Something makes me nervous about political concepts with cutsie names – like Net Neutrality and the Fairness Doctrine. I just feel as if I’m being handed a sound bite – not a policy.
For a librarian, I have surprising broad views on Net Neutrality. I’m not strongly for or against it. I think people should have equal access to information but I also feel that people should get paid to transmit that info – unless the government wants to take over of heavily subsidize that transmission.
The Fairness Doctrine is another concept that can sound great in theory – broadcasters should provide equal time to equal perspectives – but in practice it’s hard to deploy.
Recently, FCC Chairman McDowell said that a potential reimposition of the Fairness Doctrine could be “intertwined” with the debate over network neutrality. I love the idea that people would spend time listening to diverse opinions – but the web site a pull technology not a push technology. You can create all the content you want – a lot of time you’ll be preaching to the choir, especially if your viewpoint is strong.
It sounds as if it’s the Democrats who like the Fairness Doctrine; although Barrack Obama seems not to like it. It seems like an interesting time for the Republicans to oppose it, when a regime change is more likely than it’s been for a while.
