The emergence of political editorializing in broadcasting

Abstract

The right and responsibility of the broadcaster to speak in his own voice is most often met in the form of the editorial broadcast over his own facilities. Commissioner Ford's article starting on page 3 of this issue of the Journal necessarily deals with all aspects of the “fairness doctrine” what follows is an article concerned specifically with the emergence of political broadcast editorials as a concern and activity of the American broadcaster.

For many years, the “Mayflower Decision” acted as a bar to all editorializing—including advocacy during a political campaign. As the following article points out, political editorializing is now “respectable,” and here to stay. It necessarily takes more courage to editorialize on political issues than to be “for motherhood and against sin,” particularly as it will be necessary (morally as well as legally) to live up to all the tenets of the “fairness doctrine” but this is the sort of courage American broadcasters must have in order to keep a great industry a part of the mainstream of American life.