USA: PROTECT FREEDOM OF PRESS AND MEDIA

To Chairman Carr,

The FCC has a responsibility to respect and protect the human right to freedom of expression, including freedom of the press. However, the FCC has taken actions that appear to be politically motivated to target certain media organizations the President has attacked, undermining free press.

In early 2025, the FCC reopened a dismissed complaint against the outlet, CBS News, for allegations regarding its editing choices of its interview with former Vice President, and then-presidential candidate, Kamala Harris. In this case, President Trump accused CBS of election interference.

Subsequently, the FCC launched an investigation into independent public media stations, National Public Radio (“NPR”) and Public Broadcasting Service (“PBS”), for allegedly violating their noncommercial terms. President Trump has called for NPR to be defunded.

Lastly, the FCC’s demand that private media organizations eliminate their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs for the retention and approval of licenses and/or business deals, sets a dangerous precedent where the FCC leverages licensing and other decisions to interfere in independent media companies’ operations, impacting their right to freedom of expression.

These actions reflect a dangerous misuse of government authority to intimidate media outlets and risk creating a chilling effect on all independent media. We call on the FCC to reaffirm its commitment to independence and service to the public by:

• Protecting and respecting the human right to freedom of expression, including free press and closing politically motivated investigations that weaponize FCC authority.
• Conducting investigations with transparency, impartiality, and independence.
• Ending interference with the independence of media outlets and their internal DEI programs

Sincerely,

[YOUR NAME]