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FCC declines to punish Sinclair for its ‘must-run’ segments and scripts

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Re: FCC declines to punish Sinclair for its ‘must-run’ segments and scripts

#141

Post by downandout »

specialist wrote: post #138
downandout wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If I own a station, I’m not “coercing” it when I tell that station that it is our corporate policy to advise viewers of certain features that our channel offers. In this case, they wanted to make sure that viewers understand that there is a specific way to contact the station to complain about any bias they feel the station’s own news reports may have, as this has been an issue with the media recently. I see nothing…

You may own the gear, but you wouldn't own the airwaves. In fact, you'd only be granted permission to use the public's airwaves to serve the public interest.

Is it not in the public interest to ask people how they feel about your programming, and call their attention to significant problems in our world (such as media bias)?

Re: FCC declines to punish Sinclair for its ‘must-run’ segments and scripts

#142

Post by specialist »

downandout wrote: post #141
specialist wrote: post #138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You may own the gear, but you wouldn't own the airwaves. In fact, you'd only be granted permission to use the public's airwaves to serve the public interest.

Is it not in the public interest to ask people how they feel about your programming, and call their attention to significant problems in our world (such as media bias)?

Rather than file complaints directly with the FCC?

Re: FCC declines to punish Sinclair for its ‘must-run’ segments and scripts

#143

Post by chiefalchemist »

kaendfinger wrote: post #95
chiefalchemist wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nah. The 1st Amendment does not protect shouting "fire" in a movie theater. As coveted as it might be, the 1st A doesn't give license to a free for all of junk food. There are licensing for plumbers, electricians and hair stylists. __None__ of those are essentials to a healthy democracy. There is also the legal concept of false advertising. If you're saying (objective) "news" and it's (subjective) editorial, then tha…

The "fire" in a movie theater argument is a horse than has been beaten to death for so long, and I seriously doubt anyone who says this phrase knows it's history, or even cares to think for themselves about how much of a cliche it is.

The point is, cliche or not, not all speech is 100% protected 100% of the time. That myth is bigger than the fire myth is cliche.

Re: FCC declines to punish Sinclair for its ‘must-run’ segments and scripts

#144

Post by zaroth »

specialist wrote: post #134
zaroth wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ok, you’re crazy. A “legal definition of news” is exactly what the first amendment is setup to prevent. What I think it’s time for is to demand personal responsibility for critically thinking about what you read or listen to. The state cannot ever be trusted to control what you watch, read, or listen to, full stop. This has only ever ended in disaster, and we’ve known this for centuries. When people who don’t like wh…

How do you feel about food labeling laws?

Mentioned in: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16834574

But in short, very much pro food labeling. This might have something to do with having two kids with T1D, one who also has celiac.

Re: FCC declines to punish Sinclair for its ‘must-run’ segments and scripts

#145

Post by chiefalchemist »

zaroth wrote: post #127
chiefalchemist wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nah. The 1st Amendment does not protect shouting "fire" in a movie theater. As coveted as it might be, the 1st A doesn't give license to a free for all of junk food. There are licensing for plumbers, electricians and hair stylists. __None__ of those are essentials to a healthy democracy. There is also the legal concept of false advertising. If you're saying (objective) "news" and it's (subjective) editorial, then tha…

Yes there are licenses to ensure safety and compliance for plumbers, electricians, and hair stylists. And if I understand what I'm reading, some people here calling for similar "licensing" for anyone who wants to report the "news". While I'm in favor of the former, I am strictly and uncompromisingly against the latter. Freedom of the press, the freedom to report on the news, opine on the news, and editorialize the ne…

So it would be wrong for the media industry - sans the gov - to establish quality control standards? If movies are "self rated" certainly we deserve to be told what's editorial.

Re: FCC declines to punish Sinclair for its ‘must-run’ segments and scripts

#146

Post by willstrafach »

downandout wrote: post #43

I don’t get what the issue is here. I have seen this message on my local television stations. What is missing from the YouTube video is an invitation at the end of that message for viewers to contact the station with any concerns about bias in its own reporting. In fact that is the entire point of the script, and it has been cutoff of the YouTube video, presumably because it appears to be more controversial that way.…

> I don’t get what the issue is here. I have seen this message on my local television stations.

One message went pretty viral recently, but I am unsure why you are focused on that single message. Many scripted messages are being passed to local stations with the requirement to read the script without informing viewers that it is a script the local newscasters are required to read. That is the issue, not the message itself.

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