Cheryl Leanza
@cleanza.bsky.social
25+ years in communications policy to nonprofit clients, like @uccmediajustice.org, http://bit.ly/ALHLLC & local govt clients @ BBKLaw http://bit.ly/CALBBK
This is a good example of why we need independent local media. Note the point at the end of the article explaining Sinclair owner Smith financed a lawsuit covered by his station and didn't disclose it. www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...
Sinclair’s David Smith threatens to sue Wes Moore as feud intensifies
An attorney for Smith sent Moore and his communications staff a letter on June 29 demanding that Moore retract a statement and apologize.
thebanner.com
BIG NEWS: Dr. Ruha Benjamin (@ruha9.bsky.social) will deliver the 44th Annual Parker Lecture and Richard Prince (@princeeditor.bsky.social) will be honored with the Parker Award. 🎟️ Join us in D.C. or online on September 10: buff.ly/mrSp3KG #ParkerLecture2026
Dr. Ruha Benjamin, Journalist Richard Prince to Headline 44th Annual Parker Lecture on September 10
Join us on Thursday, September 10, 2026, at the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Washington, D.C.!
uccmediajustice.org
Today, the FCC announced it wants to eliminate the 39% national television ownership cap, the same law we’ve been fighting to enforce in filings at the FCC and in our case against the Nexstar/TEGNA merger. We will fight this.
The FCC wants to decide who gets to own your local TV station, with no limits
The FCC announced it wants to eliminate the 39% national television ownership cap, the same law we’ve been fighting to enforce in filings at the FCC and in our case against the Nexstar/TEGNA merger.
uccmediajustice.org
Today's announcement from the #FCC about relaxing the National TV Ownership cap is a blatant grab at more untrammeled power for the FCC.
www.linkedin.com/posts/cheryl...
The Supreme Court and the future of agency independence | Cheryl Leanza
As we all await the Supreme Court's decisions in Cook and Slaughter, I'm lifting up this great analysis done for #UCCMediaJustice by Georgetown Law student Bhawna Motwani under the guidance of Prof. L...
linkedin.com
Glad to be at this national @unitedchurch.bsky.social event RIGHT NOW - standing with the @justiceucc.bsky.social UCC DC Policy Office - Defending Dignity bsky.app/profile/unit... Also lifting up the @uccmediajustice.org campaign: buff.ly/rIOpFyq
Tell the FCC: LGBTQ+ families are not a content warning
FCC Chair Brendan Carr has opened a proceeding asking whether the TV ratings system should create new warnings for programs that include transgender and nonbinary characters. The proceeding treats the...
buff.ly
United Church of Christ@unitedchurch.bsky.social · 2mo ago🏳️🌈 Join us TOMORROW-learn how you can turn your love into action this Pride month! 🏳️⚧️ "Defending Dignity"—with United Church of Christ Washington D.C. Office, Georgia Equality & Open and Affirming Coalition. Share your story, raise your voice. #LoveIsLouder #UCC #LGBTQIA #JustWorldForAll
Excited to be out as part of #NationalDigitalInclusionAlliance lobby day on behalf of @uccmediajustice.org helping the Connectivity Policy Corp. Great meetings, great allies & companions !
Our Policy Advisor @cleanza.bsky.social discussed the dangers from Chair Carr’s threats against broadcasters at @civilrightsorg.bsky.social’s All Eyes on Tech convening last week. His actions chill speech by making clear which topics he & the President do not like. We must continue to fight them.
One year ago, President Trump declared the Digital Equity Act “unconstitutional” and “racist and illegal” in a post on Truth Social. The next day, the Department of Commerce sent cancellation letters to every grantee. We’re fighting back. #SaveDigitalEquity
Our fight to stop the illegal cancellation of the Digital Equity Act
The National Digital Inclusion Alliance is suing to stop the illegal cancellation. UCC Media Justice is supporting that effort by coordinating an amicus brief written by the Samuelson Law, Technology…
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The time to speak out, push back loud and clear is now! This is a good sign. www.nytimes.com/2026/05/08/b...
ABC Accuses Government of Violating First Amendment
nytimes.com
Most major media companies have stood by or aggressively acquiesced as President Trump & FCC Chair Brendan Carr pressured them through lawsuits and baseless investigations. @cleanza.bsky.social breaks down the consequences of compliance in the wake of new FCC attacks on free speech & expression:
The broadcast industry’s silence costs us all
We are reaping the fruit of the industry’s cowardice. In the last few days, Carr has gone after the most vulnerable and the most powerful in quick succession.
uccmediajustice.org
The broadcast industry is reaping the fruit of its own cowardice. They have stood by mostly silent as the President and FCC Chair Carr invent baseless investigations to determine what content is acceptable to them.
Great news -- the court ordered a preliminary injunction keeping TEGNA held separate from Nexstar until trial, barring a successful appeal. www.npr.org/2026/04/17/n...
Judge halts local TV giant Nexstar's takeover of rival Tegna until trial
U.S. Judge Trevor Nunley ruled that consumers could suffer irreparable harm if Nexstar integrated Tegna's stations into its own operations ahead of an antitrust trial.
npr.org
We're in federal court blocking the largest broadcast merger in U.S. history. But corporate consolidation is only half the problem. Congress cut $1.1 billion from public media and hasn't restored a dime. The FY2027 appropriations process is moving now. Take action with us:
Tell Congress to restore public media funding!
Will you send a letter to your Members of Congress today?
actionnetwork.org
ICYMI—The 44th Annual Parker Lecture & Awards Luncheon will be held on September 10 in Washington, D.C.! At a time when the times we face are scary and difficult, this is a chance to come together for community and reflection. We hope to see you there: uccmediajustice.org/save-the-dat...
Great news! After UCC Media Justice @CWAUnion and @FreePress filed at the FCC, eight states sued to block the Nexstar/TEGNA merger! buff.ly/f9LTur7 Check out our analysis and filings at the FCC here: buff.ly/59tcCGY
Attorney General Bonta Files Lawsuit Seeking to Block $6.2 Billion Nexstar/Tegna Broadcasting Merger
Merger would create a media giant covering 80% of U.S. television households OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today, alongside a coalition of eight attorneys general, filed a lawsuit…
buff.ly
I has the pleasure of listening in to the World Council of Churches webinar today considering the risks of artificial general intelligence: how should faith communities respond? www.oikoumene.org/events/the-r...
The risks of artificial general intelligence: how should faith communities respond?
An online panel discussion entitled “The risks of artificial general intelligence: how should faith communities respond?” will be hosted by the World Council of Churches on 25 February.
oikoumene.org
The U.S. lost a giant. I was pleased to have met Rev. Jackson and gratified that he recognized the importance of media justice. My condolences to the Jackson family and Rainbow PUSH.
UCC Media Justice Ministry@uccmediajustice.org · 6mo agoWe remember his point that 10 people protesting at the FCC was more powerful than 100 people somewhere else because of the powerful impact of communications on our society. We send our deepest condolences to his family and Rainbow PUSH. Our full statement: buff.ly/HkgAd58
Thanks @pallone.house.gov for this important letter highlighting the danger that the current @FCC is subverting the law for the benefit of two huge broadcast companies. democrats-energycommerce.house.gov/sites/evo-su...
democrats-energycommerce.house.gov
So this decision is bad for many reasons. Among the many bad things: 1) this was made by the Media Bureau, not the FCC, 2) it authorized combinations of top-4 TV stations in a single market. Not only is combining 2 of the top 4 TV stations in a market bad policy, the Bureau can't legally do that.
TheDesk.net@thedesk.net · 6mo ago#BREAKING: The FCC has approved the acquisition of five broadcast TV licenses by Sinclair, Inc., rejecting a request by DIRECTV to block the deal.
Thanks to Commissioner Gomez for sounding the alarm. Unfortunately it is hardly a surprise that the second Trump FCC is continuing efforts to deprive low-income people of connectivity.
FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez@agomezfcc.bsky.social · 6mo agoAt a time when millions of families are already struggling with the rising cost of living, the FCC should be focused on making connectivity more affordable. Instead, it is erecting new barriers that risk raising phone and internet bills for the people who can least afford it. 🧵
Ethical journalism demands independence — especially from the industries it covers. By teaming up with Securus on a "correctional telecom" event — a company that profits from prison phone + video calls — Broadband Breakfast is platforming industry interests while silencing those most affected.
I'm out this morning with @uccmediajustice.org to protest the @FCC ruling to increase rates for incarcerated people. #phonejustice
The Steep Cost of Data Centers Soon after Microsoft opened a data center near La Esperanza in central Mexico last year, the town began suffering power outages. A doctor stitched up children by flashlight and turned away patients when equipment stopped working. nytimes.com/2025/10/22/w...
nytimes.com
New FCC regulations threaten law that bars companies from raising telephone and internet rates to incarcerated persons www.ucc.org/new-fcc-regu...
New FCC regulations threaten law that bars companies from raising telephone and internet rates to incarcerated persons - United Church of Christ
More than a decade of successful advocacy by the United Church of Christ’s Media Justice Ministry now faces a new threat—proposed Federal Communications
ucc.org
Startling and excellent article showing how a loss of privacy can cost you money every day. The hidden way using a rewards card can cost you more www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
Column | The hidden way using a rewards card can cost you more
Starbucks tracked my every purchase — then gave me fewer deals. It’s called surveillance pricing.
washingtonpost.com
I'm here in Boston this morning for the appellate court argument on last year's #phonejustice decision at the @FCC.
Just what we need ... David Ellison’s appointment of a opinion journalist Bari Weiss to helm the network of legacy broadcasters Edward R. Murrow and Walter Cronkite has set the stage for a culture clash. ...
This billionaire Trump ally and his son are building an unprecedented media empire
Larry and David Ellison’s holdings span movies, TV networks, CBS and soon a stake in TikTok, in a paradigm-shifting portfolio with huge influence.
washingtonpost.com
Today on the first day of the next phase of public media, from @uccmediajustice.org The impact of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting shutting down and what you can do uccmediajustice.org/public-media...
