Fox News, eh?

The Globe and Mail reports that the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has scrapped plans to abolish Canada's version of the "Fairness Doctrine" (abolished in the United States by His Holiness St. Ronald Reagan in 1987).

[T]he CRTC's call for public input on the proposal resulted in a tidal wave of angry responses from Canadians who said they feared such a move would open the door to Fox TV-style news and reduce their ability to determine what is true and what is false.

In the face of the outcry, the regulations committee, which is composed of both MPs and senators, met last Thursday and decided it would no longer pursue the matter with the CRTC.

 I think the abolition of the Fairness Doctrine and the ability of wealthy, unaccountable corporations to flood the airwaves with misinformation has done a great deal of harm to American public discourse. I also think that, due to our influence, it's harmed public discourse around the world: have you ever noticed how conferences of climate-change skeptics in Europe are often headlined by American "experts" who made their reputation on Fox News et al.? Ditto ex-gay organizations and other radical rightwing groups. So good for Canada for standing up for integrity and moderation in the news. It's too important to get it wrong.