The First Amendment to the Constitution prevents “abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press.” However, governmental agencies such as the FCC monitor and regulate the content of all forms of the media. Similarly, in the United States free market economy there are also governmental agencies which regulate commerce and prevent threats to free trade. In order for the United States to retain its free press, governmental regulation of the news media should be as minimal as possible and should be used to protect, rather than mislead, its citizens.

These freedoms are not entirely related, however. The Constitution lays out the right to freedom of the press, but it also outlines protection for citizens from the press, including protection against slander and libel. The Constitution clearly outlines governmental agency’s protection of its citizens’ rights from the press in this way, so, taking into account changes in modern technology and the distribution of the media, the FCC has guidelines to follow this regulation. It is the news media’s responsibility to ensure the FCC doesn’t overstep these boundaries. Since the Constitution says nothing about a free market economy or its regulations, boundaries for protecting this “free” market, which, by its name alone should have no protections, are not as clear for the regulating agencies.

A case could be made for regulation of the news media on the grounds that shoddy publications misinform citizens and cause them to form uninformed decisions. The constitution protects citizens from untrue attacks by the press with clauses preventing the media from preventing slander and libel. Aside from these protections, the news media should be able to print whatever it wants. Regulation of the news media prevents the free flow of ideas and information and is at the forefront of creating a uninformed, conformist, and unprogressive society.

On the other hand, it is immensely difficult in this world to limit the intake of information, and to find a single, credible source. We have nine browsers informing of us of news, blogs and bloggers, traditional newspapers, television reports—how can you choose which source to believe? How can you even choose which source to read? It seems almost impossible to filter information in our world of so many options.

Do you think that the government should start regulating new media sources in this time of “Wild West” Internet and media sources?