Republican FEC Chairman Lee Goodman is sparking a right wing freak out by claiming that some in the FEC want to treat conservative media such as Drudge and Fox News like political action committees.
In a piece that’s dripping with paranoia and hysteria, Goodman told the Washington Examiner:
I think that there are impulses in the government every day to second guess and look into the editorial decisions of conservative publishers.
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The right has begun to break the left’s media monopoly, particularly through new media outlets like the internet, and I sense that some on the left are starting to rethink the breadth of the media exemption and internet communications.
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The picking and choosing has started to occur. There are some in this building that think we can actually regulate, then I am concerned about disparate treatment of conservative media.
The truth that Goodman doesn’t want to face is that conservatives already control the media. Newscasts are now corporate owned and monetized for profit. The top cable news network is Republican mouthpiece Fox News. The Sunday morning shows are all heavily biased towards Republicans. Talk radio is dominated by conservatives. The only media where liberal have an advantage is the Internet.
Conservative media is mainly funded by the same people and corporations that fund the Republican Party. Conservative media should be treated as PACs because they are involved in daily partisan political activity. In contrast, PoliticusUSA does not accept any funding from any individual or organization, nor do we donate to/endorse any candidates.
The FEC is composed of six commissioners, who are appointed by the president. By law, no more than three commissioners can come from the same political party. At least, 4 votes are required for passage, but the commission is split between three Republicans and three Democrats, so there is a lot of deadlock.
What conservatives are most terrified of is the return of the Fairness Doctrine. Short of the FCC restoring the Fairness Doctrine, conservatives fear that the facade will be blown off of their propaganda machine, and they get treated like the political operatives that they are.
Fox News, Sean Hannity, and Rush Limbaugh aren’t news outlets. They are partisan talking point factories that are overtly involved in political activity. It’s simple. Any media outlet on the left or right that takes money to promote a political agenda, endorses candidates, raises money for/donates to candidates should be treated as a PAC.
If they are ever forced to report facts, it will be the end of conservative media. Conservative media is slowly dying of old age, but the end could come much sooner if their propaganda machines were held accountable.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
