Last week current FCC Chairman, Kevin Martin reiterated his disdain for reinstating the Fairness Doctrine as a rule by which the media must adhere to when disseminating information to the public. He still contends the emergence of communication providers such as satellite broadcasting and the Internet render a balance to existing commercial networks. However, if the motive is profit rather than reporting the news objectively, we will continue to have more slanted coverage of events such as the Iraq fiasco in our nation's future.
Consider it from this perspective. Would you want to be the last person in the United States to realize our country had fallen into a ruinous financial depression or hijacked by a faction of greedy corporate CEO's because media executives decided they couldn't sell advertising around the story ? The You Tube debates illustrated this kind of business philosophy because it gave the public false hope they were somehow directly involved in the political conversation. In reality, it was just another marketing campaign to show candidates how best to sell their message to voters without making commitments.
Democracy isn't something that can be packaged and sold through an illusionary communication vehicle to an audience. It relies on trust, the faith of the people and their belief the information they receive from our country's leaders is TRUTHFUL. Since the arrival of the deregulated media era its an editorial duty they've neglected, sacrificed on the altar of greed. Unless the FCC asssures everyone in the industry plays by the same conditions, the principle of impartiality rather than financial reward, government by an informed electorate will be lost forever replaced by an unchecked corporate plutocracy reigning over us.
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