"FCC’s news distortion policy is not a “law, rule, or regulation..."

[rman]

It's not illegal to distort the the News

See the case of Fox and Monsanto vs WTVT investigative reporters.

Long story short: Monsanto was (is) in serious violation of food health regulations wrt a hormone to increase milk production. The reporters had a solid story on it. Fox got pressured not to air it, and in turn pressured the reporters to either withdraw it or rewrite it, and not talk about it with anyone.
They didn't give in, Fox fired them.
They had the goods on Fox and succesfully sued under whistleblower statute for firing them because they didn't want to distort the news.

Fox counter-sued and won on a technicality.

"Because the FCC’s news distortion policy is not a “law, rule, or regulation” under section 448.102, Akre has failed to state a claim under the whistle-blower's statute."
http://www.2dca.org/opinion/February%2014,%202003/2D01-529.pdf (PDF)
http://www.foxbghsuit.com/


google: Monsanto Fox FCC

http://www.fair.org/extra/9806/foxbgh.html
"We Paid $3 Billion For These Stations. We'll Decide What the News Is."

"Steve Wilson and Jane Akre, a husband-and-wife investigative reporting team at WTVT, Fox's Tampa Bay affiliate, thought they had a dynamite story: Despite promises to consumers, supermarkets in Florida were selling milk produced with rBGH, a synthetic growth hormone developed by Monsanto that boosts milk production. The use of rBGH causes udder infections in cows, requiring increased use of antibiotics, but the monitoring of antibiotic residues in milk was inadequate, Akre and Wilson found."
<snip>

http://www.organicconsumers.org/rbgh/030703_rbgh.cfm
Florida appeals court orders Akre-Wilson must pay trial costs for $24.3 billion Fox television; couple warns journalists of danger to free speech, whistle blower protection
<snip>


For details on this matter also see the documentary "The Corporation" http://www.thecorporation.com.