So what's the WSJ going to do with Limbaugh's Fairness Doctrine column?
February 19, 2009 9:11 am ET by Eric Boehlert
Yesterday on his radio show, Limbaugh announced the WSJ had asked for a piece about the Fairness Doctrine. (Don't bring back the Fairness Doctrine!) The talker explained he wrote an open letter to Obama--he couldn't just write a column likely everybody else--about the Fairness Doctrine and censorship in media; the column was expected to run Friday.
But yesterday, the White House made clear that Obama remains opposed to reinstating the Fairness Doctrine.
Faced with that conundrum, here's what Limbaugh said on his show yesterday:
At the next break, I'm going to fire off a note to the people at the Journal, because there is an expiration date on every Obama statement. He can say today he doesn't believe in it but then something of an emergency will come up in another day or two, in a week, and force him to change his mind.
So basically, Limbaugh's telling the Journal editors that his Fairness Doctrine column is still pertinent because Obama's a liar.
That, and the way the White House preempted Limbaugh's Fairness Doctrine critique, puts the Journal in a rather awkward position. Are editors there going to print Limbaugh's column--oops, I mean open letter--about why Obama should not reinstate the Fairness Doctrine just days after Obama's White House made clear it has no interest in reinstating the Fairness Doctrine? (What's next, is Rush going to write a column beseeching Obama to drop his idea for a car czar?)
Journal editors, like Republican members of Congress, have to decide how loyal they're going to be to the mighty Rush Limbaugh. Because I can tell you, 99 times out of a 100, if a writer submitted an opinion column that was quickly made irrelevant by breaking news, there's no way Journal editors would still run the column.
It will be interesting to see if the Journal editors are loyal to Rush, or loyal to journalism.
The other right-wing media mogul you should worry about
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I see where our more deluded posters now get their fantasy world of "what ifs" that may, or may not happen.
Limbaugh calls Obama a liar? So, Rush, tell us what lies he's told you so far.
Drugbaugh needs to add another layer of foil to his hat.
Obama doesn't care about the Fairness Doctrine...
Hopefully, he's going to limit the amount a stations a corporation can own. A large majority of Americans support this.
Then we'll be seeing quite a bit less of El Fathead.
Limbaugh is complaining that his thoughts have been invaded by some dark unseen enemy:
That's some pretty severe ego-driven paranoia.
The only reason Rush is concerned about the Fairness Doctrine is that it limits media ownership for his corporate media employers and has enriched his career. Since the shelving of the Fairness Doctrine and some deregulation legislation from the same politicians supported by Limbaugh, media moguls have bought up more and more shares of the market, thus killing off independent news venues as well as eliminating competition. This means the news Americans get depends on audience numbers/advertising dollars and NOT what is real news.
If the Fairness Doctrine is reinstated, we may see some breaking up of those five large conglomerates that own our airwaves. Always follow the money. It never lies.
I'm not sure why everyone seems so eager to affirm a point that rush limbaugh wants you all to affirm...
So he gets his way by dictating FCC policy to you, and insisting you respond.
And you respond the exact FCC policy opinion rush limbaugh wants to hear: "no we won't regulate your industry's use of the Public Airwaves"
You're voicing the very FCC opinion that rush wants you to voice, and you're doing it at his prompt,
don't you even see that?
And doesn't that make you pause for even a moment?
rush limbaugh is prompting people to cry out their public policy opinion, cry out what he truly wants to hear, he seems even on the verge of exacting at least a promise if not a blood oath from you...
...and you're eager to give it to him, you're giving him what he wants, don't you see that?
Sorry MM4A - you missed on this one! Ole BlunderRush will announce that the Obama Administration was forced to alter their position once word leaked that he was writing his column!
Operation Chaos - Part II.
BTW - have you heard Sheer Insannity compare the Fairness Doctrine to the New York Times? As in, why doesn't it apply to the print media? That's not a straw man - that's a straw skyscraper...
Proof is in the pudding. Either Congress will pass legislation to re-envoke the fairness doctrine or the Obama administration will do it via the FCC or neither of them will. If they do, Rush concern will be validated. If not, he'll undoubtedly be a happy camper. So what's the problem?
I agree there isn't a big movement to bring it back but there have been a few balloons floated about wanting to bring it back.
Perhaps progressives should invest in radio more than they do. Buy some stations. Put on your programming. There are plenty of wealthy progressives out there. At least that was Ed Schultz' suggestion.
How in the world does the Fairness Doctrine equate censorship? Here is how this doctrine would play out today:
1. Radio/T.V commentator makes "x" claim on public airwaves
2. "x" claim now can be defended by two viewpoints, one for claim "x" and another against claim "x"
So how exactly is this censorship? Are Radio/T.V commentators worried they cannot state their opinion as fact anymore? What is in danger of being censored? I would really like to know.
The truth and or exposure.
The lib media can and does tell you only what they want you to know and in doing so excluding and spinning the truth.
The conservative radio shows, shows how bias the lib media really is when the truth is put out there thru C.R. And not to mention Limbaugh boasts his accuracy level in reporting what's going on is 98.99 %. What other media outlet will boast a statement like that .
Conservative radio exposes the hidden agenda of the left and the the left cant stand it.
They seem to cry foul when they are called on the carpet.
Liberal media radio has failed in almost every city .
We you and I are funding most of these lib radio stations just so they can stay on the air..
WHY IS THAT ?
That's the question that should be answered here?
I mean I don't, but I would love to hear what you have.
Number 1 one my list is
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).