Congressman JEFF FLAKE Help me stop the "Fairness Doctrine"

The first amendment to our Constitution prohibits Congress from passing any law "abridging the freedom of speech," but
that's exactly what some Democrats in Congress are planning with their bid to revive the so-called "Fairness Doctrine."

Over 20 years ago, our government abandoned the "Fairness Doctrine," admitting that it had a chilling affect on broadcasters and limited the discussion of political issues.

A recent article by the Business & Media Institute explains the threat a revived Fairness Doctrine would represent to free speech in the 21st century, with the government asserting a right to regulate all content from the airwaves to the Internet.

This is why I am cosponsoring H.R. 2905, the Broadcaster Freedom Act, which would prevent the Federal Communications Commission from ever reviving the "Fairness Doctrine."

However, Speaker Pelosi has blocked a vote on this bill -- leaving open the possibility that Democrats will use their power in Congress to bring back the "Fairness Doctrine" and silence their critics.

The federal government should not be in the business of regulating speech and, with your support, we can keep it that way. I'd be honored if you could join my team with your generous contribution to my re-election campaign.

Thanks!

Jeff Flake

Paid for by Flake for Congress

FCC Commissioner: Return of Fairness Doctrine Could Control Web Content

McDowell warns reinstated powers could play in net neutrality debate, lead to government requiring balance on Web sites.

By Jeff Poor

Business & Media Institute8/13/2008 9:08:51 AM

There’s a huge concern among conservative talk radio hosts that reinstatement of the Fairness Doctrine would all-but destroy the industry due to equal time constraints. But speech limits might not stop at radio. They could even be extended to include the Internet and “government dictating content policy.”

FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell raised that as a possibility after talking with bloggers at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C. McDowell spoke about a recent FCC vote to bar Comcast from engaging in certain Internet practices – expanding the federal agency’s oversight of Internet networks.

The commissioner, a 2006 President Bush appointee, told the Business & Media Institute the Fairness Doctrine could be intertwined with the net neutrality battle. The result might end with the government regulating content on the Web, he warned. McDowell, who was against reprimanding Comcast, said the net neutrality effort could win the support of “a few isolated conservatives” who may not fully realize the long-term effects of government regulation.

“I think the fear is that somehow large corporations will censor their content, their points of view, right,” McDowell said. “I think the bigger concern for them should be if you have government dictating content policy, which by the way would have a big First Amendment problem.”

“Then, whoever is in charge of government is going to determine what is fair, under a so-called ‘Fairness Doctrine,’ which won’t be called that – it’ll be called something else,” McDowell said.

“So, will Web sites, will bloggers have to give equal time or equal space on their Web site to opposing views rather than letting the marketplace of ideas determine that?” McDowell told BMI the Fairness Doctrine isn’t currently on the FCC’s radar.

But a new administration and Congress elected in 2008 might renew Fairness Doctrine efforts, but under another name.

“The Fairness Doctrine has not been raised at the FCC, but the importance of this election is in part – has something to do with that,” McDowell said.

“So you know, this election, if it goes one way, we could see a re-imposition of the Fairness Doctrine. There is a discussion of it in Congress. I think it won’t be called the Fairness Doctrine by folks who are promoting it. I think it will be called something else and I think it’ll be intertwined into the net neutrality debate.”

A recent study by the Media Research Center’s Culture & Media Institute argues that the three main points in support of the Fairness Doctrine – scarcity of the media, corporate censorship of liberal viewpoints, and public interest – are myths.