Lapdog That Didn't Bark: FCC Intrudes on Newsrooms

Lapdog That Didn't Bark: FCC Intrudes on Newsrooms

by John Nolte 20 Feb 2014, 10:54 AM PDT

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Journalism/2014/02/20/lapdog-that-didnt-bark-fcc-intrudes-on-newsroom

The mainstream media's relentless left-wing bias is maddening. This,

however, is scary -- not the idea that the Obama Administration is planning to place federal officials in newsrooms. Government wants to control things. That's what they do. No, what is scary is a mainstream media that would be apoplectic if a Republican administration did the same while being content to roll over when Obama threatens their freedom. 

In an effort that would make George Orwell spin a few turns, Obama's Federal Communications Commission has named the act of sending researchers to monitor newsrooms and grill editors and reporters over their editorial choices the "Multi-Market Study of Critical Information Needs."

The Wall Street Journal reports:

The purpose of the CIN, according to the FCC, is to ferret out information from television and radio broadcasters about "the process by which stories are selected" and how often stations cover "critical information needs," along with "perceived station bias" and "perceived responsiveness to underserved populations."

How does the FCC plan to dig up all that information? First, the agency selected eight categories of "critical information" such as the "environment" and "economic opportunities," that it believes local newscasters should cover. It plans to ask station managers, news directors, journalists, television anchors and on-air reporters to tell the government about their "news philosophy" and how the station ensures that the community gets critical information.

The FCC also wants to wade into office politics. One question for reporters is: "Have you ever suggested coverage of what you consider a story with critical information for your customers that was rejected by management?" Follow-up questions ask for specifics about how editorial discretion is exercised, as well as the reasoning behind the decisions.

The WSJ points out that participating in the study is voluntary. But with the FCC holding your broadcast license over your head, " the FCC's queries may be hard for the broadcasters to ignore."

No one should be pleased that our government is meddling in this way, but again no one should be surprised. This is what governments do, especially with Democrats in charge.

What is truly worrisome, though, is that the news of this study broke over two weeks ago and the American media is still not screaming holy hell.

As subservient as our media is to President Obama, Democrats in general, and the power of the federal government, you can usually count on them to at least fiercely protect their own freedoms even as they fight for the government to strip us of ours. Not this time.

I'm only late to this story because I was out of the country. After first learning of the FCC's plans yesterday (thanks to Fox News of course), a chill went down my spine when I realized that the mainstream media is still not storming the White House with pitchforks and torches.

Is the media now so enamored with the idea of federal power that they are willing to give up even their own freedoms? Or is the media so worried about the effect another scandal will have on Obama that they are willing to let this outrage pass without mention.

It's got to be one or the other.

Sadly, it is likely both.

Hey, I hate the media with the power of a thousand suns. But I don’t want to see anyone controlling them outside of market forces and unbridled competition. Apparently, this is another area where the media and I disagree.

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

Newton N. Minow was the chairman for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), a senior counsel for Sidley Austin LLP, and a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.

Note: Mark D. Schneider was an associate general counsel for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and is a partner at Sidley Austin LLP.

R. Eden Martin is counsel at Sidley Austin LLP, and the president of the Commercial Club of Chicago.

Michelle Obama was a lawyer at Sidley Austin LLP.

Barack Obama was an intern at Sidley Austin LLP.

Newton N. Minow is a senior counsel at Sidley Austin LLP, and a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.

Linda Johnson Rice is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, and a director at the United Negro College Fund.

Reed E. Hundt is a director at the United Negro College Fund, and was the chairman for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Colin L. Powell was a director at the United Negro College Fund, is an overseer at the International Rescue Committee, an honorary director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank), and Michael K. Powell’s father.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the International Rescue Committee, the Aspen Institute (think tank), and the Brookings Institution (think tank).

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society, and is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations.

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank).

Michael K. Powell is Colin L. Powell’s son, a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank), and was the chairman for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Blair Levin was the chief of staff to the chairman for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and is a fellow at the Aspen Institute (think tank).

James S. Crown is a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank), and a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.

Lester Crown is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, and was a lifetime trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank).

Julius Genachowski is a senior fellow at the Aspen Institute (think tank), was Barack Obama’s law school friend, and the chairman for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Kathleen Q. Abernathy was the commissioner for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and a partner at Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP.

Amy L. Nathan is the senior counsel, strategic planning & policy analysis for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and was an attorney at Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP.

Vernon E. Jordan Jr. is a senior counsel for Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP, an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), Valerie B. Jarrett’s great uncle, a director at the American Friends of Bilderberg (think tank), and a 2008 Bilderberg conference participant (think tank).

Cyrus F. Freidheim Jr. is an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), and a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.

Linda Johnson Rice is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, a director at the United Negro College Fund, and is a friend of Valerie B. Jarrett.

Reed E. Hundt is a director at the United Negro College Fund, and was the chairman for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Valerie B. Jarrett is Vernon E. Jordan Jr’s great niece, a friend of Linda Johnson Rice, a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, and the senior adviser for the Barack Obama administration.

James T. Heimbach was a special assistant to the president for legislative affairs for the Barack Obama administration, and a legislative affairs director for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Thomas E. Wheeler is the chairman for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), a member of the President's Intelligence Advisory Board, was a fundraiser for the 2008 Barack Obama presidential campaign, and a fundraiser for the 2012 Barack Obama presidential campaign.

Chuck Hagel was a co-chairman for the President's Intelligence Advisory Board, the chairman for the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank), and is the secretary at the U.S. Department of Defense for the Barack Obama administration.

Judith A. Miscik is a member of the President's Intelligence Advisory Board, and was a director at the International Rescue Committee.

Colin L. Powell is an honorary director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank), an overseer at the International Rescue Committee, and Michael K. Powell’s father.

Michael K. Powell is Colin L. Powell’s son, a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank), and was the chairman for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Blair Levin was the chief of staff to the chairman for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and is a fellow at the Aspen Institute (think tank).