Reply #33: Who exactly whould "shut (them) down"?

[MajorChode]

News outlets are pretty much free to publish whatever they want. The difference is mainstream media outlets are more concerned with their credibility so they do things like hire an ombudsman to insure fairness and accuracy. The reason why their audience tunes in is because they do have credibility.

The people who tend to watch FNC could really give a shit about fairness and accuracy, so they really have no obligation towards that end and in fact, the reason FNC has achieved niche status is exactly because they don't give a shit about fairness and accuracy. FNC's dishonest extends well beyond editorial discretion. They assign people like Geraldo Rivera to go out and gather their "news" for them. That alone should tell you something.