Who governs the the television news? Is it the FCC?

Question

Hello all, There was a shooting over the weekend close to the local bar. The shooting did not happen at the bar or have any patrons invovled, but news reports keep saying it did. The owner is furious and would like to lodge a complaint but does not who keeps local news in check. Does any one know who it is that they should contact?

Answer 1

I suspect that what has happened it that the TV station has gotten the wrong information. Usually they report crime from the police reports. These are public information so if you make a trip to the police dept that investigated the call, you should be able to get a copy.
If the story being reported is not the same as the police report, contact the news director of the station to find out why. If they have made a mistake they may correct it on the air. If the story and police report are the same and the club is implicated then the station has reported the story in good faith and there is little if any recourse except to get the police to correct the report.

Answer 2

The FCC regulates ownership of television stations, licensing, fines stations for violating rules regarding obscenity or foul language, that sort of thing.

If they had to track down and punish every news report that contained errors, half-truths and outright mis-representations they'd never get anything else done at all.

No one besides the bar owner and its patrons care whether or not the story was accurate.

Your best bet is to call the reporter and ask to set the record straight. If he doesn't respond try calling a rival television station and pitching your story to them. They might like to chance to stick a sory down their rivals' throats.

Answer 3

The owners of the station that broadcast news item. If he can prove his business or reputation was hurt there must be few thousand attorneys drooling to help him.