Regulating media: Good or bad?

By Hunter Dorner

hd366416@ohio.edu / hunterdorner99@gmail.com

Image from theconversation.com

Due to the First Amendment, Americans enjoy a mostly unregulated media (at least by the government). Besides of course graphic content from most mainstream mediums and other things that may be found offensive. This also comes with a downside, it allows for unchecked facts to be put out there for the masses to read and see. We all know the side effects of fake news and the damage it causes from our assignment this week, but to what extent would fake news have to get to in order for us to give up some of our rights and more heavily regulate our media? 

First, we must look at what the regulations on media are now currently, here is a link to the limits that the press has today. Besides libel and giving away the location of army plans there is no law currently about the accuracy of truth in the media. This is a grey area because not only would it be hard to define but it would also be hard to enforce. There would have to be a structural change to how media worked in this country. 

However, mainstream media is (mostly) not a lawless land where anything can be said or posted. There are rules enforced by either the company themselves or the FCC were there are images or words that are deemed too graphic. Most times the decision is made in internally of what or what shouldn't be posted, this decision is made by a code of ethics that journalists stand by. Here is an article describing how this decision is made. This is an example of internal regulation and is something that most credible sources stand by.  However, sources that knowingly put out fake information are probably not credible. 

With the advances of technology and the quickness of the spread of information, it is very easy to get persuaded by something that is fake, i.e. deep fakes. Whether internally or externally there needs to be a way of regulating this growing problem. With legislation being difficult due to the threat of the government encroaching on our first amendment rights and sources not caring about being credible or not; it seems hard to crack down on fake news. With the increase in technology and more awareness of the danger of fake news, I believe that one day it will be able to be safely regulated without infringing on our rights.