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Media Regulation

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

Gigi Sohn sits at a brown desk against a white wall. | Rod Lamkey - CNP/picture alliance / Consolidated News Photos/Newscom

Biden Administration

Gigi Sohn Withdraws FCC Nomination Due to Politics, Policy, and Police Pressure

While Sohn’s record raises ethics and judgment questions, some attacks against her lacked merit.

David McGarry | 3.8.2023 3:05 PM

Eugene Volokh, lawsuit in background. | Tritton Productions, Lex Villena

First Amendment

District Court Halts New York Law Forcing Online Platforms To 'Respond' to 'Hateful' Speech

"Today's decision is a victory for the First Amendment that should be celebrated by everyone who hopes to see the internet continue as a place where even difficult and contentious issues can be debated and discussed freely," said one attorney.

Emma Camp | 2.16.2023 2:00 PM

Tech person detained by police | Illustration: Lex Villena; Mathayward, Anthony Quintano

Technology

Britain Wants To Jail Social Media Managers Who Don't Censor to the Government's Liking

Tech firm operators may face criminal charges if children who use their platforms encounter too much “harmful content.”

Scott Shackford | 1.17.2023 2:35 PM

Volodymyr Zelenskyy | Dmytro Larin | Dreamstime.com

Brickbats

Brickbat: You Can't Say That

Charles Oliver | 1.5.2023 4:00 AM

Person watching Netflix on a tablet | Raquelsfranca / Dreamstime.com

Brickbats

Brickbat: Royal Disaster

Charles Oliver | 12.30.2022 4:00 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

zumaamericasthirtythree313740 | Valery Sharifulin/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom

Russia

Russia's Remaining Independent Journalists Suffer for Their Work

Journalists often do their best work in places that offer the least welcoming environment.

J.D. Tuccille | 4.20.2022 7:00 AM

jenpsaki_1161x653 | Jim LoScalzo - Pool via CNP / MEGA / Newscom/RSSIL/Newscom

Government interference

It's Dangerous to Allow Politicians and Officials to Decide What Constitutes 'Truth'

"Governments realize that they are in an existential battle over who controls information."

J.D. Tuccille | 1.10.2022 8:30 AM

abaphotosthree454654 | Blondet Eliot/ABACA/Newscom

Facebook

If You Think Facebook Is Full of Dubious Outrage-Bait, Wait Til You See the Company's Critics

A business model where outrage is exploited for clicks describes both social media and the news media.

Liz Wolfe | 10.29.2021 10:30 AM

CNN_1161x653 | Sean Pavone / Dreamstime.com

Facebook

CNN Shuts Down Access to Facebook Pages in Australia After Court Ruling Holding Media Outlets Liable for Commenters

This is where government demands to moderate what users say will ultimately lead.

Scott Shackford | 9.29.2021 12:40 PM

agnew | C-SPAN

Media

Governments Love a Media Cartel—As Long as They're in Control

Friday A/V Club: Some people are against concentrated media power. Some just want to bend it to their will.

Jesse Walker | 8.20.2021 8:30 AM

Mosby_1161x653 | Ulysses Muñoz/TNS/Newscom

Censorship

Baltimore's Top Prosecutor Attempts To Send FCC Against Local Fox Affiliate

Don’t call yourself a supporter of the First Amendment while attempting to punish a media outlet for criticizing you.

Scott Shackford | 5.12.2021 12:55 PM

desantisdeplatform_1161x653 | Paul Hennessy / SOPA Images/Sipa/Newscom

Social Media

Florida Legislators Exempt Their Favorite Companies From Social Media Bill

"It's very obvious that nobody involved in [the bill] consulted a First Amendment lawyer," says TechFreedom's Berin Szóka.

Scott Shackford | 5.5.2021 1:15 PM

book2 | Oxford University Press

Book Reviews

Why We (Still) Shouldn't Censor Misinformation

It strains credulity to believe random tweets can lead otherwise normal people to drive across the country and stage an insurrection.

Joseph Uscinski | 3.21.2021 6:00 AM

facebookaustralia_1161x653 | Simon Lehmann / Dreamstime.com

Facebook

Facebook Restores News Links in Australia After Getting Some Concessions

Big outlets get subsidies. The government still gets to pick winners and losers.

Scott Shackford | 3.1.2021 2:25 PM

FacebookAustralia_1160x653_1161x653 | Facebook

Facebook

Everybody's Wrong About the Facebook/Murdoch Standoff in Australia

This tech/media fight down under is not about democracy or monopolies. It’s about ad revenue.

Scott Shackford | 2.18.2021 1:30 PM

zumaamericastwentyeight818942 | John Nacion/ZUMA Press/Newscom

Reason Roundup

Twitter Blocking a New York Post Article Was Dumb—but Not Illegal, Censorship, or Election Interference

Plus: 898,000 new jobless claims, and more...

Elizabeth Nolan Brown | 10.15.2020 9:45 AM

newsstand_1161x653 | picture alliance / Daniel Kalker/Newscom

Coronavirus

U.K. Media Lobby Wants Government To Force Advertisers to Support Coronavirus Coverage

Desperate for revenue, online outlets try to use a crisis to overrule their customers’ judgment.

Scott Shackford | 4.9.2020 2:20 PM

canadaflagmic_1161x653 | Claire Slingerland / Dreamstime.com

Brickbats

Brickbat: Canadian Initiative

Charles Oliver | 4.3.2020 4:00 AM

britcensor_1161x653 | Elnur / Dreamstime.com

Censorship

U.K. 'Celebrates' Its New Freedom From the E.U. by Pushing Massive Online Censorship Orders

Government wants to force social media platforms to accept a “duty of care” to protect users from whatever they deem harmful.

Scott Shackford | 2.13.2020 1:55 PM

yang11-19 | Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/Newscom

Andrew Yang

Andrew Yang's 'Department of the Attention Economy' Is Why Libertarians Don't Trust Democrats

The answer to real and imagined problems is always spend more, regulate more.

Nick Gillespie | 11.19.2019 10:30 AM

Free-Speech-credit-Benjaminec-Dreamstime | Benjaminec / Dreamstime

Free Speech

All Speech Should Be Free

The more speech that is blocked, the less we learn.

John Stossel | 10.2.2019 12:30 AM

Untitled | modified screenshots from VW & Philadelphia ads

Advertising

The U.K. Banned a Cream Cheese Commercial and Car Commercial Due to Gender Stereotypes

The ads are the first to be banned since the new law went into effect in June.

Ben McDonald | 8.15.2019 5:15 PM

Large image on homepages | WGCL/screenshot

First Amendment

Georgia Bill Would Mandate 'Journalism Ethics Board.' What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

Journalists would be expected to pay up for government records, while handing over their own records to government officials for free.

Joe Setyon | 4.3.2019 12:50 PM

Large image on homepages | KEVIN LAMARQUE/REUTERS/Newscom

Donald Trump

Is the Deregulatory Phase of the Trump Presidency Grinding to a Halt?

The Competitive Enterprise Institute says there's a bunch of regulatory warning signs, from trade to antitrust to speech.

Matt Welch | 1.24.2019 5:00 PM

Large image on homepages | Tero Vesalainen/Dreamstime.com

FCC

Can You Curse On-Air During a Government Shutdown? Reason Investigates

There's one fool-proof way to find out.

Joe Setyon | 1.11.2019 4:40 PM

Large image on homepages | Matt Welch

Net Neutrality

Everybody Wants To Regulate the Internet Except Ajit Pai: Podcast

One year after Net Neutrality, connection speed is up, the discrimination critics feared is non-existent, and the debate about Internet regulation is abysmal.

Matt Welch | 12.17.2018 2:15 PM

Large image for longform feature pages. | Sirintra_Pumsopa/iStock

1968

We've Got Good News…

A look at the victories we've won in the last half-century

Jesse Walker | 11.25.2018 6:00 AM

Large image for longform feature pages.

Media Regulation

Making the Fairness Doctrine Great Again

Media bias has been far less harmful than media regulation bias. That can seal off whole markets and make everyone who's left too nervous to speak freely.

Thomas W. Hazlett | 2.15.2018 6:00 AM

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