Archives for February 2014

Media content monitoring modus operandi at agency.

Feb. 27, 2014, Fairfax, Va.—An Americans for Limited Government review of prior Federal Communications Commission (FCC) studies on media ownership has revealed that media content monitoring is a regular practice at the agency, with one 2010 study even citing Fox News and its impact on Republican electoral gains in selected districts.

“FCC Media Study No. 9: A Theoretical Analysis of the Impact of Local Market Structure on the Range of Viewpoints Supplied,” published by the agency in 2011 authored by Isabelle Brocas, Juan D. Carrillo, and Simon Wilkie in its literature review referenced a 2006 study, “The Fox News Effect” on the political, electoral impact of Fox News in certain regions.

The 2010 FCC study summarized the findings: “indeed there is an impact of the Fox News introduction resulting in a somewhat higher vote for the Republican candidates than would be expected.”

Overall the agency considered how media ownership shapes content and in turn political outcomes: “the ownership of media outlets matters viz-a-viz viewpoint, and that the informational content of a media market can have an effect on how people make decisions such as choosing whether or not to vote and, when they do, who to vote for.”

“Why is the FCC concerned with how media ownership shapes political outcomes, voting behavior, and viewpoint diversity?” asked Americans for Limited Government President Nathan Mehrens.

The FCC study’s literature review referenced another report that found that Washington Post subscribers were 8 percent more likely to vote for the Democrat candidate for governor than Washington Times subscribers.

“We conclude the FCC has as a powerful interest in examining the relationship between ownership structure and market performance, in terms of the efficiency of transmission of information and the diversity of viewpoints in the market,” the report stated.

Mehrens questioned the agency’s mission on its face: “With its long history of monitoring media content and its recent foray into newsrooms, it is time for Congress to finally put an end to the FCC’s content evaluation programs and viewpoint diversity mission. The federal government has no business in trying to dictate diversity in the 21^st Century media environment that includes traditional and new media sources that were never imagined when the agency was formed.”

“The FCC is supposed to sell spectrum and they should stick to that,” he added, concluding, “With satellite, Internet and streaming technologies, and the ability to transmit today practically limitless, a monopoly on the dissemination of ideas is impossible. The original justification for the agency is now antiquated. There is no legitimate government interest in monitoring media content and viewpoint diversity to control media ownership.”

Of the ten such studies on media ownership that were issued in 2010 by the FCC, at least six looked directly at content or content-based metrics, market preferences, the prevalence of programming for minorities, the implications of national news coverage versus local, and other criteria in determining whether stations were viewpoint diverse enough.

Similar studies were conducted in 2006, and every four years before that.

Every four years the FCC is required to produce “limits on the number of broadcast stations (radio and TV) an entity can own, as well as limits on the common ownership of broadcast stations and newspapers… [and] to determine whether the rules are in the public interest and to repeal or modify any regulation it determines does not meet this criteria,” according to the agency’s website.

In that context, the agency regularly conducts studies on media ownership and how it affects viewpoint diversity. The 2014 review will not be completed until next year.

Attachments:

“Why did the FCC pull its multi-market study monitoring newsroom content?” By ALG Senior Editor Robert Romano, Feb. 27, 2014, at http://netrightdaily.com/2014/02/fcc-pull-multi-market-study-monitoring-newsroom-content/

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at (703)383-0880 or at media@algnews.org to arrange an interview with ALG experts including ALG President Nathan Mehrens.

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Feb. 14, 2014, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Nathan Mehrens today issued the following statement praising Rep. James Lankford for introducing H.J. Res. 110, legislation that would allow states to enter into an interstate compact to regulate health care on their own without federal interference:

“If New York or California like Obamacare, they can keep it. But if other states want out, there should be no reason they cannot administer federal funds the way they see fit. Americans for Limited Government urge every member of the House to cosponsor Lankford’s bill to restore state control over health care.

“If states want to opt out of federal administration of health insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, and the insurance exchanges, they should be allowed to. That is what the health compact will accomplish. The compact will transfer federal control of health care to participating states that choose to adopt the compact. It is not mandatory.”

Attachments:

H.J. Res 110, Feb. 11, 2014 at http://beta.congress.gov/bill/113th/house-joint-resolution/110/text?q={%22search%22:[%22h%20j%20res%20110%22]}

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at (703)383-0880 or at media@algnews.org to arrange an interview with ALG experts including ALG President Nathan Mehrens.

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Feb. 7, 2014, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Nathan Mehrens today issued the following statement on the latest jobs numbers:

“We learned this week that the Obama Administration views a shrinking workforce participation as a good thing based upon their response to Congressional Budget Office analysis of Obamacare which asserts that more than 2 million people are likely to leave the full-time workforce due to Obamacare.

“The ups and downs of any monthly unemployment report pale in comparison to this startling analysis.  While the labor participation rate shifted upward slightly, it still remains that 3.5 million fewer people who are 16-54 are participating in the workforce compared to January 2009 levels. If they were included in today’s jobs report, the unemployment rate would be 8.6 percent, instead of the reported 6.6 percent.

“The impact of this long term shift in workforce participation remains a real source of concern for the future health of the U.S. economy.”

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at (703)383-0880 or at media@algnews.org to arrange an interview with ALG experts including ALG President Nathan Mehrens.

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Feb. 6, 2014, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government Vice President of Public Policy and Communications Richard Manning today issued the following statement urging the House of Representatives to use its power of the purse to force the Attorney General to appoint a special counsel to investigate the IRS tea party targeting scandal:

“Congressman Jim Jordan earned the nation’s respect today for holding a hearing highlighting the IRS abuses against conservative oriented social welfare groups.  It was astonishing to hear Democrats on the Committee continue to deny the obvious weaponization of government experienced by these Americans triggered for no other reason than their decision to formally engage in the political process.

“It is truly embarrassing that these Democrats, who purport to support democracy and involvement, would make excuses and even go so far as to attack those who have already been victimized once.

“Fortunately, Catherine Engelbrecht of True the Vote and Becky Gerritson of Wetumpka Tea Party in Alabama continue to refuse to be victims and will not be silenced.  Their efforts, along with outstanding members of Congress like Mr. Jordan have brought the Obama Administration’s obvious abuse of power to the national spotlight.

“Last year, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal called for a special counsel to investigate and prosecute these egregious abuses of power that threaten the fabric of our representative democracy.  That call was echoed today by Representative Trey Gowdy of South Carolina.  It is clear that the Justice Department is stonewalling any legitimate investigation and there is no longer any excuse for denying a legitimate independent investigation of these blatant attacks on the fundamental right to dissent.

“To force the issue, Congress using its power of the purse should stop all attempts by the IRS to impose new regulations governing social welfare groups, and additionally force a full investigation into these abuses by a special counsel.”

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at (703)383-0880 or at media@algnews.org to arrange an interview with ALG experts including ALG President Nathan Mehrens.

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Americans for Limited Government President Nathan Mehrens today issued the following statement in response to allegations by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 12 that the Obama-run Department of Labor has engaged in racial discrimination in their internal promotion policies dating back to 2009:

“It is the ultimate irony that Labor Secretary Thomas Perez is facing a union crisis at the Department he leads that is largely based upon racial discrimination claims built around the discredited disparate impact theory that he has long sought to impose on private employers.

“The racism claim from Labor’s public employee union local is based upon statistical analysis of job promotions rather than a critical look at the comparative candidates who were being considered.  Under Perez’s own enforcement of the law while at the Justice Department, the merits of individual candidates don’t matter, the only guideline for racial discrimination is if the correct proportion of each race and gender are represented.  Now, he faces a complaint that accuses his predecessor and many of his subordinates in the Department with being branded with the scarlet R of racist due to their promotion practices.

“Now Perez and Obama himself are being hoisted on the very petard they have been using as a cudgel against private employers.”

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at (703)383-0880 or at media@algnews.org to arrange an interview with ALG experts including ALG President Nathan Mehrens.

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