SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
Donald Trump has threatened to shut down NBC and other American networks, saying that they peddle fake news.
"With all of the Fake News coming out of NBC and the Networks, at what point is it appropriate to challenge their License? Bad for country!" Mr Trump wrote in a tweet.
Mr Trump's tweet came in response to a story written by NBC, which said that Mr Trump had sought to increase America's nuclear arsenal tenfold after taking a look at a briefing slide that showed stead reduction of the US nuclear arsenal since the 1960s. The story cited three officials who were reportedly in the room when Mr Trump made the comments.
Source: Donald Trump threatens to shut down NBC and other TV news networks that criticise him
This discussion has been archived.
No new comments can be posted.
Donald Trump Threatens to Shut Down NBC and Other TV News Networks That Criticize Him
|
Log In/Create an Account
| Top
| 103 comments
| Search Discussion
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
You can't have your cake and let your neighbor eat it too.
-- Ayn Rand
(Score: 2, Informative) by Sulla on Thursday October 19 2017, @07:36PM (3 children)
It is a pretty big deal when the government moves forward with repressing free speech and the rights of the press. While the Donald has not yet gone so far as to take action, and I doubt he will because he is a proprietor of the "all press is good press", it has been done before.
The "Fainess Doctrine" is a huge pile of shit, especially in the modern era. Democrats would love to put it in place today to remove republican broadcasters from the radio, and I am sure the Republicans would love it to remove Democratic broadcasts on TV.
If we are going to bash Trump for this I am okay with it, but we need to bash others as well
Louise Slaughter - Fairness and Accountability in Broadcasting Act
Maurice Hinchey - Media Ownership Reform Act of 2005
Richard Durbin and John Kerry pushed it in 2008
Jeff Bingaman said in 2008 that he "would want this station and all stations to have to present a balanced perspective and different points of view"
Anna Eschoo was at least honest in saying it should apply to everybody
Tom Harkin complained its not fair to shut down leftist radio (maybe they should work harder for listeners then)
Bill Clinton said it was not fair about the stimulus
Trump - TFA
It would be nice if we could return to the reporting of old, but my concern (other than obvious free speech issues) is whom would be determining what is and is not fair? Right now stations live or die based on what people want to listen to, if leftists want democratic radio then find a station and listen to it so it grows and others want in on the money.
Ceterum censeo Sinae esse delendam
(Score: 3, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 19 2017, @07:54PM
The Fairness Doctrine is in no way about removing anyway from broadcasting.
(wikipedia)
So the worst that would happen is some show would need to give airtime to the opposing point of view. This would quickly do away with the massive amounts of fake news / bullshit being spewed by every outlet now, and it would not be some bipartisan method to shut down outlets.
There is no real concern about what is or isn't fair, outlets must provide a balanced viewpoint. As long as they give air time to their critics (cuts both ways) any show can spew whatever garbage opinions they want. You're arguing against fairness as if some dictator will step in and shut down their political adversaries outlets, that is just so wrong and the alternative is to let the corporate overlords dictate acceptable news stories. LONG LIVE THE DYSTOPIAN FUTURE!
(Score: 2) by NewNic on Thursday October 19 2017, @08:01PM (1 child)
The problem is that "balanced" reporting very often gives airspace to extreme points of view and to nutcases, who are the only people on the other side of some debate. By giving them airspace, it legitimises their point of view.
Imagine a program on the Holocaust. Should equal airtime and credence be given to Holocaust deniers?
lib·er·tar·i·an·ism ˌlibərˈterēənizəm/ noun: Magical thinking that useful idiots mistake for serious political theory
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 19 2017, @08:25PM
The holocaust is no longer controversial or of public importance, so they can say whatever they want. Current news is what they are talking about, and it isn't equal airtime.
So kinda like the Supreme Court. The commission would do their best, and there would be a large public outcry for any abuses. I would much prefer that system to the clusterfuck of info bubbles we have now.