FCC Commissioner makes Trump’s offer to ‘censoring and checking news media’

FCC Commissioner Anna M. Gomez warned broadcasters for her serious worries of what she sees as a “disturbing” pattern of efforts of the Trump government to impose politically motivated checks on news media.

Gomez spoke with urgency on Monday during a Q&A session that was held at the National Association of Broadcasters Conference in Las Vegas.

“My alarm about what we see today is now so high that I will not stop saying because I have to. I cannot allow this to continue without raising alarm bells. And I really hope I am not alone,” said Gomez in a modern conversation with Wall Street Journal Reporter Joe Flint and Q & A with Conference delegates.

Topics included dei policy regulations for private companies, according to the recent steps of the FCC to open research into companies such as Disney and ABC. “If we go to check diversity, fairness and inclusion practices, I want to see where we have the authority to do this in the status,” she said. She describes this as ‘intimidation’, she added, “If you see companies capitulating, that is the end goal.”

She saw research into and public broadcasters such as NPR and PBS as a “fish expedition to find a reason to tell the congress to defend public broadcasts. I don’t think it’s really because there was any proof of a misconduct whatever. … I am worried that this is about taking out voices.” The FCC is also in an accused battle with CBS News during his research into politically charged complaints of “news worming” against the New York flagship station in New York related to “60 minutes” “interview in October in October with the then presidential candidate Kamala Harris.

During the session, Gomez reminded delegates that the FCC is an independent agency that was established by the congress. “It is important that we are seen as an expert agency driven by technological decisions in the public interest and is not checked by a political agenda,” she said. “It is especially important for media regulation, which is why we were founded a long time ago as an independent agency, because there was a fear of the type of interference that you now see from the White House with Media today, whether our broadcasters, public media and internet platforms are, all in the attempt to control speech.”

She worked out: “We have not only seen the actions against the broadcasters for editorial decisions that this administration does not like. We have seen this administration, during the administration, threaten technology companies for their moderation practices to give consumers an environment they want and quickly check this information.

FCC chairman Brendan Carr was appointed by President Trump and took the role in January. Gomez, who will soon be the only democrat of the committee, because Geoffrey Stark announced that he will resign this spring, was the only commissioner who attends the treaty, something that the NAB attributed to the suspensions of the federal employee trip. “I thought it was important enough for me to meet and speak broadcasters, and so I financed,” Gomez replied when he was asked about her participation and received an applause.

About the current FCC dynamics, Gomez said: “Chairman Carr is very deeply to ensure that he works well with other commissioners and the committee. I realize that I have been very passionate about what the FCC does, but on a personal level he and I actually work together very well.” She added: “I would really like to see the committee leaving these cultural wars, from these areas that fall outside our legal agreement and concentrate on our core mission, which we can do on a two -part basis.”

Asked to look ahead, repeated Gomez her worries and shared a call for action. “That level of control and censorship is really frightening, so I am afraid of where we will be in two years if we allow it to continue.” She urged those who can, “keep pronouncing and holding their ground.”

“I can imagine that here is a horrifying effect in the game, where those who speak, will be the target,” she continued and added: “Pesting your neck is not the easiest to do. But I would hope that if they are the target, they actually think about the repercusions about our democracy.”

Gomez, a Democrat, was appointed FCC in 2023.