CNN/Media reports the retirement of one of the more famous slogans in media:
The Fox News Channel quietly dropped its “Fair and Balanced” slogan last year in an effort to move beyond the era of its former chairman and CEO, Roger Ailes.
Really? The slogan attaches to the disgraced founder that strongly? I frankly find that a little hard to believe; however, I also have some real trouble finding any other reasons as well. CNN/Media goes on:
In its place, producers have been asked to use the network’s other slogan: “Most Watched. Most Trusted” — a statement that is at least half true, insofar as Fox News maintains some of the highest ratings in cable news. The network will also introduce a new slogan soon, a source there said.
I suspect it’s completely true. After all, why watch a news station if you don’t trust the news? The era of television has made a lot of Americans passive consumers of pablum, rather than active, double checking sorts. Or even the sort who depends on other people to double check – I fall into that category, most often.
And I wonder how much damage may be attributed to the abolition of the Fairness Doctrine? It was removed in 2011, and here’s a summary of the rationale for implementation as well as abolition from Wikipedia, which I assume is, ummm, fair and balanced:
The main agenda for the doctrine was to ensure that viewers were exposed to a diversity of viewpoints. In 1969 the United States Supreme Court upheld the FCC’s general right to enforce the Fairness Doctrine where channels were limited. But the courts did not rule that the FCC was obliged to do so.[4] The courts reasoned that the scarcity of the broadcast spectrum, which limited the opportunity for access to the airwaves, created a need for the Doctrine. However, the proliferation of cable television, multiple channels within cable, public-access channels, and the Internet have eroded this argument, since there are plenty of places for ordinary individuals to make public comments on controversial issues at low or no cost at all.
The reality is there is a lack of time and a tendency to nestle in that zone of media that most comforts you – and not seek out truth. The tremendous flood of information – puerile, trivial, mendacious, oddball, local, national, important, and all out fake – makes it far more difficult than I think the fair-minded have realized. We may have exposure to a thousand channels worth of news – but we don’t know what’s fake, what’s partial, and what’s slanted. Many of us no longer even know what the arguments of the opposing side might be – we only know that’s the other tribe and must be hated on (more on that in another post).
And yet, how could the FCC enforce such a doctrine on the Internet? Even cable news would be difficult. Perhaps it’d be better to offer certifications that any given channel is “fair and balanced” if they meet the standards previously created.
And then watch the politics as evolutionary biologists protest every debate with creationists, pointing out that there is no debate within scientific circles – only certain religions oppose it. Or “complementary medicine”… the mind whirls….
