(3 of 3)
What system offers the greatest freedom of expression while best safeguarding the public interest? The issues are so complex that even professional civil-libertarians disagree. The American Civil Liberties Union, which argues that stations should not be allowed to editorialize, thinks that if they do, the ABC method is best because it fosters diversity of opinion. Others complain that ABC abdicates its own responsibility in giving newsmen so much leeway, that its listeners tend to heed only the commentators who echo their own prejudices. The other extreme, even when buttressed by the sense of responsibility of the network, produces more lip service than performance, and mixes hypocrisy with the punditry. "At CBS," says one newsman at another network, "you just say 'Uh-huh' to the no-opinion policy and then go ahead and pretend to make omelets without breaking eggs."