paularoid
10-10-2006, 05:10 PM
http://www.hanlonsrazor.org/2006/10/10/fox-fought-for-the-legal-right-to-lie/
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v25/paularoid/Misc/fauxnews.jpg
Only FOX, I swear. A station that says “we report, you decide” and that they are so “fair and balanced” seems to have a funny way of showing it. Namely, the fired some employees for refusing to air lies, and then successfully appealed a case against them for it. http://www.projectcensored.org/publications/2005/11.html
The Court held that Akre’s threat to report the station’s actions to the FCC did not deserve protection under Florida’s whistle blower statute, because Florida’s whistle blower law states that an employer must violate an adopted “law, rule, or regulation.” In a stunningly narrow interpretation of FCC rules, the Florida Appeals court claimed that the FCC policy against falsification of the news does not rise to the level of a “law, rule, or regulation,” it was simply a “policy.” Therefore, it is up to the station whether or not it wants to report honestly.
During their appeal, FOX asserted that there are no written rules against distorting news in the media. They argued that, under the First Amendment, broadcasters have the right to lie or deliberately distort news reports on public airwaves. Fox attorneys did not dispute Akre’s claim that they pressured her to broadcast a false story, they simply maintained that it was their right to do so.
Now, the First Amendment, of course, protects freedom of the press with no clauses or asterisks. Legally, the media can say whatever they want. What’s most striking, though, is that this right was given to the press to prevent the government from forcing them to print falsehoods. The founding fathers wanted to guarantee that the media was allowed to print the truth, no matter how bad it is.
FOX, though, felt that it also means no one can stop them from just making stuff up. While technically right, it’s such a spit in the face of the spirit of our Bill of Rights that it actually makes my head hurt. The network that constantly cries about the liberal media distorting the news and being dishonest fought for the right to distort and be dishonest. Amazing.
.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v25/paularoid/Misc/fauxnews.jpg
Only FOX, I swear. A station that says “we report, you decide” and that they are so “fair and balanced” seems to have a funny way of showing it. Namely, the fired some employees for refusing to air lies, and then successfully appealed a case against them for it. http://www.projectcensored.org/publications/2005/11.html
The Court held that Akre’s threat to report the station’s actions to the FCC did not deserve protection under Florida’s whistle blower statute, because Florida’s whistle blower law states that an employer must violate an adopted “law, rule, or regulation.” In a stunningly narrow interpretation of FCC rules, the Florida Appeals court claimed that the FCC policy against falsification of the news does not rise to the level of a “law, rule, or regulation,” it was simply a “policy.” Therefore, it is up to the station whether or not it wants to report honestly.
During their appeal, FOX asserted that there are no written rules against distorting news in the media. They argued that, under the First Amendment, broadcasters have the right to lie or deliberately distort news reports on public airwaves. Fox attorneys did not dispute Akre’s claim that they pressured her to broadcast a false story, they simply maintained that it was their right to do so.
Now, the First Amendment, of course, protects freedom of the press with no clauses or asterisks. Legally, the media can say whatever they want. What’s most striking, though, is that this right was given to the press to prevent the government from forcing them to print falsehoods. The founding fathers wanted to guarantee that the media was allowed to print the truth, no matter how bad it is.
FOX, though, felt that it also means no one can stop them from just making stuff up. While technically right, it’s such a spit in the face of the spirit of our Bill of Rights that it actually makes my head hurt. The network that constantly cries about the liberal media distorting the news and being dishonest fought for the right to distort and be dishonest. Amazing.
.