Glenn Beck has previously ranted about a Maoist conspiracy theory including the Entertainment Industry Foundation, EIF, of which News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch is on the “honorary board of governors.”

Beck has now criticized the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) workshop scheduled for December 1 & 2, 2009. He claims that they want to discuss how to “help journalists do their job.”

BECK: Yesterday, we had two stories that seemed like no big deal if you didn’t know what was behind them. The first story was about the government getting into Internet regulation. Remember, protect you from the shady Internet blogger trying to scam you into buying the perfect pancake maker. Oh, the government is here just trying to help you. Remember that?

Also, the other story was the FTC — not the FCC, but the FTC — they’re just getting together for a little lunch, you know, a conference in December, the 1st and 2nd of December. They just want to talk about how they can help journalists do their job.

Oh, I’d like to have a little speech there, too. They want to know, should there be extra funding for journalists? Should there be tax credits for certain news organizations?

Rupert, gravy train is about to come, I’m sure. Should the government be more involved? OK. Remember those two stories here.

Rupert Murdoch gave his speech this morning, as scheduled, at the FTC workshop titled “From Town Criers to Bloggers: How will Journalism Survive the Internet Age?” So, once again, Beck has linked his boss to another conspiracy theory…

The purpose of the workshop was not to find ways to “help journalists do their job.” Here’s what the FTC press release had to say:

The workshop will consider a wide range of issues, including: the economics of journalism in print and online; the wide variety of new business and non-profit models for journalism online; factors relevant to the new economic realities for news organizations, such as behavioral and other targeted online advertising, online news aggregators, and bloggers; and the ways in which the costs of journalism could be reduced without reducing quality.

Beck even intertwined this latest conspiracy theory with his idea that net neutrality is the government wanting to censor the Internet, the group Free Press is Marxist and that free speech is at risk.

Nowhere does the FTC press release state that the government wants to tell journalists how to do their jobs, regulate or censor what is published, or conspire against people like Beck in any way. Beck made that connection and included Rupert Murdoch, the CEO of FNC parent company, News Corp.

Original Story

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is charged with regulating interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite and cable. The FCC may penalize licensees for knowingly broadcasting false information.

As public trustees, broadcasters may not intentionally distort the news. Broadcasters are responsible for deciding what their stations present to the public. The FCC has stated publicly that “rigging or slanting the news is a most heinous act against the public interest.”

If you would like to contact the FCC, or file a complaint, the applicable  information has been added to FNB.

Click here for FCC contact info