The Fairness Doctrine:

The reference to the application of election laws to blogs in Larry Ribstein’s Table of Contents reminds me of a funny thing I saw just the other day, and the silliness of trying to restrain speech. I was watching an old Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier fight on ESPN Classic, and the announcer was interviewing Ali after the fight. Ali made a point of wishing good luck in some election to Dick Gregory, the old political activist. The announcer quickly ripped the microphone away and told Ali that he couldn’t discuss politics because otherwise they would have to grant equal time on the network to all of Gregory’s electoral opponents under the Fairness Doctrine. Very funny example of the folly of trying to restrain political speech through regulations.

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