The fairness doctrine of the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC), introduced in 1949, was a policy that required the holders of broadcast licenses both to present controversial issues of public importance and to do so in a manner that fairly reflected differing viewpoints.
Oh yes, the stations that run assholes like Limbaugh, Jones, Carlson are certainly the absolute opposite of that.
Something similar is still in place in EU countries. It has a big downside: every now and then you’d need to invite loud crackpots representing <1% of whatever area they’re loudly crackpotting in, as a “differing viewpoint” to the >99% consensus.
I would conclude that it hasn’t completely prevented the rise of populism but certainly made it harder for fear- and hatemongers to simply buy the game.
Oh yes, the stations that run assholes like Limbaugh, Jones, Carlson are certainly the absolute opposite of that.
Something similar is still in place in EU countries. It has a big downside: every now and then you’d need to invite loud crackpots representing <1% of whatever area they’re loudly crackpotting in, as a “differing viewpoint” to the >99% consensus.
I would conclude that it hasn’t completely prevented the rise of populism but certainly made it harder for fear- and hatemongers to simply buy the game.