I’m not sure that all Americans have ever heard of or understand what the fairness doctrine is.  We’ll get into it in more detail but for now, let’s just say that the fairness doctrine says that I have to have an equal amount of time for both viewpoints on a subject.  For instance, if Fox News had an hour long piece on why Obamas economic policies will change our country from a democracy to socialist state, then we would need to have some time for an alternative viewpoint that said it wasn’t true. 

I watch the news daily, read the newspaper and catch news tips on my cell phone.  From my point of view the mainstream news media is not fair at all…in fact it attempts to change people’s opinions based on how and what it decides to report.  What really surprises me is that the democrats are now looking towards the return of the fairness doctrine (I would have expected the republicans based on the coverage to date).   Before we define what the Fairness Doctrine is I have to wonder, if you don’t like what’s on tv or on the radio, why not switch the channel.  I do it all the time…if I don’t like what’s on or disagree with the presentation, I change the channel.  If you knew you had to listen to an hour of drivel so that you can here the other side, would you.  Most people wouldn’t.  They flock to the comfort zone.  Air America was suppose to be the democrats answer to conservative radio…it failed, so now the answer is to force stations to broadcast an equal amount of time to opposing views.  I guess that means that ABC, NBC, CBS an CNN will now have to start spending an equal amount of time on the truth.

But, I digress.  Back to the fairness doctrine.  The Fairness Doctrine was introduced in 1949, while Harry S. Truman (democrat) was president of the United States.  It did not require equal time for opposing views, but required that contrasting viewpoints be presented. The Fairness Doctrine had two basic elements: It required broadcasters to devote some of their airtime to discussing controversial matters of public interest, and to air contrasting views regarding those matters. Stations were given wide latitude as to how to provide contrasting views: It could be done through news segments, public affairs shows or editorials.  In 1985 the Fairness Doctrine was repealed based on the reasoning that it hurt the public interest and violated the First Amendment.  Democratic legislatures in Congress attempted to bring back the fairness doctrine in 1987 but it was vetoed by President Reagan.  They attempted to revive the doctrine again in 1991 but backed off when President Bush threatened another veto.

Now to just to keep all facts on the table, I want to take a moment to define what the First Amendment to the Constitution is.  The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is the part of the United States Bill of Rights that expressly prohibits the United States Congress from making laws “respecting an establishment of religion” or that prohibit the free exercise of religion, laws that infringe the freedom of speech, infringe the freedom of the press, limit the right to peaceably assemble, or limit the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

The part that we will focus on is freedom of speech and freedom of the press.  So if I was in agreement with the first amendment of the constitution I would have to wonder how something called the fairness doctrine was ever introduced.  On either side of the political fence it would be a violation of my first amendment rights.  Regardless of my views! It attempts to mandate speech and press by forcing someone to broadcast opposing viewpoints.  Forcing someone to do something that is opposite of their views is not freedom.  Forcing people to listen or read something that they don’t want to hear or read is not freedom.

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.  ~Benjamin Franklin

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