FairnessJasmin Mejia, Jackson Pillow, and John Twork

Michael Bugeja “Living Ethics” Fairness is a continual process of improvement

involving the evaluation of work and behavior to determine (a) whether the work is accurate or truthful, (b) whether the behavior is honest or appropriate, and (c) whether methods or values can be enhanced to meet those goals.

Defined

Merriam-Webster Fairness is marked by impartiality and

honesty : free from self-interest, prejudice, or favoritism

Defined

Wikipedia Fairness is a legal principle allowing for the use

of discretion, an equality and solidarity in a society, an equal allocation of goods in a society, and/or an absence of bias in specific realms.

Defined

Dictionary.com Fairness is the state, condition, or quality of

being fair,  or free from bias or injustice; evenhandedness; free from discrimination, dishonesty, etc; just; impartial

Defined

Fairness?

Themes

Honest

BiasImpartia

l

Equal

Incorporating reoccurring themes

Process, Instance, or can it be both?

How is fairness determined/constructed?

How We Define It

Introduced by the FCC in 1949. Required that all broadcasters (1) devote a

reasonable amount of their programming to controversial issues of public importance and (2) provide contrasting viewpoints on those issues.

Theory behind the doctrine was that the radio spectrum did not have space for every view.

Red Lion Broadcasting Co. v. FCC (1969).

History: The Fairness Doctrine

No rigid regulation. Equal time was not required (NOT the Equal Opportunities Rule).

Caused considerable problems: Audience complaints and litigation were common, particularly involving part 2 of the doctrine.

Broadcasters were forced to reduce controversial programming, rather than face an abundance of contrasting complaints.

History: The Fairness Doctrine

In 1987, the FCC formally abandoned the doctrine in its Syracuse Peace Council decision.

“The intrusion by government into the content of programming occasioned by the enforcement of [the Fairness Doctrine] restricts the journalistic freedom of broadcasters ... [and] actually inhibits the presentation of controversial issues of public importance to the detriment of the public and the degradation of the editorial prerogative of broadcast journalists.”

History: The Fairness Doctrine

During 2007-09, some Democrats in Congress said publicly that the doctrine should be reinstated. This was prompted by the abundance of conservative talk radio stations (90% conservative, 10% liberal, according to americanprogress.org).

On August 22, 2011, President Obama’s FCC formally voted to repeal the doctrine, along with 80 other rules from the Federal Register, following a White House executive order.

The Fairness Doctrine Now

The Fairness Doctrine attempted to regulate an ethical aspect of broadcasting: fairness.

Is it possible to regulate ethical behavior? Does converged media enhance or hinder

the chances of achieving fairness in the media?

Ideas Behind The Fairness Doctrine

Can be currently defined as a process in which fewer individuals or organizations control increasing shares of mass media. Many media industries are already highly

concentrated and dominated by a very small number of firms. Television/Cable service Internet service Telephone/Cellular service

Media Ownership

Mourning or Moving on?

Control? Moved beyond standard forms of regulation Message senders

Journalists, bloggers, fans, foes, the occasional crayon eater, etc.

Message receivers Global audience; anyone with access can be

targeted

Converged Media and Fairness

What are the future implications for converged media in regards to editorial independence, media bias, and freedom of the press? Presidential campaigns and debates Special Interest Groups

Some suggest a “newer” more adaptable focus

Equal access and opportunity for all

Fairness and the Future

Net Neutrality In its simplest terms, this principle states that

all internet traffic should be treated equally. No restrictions by Internet service providers or

governments on consumers' access to networks that participate in the internet.

Specifically, network neutrality would prevent restrictions on content, sites, platforms, types of equipment that may be attached, and modes of communication.

Net Neutrality as the “New” Focus

How do we regulate fairness ethics and converged media? Is a newer, adapted doctrine the solution? Are there options that can provide a long-term

solution? Is there a such thing as a long-term solution?

Which theories can be used to support fairness ethics within converged media?

Dilemma

Utilitarianism Actions should be done for the greater good of

the many over the needs for the few.

Major contributors were Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill.

Theory

Agenda Setting The process of the media placing value on

particular issues influencing the public’s perception of the importance of those issues.

Second level agenda setting focuses on the media actually being able to influence public opinion on certain issues.

McCombs and Shaw starting agenda research in the early 1970s.

Theory

Framing The process in which the media emphasize

specific parts of a story and disregard other parts.

Ghanem and Takeshita were major contributors to notion of framing.

Theory

Questions?