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THE COMMISSION ON FREEDOM OF THE PRESS
known as the Hutchins’ Commission
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Reason for concern
Worries about large amount of concentration in mass media ownership
Was press operating in the best public interest?
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HUTCHINS COMMISSION
Citizens group (academics, civic and religious leaders) NOT press people
Report issued in late 1940s More than 50 years later, the current
“civic” or “public” journalism movement contains some of the same elements
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The COMMISSION ON FREEDOM OF THE PRESS
After several years of work, the Commission issued a report that set forth a code of social responsibility for the press, requiring these five basic services :
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a free press will provide
a truthful, comprehensive, and intelligent account of the day’s events in a context which gives them meaning;
a forum for the exchange of comment and criticism;
the projection of a representative picture of the constituent groups in the society;
the presentation and clarification of the goals and values of the society;
full access to the day’s intelligence.
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Hutchins Commission recommendations
What the gov’t can do What the press can do What the public can do
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WHAT THE GOVERNMENT CAN DO
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What the government can do:
give radio and movies full First Amendment rights
facilitate new ventures in the communications industry
maintain competition through antitrust laws
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What the government can do:
reform libel laws repeal sedition laws inform the public about gov’t policies
and the purpose underlying those policies
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Has it happened yet?
give radio and movies full First Amendment rights
Broadcast media have most First A. rights but gov’t still regulates on grounds that airwaves belong to the public and spectrum is a limited resource.
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Regulation of Broadcasting
1996 revision of federal Communications Act moved from fiduciary model to marketplace model of regulation
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Broadcasting Regulation
Licensing of radio/tv stations• Less frequent renewal (3 years to 8 years now)
Equal opportunity rule applies to political candidates
• Candidates for federal offices must be allowed by BUY time
• For state & local candidates, all must be treated equally
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Broadcast Regulation
Fairness Doctrine no longer being enforced• But Personal Attack Rule part of the
Fairness Doctrine is still in effect.
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Has it happened yet?
Facilitate new ventures in communi-cations industry
Gov’t financed development of the Internet
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Has it happened yet?
Maintain competition through antitrust laws
Gov’t gets mixed reviews on this point.
Joint operating agreements (allows limited exemption for some newspapers)
1996 Telecomm Act allows greater concentration of ownership; more cross-media ownership, mergers
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Has it happened?
Reform Libel Laws
False, defamatory statement now protected by 1st Amendment if not made with fault.
Remedies short of court cases have not been enacted.
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Has it happened?
Repeal sedition laws
Repealed or not enforced unless expression incites immediate violent action
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Has gov’t met recommendations?
inform the public about gov’t policies and the purpose underlying those policies
Federal Open Records Act (1967)
Federal Open Meetings Act
Also on state level.Does not apply to all gov’t
entities
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WHAT THE PRESS CAN DO
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What the press can do
Accept the responsi-bilities of common carriers
Media are NOT common carriers
Internet Service Providers (ISP) and telephones ARE examples of common carriers
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What the press can do?
Assume the responsibility of financing new, experimental activities in their fields.
Modern printing techniques
Video/Audio text Television Gov’t developed
Internet
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What the press can do
Engage in vigorous mutual criticism of each other
But things may be changing
Journalism review magazines
Some cross-media criticism
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What the press can do
Increase the competence, independence, effectiveness of its staff
Colleges, universities now teach communications courses. We hope they are effective toward this goal.
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What the press can do
Radio industry take control of its programs and treat advertising as it is treated by the best newspapers
This is true in principal today. Advertisers do not create programming as in early days of radio.
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WHAT THE PUBLIC CAN DO
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What the public can do
Nonprofit institutions can help supply the variety, quantity, and quality of press service
Contributions to PBS
Sponsorship of public service programming
Money for research and special projects (like civic journalism
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What the public can do
Create academic-professional centers of advanced study, research, and publication in communi-cations
Poynter Institute for Media Studies (St. Pete)
Freedom Forum Centers
Pew Charitable Trust
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What the public can do
Existing schools of journalism should use total resources of their universities to give students broad liberal arts training
To become and remain accredited, a communication curriculum must require approximately 75% of courses to be in liberal arts
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What can the public do?
Establish a new and independent agency to appraise and report annually upon the performance of the press.
National News Council failed
State news councils little success
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Press reaction
Rejected report in 1947; afraid of government censorship
No press representation on Hutchins Commission
Major news organizations have been uncooperative toward press councils
Press has implemented some recommendations
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Today--50 years later
The new “civic” or “public” journalism movement contains some of the same elements first expressed in the Hutchins Commission Report. Much of the current movement isn’t new at all.
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THE END