Register-Guard
Fair game
“Revive the Fairness Doctrine” (Jan. 22) is right on. The doctrine required broadcasters to provide equal airtime for views opposing their commentary. It recognized the power and potential danger of an unfettered broadcast industry that could instantly sway the opinions of hundreds of thousands of individuals without regard for substantiation or truth.
In the 1980s the Reagan administration ignored government’s responsibility to protect the public from false information and disregarded the doctrine. Beginning in the 1990s, social media, cable television and hundreds of other new communication channels exploded the potential for harm and has resulted in the political polarization of our nation today.