FCC media diversity survey sparks an uproar

By: American Decency Staff

The Federal Communications Commission finds itself on the defensive over a proposed research project that critics say directly threatens First Amendment protections for the news media.

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, in a Feb. 14 letter to congressional Republicans made public Thursday, defended the agency’s proposed “Multi-Market Study of Critical Information Needs” as part of its mandate to “promote the policies and purpose … favoring diversity of media voices. The FCC contract proposal calls for government investigators to explore the process by which stories are selected, as well as perceived bias at individual stations and perceived responsiveness by reporters and editors to “underserved” populations.

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