By Steven Portnoy, abcnews.com, 3-20-26 A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has struck down the Pentagon’s press access policy, finding it violates the First and Fifth Amendments to the Constitution. U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman ruled late on March 20 in favor of The New York Times, which brought a lawsuit challenging the policy. [...]
By Scott Nover, washingtonpost.com, 3-17-26 A federal judge ruled March 17 that the wind-down of operations at the U.S. Agency for Global Media, VOA’s parent, is unlawful and ordered the agency to bring more than 1,000 employees back to work. U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth ruled that the near-total shutdown of USAGM, which oversees [...]
By George Winslow, TVTechnology.com, 3-16-26 In a strongly worded response to threats by President Trump and Federal Communication Commission Chair Brendan Carr to yank broadcast licenses from stations who have aired “fake news” critical of the administration as part of their coverage of the war with Iran, FCC Commissioner Anna M. Gomez issued the [...]
By George Winslow, TVTechnology.com, 3-15-26 Following new criticism from President Trump on the news media’s coverage of the Iran War, FCC Chair Brendan Carr has reposted Trump’s attack on reporting by the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal and issued a stern warning to broadcasters that running “fake news” could jeopardize their licenses. [...]
By Scott Nover, washingtonpost.com, 3-7-26 A federal judge in Washington ruled March 7 that Kari Lake has unlawfully served as chief executive of the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees Voice of America, and nullified many actions she has taken in the role, including mass layoffs of staff. U.S. District Judge Royce C. [...]
By Jack Queen, Reuters.com, 2-24-26 A U.S. judge on Feb. 24 blocked federal prosecutors from searching devices seized from a Washington Post reporter as part of a leak investigation, saying he would review their contents for potential evidence. The FBI searched reporter Hannah Natanson’s home in January as part of a national security investigation, a [...]
By Leo Sands and Scott Nover, washingtonpost.com, 2-18-26 Two days after CBS late-night host Stephen Colbert said he was barred from airing an interview with Texas state Rep. James Talarico (D) because of the network’s legal concerns about flouting the FCC’s equal-time rule, the commission’s chair, Brendan Carr, defended himself against allegations of censorship. [...]
By Will Oremus, washingtonpost.com, 2-12-26 Apple News, the popular newsreader app that comes installed on every iPhone, is the latest media property to be warned by a regulator appointed by President Donald Trump over charges of liberal bias. On Feb. 11, Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson sent a letter to Apple chief executive [...]
By George Winslow, TVTechnology.com, 2-10-26 During a major Senate hearing on broadcast ownership caps, witnesses and U.S. Senators generally agreed that local journalism faces serious challenges that threaten local communities and the larger democratic system but had widely divergent views on whether the elimination of broadcast ownership rules would address the problem. U.S. Senator Ted [...]
By Cameron Coats, RadioInk.com, 2-9-26 FCC Commissioner Olivia Trusty is defending the agency’s sweeping media ownership reforms, echoing the comments of many broadcasters that outdated regulations prevent stations from competing for ad revenue needed to reinvest in local communities. In a fireside chat at The Center for Technology Innovation at Brookings with Senior Fellow Nicole [...]