Two senior Federal Communications Commission (FCC) officials said Monday (22) that attempts by House Democrats to pressure TV operators to deplatform Fox News and two other cable news channels are “troubling” because they are an attempt to “suppress political speech and independent news judgment.””
FCC Commissioners Brendan Carr and Nathan Simington issued separate statements in response to letters from House Energy and Commerce Committee Democrats Jerry McNerney and Anna G. Eshoo. The letters were sent to 12 cable companies, satellite companies and streaming companies.
“To the House Democrats who used their official letterhead to launch their investigation, I say this: Your demand to know the ‘ethical principles’ that guide private entities’ decisions about what information to disseminate is inconsistent with basic principles of free speech and freedom of the press,” Carr said. Carr said.
In their letter, McNerney and Ashu urged the companies to take steps to curb the spread of what they called “disinformation.
The two alleged that right-wing media outlets Fox, Newsmax and One America News Network (OANN) have spread “disinformation” about the November 2020 election and the Chinese Communist Party virus (COVID-19).
In their letter, the two men also asked for answers as to why those operators provided services to those television outlets.
Operators were asked questions such as what moral or ethical principles they applied in deciding which channels to serve; how many subscribers those networks gained in the weeks leading up to the presidential election; and whether they took hostile action against any channels following the election or the Jan. 6 congressional riots.
Carr said the two Democrats “selectively” targeted several media outlets because of their coverage of political events, sending a clear and troubling message: “If the newsrooms targeted do not fit the Democrats’ preferred political narrative, then these regulated entities will pay the price.”
“This is a frightening violation of the right to free speech enjoyed by every media outlet in this country,” He said.
Carr reminded Americans that talking about issues of public interest should be “robust, unfettered and completely open.
“More openness is better than less openness. However, the Democrats’ concerted efforts to widen the political divide in the public means a clear departure from First Amendment norms. Newsroom decisions about what news to report and how to report it should be beyond the jurisdiction of any government official and should not be targeted by them.” He added.
Symington echoed Carr’s concerns, saying the actions of the two Democrats are “troubling” in that they are applying “the overly broad and vague label of ‘disinformation’ to any media coverage that questions their preferred political narrative, and trying to intimidate and silence those who post unpalatable views on their platform.”
Symington said, “This is particularly concerning because the House Energy and Commerce Committee oversees the Communications Act (CA).” He added that the two Democrats’ comments could be interpreted as suggesting that if “self-silencing is not agreed to in advance, then action will be taken in accordance with the Communications Act.”
“I trust the American people to make their own decisions about who they choose to listen to.” Symington said.
Reporters asked FCC Acting Chairman Jessica Rosenworcel and her staff for comment on the Democratic lawmakers’ letter, though no response has been received.
Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, will chair an online hearing of the subcommittee on Wednesday.
In a statement, spokesmen for Fox News and Newsmax condemned the actions of the two lawmakers, saying they set “a terrible precedent.
Last month, leftist outlet CNN took similar action, pressuring cable operators to take down competitors like Newsmax, which Newsmax responded by saying it was attempting to remove Newsmax as a competitor, while pointing out that the liberal cable channel had misreported and had been “inundated” with stories about the anti-Trump ” Steele Dossier” and “conspiracy theories” on “Russia”.
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