Sunday, February 23, 2014

The FCC just wants to "study" the media.

The FCC tabled plans to "study" how the media covers news or in the words of the FCC, the "Critical Information Needs" of America.  The idea might be dead  but it should not ever be forgotten. Here are some highlights of the 78-page study:


*Media that makes up media ecologies. This innocuous phrase includes what type of media, who owns the media, what type of content dominates the media, etc.

*The FCC will study all media. Newspapers, weeklies, Broadcast news, Talk radio, , and websites. Proposal flat-out states the FCC will perform a "content analysis" of these media outlets. Yup, the Feds are going to analyze what type of news the media covers. No pressure there. None at all. (p.3)

*FCC will conduct interrogations, oops, I meant "in-depth" interviews of media providers. The FCC will place "particular emphasis on ownership characteristics, employment data, demographics on decision makers, and barriers to entry". Brings back to mind Huey P. Long's scheme to license newspapers.

*The FCC is coming to a neighborhood near you. They aren't going to stop with interrogating the media as they are also going to conduct "in-depth neighborhood interviews" with "individuals in diverse neighborhoods." Community-organizing against the media? (p.4)

*Internet. "We will generate a list of websites (called seeds) to be crawled for each category of CIN, to include TV station websites, university websites, local school system websites, blogs, local radio station websites, and state/local government websites." .... Got a blog? Media website? The gummint bots going to be a'crawlin'. 

"After each crawl, a set of reports are automatically generated to run analysis on the content that was collected."  We know who you are, what you do, and what you write. 

*"Qualitative analysis". Can't collect data and not know what you are studying (Double negatives and second person use. I know.) Have to analyze the data to justify that fat gummint contract. The FCC proposes an "exploration (is that what they call it?) of three levels of employment: Corporate management, local management, and lower level employees (reporters, etc.). This exploration needs to determine who is actually concerned with CINS (notice how reporting the news is labeled "critical information needs". Got to love the bureaucratic way of glossing over everything." In other words, the FCC wants to dissect the media organizations and determine how they work.

*Diversity of the workforce. Nothing gives the government the right to stick its nose into a private business as much as the diversity interest. The study proposes using two methods to "study" the demographics of a media provider's workforce: Find a snitch (oops, meant to write locate "someone in the station who will provide demographic information" or make "a formal request for the demographic information" to HR or corporate headquarters."

*More interviews. Can't analyze without interrogating the media some more. The FCC wants to execute (how appropriate) "in-depth interviews with" management and support staff. We suggest a maximum of 56 media provider sites be surveyed." Why? The FCC tells you why:

The purpose of these interviews is to ascertain the process by which stories are selected, station priorities (for content, production quality, and populations served), perceived station bias, perceived percent of news dedicated to each of the eight CINs, and perceived responsiveness to underserved populations

*Understanding the community ecology. Now the gloves come off to reveal the brass knuckles. "This research is subject to two very important constraints. The first is that the CINs identified represent concrete needs of diverse communities." Now we are getting somewhere. The government is going to determine what the journalism needs for these communities are? What's next? A study on how to serve those needs? Regulating media companies to achieve government, oops, I meant diversity goals? Who is the final arbiter of a community's so-called information needs? The government? Apparently so because.....

*How a community receives news is now a government interest:

But because neighborhoods in America remain significantly stratified by race and ethnicity, as well as income, the meso-layer of community and neighborhood also matters. For example, while some CINs may be met via the open Internet, or provided at the macro-level, this information may not flow through channels of communication at the neighborhood level.

*Markets. "Six markets will be included in the planned study: 2 large, 2 medium, and 2 small markets. Market sizes were defined using the Nielsen TV Designated Market Area (DMA)6 Estimates and Ranks. Markets 1-62 are defined as large (any market with over 500,000 TV homes); market 63-150 as medium (markets with 150,000-500,000 TV homes); markets 151-210 as small (markets with less than 150,000 TV homes). (p.20)

*Criteria. "The primary criteria used to select markets will be size and racial/ethnic diversity (including the availability of news in multiple languages). Given the multi-national, racial and ethnic composition of the United States, it is important that markets selected are representative of our increasing diversity. Further, given the focus of the study and FCC’s particular interest in access to CINs by minority and underserved populations." (p.20)


*Data is kept for seven years. The project assumes a timeline of one year.

*See Appendix A (p.25) for the suggested questions. Very interesting.

This study justifies what I've always said: The Second Amendment protects the rest of the bill of rights. This is nothing short of a naked government attempt to control the press. This study is worth a government shutdown.  Congress should take whatever action is required to stop this study from ever taking place.  The only thing more shameful about this episode is the lack of resistance from most of the media.  Wimps most of them are.  What was it a commie said about selling capitalists the rope with which they will hang themselves?  Apparently that saying also applies to our media as well. 



2 comments:

noel said...

If you have nothing to hide, comrade, you have nothing to worry about.

Anonymous said...

I remember when the news was " who, what ,where and when" instead of finding two extremists to create a conflict where none need exist or slanting the news.

Journalism was a profession and an effort was made to be objective.

If there were facts on both sides they were reported. Now we get people interviewed who literally are making stuff up or venting an uninformed opinion.

Do humans have biases? Sure, but journalists did their best just to report facts now they can and do air their biases other than on an opinion page.

Smart was more important than whether or not the camera loved you.

Now, news is " entertainment" and too many people watch and read only those outlets which reinforce their preconceived notions.

We can choose our propaganda but getting the facts and forming our own, INDEPENDENT opinion is difficult.

We do have group think. We do have group conformity.

How does everyone miss that Orwell et al were arguing fact based, rational thought which is dependent on knowing what reality IS instead of creating a false reality?


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In the spirit of helping those who are less fortunate, Trollfest '09 adopts a cause for which a portion of the proceeds and donations will be donated: Keeping Frank Melton in his home. The “Keep Frank Melton From Being Homeless” booth will sell chances for five dollars to pin the tail on the jackass. John Reeves has graciously volunteered to be the jackass for this honorable excursion into saving Frank's ass. What's an ass between two friends after all? If Mr. Reeves is unable to um, perform, Speaker Billy McCoy has also volunteered as when the word “jackass” was mentioned he immediately ran as fast as he could to sign up.


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This is definitely a Beaver production.


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Jackson Jambalaya is the home of Trollfest '07. Catch this great event which promises to leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Sonjay Poontang and his band headline the night with a special steel cage, no time limit "loser must leave town" bout between Alan Lange and "Big Cat"Donna Ladd following afterwards. Kamikaze will perform his new song F*** Bush, he's still a _____. Did I mention there was no referee? Dr. Heddy Matthias and Lori Gregory will face off in the undercard dueling with dangling participles and other um, devices. Robbie Bell will perform Her two latest songs: My Best Friends are in the Media and Mama's, Don't Let Your Babies Grow up to be George Bell. Sid Salter of The Clarion-Ledger will host "Pin the Tail on the Trial Lawyer", sponsored by State Farm.

There will be a hugging booth where in exchange for your young son, Frank Melton will give you a loooong hug. Trollfest will have a dunking booth where Muhammed the terrorist will curse you to Allah as you try to hit a target that will drop him into a vat of pig grease. However, in the true spirit of Separate But Equal, Don Imus and someone from NE Jackson will also sit in the dunking booth for an equal amount of time. Tom Head will give a reading for two hours on why he can't figure out who the hell he is. Cliff Cargill will give lessons with his .80 caliber desert eagle, using Frank Melton photos as targets. Tackleberry will be on hand for an autograph session. KIM Waaaaaade will be passing out free titles and deeds to crackhouses formerly owned by The Wood Street Players.

If you get tired come relax at the Fox News Tent. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both will entitle you to free drinks.Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required, just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '07 is for EVERYONE!!!

This is definitely a Beaver production.

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