How some broadcasters use copyright claims to avoid embarrassment – and in this case, Fox Broadcasters take the high road. From the Copyright and Fair Use files.
News organizations exist at the heart of political discourse, and should function to encourage public discussion rather than censor it. A news outlet should promote the exchange of ideas, not restrict them simply because the outlet itself might be reflected in a negative light. In this way, copyright abuse by media organizations is particularly offensive to our founding democratic ideals. July was full of embarrassing moments for news organizations, many of whom in turn used copyright law to censor criticism of their mistakes. As more broadcasting blunders will inevitably happen, we can only hope that this month of copyright abuse was an exception, not a new trend. (via After On-Air Mishaps, Embarrassed Newscasters Turn to Copyright Law | Digital Media Law Project)
Barbara K Iverson 