Editorial: “Fairness Doctrine” - Forcing An Empty Message?

Editorial: “Fairness Doctrine” - Forcing An Empty Message?

Many Democrats and a few Republicans on Capitol Hill name and call it the “Fairness Doctrine”. The name itself sounds as refreshing as a large glass full of ice water on a hot, oppressive, summer day. Oh, how wrongly directed this representation really is!

Do not be fooled! The majority Democrats and some of the Republicans on Capitol Hill know that America is tuned into, listening to, and responding to so many radio talk show hosts alike to Rush Limbaugh, Bill O’Reilly, Michael Reagan, Mark Levin, Laura Ingraham, Neal Boortz, and the list goes on.

Conservative talk radio is growing while liberal talk radio is dying. Rush Limbaugh has more listeners alone than most popular liberal talkers Al Franken, Ed Schultz, and Jerry Springer all together.

Members on Capitol Hill are now considering legislation, the “Fairness Doctrine”, to require conservative talk show personalities to share half of their radio airtime to the liberal views, which the listeners reject.

Will their legislation require College and University administrations to hire conservative professors? Will their legislation require liberal print media to hire conservative writers, editors, and/or other news analysts? Will their legislation require TV network (NBC, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, CNN) news to hire conservative news’ anchors, reporters, editors, etc.?

When some politicians fail to win their political arguments and they are in a majority, they choose to legislate it.

It is essential for our legislators on Capitol Hill to allow the “free market” to decide this issue, or require Colleges and Universities to hire conservative professors, require newspapers and magazines to hire conservative editors and writers, require TV networks to hire conservative news anchors, reporters, and editors to bring a true “Fairness Doctrine” into our American homes.

Oscar Y. Harward
oharward@carolina.rr.com