The period between the 1930s and the 1990s was an unusual period in its mass communicationsCommunications about politics. Both before and subsequently freedom of the press entailed communicants being largely able to publish what they wished—whether it was true or not. The advent of, first, radioRadio and then televisionTelevision had altered that. There was a requirement that what was said or shown there was “balanced”. Particular views or ideas about politics were communicated in a context where other viewers would also have access to such communicationsCommunications. Its main effect on politics was not to exclude other views, but to emphasize those that were balanced. Political debate did not end, but neither was it primarily consensual, but radically differing viewpoints struggled to get similar coverage on radioRadio and televisionTelevision. By about 2000 this era was ending, and America had returned to its earlier free-access approach. At the same time as its ending, religious organizations and individuals extended their work in electronic broadcasting. Many fundamentalistsFundamentalist had become less involved in such broadcasting after public reaction to the Scopes trial in 1925 had exposed them to national ridicule. They began extending their involvement in mass communicationCommunications of their own view, including those relating to politics.