In his article “ Reinstate the Fairness Doctrine,” Charles Carr makes the case that the US government should reinstate the rule that compelled broadcasters to present fair coverage of divisive topics. Carr contends that the media landscape has become increasingly polarized and that journalistic integrity has been compromised since the Fairness Doctrine was repealed in 1987. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) established the Fairness Doctrine in 1949 in response to worries that broadcasters were utilizing the airways to advance their own political viewpoints. Broadcasters were obligated by the rule to give opposing views on hot button topics of general interest. The Fairness Doctrine was founded on the premise that broadcasters have a duty to …show more content…
He mentions instances of cable news networks that give inaccurate information or 2 Alturkmani ignore crucial data in order to support their viewers' views when covering political matters. According to Carr, this kind of reporting damages the people’s confidence in the media and prevents well informed public discourse. Carr admits that since the Fairness Doctrine was intially established, the media landscape has undergone tremendous transformation. Anyone may now broadcast due to the growth of the internet and social media, and the traditional media gatekeepers have lost a lot of their power. He contends, however, that the Fairness Doctrine’s guiding principles are still valid today and the government must play a part in ensuring that the public has access to diverse and impartial information. Carr argues that today’s perspective on the Fairness Doctrine may be implemented through a number of means, such as mandating that social media platforms support various points of view or offering tax breaks to news companies that present fair coverage of contentious topics. He admits that such rules would be