Redrawing the bottom line: How FCC deregulation reshapes broadcast newsrooms
Fresh off his appointment as chair of the United States Federal Communications Commission, Brendan Carr is making waves, launching reviews of NPR sponsorships and opening inquiries into major networks’ alleged anti-Trump bias. He’s also pledged to trim “overly cumbersome or outdated” regulations – a priority he outlined as a contributor to the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 initiative.
Not our first fight: What history tells us about attacks on the press
Attacks on the press are as old as the nation. In 1798, Federalist lawmakers enacted the Sedition Act to silence their media critics, making it unlawful to publish any “false, scandalous and malicious writing … against the government.” Fearful of the Act’s punitive measures – a fine reaching $2,000 or up to two years in prison – many publications censored themselves.
