What is Fairness Doctrine?

Definition and meaning of fairness doctrine: The Fairness Doctrine is a policy that was implemented by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 1949 in order to ensure that broadcasters presented controversial issues of public importance in an honest, equitable, and balanced manner. It required that broadcasters provide equal airtime to both sides of a debate and to refrain from broadcasting material that was one-sided and biased. The aim of the Fairness Doctrine was to promote the public interest by ensuring that all sides of public issues were presented fairly and accurately. In its original formulation, the Fairness Doctrine was intended to ensure that the public had access to a wide range of views on a variety of topics, such as political issues, social issues, and economic issues. The idea was to ensure that all views were represented in a fair and balanced manner. This meant that broadcasters had to provide airtime to those who had opposing views, and that they had to provide the same amount of airtime to both sides. In 1987, the FCC revoked the Fairness Doctrine, arguing that it was unnecessary and that the marketplace of ideas could provide for a diversity of views without government intervention. This decision was controversial, as many felt that the Fairness Doctrine was essential in ensuring that the public had access to a wide range of opinions and that broadcasters were held accountable for presenting balanced coverage on controversial issues.