FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has signaled that he won't scrap the commission's controversial news distortion policy, despite calls from a bipartisan group of former FCC leaders. In response to a petition filed by four former chairs and commissioners, including three Republicans, Carr wrote in an X post: "How about no." He stated that on his watch, the FCC will continue to hold broadcasters accountable for their public interest obligations.
The news distortion policy, which has rarely been enforced since its introduction in the 1960s, allows the FCC to investigate and penalize broadcasters for allegedly distorting or slanting the news. The petition argues that the policy violates First Amendment principles, chills broadcaster speech, and can be exploited for partisan purposes.
Former FCC leaders, including Mark Fowler, a Republican who chaired the commission from 1981 to 1987, and Tom Wheeler, a Democrat who chaired the commission from 2013 to 2017, signed the petition along with a former FCC general counsel and three former chiefs of staff. They argue that the policy is no longer justifiable under today's First Amendment doctrine and is unnecessary in today's media environment.
Carr has repeatedly invoked the news distortion policy as a tool to revoke broadcast licenses for stations he alleges are biased against Republicans, including Jimmy Kimmel. He has also revived complaints against CBS and Fox stations accused of bias against President Trump.
The petition comes after Carr criticized the Biden-era FCC for dismissing similar petitions. The commission's handling of these cases has been criticized by lawmakers, including Sen. Ted Cruz, who has scheduled an FCC oversight hearing at which Carr will testify on December 17.
Carr's stance on the news distortion policy has sparked criticism from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers, with some accusing him of using it to censor conservatives. He has defended his actions, saying that he is simply applying the law as written.
The dispute highlights the tension between the FCC's regulatory role and its enforcement of First Amendment principles. Carr's stance on the news distortion policy suggests that he will continue to prioritize public interest obligations over concerns about censorship and freedom of speech.
The news distortion policy, which has rarely been enforced since its introduction in the 1960s, allows the FCC to investigate and penalize broadcasters for allegedly distorting or slanting the news. The petition argues that the policy violates First Amendment principles, chills broadcaster speech, and can be exploited for partisan purposes.
Former FCC leaders, including Mark Fowler, a Republican who chaired the commission from 1981 to 1987, and Tom Wheeler, a Democrat who chaired the commission from 2013 to 2017, signed the petition along with a former FCC general counsel and three former chiefs of staff. They argue that the policy is no longer justifiable under today's First Amendment doctrine and is unnecessary in today's media environment.
Carr has repeatedly invoked the news distortion policy as a tool to revoke broadcast licenses for stations he alleges are biased against Republicans, including Jimmy Kimmel. He has also revived complaints against CBS and Fox stations accused of bias against President Trump.
The petition comes after Carr criticized the Biden-era FCC for dismissing similar petitions. The commission's handling of these cases has been criticized by lawmakers, including Sen. Ted Cruz, who has scheduled an FCC oversight hearing at which Carr will testify on December 17.
Carr's stance on the news distortion policy has sparked criticism from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers, with some accusing him of using it to censor conservatives. He has defended his actions, saying that he is simply applying the law as written.
The dispute highlights the tension between the FCC's regulatory role and its enforcement of First Amendment principles. Carr's stance on the news distortion policy suggests that he will continue to prioritize public interest obligations over concerns about censorship and freedom of speech.
i mean like who doesn't love pineapple on their pizza but it's def not for everyone lol my friend steve is super against it he says it's like eating fruit on a pie what do u think? should ppl be able to put whatever they want on their pizzas or is that just crazy talk 
anyway back to this news distortion policy thingy i feel like the fcc should focus more on making sure everyone has access to quality internet not worried about broadcast licenses and all that jazz but maybe i'm just too off topic 
The whole thing is kinda wild, you know? Like, I get why they want to hold broadcasters accountable for their content, but it feels like this policy is just another way to silence voices that don't align with the majority. It's all about finding that balance between regulation and freedom of speech, right? 
But at the end of the day, I think we're just gonna have to wait and see how this all plays out.
it's like, come on FCC dude, we're living in a new era of media where fact-checking is key, not some outdated policy that chills free speech 
why are you using this as a tool to silence conservatives? 
and what about the first amendment principles? shouldn't they be prioritized over public interest obligations? 
that's when we get real journalism happening 
not like now where everyone's just trying to spin the truth to fit their agenda 
what do you guys think? should carr reconsider this policy or is he doing the right thing? 
in FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, you know? Like, I get it, he's gotta do his job, but this news distortion policy thingy is straight up problematic 
. It feels like he's trying to play both sides and stuff, while also being all like "I'm protecting the public interest" 
Like, isn't that kinda censorship? 
I don't think so, but some people might. Anyway, I'm all for transparency and accountability, but not when it comes at the expense of journalist freedom 
. Like, shouldn't we be able to trust our media sources without having to worry about what party they're affiliated with? 
.
. The fact that he's using it to target certain stations is just a shame 
I hope Carr is willing to listen to some feedback from experts and the public, 'cause this policy needs a serious overhaul 
So I'm kinda with Carr on this one. Let's just say, I think he's trying to do the right thing for the public interest, even if some people disagree. 
. And what about all the times CBS and Fox stations have gotten in trouble for being too right-wing or left-wing? It feels like there's two sets of rules here, one for conservatives and one for everyone else 