Michael Malone on Media Bias

Over at the Volokh Conspiracy, Jonathan Adler discusses ABC’s Michael Malone’s concerns about bias in the media. Comments Professor Adler,

Malone also argues that media bias is potentially “dangerous” for the media itself both because it alienates the public and because it risks the imposition of government regulation of media content, such as through the “fairness doctrine.” I think the former threat is real, and I think media bias hurts the bottom line of traditional media outlets. But I am not sure the “fairness doctrine” is as much of a threat to the mainstream media as Malone suggests (though it’s a real threat to talk radio and the blogosphere). I also suspect (hope) that were the doctrine ever reenacted, it would not survive constitutional challenge.