Carr Threatens Broadcast Licenses Over Iran War Coverage

WASHINGTON—Following new attacks by President Trump on the news media's coverage of the Iran War, FCC Chair Brendan Carr has reposted Trump’s attack on reporting by the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal and issued a stern warning to broadcasters that running “fake news” could jeoprodise their licenses.

“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,” Carr wrote on March 14 on X. “The law is clear. Broadcasters must operate in the public interest, and they will lose their licenses if they do not.”

“And frankly, changing course is in their own business interests since trust in legacy media has now fallen to an all time low of just 9% and are ratings disasters,” he added. “The American people have subsidized broadcasters to the tune of billions of dollars by providing free access to the nation’s airwaves…The public has lost faith and confidence in the media. And we can’t allow that to happen.”

In response to Carr's post, Senator Elizabeth Warren wrote "Constitutional law 101: it’s illegal for the government to censor free speech it just doesn’t like about Trump’s Iran war. This threat is straight out of the authoritarian playbook. x.com/brendancarrfcc."

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