dosxuk wrote:It'd be interesting to get an American perspective on the who News International saga, specifically the "fit-and-proper" to hold a broadcast license stuff.
I've found the whole News International situation to be an incredibly interesting story. Murdoch and his empire wield far too much power. In New York alone he owns two over the air television stations, a radio station, The New York Post (a rag), and the Wall Street Journal. What News of the World, or perhaps more accurately, the whole of News International has done is deplorable, not only in the realm of "journalism", but the fact that bribes were used as a means to ensure these allegations have been covered up. Although this may be a dark era for the history of the British Newspaper, you should all be proud that The Guardian has, with the interests of the public in mind, stayed with this story from the beginning, enabling the truth to be revealed.
With regards to the fit-and-proper policy, I think it's fine. Ensuring that corporate interests do not supercede the interests of the public will ensure that the media will do their job correctly. I don't think it restricts the free press at all, if they're doing their job right. I only wish we had a similar policy here, because the Murdoch Empire, specifically through the means of Fox News, has been lowering the standard of journalism by branding itself as "fair and balanced", when it clearly isn't. Obviously all corporate media, whether it be NBC, ABC, CBS, or Fox, has specific biases, but the fact that Fox labels itself as being a legitimate source of news shows that Murdoch does not, and never will have the interests of the public in mine. Fox News has screwed around with the balance of discourse in our society, and the fact that the far-right controls a major news channel, peppering it with lies and deceit will mean that many will be unknowingly manipulated by political and corporate interests. The Fairness Doctrine, which once insured balanced, truthful reporting in our media was taken down by a puppet of Murdoch, none other than Roger Ailes himself. American news has never been the same, and I think only the "fit and proper" standard, or at the very least reestablishment of the fairness doctrine would fix the dire state of American media.
Change will be coming in the British Media, and that can only be a good thing. I can only hope that the Murdoch Empire, in both the UK, and the US, will crumble as a result.
