Obama Asks Press to Submit to "Voluntary" FCC Study

Rightwingpatriot.com ^ | February 21, 2014 | Rightwingerpatriot

[rightwingerpatriot]

In a scenario straight out of any banana republic or Soviet-style satellite state, the Obama administration is sending the FCC out to conduct "voluntary" surveys of the press. Apparently the goal of the FCC is to "identify and understand the critical information needs of the American public, with special emphasis on vulnerable-disadvantaged populations." Say what? What this boils down to is the fact that the federal government would allow the FCC, in the words of an agency commissioner, to "grill reporters, editors, and station owners about how they decide which stories to run."

What this really amounts to is intimidation of the press and controlling of what news gets reported and how such stories are reported. The fact that the FCC claims that this survey is "voluntary" is laughable. Since the FCC can yank a station's license at the drop of the hat, you can bet that such compliance would be mandatory. Another interesting aspect of this case is that the Federal Communications Commission is extending this study to newspapers, which it has no regulatory powers over or oversight at all.

This attack on the freedom of the press and the First Amendment comes as no surprise as the Obama administration has repeatedly ignored the US Constitution as it seeks to squelch any and all dissent to his imperial rule. What I find amusing is that the mainstream media is stunned by this action. We all know that liberal tyrants will feast on their own, but I guess the media thought they would be immune as long as they did Obama's bidding and bury his scandals (Benghazi, Fast and Furious) and slime his opponents (Tea Party) as racist bigots. Now they're learning that abusive power has no friends, only slaves.

While I despise the mainstream media, I still feel that they need to be protected from such abuses. (Naturally, we should still call them out when they lie to the American public or bury news that reflect poorly on Obama.) While the press has abdicated its position on questioning those in authority, the wheel will someday turn back to a time when they will actually do so.

This FCC "study" is just another in a long line of power grabs by Obama and his liberal cronies and embodies the lockstep mentality of the far left. Agree with us one hundred percent or be crushed. Everything they do is about control. Control of what you hear on the news, control of what you read, and control of how and when you can speak. I can only imagine the unbridled joy when they can finally learn how to control what you think. Still, it's a shock for the press to realize that loving Big Brother wasn't enough. Nothing is ever good enough for tyrants.

UPDATE: Since I wrote this, it has been reported that the FCC is withdrawing the planned survey.

[Jim Robinson]

FUBO!!

[Pelham]

This is a direct threat to free speech.

[onyx]

Once a government is committed to the principle of silencing the voice of opposition, it has only one way to go, and that is down the path of increasingly repressive measures, until it becomes a source of terror to all its citizens and creates a country where everyone lives in fear.
~Harry S Truman, August 8, 1950

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Once a government is committed to the principle of silencing the voice of opposition, it has only one way to go, and that is down the path of increasingly repressive measures, until it becomes a source of terror to all its citizens and creates a country where everyone lives in fear.
~Harry S Truman, August 8, 1950

You'd better believe Free Republic is important.


Free Republic is Your Voice and Your Forum!
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PLEASE Make Your Donation This Morning, Monthly, if You POSSIBLY & RELIABLY can!

[Jonty30]

It always starts out voluntary.

[skinkinthegrass]

pResident 0'Muslim:"bow down/bend over/pull down your pants, my liberal
media slaves/morons; your mine, to use as I see fit.

[Deagle]

The Government does not do voluntary, they control voluntary!

[Gene Eric]

What a freak.

# the MSM — it’s the Country’s greatest threat.

[SatinDoll]

“...controlling of what news gets reported and how such stories are reported...” has already occurred.

[Vendome]

Blow */*.....

[lucky american]

This is a direct attack on your rights and all of you will sit there and take it.
We’re screwed.

[Veggie Todd]

Jeez, is he deliberately trying to lose NBC, CBS, and ABC?

[Joe Boucher]

This mother xxxxer is really a Marxist punk isn’t he.

[Mark17]

It always starts out voluntary.

Greta Van Sustern answered the silly FCC questions by saying, none of your business, read the constitution.

[I want the USA back]

Half of the American public has its collective head up its collective anal exit aperture and pays no attention to the constant march of fascism practiced by this administration. So there is nobody who will stop it.

[newnhdad]

wow.. good thing we didn’t elect Romney... s/

[DJ Frisat]

FCC study? We’ll get back to ya after we finish paying our voluntary income taxes...

[T-Boy]

They will voluntarily provide this information because they already “comply” with giving the “necessary” critical information to the “needy” public.

Conservative media will then be out of “compliance” because they are different than what the govt regulates and the others already produce.

[Flick Lives]

UPDATE: Since I wrote this, it has been reported that the FCC is withdrawing the planned survey.

Much like the cockroach, when you shine a light on the evildoing of this Regime, it scurries away. Unfortunately, the MSM is too timid for the most part, and too in bed with this Regime to do so. The only reason the Regime backed off this fascist idea is that bloggers and alternative media started talking about it.

[Common Sense 101]

Submission.... that’s going to be a bit of a problem.

—Leonidas