WASHINGTON, July 2, 2007 – In a column and special report, Accuracy in Media editor Cliff Kincaid says that liberal plans to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine are still on track, and that Democrats intend to push for the measure by linking conservative talk radio to “hate crimes.”

In the column, “The Fairness Doctrine is Not Dead,” Kincaid says that people have been misled into thinking that the Congress has stopped the Fairness Doctrine because the House adopted a Rep. Mike Pence amendment prohibiting funding for it. Even if the measure were to pass the Senate, it would do absolutely nothing to stop a Democratic President and Congress from reinstating the Fairness Doctrine, Kincaid points out. He notes that the Pence amendment only applies to 2008 dollars for the Federal Communications Commission but that there was never any chance of the FCC under President Bush bringing it back anyway.

The real legislation solution, the Broadcasters Freedom Act, also introduced by Pence, has only 111 co-sponsors, Kincaid points out. Kincaid says that, “without a massive public outpouring in favor of the First Amendment, comparable to the opposition to the immigration bill, the Broadcaster Freedom Act will die. And that means that, with a Democrat in the White House, the Fairness Doctrine, as well as limits on conservative ownership of media properties, will be passed into law.” 

Accuracy in Media is a citizens’ media watchdog organization whose mission is to promote fairness, balance, and accuracy in news reporting.  Founded in 1969, AIM is the oldest non-profit press watchdog group in America.  For more information, please visit www.aim.org.

To arrange an interview with AIM editor Cliff Kincaid, contact Sarah Schaerr Norton at (202) 364-4401 ext. 107 or (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

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