Trump administration threatens broadcasters

FCC chair Brendan Carr recently said that many broadcast companies have their licenses up for renewal, and if they want to keep their licenses, they should change how they're covering the Iran war. On social media Carr wrote, "Broadcasters that are running hoaxes and news distortions - also known as the fake news - have a chance now to correct course before their license renewals come up. The law is clear. Broadcasters must operate in the public interest, and they will lose their licenses if they do not." Our guests discuss the implications of this kind of threat. Our guests: •Richard A. Dollinger, retired New York Court of Claims judge •Gary Craig, retired Democrat & Chronicle reporter 00:00 Introduction 04:16 FCC leadership accountability questions 07:45 Limits of FCC licensing power 11:19 Why the FCC can’t regulate content 14:50 Trump questioned on military casualties 17:39 Press behavior in tense exchanges 19:01 Political pressure in newsrooms 21:12 Journalism errors and credibility 25:58 Why political polling falls short 31:54 Defining “public interest” in broadcasting 36:17 First Amendment and government power 44:18 Media balance and public airwaves 50:48 The impact of political rhetoric on media __________________________ For more shows and information head to https://www.wxxinews.org/show/connect.... Be part of the program with questions or comments by phone at 844-295-TALK (8255), emailing [email protected] or using the chat on the live stream. Do you have a story that needs to be shared? https://www.wxxinews.org/pitch-your-s... __________________________ Become a member of WXXI: https://donate.wxxi.org/wxxi/connecti... Never miss a headline with our daily newsletter: https://www.wxxinews.org/newsletter.