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Media & Democracy blog
The Case for Cameras at Supreme Court Arguments Since May 2020 anyone can hear Supreme Court arguments live. Here is the case for taking the next step to video, and a fair look at the justices' reasons for refusing. Harry and Louise and the Collapse of the 1994 Clinton Health Plan Two actors at a kitchen table helped sink the Clinton health plan. Here is how the ads worked, why the bill died without a floor vote, and what reformers learned. Red Lion, the Fairness Doctrine and the Rule Broadcasters Fought for Decades A 1964 radio attack on a small-town Pennsylvania station led to a unanimous 1969 ruling, a 1987 repeal and a debate about fairness on the air that never ended. The Ad Tech Ruling Against Google and the Money Behind Free News Websites A 2025 ruling found Google illegally monopolized key ad tech markets. How the split-second auctions behind every news page work, and why they decide what publishers earn. The Communications Act of 1934 and the Idea That the Airwaves Belong to the Public How a 1934 law made broadcasters trustees of public airwaves, why the public-interest standard faded, and what the old bargain still offers a democracy.