hands of a few powerful men. It is our choice.In 1949, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) initiated the Fairness Doctrine, which was a policy that required holders of broadcasting licenses to report on controversial issues while reflecting differing viewpoints. This set the stage for robust and intellectual reporting of news events. It empowered reporters such as Edward R. Murrow, Eric Sevareid, Walter Cronkite and Barbara Walters. For decades, these reporters gave us a factual and intellectual exposure to events that impacted the world around us.These were people driven by the facts and the truth. They believed in and strived to inform the public. Their job was not to dictate our thinking on a particular issue but to give us the facts and allow us to think for ourselves. Edward R. Murrow took on the audacity of Joseph McCarthy. The former Republican U.S. Sen. Joseph McCarthy had engaged in terrorizing this nation with his accusations of uncontrolled communism, thus creating a paranoid public.When Walter Cronkite took off his glasses, one had to be prepared for something profound. Mr. Cronkite was likely to say something that he had been thinking about and studying on. He knew that when he gave an opinion, people listened and, for that reason, he was always careful in what he had to say and very deliberate in delivering it.The war in Vietnam was a shaping event for this nation. Walter Cronkite gave an editorial report condemning America’s role in Vietnam which prompted Lyndon Johnson to have reportedly stated, “If I have lost Cronkite, I’ve lost Middle America.” Mr. Cronkite had earned that credibility. Weeks later, Johnson announced that he would not seek a second term for president.These newspersons did not sensationalize the news. They delivered it, plain and simple. Back when news was delivered as news, the term ‘Breaking News’ had the power to stop everything. The assassinations of John Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr. and Bobby Kennedy were breaking news events. The explosion of the Challenger space craft was breaking news. The various details of the abuse of power by a former president not so much. With today’s news coverage, it is not uncommon for a news cast to open with, “We have breaking news!” to report on an event already in the public domain.We now live in a time in which news must have an entertaining quality about it. While this may create an entertained observer it does not necessarily create an informed observer. There is little profit in the thoughtful, intelligent delivery of facts without judgement.In 1987, the FCC abandoned the Fairness Doctrine. By way of legislation introduced by South Carolina’s Fritz Hollings, Congress attempted to reinstate the doctrine through law, though President Ronald Reagan vetoed the bill. Thus the Fairness Doctrine became history and news for information sake was coupled with news for entertainment sake. People like Rush Limbaugh took advantage of broadcasting events with his own bias. He earned a substantial personal income due to his popularity with some segments of the population. Mr. Limbaugh’s practices led to a sensationalizing of news broadcast effecting even our most reliable news sources.We cannot truly trust news and information that is shared with us given the commercial implications. Is the news being delivered to properly inform us or is it being delivered in a way to attract a certain audience? If we are to be properly informed, we must examine our sources and confirm our source with other sources. The Fairness Doctrine is no longer available to ensure a balanced presentation of events. It is up to us as individuals to seek a balance to guard against coming to conclusions based upon someone else’s opinion.
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Lee Sease lives in Burnsville. He is a former Superintendent of Schools in Middlebury, Vermont.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Opinion: News reporting has developed an entertaining quality
