If it's the Fake Media that is the problem then let's make a law that says newspapers, TV,

[Augiedog]

magazines, radio, and the online news sources must always tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help them ....insert appropriate deity.... For good measure we should require the same of all politicians or wanna be politicians.

Gee, I wonder who would be out of business in about two seconds ?

[Qutzupalotl]

1. The First Amendment?

[madinmaryland]

2. What's scary is we have white wing nut jobs using 2nd amendment remedies to eliminate 1st amendment

rights.

[FiveGoodMen]

5. The First Amendment should not be permission to lie

[Qutzupalotl]

10. It is a tricky question.

The ACLU’s position is that the answer to objectionable speech is more speech. If someone is wrong, he or she should be corrected but not silenced, at least not by the government. That preserves everybody’s rights and advances debate.

In practice, the ACLU’s position allows bubbles of lies to form and remain unchallenged (see FOX News). They nevertheless say that the freedom to speak is more precious than somehow arbitrating all speech and permitting only true things to be said. The government cannot do that under the Constitution, for good reason.

[GulfCoast66]

11. But it is. And should be.

[nykym]

3. How about bringing back

The Fairness Doctrine!

[onenote]

7. People wildly overestimate the importance of the Fairness Doctrine

Leaving aside the fact that it never applied to non-broadcast cable networks like a Fox News and that it almost certainly would be struck down as unconstitutional by the Supreme Court given the plethora of outlets for communicating news and information, there is the simple fact that compliance with the FD was a very low bar. The first part of the FD merely mandated that broadcasters cover controversial matters of public interest. That isn't going to change anything. The second part required that broadcasters air contrasting views regarding those matters. But the broadcaster got to pick how those contrasting views were presented and it was never an 'equal time' rule.

The FD has been gone for over 30 years. I suspect many of those who think its return would be a panacea weren't around when it was in effect or didn't really know much about it.

[ego_nation]

4. Only problem with that that I see

Is that you can tell the truth and still be deceptive. Fox News’ bread and butter is anecdotal accounts that do not offer broader contexts.

[RandomAccess]

6. I think something like this is needed, but the problem is

"facts" are sometimes difficult to pin down. And even more difficult to prove in some situations.

But it's frustrating and ultimately dangerous that media outlets, which enjoy Constitutional protection, have no reciprocal Constitutional (or even legislative) responsibility to keep the public properly and adequately informed.

[onenote]

9. As a unanimous Supreme Court stated in 1974:

"A responsible press is an undoubtedly desirable goal, but press responsibility is not mandated by the Constitution and like many other virtues it cannot be legislated."

The Justices signing onto that opinion included William O. Douglas, William Brennan and Thurgood Marshall.

[IcyPeas]

8. but Fox will say they are an opinion show ... not news...

so they can "opine" on whatever they want.