MRC Research Director Rich Noyes appeared on Fox and Friends, Thursday, to decry journalists who aggressively defend the First Amendment, but support restrictions on the Second Amendment. Noyes and co-host Steve Doocy discussed legislation introduced by a South Carolina State Representative that would create a registry so only “responsible” journalists could report the news.
Noyes pointed out the hypocrisy: “There's a double standard when it comes to First Amendment rights that the media will fight for... and Second Amendment rights, which I think many in the media are joining politicians in trying to find ways around, ways to restrict.”
It turns out that Representative Joe Pitts filed the legislation “as an experiment to make a point about the media and how they only care about the Constitution when it comes to their position on the First Amendment.”
Noyes explained the lesson here: “That's something where journalists should be looking introspectively. You know, if they're for constitutional rights they should be for all of them, not just the ones that benefit them.”
A transcript is below:
Fox and Friends
1/21/16
6:52STEVE DOOCY: This South Carolina state representative sparking outrage among professional journalists when the lawmaker proposed a law to create a registry for reporters to work in South Carolina. The outrage was fast and fierce. Washington Post reporter writing, quote, “What Mr. Pitt is proposing isn't just wrong, it simply can’t be done. There's no stopping people from spreading the news in a digital society. Certainly not with some outdated idea for a registry.” And that apparently was exactly the point Mike Pitt, the Representative, was trying to make. If it's unconstitutional, and ineffective to make journalists join a registry, why make gun owners do the same? Here to discuss is the research director for the Media Research Center down in the D.C. area. He's getting ready for the big snow, Rich Noyes. Good morning, Rich.
RICH NOYES: Morning, Steve.
DOOCY: What was this guy trying to do?
NOYES: Well, I think he was trying to show that there's a double standard when it comes to First Amendment rights that the media will fight for, and that we all should fight for, because they're very important and Second Amendment rights, which I think many in the media are joining politicians in trying to find ways around, ways to restrict, ways to regulate. You know, the media do not have the same affection for the Second Amendment. They don't consider it as precious a right as the First Amendment, which they enjoy.
DOOCY: Sure.
NOYES: And, of course, that's not — they should be championing all of our constitutional rights.
DOOCY: Right. And after this legislator down in South Carolina made the suggestion, my oh, my the universe of the internet just pretty much exploded, didn't it?
NOYES: Well, it did. And you know I liked the South Carolina Press Association president who said, you know, “The Constitution says nothing about a responsible press. They just talked about a free press. You know, you shouldn't have to prove to the government that you're qualified before you get your journalist license.” Well that's basically the argument that Second Amendment people have been saying for years now. That, you know, you can't negotiate away your constitutional rights. And yet, you know, every time there's a move in Congress or the President wants to do something, you have journalists championing the idea of restricting the Second Amendment. And that's something where journalists should be looking introspectively. You know, if they're for constitutional rights they should be for all of them, not just the ones that benefit them.
DOOCY: Sure, so after he talked about starting this legislation, then he put up on his Facebook, he wrote, “I filed this legislation as an experiment to make a point about the media and how they only care about the Constitution when it comes to their position on the First Amendment. In doing so, it put the media under the microscope and they did not like it. Furthermore, they love to trample on our Second Amendment rights to keep and bear arms.” So in other words, reporters love to support their First Amendment rights, but not so much on the second amendment.
NOYES: I think that's exactly right. I mean, this is, you know, let's just say it, this is a terrible idea. Journalists shouldn't have to go to the government to get a license.
DOOCY: Right.
NOYES: And prove their point. But neither should law-abiding citizens who have been convicted of no crime have to, you know, go through government hoops to get their gun rights protected.
DOOCY: Did he make his point?
NOYES: I think he did. We're talking about it.
DOOCY: We are, indeed. All right Rich Noyes from the Media Research Center where he's the research director. Rich, thank you very much for joining us live today.
NOYES: Thank you, Steve.
