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Broadcast news

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr speaks at a hearing of the House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government | Michael Brochstein/Sipa USA/Newscom

First Amendment

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr's Meddling in Broadcast Journalism Contradicts His Own Avowed Views

As a minority FCC member during the Bush administration, Carr condemned government interference with newsroom decisions.

Jacob Sullum | 7.30.2025 12:01 AM

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr testifying before a Senate subcommittee | Michael Brochstein/Zuma Press/Newscom

First Amendment

The FCC's Paramount/Skydance Decision Aims To Reshape Broadcast Journalism by Bureaucratic Fiat

Chairman Brendan Carr thinks his agency should strive to ensure that news coverage is fair and balanced—a role precluded by the First Amendment.

Jacob Sullum | 7.25.2025 4:15 PM

Donald Trump poses for a photo with Jeffrey Epstein | Rod Lamkey/CNP/Sipa USA/Newscom | Illustration: Eddie Marshall

First Amendment

Trump, Who Wants To 'Straighten Out the Press,' Sues The Wall Street Journal Over 'Fake' Epstein Letter

Whatever the merits of this particular defamation claim, the president has a long history of abusing the legal system to punish constitutionally protected speech.

Jacob Sullum | 7.21.2025 10:50 AM

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters at the Whire House | Hu Yousong/Xinhua News Agency/Newscom

Free Press

By Settling Trump's Laughable Lawsuit Against CBS, Paramount Strikes a Blow at Freedom of the Press

The company's surrender to Trump's extortion vindicates his strategy of using frivolous litigation and his presidential powers to punish constitutionally protected speech.

Jacob Sullum | 7.2.2025 3:05 PM

President Donald Trump and the logo for Paramount Pictures, a subsidiary of Paramount Global. | Illustration: Eddie Marshall | Chris Kleponis | Pool via CNP | Newscom | Paramount Pictures Corporation (Paramount Global)

Donald Trump

Trump Wants $25 Million To Settle His Meritless 60 Minutes Lawsuit

In a legal filing this week, Trump argued that routine edits to a CBS News interview he did not participate in caused him "confusion and mental anguish."

Joe Lancaster | 5.30.2025 1:45 PM

President Donald Trump at the White House Easter Egg Roll | Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/Newscom

First Amendment

Trump's Actions Contradict His Avowed Commitment to First Amendment Rights

The president has launched a multifaceted crusade against speech that offends him.

Jacob Sullum | 4.23.2025 12:01 AM

Donald Trump signing executive orders | CNP/AdMedia/Newscom

First Amendment

Trump Tries To Carve Out a First Amendment Exception for 'Fake News'

The president's portrayal of journalism he does not like as consumer fraud is legally frivolous and blatantly unconstitutional.

Jacob Sullum | 2.24.2025 3:05 PM

Kamala Harris during her 60 Minutes interview | CBS News

Journalism

Trump Is Flat-Out Lying About the 60 Minutes Interview With Harris

The full transcript shows the president's complaints about the editing of the interview are not just wildly hyperbolic and legally groundless. They are demonstrably false.

Jacob Sullum | 2.6.2025 2:40 PM

CBS News correspondent Bill Whitaker speaks to then-Vice President Kamala Harris in the vice presidential residence. | CBS News/YouTube

Lawsuits

Transcript Proves the 60 Minutes Scandal Was Always Fake

Donald Trump's complaints were always meritless, but CBS' capitulation sets a dangerous precedent for the future of the news media.

Joe Lancaster | 2.6.2025 12:30 PM

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr and President Donald Trump, against the backdrop of the logo for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). | Illustration: Lex Villena; Gage Skidmore, Jeremy Hogan ZUMAPRESS Newscom

Free Speech

How the FCC's 'Warrior for Free Speech' Became Our Censor in Chief

Brendan Carr has a clear record of threatening to suppress constitutionally protected speech.

Joe Lancaster | 2.5.2025 1:15 PM

President Donald Trump in the Oval Office | CNP/AdMedia/Sipa/Newscom

Donald Trump

Why Is Paramount So Keen To Settle Trump's Laughable Lawsuit Against CBS?

The company is worried that the president's complaints about a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris could block a pending merger.

Jacob Sullum | 1.31.2025 4:20 PM

George Stephanopoulos in New York City | Christopher Peterson/SplashNews/Newscom

Defamation

Given George Stephanopoulos' Carelessness, ABC's Defamation Settlement With Trump Seems Prudent

The host of This Week repeatedly and inaccurately asserted that Trump had been "found liable for rape."

Jacob Sullum | 12.16.2024 5:35 PM

Screenshots from several different news broadcasts shown in one image | Illustration: Lex Villena

Journalism

Cable News Is Over

What comes next will be more fragmented, more decentralized, and more authentic than the old legacy networks.

Peter Suderman | 11.21.2024 2:59 PM

Brendan Carr, President-elect Donald Trump's choice to run the Federal Communications Commission | Graeme Sloan/Sipa USA/Newscom

FCC

Trump's Pick To Run the FCC Wants To Restrict the Editorial Discretion of Social Media Platforms

"Reining in Big Tech," Brendan Carr says, requires scrapping liability protections and restricting moderation decisions.

Jacob Sullum | 11.18.2024 4:35 PM

Sen. Tim Kaine (D–Va.) appearing on 'Saturday Night Live,' beneath an overlay of the show's logo. | Illustration: Lex Villena; SNL

FCC

Abolish the FCC's Equal Time Rule Before the Next Election

The decades-old regulation imposes burdens that no other media outlets are subject to.

Joe Lancaster | 11.5.2024 1:30 PM

Donald Trump at a rally in Salem, Virginia | Mirrorpix/Mega/ASLON2/Newscom

Free Press

Trump's Legal Complaints Against 2 News Outlets Reflect His Disregard for Freedom of the Press

The Republican presidential candidate argues that CBS and The Washington Post broke the law by covering the election in ways he did not like.

Jacob Sullum | 11.4.2024 6:30 AM

Donald Trump speaks at Madison Square Garden |  Jen Golbeck/Zuma Press/Newscom

Donald Trump

Trump Thinks News Outlets Should Lose Their Broadcast Licenses, Even When They Have None

Despite his cluelessness, the former president's inclination to punish constitutionally protected speech reflects his authoritarian disregard for civil liberties.

Jacob Sullum | 10.28.2024 4:15 PM

Trump and Harris debate shown on a screen in a room full of people seated at tables with the ABC News logo on display. | BONNIE CASH/UPI/Newscom

Debates

Trump Threatens ABC's Broadcast License After Rocky Debate Performance

Trump's greatest enemy on Tuesday wasn't ABC. It was himself.

Emma Camp | 9.11.2024 3:23 PM

Mike Pesca talks to Nick Gillespie about NPR | Illustration: Lex Villena

Media

Mike Pesca: How NPR Lost Its Way

Former NPR and Slate fixture Mike Pesca discusses media meltdowns, objectivity vs. moral clarity, and whether we are better or worse off now that media gatekeepers have less influence.

Nick Gillespie | 9.11.2024 11:15 AM

Former Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel | Brian Cahn/Zuma Press/Newscom

Media Criticism

If Ronna McDaniel Is Beyond the Pale, NBC May Have Trouble Presenting 'Diverse Viewpoints'

The former RNC chair's concession that Biden won "fair and square" did not save her from internal outrage at her support for Trump's stolen-election fantasy.

Jacob Sullum | 3.27.2024 4:35 PM

Ronna McDaniel | Screenshot via NBC News

Media Criticism

Why Are NBC Anchors Throwing a Tantrum Over Ronna McDaniel?

They should keep in mind that Jen Psaki exists.

Robby Soave | 3.25.2024 4:29 PM

Text over a black background, reading "Palestinian militants" with "militants" crossed out and replaced with terrorists. "Israeli officials" is crossed out and replaced with "the Israeli occupation." | Illustration: Lex Villena; France24

Middle East

How Middle East Outlets Reframe the News To Fit Their Narrative

Changing phrases to be for or against Israel is part of the job.

Matthew Petti | 8.15.2023 3:35 PM

24/7 Politics: Cable Television & the Fragmenting of America From Watergate to Fox News, by Kathryn Cramer Brownell. | Princeton University Press

Television

The Battlefields of Cable

How cable TV transformed politics—and how politics transformed cable TV

Jesse Walker | 8.15.2023 8:00 AM

An NPR tote bag set on fire | Illustration: Lex Villena; Jakub Gojda

Politics

Ax Government Funding for NPR

NPR is no Xinhua, but Elon Musk is correct that it doesn't need government subsidies.

Liz Wolfe | 4.13.2023 12:05 PM

Fox News

Political Ignorance

Fox News 2020 Election Coverage Decisions Demonstrate that Demand for Misinformation is a Bigger Problem than the Supply

Major Fox talk show hosts knew that Trump's claims of a stolen election were false, but chose not to say so on air, for fear it would anger their audience.

Ilya Somin |The Volokh Conspiracy | 2.20.2023 10:15 AM

Liz Harrington | Screenshot: Real America's Voice

First Amendment

No, You Don't Have a First Amendment Right To Get Your Speech Aired on Cable News

On Tuesday night, Trump spokesperson Liz Harrington made the baffling claim that, if mainstream news channels failed to air the former president's campaign announcement in full, it would mean that "we do not have the First Amendment."

Emma Camp | 11.17.2022 4:41 PM

31 | Yui Mok/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom

Cancel Culture

GB News Stands Up to U.K. Cancel Culture and Wins

Advertisers found that appeasing an illiberal mob wasn’t a safe choice after all.

J.D. Tuccille | 6.23.2021 7:00 AM

Large image on homepages | Chris Kleponis/SIPA/Newscom

Reason Roundup

Eight Minutes of Televised Trump Tonight Could Cause Chaos: Reason Roundup

Plus: Israel boycott bill divides Democrats, Cyntoia Brown gets clemency, and the "skills gap" was a lie.

Elizabeth Nolan Brown | 1.8.2019 9:30 AM

Large image on homepages

Censorship

'I Believe in the First Amendment,' Says FCC Chair, Rejecting Trump's Censorious Tweets

Ajit Pai notes that his agency has no authority to consider journalistic content in making license decisions.

Jacob Sullum | 10.17.2017 1:45 PM

Large image for longform feature pages. | Julian DuFort

John Stossel

John Stossel: The Man. The Myth. The Moustache.

The TV newsman looks back on his career at 20/20 and Fox News, and talks about the future of video.

Katherine Mangu-Ward | 2.11.2017 6:00 AM

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