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Ginger's avatar

Yes! I work with people in recovery and many who never fully 'get it' cross-addict on Fox News, social media, conspiracy theories. The dopamine hit from drugs and alcohol is replaced by the media hit. One distinction; drugs/alcohol don't supplement our dopamine/gabapentin/endorphin systems, they hijack them; our natural brain chemistry dies out and the drug takes over. Media addiction does use our 'natural feel good' neurotransmitters but also completely hijacks that system as well so that the neurotransmitters are not produced without the 'hit'. 'Likes' on Facebook are addictive. You know what else is addictive? Having enough people 'like' my comments on this platform! Seriously, I could live without those 'likes' so it's not a disorder but, you see what I mean;). The only solution: treat this like any other addiction! And, a lot of people who are addicted to Fox, so to speak also have other drug/alcohol issues. We learn in 12-step programs that 'love and tolerance' is our code. I cannot be fully sober unless I live by that Tennent.

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Thom Linden's avatar

Thanks Thom.

AFAIK, the Fairness Doctrine was trashed by a Reagan appointee. It also appears the supremes confirmed that the FCC could impose or remove the doctrine within its regulatory purview.

Fast forward to now. There are two democratic appointees and two republican. There is currently an open 5th seat which has been blocked by Senate filibuster since Biden took office - the latest being Gigi Sohn. Sohn was subject to a massive smear campaign and withdrew from the nomination. The FCC is generally stagnant since it requires a majority vote to pass any controversial initiative.

Appointee Brendan Carr is a Federalist Society lawyer appointed to the FCC by TFG. You may have seen him as pretty active on Faux Entertainment. Carr's term expires this 30 June 2023. Which would leave us in a month+ with a 2-1 democratic majority on the commission.

So to the real reason for this post: Is it correct that as of 1 July with the 2-1 majority could the FCC reinstate the Fairness Doctrine? If not, why not? Same applies to the tragic 'wild-west' propaganda being spread on cable and the internet. Anyone?

A good bg on the history of the Fairness Doctrine at: https://sisyphuslitmag.org/2018/07/the-fairness-doctrine-how-we-lost-it-and-why-we-need-it-back/

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