• Stop Forgetting It@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    1 day ago

    We can all collectively thank Reagan, among other terrible things we have to deal with today due to his administration, he is also responsible for the state of news media in the US in 2025. Previous to Reagan we had a policy called The Fairness Doctrine, it was a policy introduced in 1949, that required the holders of broadcast licenses both to present controversial issues of public importance and to do so in a manner that fairly reflected differing viewpoints. Broadcasters could show opposing viewpoints via option pieces, news segments or talk shows, but if they reported on one side they were required to show the other.

    In 1987 under Reagan the FCC abolished the Fairness Doctrine. Broadcasters were no longer required to air apposing viewpoints of controversial topics. This has directly lead to the echo chambers that you see in the news media today.