Which term describes a policy historically requiring balanced coverage of controversial issues in broadcasting, now not enforced?

• A. Mass media
• B. Equal-time rule
• C. Hypodermic theory
• D. Fairness doctrine

Answer: (D)

The main idea here is a policy that demanded broadcasters present controversial public issues with fairness, offering opposing viewpoints and ensuring audiences could hear multiple sides. This is exactly what the Fairness Doctrine was. Implemented by the FCC in the mid-20th century, it aimed to prevent one-sided coverage on broadcast outlets and to provide opportunities for contrasting opinions on important issues. It’s called the Fairness Doctrine because its core requirement was fairness in presenting controversial issues. It’s historical and, by the late 1980s, the FCC voted to end it, so it’s no longer enforced today. The other terms don’t describe this policy: mass media is the broad field, not a rule; hypodermic theory is a media-effects idea about how messages affect audiences, not a coverage rule.