Why the Fairness Doctrine Matters. Election 2020. Count Every Vote

This morning, every single American who cast their Vote in Election 2020 is patiently waiting for the Final Count.

With the exception of Senator John McCain's Senate Seat that was won by Captain Mark Kelly, now Senator Kelly, many of the other pivotal Senate Seats I was hoping would turn Blue have sadly remained Red,.

That having been said, the Biden/Harris ticket does appear to have a clear path to the White House, providing they can hold on to their lead.

One of my first impressions this morning is that while 100% of all of us are thankful for the end to Political Advertising, is that there have been several factors at play that make this Presidential Election too close to call - & it's not counting. It's the Implicit Bias on the part of the Media that has tremendous sway over Public Opinion.

I have written about the Fairness Doctrine in Broadcast for several years now, generally with particular attention to Obscenity in Music Lyrics.

Face the Music

While that is a HUGE part of the problem, most accurately the Fairness Doctrine had to do with Equal Time & the airing of differing View Points.

Think for yourself about your preferred Network of choice to watch the Election Results come in yesterday.

How were your favorite Anchors dressed?

If they were sporting "Republican Red" or Democrat Blue" they were exhibiting an Implicit Bias - expressing a Subliminal Political Opinion without saying a word.

Could this be considered a form of Free Advertising?

Yes.

How about giving a TV Interview to an Elected Official from one Political Party without also giving "Equal Time" to a n Elected Official from the other Party?

I am still just about to orbit the moon over the FREE POLITICAL ADVERTISING that was given to Texas Senator Ted Cruz to Sell his Book about the Supreme Court in the guise of a TV Interview.

do-the-right-thing-no-confirmation-before-inauguration

So while we patiently await the official results of the Presidential Election, we know that there is a chance the dysfunction in Washington has the potential to continue.

The American people need a way to function normally in a dysfunctional system that condones BULLYING no matter what the outcome.

Stay tuned.

These are some of the Ideas I'm working on.

In researching today's piece, I found this on the Federal Communications Commission Web Page with a look back at the Presidential Election of 1920.

https://www.fcc.gov/media/radio/history-of-commercial-radio

Celebrating 100 Years of Commercial Radio

November 2, 2020, marks the 100th anniversary of what is widely recognized as the first commercial radio broadcast when Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company in Pittsburgh, under the call sign KDKA, broadcast the live returns of the Harding-Cox presidential election.

1920 was such a tremendous year Politically with the passage of the 19th Amendment granting WOMEN the Right to Vote.

Now if we can make History again by making Kamala Harris the First Madam Vice President in US History THAT would be real progress.

Whatever happens, someone needs to look at writing Legislation similar to the Fairness Doctrine

Here's to 100 Years of Broadcast & 100 Years of Voting Rights for Women.