THE COMMISSION ON FREEDOM OF THE PRESS

known as the Hutchins’ Commission

Reason for concern

Worries about large amount of concentration in mass media ownership

Was press operating in the best public interest?

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

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 :

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.

Hutchins Commission recommendations

What the gov’t can do What the press can do What the public can do

WHAT THE GOVERNMENT CAN DO

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

What the government can do:

reform libel laws repeal sedition laws inform the public about gov’t policies

and the purpose underlying those policies

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.

Regulation of Broadcasting

1996 revision of federal Communications Act moved from fiduciary model to marketplace model of regulation

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

Broadcast Regulation

Fairness Doctrine no longer being enforced• But Personal Attack Rule part of the

Fairness Doctrine is still in effect.

Has it happened yet?

Facilitate new ventures in communi-cations industry

Gov’t financed development of the Internet

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

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.

Has it happened?

Repeal sedition laws

Repealed or not enforced unless expression incites immediate violent action

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

WHAT THE PRESS CAN DO

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

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

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

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.

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.

WHAT THE PUBLIC CAN DO

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

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

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

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

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

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.

THE END