As a former news reporter, I can tell you, there already is no freedom of speech. First, all major print media are controlled by a few like thinking, Bilderberg types. Certain things get reported and others do not. Pleasing advertisers also limits what might be printed. The shoves which are stuffed into papers produce revenue, and if the content is not liberal enough, they get pulled from that outlet.Even writing the truth about schools is risky, and very difficult to get into print. Even FOX News is only going to go so far, as the dismissal of Glenn Beck shows. Murdoch is on the Council on Foreign Relations. He wants rating, but will only go so far with the truth. Even Hannity will not utter a word about Bohemian Grove, which he attended once. Rush admits there are topics that are taboo for him or he loses his show. The mainstream media are usually owned by Bilderberg members, who swear not to utter a word of what goes on at those meetings. This latest move is cage rattling. They just want to gather information, intimidate, and make sure they know what they think they no. Freedom of the press (or media) is a myth.
Disobey the law. Go into the streets and knock heads. Buy weapons and ammo. Just say no.
WHen I was in elementary school we had hall monitors. They were usually girls. They would threaten to tell on you, tell the teacher, say you'd get in trouble. I always wondered why someone wanted to be a hall monitor and what made them tick. I discovered that getting into trouble wasn't bad. I got out of class and had other boys out in the hall to plot mayhem with. You can have fun with hall monitors and "minders." So plot chaos.
Besides the apparently obvious reasons behind this action there is also the unwritten law of bureaucracies. That is, eventually, the number one function of them is the care, feeding, and expansion of the bureaucracy regardless of whatever reason it was created for in the first place. In this case, through fertilization from the current administration, the FCC may just be popping out of its shell and is about to enter another growth phase.
The FCC has been employing this very same tactic for decades. Nearly as long as we've had TV broadcasters. Why do you think that broadcasters have to give equal time to political candidates? This is nothing new and is unlikely to change since FCC commissioners are political appointees and depend solely upon Congress for their operating budget.
True. For all that Bernays contributed to the field, it's odd that his name is so unrecognized. I never heard of him until a couple of years ago when his name was brought up on Glenn Beck's TV program.
There is absolutely no need for the FCC to be in the news rooms of any newspaper. Ever. They have no authority there and should be refused admission when they show up. If they are allowed in the data collected will fall into so many interpretations that any future administration will be free to pick and choose which set of data to follow and misshape policy with. (I hope that is understandable).
Then the FCC will pull their license at renewal time. The threat of license suspension is supposed to stifle freedom of speech. We can only hope for changes in the next election to legislatively stop runaway regulatory agencies such as the FCC, EPA, FDA, etc.
the license renew process is getting more and more political. A few years ago there was a push to challenge the renewal of any radio station that carried a conservative radio talk show (Hannity, Limbaugh Levin etc.). Stopped when someone (don't know who) pointed out the reason being cited for non-renewal could be used word for word against any liberal talk show. Personally, I don't want any radio station to loose its license over a talk radio show of either variety. The first amendment is for all, not just a few. At least fror now.
If they would only remove the license of media that distorted the truth or failed to report a major story instead a minor one (like Justin Bieber) most liberal stations would be gone. It might just be the threat that's intended to have everyone toe the line.
Most media outlets are big business and a part of major corporations.
They follow the MONEY / viewers slavishly.
Particularly in local markets small business, those who feel most supported by right wing nut jobs, are responsible for buying local advertising. It doesn't matter how many voters, liberals, or one legged cats burying crap on ice there are, they will cater to the people who are writing the checks.
WHen I was in elementary school we had hall monitors. They were usually girls. They would threaten to tell on you, tell the teacher, say you'd get in trouble. I always wondered why someone wanted to be a hall monitor and what made them tick. I discovered that getting into trouble wasn't bad. I got out of class and had other boys out in the hall to plot mayhem with. You can have fun with hall monitors and "minders." So plot chaos.
Further, to what end are they gathering the information? Except a suggestion of censorship I can see nothing.
Why do you think that broadcasters have to give equal time to political candidates? This is nothing new and is unlikely to change since FCC commissioners are political appointees and depend solely upon Congress for their operating budget.
If they are allowed in the data collected will fall into so many interpretations that any future administration will be free to pick and choose which set of data to follow and misshape policy with. (I hope that is understandable).
Personally, I don't want any radio station to loose its license over a talk radio show of either variety.
The first amendment is for all, not just a few. At least fror now.
They follow the MONEY / viewers slavishly.
Particularly in local markets small business, those who feel most supported by right wing nut jobs, are responsible for buying local advertising. It doesn't matter how many voters, liberals, or one legged cats burying crap on ice there are, they will cater to the people who are writing the checks.