A Law Against Lying on the News

[upstatecajun]

Why Canada has one and the U.S. doesn’t.

It’s not often that goings-on in Canada interest the American news media, but a rather small decision by a relatively small government agency—the decision not to revoke a rule that bans lying on broadcast news—in Ottawa has made a pretty big splash.

It stems from the planned April launch of Sun TV, a Canadian analog to FOX News—i.e., a broadcast news outlet with a decidedly conservative perspective. Among its top executives is a former communications director to conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper, evoking former Reagan/Bush adviser Roger Ailes’ role at the helm of FOX. That executive, Kory Teneycke, told the Toronto Star that Sun TV is “taking on the mainstream media <...> smug, condescending, often irrelevant journalism, we’re taking on political correctness <...> by bureaucrats for elites and paid for by taxpayers.”

Given that the posture, tone, language, and buzzwords of the nascent network could have come so easily from Bill O’Reilly, outsiders promptly branded it “FOX News North.”

http://www.yesmagazine.org/people-power/a-law-against-lying-on-the-news








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[Scuba]

1. Fairness and Healthcare? How long before we attack them? n/t

[FiveGoodMen]

2. One of the most valuable things the US could have, but doesn't.

And many here have argued with me, quite literally telling me that we should always let them lie.

[Ohio Joe]

3. Yes, I heard that same argument

I am surprised it was allowed to stand.

[tblue37]

4. FOX actually went to court to get a judgment that they have the RIGHT to lie

even while calling what they do news. The fact that they wanted a court judgment affirming their right to lie in the news says it all. Why would they want that right unless they consider such lying an important part of what they are doing?

[FiveGoodMen]

5. They won, too, didn't they?

[tblue37]

7. Yep, they sure did. nt

[Taitertots]

6. The problem isn't outright lying, it is misleading while telling the truth.

Find two doctors that you can pay enough to tell you that crack makes babies stronger and the say:
"Numerous doctors agree that giving your baby crack can make them stronger, their evidence in a soon to be published report (no report ever published, report never named, doctors not named). Some doctors disagree, but this new evidence casts doubt on their previous findings"
It is certainly true, but intentionally misleading.