Because classes in media and critical thinking are not compulsory at our high schools or colleges, kids don't learn about very important developments and decisions that have been made over recent decades, as pertains to the information they get on Television.
Among these was the FCC's elimination of the Fairness Doctrine in 1987.
The Fairness Doctrine was a policy of the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC), introduced in 1949, that required the holders of broadcast licenses to both present controversial issues of public importance and to do so in a manner that was, in the Commission's view, honest, equitable and balanced.
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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.
But perhaps lesser known, and probably more impactful to the current state of television in American news was the voluntary decision by eventually all three major networks, to require their news departments to make a profit.
A long and informative article, written in 1999 by Marc Gunther of Neiman Reports (a foundation for journalism at Harvard University) gives plenty of detail on the transition from hard news to "profitable" news, since the late 70's.
The Big Three broadcast television networks—ABC, CBS and NBC—all covered news, but none generally made money doing so. Nor did they expect to turn a profit from news programming. They presented news programming for the prestige it would bring to their network, to satisfy the public-service requirements of …given the current economic climate, how best can journalists respond to these corporate, societal and technological changes and preserve the quality and integrity of news?Congress and the Federal Communications Commission, and more broadly so that they would be seen as good corporate citizens.
Back then, the networks earned enough money from entertainment programming that they could afford to run their news operations at a loss. And so they did. Former CBS correspondent Marvin Kalb recalls Owner and Chairman William Paley instructing news reporters at a meeting in the early 1960’s that they shouldn’t be concerned about costs. “I have Jack Benny to make money,” he told them.
Mr. Gunther then proceeds to analyze this transformation:
The formula for making network news into a profitable business was thus established:
Make the product more entertaining.
Produce more programming.
Control spending.
Once you get over the fact that TV news is a "product" then you must tackle the realization that it's veering quickly and desperately toward being mere entertainment.
One look at the film "Network" will tell you most of what you need to know about this subject. And, ironically, in a very entertaining way.
Mr. Gunther concludes thusly:
The economic forces now buffeting the business of network news are unlikely to abate. Viewers and advertisers will continue to have more, not fewer, choices in where to turn for their news and marketing. Profit pressures at network news divisions will intensify, not diminish. In this unforgiving environment, the question is whether the core requirements necessary to provide solid journalism—time to pursue stories and develop sources, a recognition that not all coverage is going to produce immediate profit, an ability to focus on important topics that won’t bring high ratings but can build viewer trust—can be sustained. If history holds true that audiences in the long run gravitate to quality, network aspirations will not be enough. The networks will need to take the risk and time to invest in quality.
Quick, somebody email this article to
Diana Christensen Lara Logan.
BONUS:
An article on Paddy Chayefsky's notes for the film "Network."