The latest news in the business of radio broadcasting comes to us from Cumulus Media.
On January 6, talk show hosts with the corporation were directed to stop talking about the recent presidential election....or else. (1)
"We need to help induce calm NOW, and will not tolerate any suggestion that the election has not ended...if you transgress this policy, you can expect to separate from the company immediately"
-- Brian Phillips, Executive Vice President of Content, Cumulus Media
Basically, the company has said to its many conservative hosts, "we know you think the election was not legitimately conducted. Shut up about it, or you're fired".
This directive has raised an important question, one involving free speech. Can a media corporation such as Cumulus, or any company for that matter, tell its employees what they can and cannot say? As long as the company isn't a government entity, then yes, they can. There's nothing in the Constitution that says you must work for a particular company. If you disagree with company policy, you're free to seek employment with another company that you agree with, policy-wise.
Perhaps the more pressing question is whether the action of Cumulus is ethically correct. I am of the opinion that it is not. Company policy aside, if someone has an opinion that things are a bit shady, they should be able to express that opinion without fear of losing their job. The fact that employees of Cumulus Media cannot do as such is disturbing to me...but maybe I worry too much. (2)
Sources:
1. Taylor, Dick. "What Was The Fairness Doctrine?". Dicktaylorblog, 2021, https://dicktaylorblog.com/2021/01/17/what-was-the-fairness-doctrine/. Accessed 18 Jan 2021.
2. Personal knowledge.
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