Tag:free speech
Who Owns the Airwaves? FCC Compliance and the Fight for Free Expression
The struggle to balance government oversight, corporate power, and free expression has placed the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) at the heart of America’s media debate. The FCC plays a central role in U.S. media regulation, overseeing licensing, national ownership limits, and broadcasters’ statutory “public interest” obligations. The FCC’s national television ownership rule prevents any one company from controlling stations that reach more than 39% of U.S. households. This mandate was designed to ensure that no single corporation could dominate the public airwaves. Yet, as recent events surrounding FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, Nexstar Media Group’s proposed $6.2 billion acquisition of Tegna Inc., and the temporary suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live reveal, these safeguards are under mounting pressure. What began as a technical question of regulatory compliance has evolved into a broader confrontation over free speech, political influence, and the fragility of democratic guardrails in American broadcasting.
Curbing Censorship: The Constitutional Challenges of Addressing Social Media Moderation
At a time when online spaces have become central for news, connection, and the exchange of ideas, the balance between free speech and content moderation is more important than ever. In recent months, there have been rising concerns over potential government censorship and the proliferation of misinformation, especially on social media. The lack of transparency in the tech industry makes this issue uniquely tricky, as each platform’s distinct algorithms are largely proprietary. However, many users feel that their voices are being silenced based on the nature of the content they are releasing. The possibilities for remedying these concerns are limited, as the First Amendment expressly protects private companies from government censorship (including the requirement that they host specific content), but there are several potential paths forward that could have far-reaching implications for the future of social media content moderation.