fairness doctrine
noun
: a tenet of licensed broadcasting that ensures a reasonable opportunity for the airing of conflicting viewpoints on controversial issues
Examples of fairness doctrine in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In 1987, the FCC also abolished the fairness doctrine, which required broadcasters to provide differing viewpoints when covering issues of public importance.
—
Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 19 Sep. 2025
Trump’s comment’s appeared to allude to the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) fairness doctrine, abolished in 1987 in the Reagan era, which required networks with broadcast licenses to reflect different viewpoints on major issues, The Hill’s Brett Samuels reports.
—Jared Gans, The Hill, 19 Sep. 2025
Trump, though, appeared to be conflating the FCC‘s equal time rule with the fairness doctrine.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 27 Aug. 2025
His chairman, Mark Fowler, repealed the fairness doctrine, which required broadcasters to give opposing views on controversial topics.
—Gene Maddaus, Variety, 9 July 2025
In the television era, the fairness doctrine laid that groundwork.
—Jaron Lanier, WIRED, 13 Feb. 2024
Consider the Federal Communications Commission’s fairness doctrine, a policy that controversial issues of public importance should receive balanced coverage, exposing audiences to differing views.
—Garriy Shteynberg, Discover Magazine, 24 Jan. 2024
Bolstered by his dogged reporting and backed with an internal fairness doctrine most journalists only dream of, Wahl changed the field for women’s sports.
—Tara Sullivan, BostonGlobe.com, 17 Dec. 2022
The migration reminds her of the late Eighties and early Nineties — after the FCC fairness doctrine was repealed.
—Samantha Hissong, Rolling Stone, 4 Jan. 2022
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 19 Sep. 2025
Trump’s comment’s appeared to allude to the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) fairness doctrine, abolished in 1987 in the Reagan era, which required networks with broadcast licenses to reflect different viewpoints on major issues, The Hill’s Brett Samuels reports.
—Jared Gans, The Hill, 19 Sep. 2025
Trump, though, appeared to be conflating the FCC‘s equal time rule with the fairness doctrine.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 27 Aug. 2025
His chairman, Mark Fowler, repealed the fairness doctrine, which required broadcasters to give opposing views on controversial topics.
—Gene Maddaus, Variety, 9 July 2025
In the television era, the fairness doctrine laid that groundwork.
—Jaron Lanier, WIRED, 13 Feb. 2024
Consider the Federal Communications Commission’s fairness doctrine, a policy that controversial issues of public importance should receive balanced coverage, exposing audiences to differing views.
—Garriy Shteynberg, Discover Magazine, 24 Jan. 2024
Bolstered by his dogged reporting and backed with an internal fairness doctrine most journalists only dream of, Wahl changed the field for women’s sports.
—Tara Sullivan, BostonGlobe.com, 17 Dec. 2022
The migration reminds her of the late Eighties and early Nineties — after the FCC fairness doctrine was repealed.
—Samantha Hissong, Rolling Stone, 4 Jan. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Fairness doctrine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fairness%20doctrine. Accessed 3 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share