Tavis Smiley doesn't know what the Fairness Doctrine is.

[davitodude]

If anything he answered the question correctly by stating he would come back to it insinuating he would give it more thought for next time.

[varriform]

This is a rediculous video. No evidence has been presented that confirms that he did not know what the Fairness Doctrine is. I can see how that would be assumed, but the assumptions are not facts.

[FaithandReasons]

lol He didn't know what the fairness doctrine was, & instead of asking what it is, he tried to play it off as if he wasn't sure. *shaking my head* lol

[peteykkk]

Tavis still be a porch monkey without a clue. He goin down to the hood to be askin his soulmate Leroy or Levon or Lamont! Then he be gettin back to you!

[RMAYNARD219]

Tavis Smiley has more degrees and money than you. Which means he is smarter and richer than you. In saying that, do you think he cares or anyone else who knows his credentials care what you think? His weekly dry cleaning bill is what you make in about 6 months. Not only are you a low life but an idiot as well. The total opposite of him. LOL!!!!

[TopAssistant]

WHEN ARE WE GOING TO DROP THE DAMN AFRICAN-AMERICAN THING? Racism will never stop until we stop politicians and those who earn money from it do so. How about it? National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)? We need start a National Association for the Advancement of White People (NAAWP). How about the Congressional Black Caucus? What if we started a Congressional White Caucus?

[kimisbitchin]

Of course... anyone criticizes a black person and it is racism. I am so tired of people playing the black card... GET OVER IT!

[logansGT]

Will you assholes please stop making excuses for this other clueless asshole Smiley?

[ddeashley]

SO THIS VIDEO PROVED WHAT AGAIN?????

[bigsky1970]

@ddeashley That Tavis Smiley is an idiot.

[ColumbiaCowboy]

I would like to ask the person who posted this...

Have you ever been on television in front of millions of people?

The answer, of course, is no. Yeah, Tavis choked...so have lots of other people, if you think he doesn't know what it means, you're daft.

The question was dumb, by the way. There are LOADS of conservative commentators on PBS. That the right bashes public broadcasting shows they're lost,without PBS there would BE no Rush, no O'Reilly. "Firing Line" started it all!

[papeluso]

1st: AS AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN, I AM NOT A FAN OF TAVIS SMILEY...

BUT...

I think this video clip is BIAS.

You presented NO PROOF that he didn't know what the Fairness Doctrine was.

[revelation321]

this nigga is more than educated you dumb fucks he has the right not to choose a side as a public speaker you wanna be able to fully support any side u take lmao fukin losers dont know shit

[swampdonkey5150]

Yes my friend, he has this right as the Constitution of the United States has afforded him so. Just DO NOT inhibit those that are on the side of political opposition by making them silent. Too many men died for our right for our right to speak our mind. This is a battle that will not end peacefully.  Our nation was founded upon the principle of the inalienable right of a free man to speak his mind against government corruption. When that right has been denied, so has Freedom. We all go down.

[lori18305]

Sad

[CarlosSaqiid]

I thought his statement was the nervous equivalent of saying "I don't know"

Even if he asked what it was, He still couldn't speak intelligently on the issue based on one man's answer.

Tough break for Tavis, but his rep isn't tarnished behind this. Great Intellects still flock to his show.

Jim, you better upload something else. Don't let this single clip be your message to the world. People are thinking you're an ass when you were probably just making a light observation.

[SUBZERO617]

WHAT IS THE FAIRNESS DOCTRINE??......phuck it I'll google it....

[americanbrother8]

Sorry, your video is lame! Your conviction only demonstrates your true feelings about black people. why would someone of intelligence really value your opinion? It looks like you're going no-where fast!

[tinian33]

I agree that this clip indeed only serves to slime Tavis, but on the other hand, Tavis should know the ins and outs of the fairness doctrine based on his profession alone. It has been repealed, but any journalist or broadcaster should know should know what it is, especially if you studied journalism.

[slitheringinterstate]

Again, the shameful thing about this video, isn't that Tavis clearly doesn't know what The Fairness Doctrine is; we're all human, nobody was born knowing what it was, there's no shame in saying he doesn't know. The shameful thing, is LYING...and I'm sorry, but PRETENDING YOU KNOW OF SOMETHING, WHEN YOU CLEARLY FUCKING DON'T, IS A LIE.

[slitheringinterstate]

The poster is right, and here's why...if we've learned ANYTHING from the Bush years, it's when someone of power in the public forum doesn't know something, ADMIT IT...do NOT try to save face, by pretending like you know something that you don't. People WILL ACCEPT an admission of not knowing something. He could have said "I have to educate myself on the issue further, before I pass judgement" , but instead he dishonestly fakes knowledge of something. Honesty first Tavis, shame on you.

[NaseerHammed]

Uh where did he lie or pretend he knew what the answer was...is there a connecting clip to this or are be sarcastic?

[astronomy012]

What is the point of this video anyway? It reminded me of President Bush, but are you trying to compare this guy and President Bush?

[Gahanaholic]

What is your problem?????? Leave Tavis alone. It's one question, one interview......he doesn't have to be perfect all the time. Geez!!!

[kballin01]

Boo jimboster

[kballin01]

Go Tavis

[Kenshi76]

I agree on SchoolofSoul's observation. Travis was smart on not just going off at the mouth talking nonsense...THAT takes INTELLIGENCE, unlike the powers that be in office right now...trash talking....

[ksuave81]

Seems to me he did the proper thing. He didn't have an answer so he gave no answer. He didn't make up anything. He stated he wasn't sure and asked to come back to it later. Please forgive the man for not having the answer to everything in the world. I wonder if the person who post this has an answer?

[gkltdd]

who cares, this is so lame, it just looks like he's either trying to remember what the fair doctrine is exactly or trying to come up with a good answer.... the only reason the caller knew about the fairness doctrine was because it was discussed on the previous program.... this video is useless....

[bdishaman]

This video does very little, if anything, to demonstrate the suggestion that Tavis doesn't know what the Fairness Doctrine is, no matter how many times you repeat his response and insert trite little unchallenged questions between repeats... perhaps you should go into political campaigning.

[Snotra]

Priceless!

[SchoolofSoul]

Doesn't appear that he doesn't know what it is, just that he hasn't yet fully formed a solid opinion, and he's hesitant to voice an opinion before he's had time to weigh the pros and cons of it. Smart move, I think.

[radio0524]

I'm sure that a man who has been covering politics in the media knows what the fairness doctrine is. It is his job to know these things. A more logical explanaition is that Tavis was on to promote the debate he moderated on PBS. Since the question wasn't on the debate, the fairness doctrine wasn't mentioned in the debate and time is limited he skipped the question.

[Jay20782]

That's the " only " reason? I could've sworn blatant racism and discrimination still played a part in American economics to this very day.

[Craigbe]

Jay sounds as intelligent as the criminal in the clip. He suffers from BDS. It's Bush's fault that jay can't develop a reasoned argument and that makse it OK for him to "act up."

[Jay20782]

Criminal? Name 2 crimes he's committed.

Furthermore, I didn't offer an argument... I merely suggested that we ought not assume exactly what was going through Tavis' head simply because he didn't answer the question head on. He may have had sponsors watching who have strong opinion on the Fairness Doctrine.

[Alfrunk]

Or he didn't know what the fairness doctrine was, which he clearly didn't. OR Are you a racist, saying he's a black slave to the white corporations? He's an uncle tom, afraid to talk back to whitey if they disagree with him on the fairness doctrine? You make me sick.

[Jay20782]

Nothing was clear, except he didn't answer the question which you can take for whatever you'd like but the bottom line is we aren't in his head. Furthermore, all corporations aren't WHITE, and he could've been playing to his black base by not answering the question. We simply don't know...thus, you are an uneducated douchebag for assuming, but again, that's what assholes do.

[Alfrunk]

Right, my master's degree was just taken away from me because you disagree. Makes sense.

[Jay20782]

Too bad master's degrees don't prove much in the way of common sense. Thank goodness, I have both.

[Jay20782]

You mean, that same affirmative action that black people hardly benefit from. Statistics show that WHITE WOMEN benefit by much larger numbers than any other group. Perhaps he didn't know the answer, I can't speak for him...but assuming is what assholes do.

[radio0524]

WOW, I have no clue. You do know that he is on PUBLIC television and PUBLIC radio. And right now his show has some of the highest ratings on PUBlIC TV. Obviously you have no clue as to what qualifications it takes to be on PUBLIC Airways or how a show gets high ratings on PUBLIC Airways. Do yourself a favor and research it, because I can tell you it isn't from Affirmative action. Just because a black man is successful in this country doesn't mean he got there because of Affirmative Action.

[Craigbe]

If a White man answered a question like that, would it be OK to consider him stupid? But if you call this idiot stupid, you're a racist! The Bell Curve is correct!

[Jay20782]

If a white man answered a question like that, you'd call him " GEORGE W. BUSH " ... oh but wait, u can't call the President stupid, because then you're being " unpatriotic " ... fuck outta here.

[EbonyHIme]

lol. AMEN!

[radio0524]

Wow, do you really think that a man who makes a career in political opinion doesn't know what the fairness doctrine is. I mean the man has been on NPR for the better part of a DECADE. I would think that he knows what the Fairness Doctrine is. For what ever reason he didn't want to answer the question. I like how people just make assumptions and discredit people. I mean LCC83 YOU THINK YOU HEARD HIM BACK IN 04. YOU THINK meaning you don't really know.

[LCC83]

Gosh, I cannot stand this man. Typical black lib w/no clue beyond what the candidates will do for the "community." I heard him on the radio back in 04, I think, and he was on a typical BDS rant and I felt dirty after listening. He does us blacks NO favors!

[Jay20782]

Actually, I thought the Covenant with Black America that included more than anything else WAYS FOR BLACK PEOPLE TO BETTER THEMSELVES BY THEMSELVES...things such as eat right, sleep right, exercise, manage your money, so on & so forth.

[EbonyHIme]

I you're black, I'm white!

[Jay20782]

Fuck up

[EbonyHIme]

Are you talking to me?

[Alfrunk]

This affirmative action retard is a great example of what's wrong with these liberal "feel good" policies. He is unprofessional, a liar, a Bush-hater. Why is he still on the air? What does he bring to the conversation? Shouldn't they replace him with someone who has some knowledge and qualifications beyond skin color??

[Jay20782]

What did he lie about?

Why is Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity (both blatant liars) still on the air?

Shouldn't Rush have been fired years ago for his lies & hypocrisy concerning drug use and so forth? If you agree, then I have no quarrel with you.

[Alfrunk]

What did he lie about and when? Be specific. Just because you don't like someone, doesn't mean they're dishonest.

[Jay20782]

What hole did you crawl out from?

Rush faked Doctor's prescription to gain large quantities of pharmaceutical medication, dare I name the exact drug. He's a liar on that front.

He's also lied about the war countless times.

[Alfrunk]

Well everyone has lied, you were implying that he misleads people on politics. He states his opinions and gives his analysis. Again, if you don't understand this, let me explain - someone disagreeing with you doesn't make them a liar. Also, again, what specifically did he lie about on the war on iraq? Do you know what specific means?

[Jay20782]

I implied nothing of the sort...but since you'd like to go there, let's take for example the Albert Gonzalez situation. Rush tried countless times to persuade the people that firing attorney's is a normal thing that Presidents do...which it is. However, firing them mid-term is unprecedented and clearly political. Take that one!

[Alfrunk]

How was that a lie??

[Jay20782]

Because he tried to make it seem NON-POLITICAL, when those firings were clearly political. It's called being dishonest.

[MozALoser]

The old rope a dope...