Suddenly the FCC Cares About TV Journalism

First John Kerry and then the FTC fretted about journalism and what government should do and now FCC Commissioner Michael Copps is swinging his worry beads. CNSNews.com (I hadn’t heard of it before) says Copps is circulating an internal Notification of Inquiry (a step toward rule-making) about journalism and TV hinting at requirements for stations to provide journalism in the public interest and at possible government support.

Journalism and TV: an oxymoron? Well, not always. But often. Local TV news has sucked for years – that horse is out of the barn, over the horizon, and in the glue factory already. Fluff and fires, that’s most of local news on TV. So what is Copps lamenting?

The local broadcast business is going the way of newspapers, only a bit behind and more slowly and without all the attention of self-obsessed print reporters. So what’s to protect?

Local TV news still has, amazingly, the trust of its audience. And it still makes money. So there is a business there. Too bad there’s just so little journalism there.

So I say that Copps shouldn’t be protecting the incumbents or goading them to make more of the same. If he wants to do anything, he should be encouraging new players to compete with local TV and grab some of their attention and dollars.

Scratch that. I don’t want the FCC to do anything that has anything to do with journalism, news, and speech. It’s a bad idea.

The one thing the FCC could do that would encourage more creation of content online, more audience to use it, and thus a better business model would be to get ubiquitous broadband throughout the country. That is the FCC’s job. So, Commissioner, get on with it, please.

Comments

[TinyTim:]

Excellent point. I seem to remember that Obama was big on stimulating broadband. A great infrastructure move that make a lot more sense than SmartGrid. More broadband competition & lower prices. Many cities are even offering it as another "utility".

Local TV news is entertainment along the lines of supermarket tabloids. "if it bleeds it leads" along with cute newsreaders.
No journalism here. The morning shows are excruciating.

Jul 14 03:31 PM

[Relayer10:]

I hope you Journalists are paying very close attention to the FCC, and any attempt at controlling news. Richard Nixon attempted it during his Watergate time, because he wanted Dan Rather Walter Cronkite and the very excellent CBS news dept of 1974 to stop investigating him. Not to mention Woodward & Bernstein. Right now, a new FCC power grab is happening, and I have yet to see any of you "journalists" follow it. All you need to do is connect the dots...dig, like Woodward & Bernstein (you can't do it by phone and Google). Rep. Clyburn was the power broker that put President Obama over the top during the critical primary season- turned his back on the Clintons. President appoints Rep Cyburn's daughter to the FCC. Daughter in a position to initiate minority ownership in broadcast stations etc. Which her father oversees in Congress. Which means "unfavorable" stations could suddenly lose their license...and get taxpayer money as well. Payback to a power broker...which could diminish the ability of legit journalists.

Honest, fair, and professional journalists are fast becoming extinct. You folks need to use your training and the mediums you work in to expose the power grab. You may not realize how important your profession is to our ability to sustain our Republic. Get out from behind your computer, go interview the people trying to take your profession away from you. Be skeptical of what they say, question everything, then CHECK YOUR FACTS,,,then check them again....then write the unvarnished truth! We need you right now! I am no journalist- yet I was able to discover this potential attack on journalists by simply paying attention to who is being appointed. There is probably much much more. Why does the President appoint so many Czars instead of filling the Congressional approved positions in government? One of you could win a Pulitzer. Nixon could not walk across his lawn without a journalist questioning the motive. And the country was saved because of the light being shined on him. Now is your time again...don't drop the ball.

When any Senator or elected official wants to "help"....be very very wary. They rarely do anything that does not help their narrow interests. Start looking under the rocks and everything that elected official touches to find out why the interest. We, the non professional readers are counting on you!

Jul 15 09:54 PM