Article in Poynter by Liam Scott, 4/22/25
Headline: “The repeal of the fairness doctrine accelerated the polarization of US media”
Subhead: “When broadcasters no longer had to present diverse viewpoints, conservative radio thrived”
“The walk from his Federal Communications Commission office to the commission meeting room felt particularly long for Dennis Patrick on Aug. 4, 1987.
“That was the day that Patrick, then FCC chairman, and his colleagues unanimously voted to repeal the Fairness Doctrine, a policy that had mandated broadcast networks to fairly present differing viewpoints on controversial issues.
“Patrick remembers how quiet it was as he walked to the meeting that day with one of his aides.
“Finally he said to me, just before I opened the door to enter the commission meeting room, ‘Mr. Chairman, are you sure you really want to do this? You are going to have hell to pay,’ Patrick recalled. ‘And I said to him, “We are going to do the right thing, and I’m sure that we will have hell to pay.’ ”