citizen winston smith
2024-09-11 17:33:51 UTC
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PermalinkNo, ABC does not have to be "licensed" to be a news organization.They have to have a license to broadcast, but > that means broadcasting *anything*.
Lying POS.https://www.fcc.gov/media/radio/public-and-broadcasting#JOURNALISM
Broadcast Journalism
Introduction. As noted above, in light of the fundamental importance of
the free flow of information to our democracy, the First Amendment and
the Communications Act bar the FCC from telling station licensees how to
select material for news programs or prohibiting the broadcast of an
opinion on any subject. We also do not review anyone’s qualifications
to gather, edit, announce, or comment on the news. These decisions are
the station licensee’s responsibility. Nevertheless, there are two
issues related to broadcast journalism that are subject to Commission
regulation: hoaxes and news distortion.
Hoaxes. The broadcast by a station of false information concerning a
crime or catastrophe violates the FCC's rules if:
The station licensee knew that the information was false;
Broadcasting the false information directly causes substantial public
harm; and
It was foreseeable that broadcasting the false information would cause
such harm.
In this context, a “crime” is an act or omission that makes the offender
subject to criminal punishment by law, and a “catastrophe” is a disaster
or an imminent disaster involving violent or sudden events affecting the
public. The broadcast must cause direct and actual damage to property
or to the health or safety of the general public, or diversion of law
enforcement or other public health and safety authorities from their
duties, and the public harm must begin immediately. If a station airs a
disclaimer before the broadcast that clearly characterizes the program
as fiction and the disclaimer is presented in a reasonable manner under
the circumstances, the program is presumed not to pose foreseeable
public harm.
News Distortion. The Commission often receives complaints concerning
broadcast journalism, such as allegations that stations have aired
inaccurate or one-sided news reports or comments, covered stories
inadequately, or overly dramatized the events that they cover. For the
reasons noted previously, the Commission generally will not intervene in
these cases because it would be inconsistent with the First Amendment to
replace the journalistic judgment of licensees with our own. However,
as public trustees, broadcast licensees may not intentionally distort
the news. The FCC has stated that “rigging or slanting the news is a
most heinous act against the public interest.” The Commission will
investigate a station for news distortion if it receives documented
evidence of rigging or slanting, such as testimony or other
documentation, from individuals with direct personal knowledge that a
licensee or its management engaged in the intentional falsification of
the news. Of particular concern would be evidence of the direction to
employees from station management to falsify the news.