The First Circuit got this exactly right. Lawmakers considering similar legislation need to think not only about their own intentions but the intentions of bad actors who may occupy their seats in the future. 🔗 www.freepress.net/news/civil-l...

#Journalists Sandra Rodríguez-Cotto and Rafelli González-Cotto's 2025 challenge to Puerto Rican "False News" law for chilling #PressFreedom (& violated #FirstAmendment) has been upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, @freepress.bsky.social says. www.freepress.net/news/civil-l...

Civil-Liberties and Press-Freedom Groups Applaud First Circuit Ruling in Rodríguez-Cotto v. González-Colón, Affirming First Amendment Rights

This is a huge win for free speech and press freedom at a time when we need them most.

freepress.net

“This tech-Trump alliance — far from bringing expertise to responsibly guide policy on tech and AI — has only furthered the administration’s corruption and enabled its campaign to censor and control our information ecosystem.” — Shilpa Jindia, @freepress.bsky.social

Trump’s FTC Is Threatening to Punish Big Tech for “Woke AI”

As Elon Musk defends nude deepfakes, the FTC is moving to censor AI models trained to recognize historical injustices.

truthout.org

Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison told a lot of lies in a New York Times Op-Ed in a desperate attempt to sell the public on his dangerous merger. No one’s buying it. More here from @timkarr.bsky.social: www.freepress.net/blog/david-e...

Trust Regular Guy David Ellison with Our Democracy? No Thanks!

Billionaire David Ellison wants us to see him as an everyday person looking out for everyday people … like him. But critics aren’t buying it.

freepress.net

BREAKING: The 1st Circuit issued a decision in the Rodriguez-Cotto case affirming a permanent injunction of Puerto Rico's false information law on First & Fourteenth Amendment grounds. Great news. We @freepress.bsky.social along w/ several partners filed an amicus at the district & appellate stages.

The 97th edition of Pressing Issues from @freepress.bsky.social features part of the @moneyontheleft.bsky.social podcast conversation with Free Press Board Chair @victorpickard.bsky.social Public Media Isn’t Optional for Democracy

Public Media Isn’t Optional for Democracy

Free Press Board Chair Victor Pickard explains why on the latest episode of ‘Money on the Left’

pressingissues.org

With its dangerous proposal on AI, the FTC is trying to police speech that the Trump administration disagrees with. More here: https://www.freepress.net/news/ftcs-artificial-intelligence-policy-statement-latest-white-house-effort-distort-law-and-censor

FTC's Artificial Intelligence 'Policy Statement' Is Latest White House Effort to Distort the Law and Censor Speech

The FTC’s ultimate aim is to anoint itself judge and jury over AI content — and silence dissent.

freepress.net

Trump's cringeworthy speech wasn't the only major embarrassment at the recent White House Correspondents Dinner. Also on display was the 'perverse bargain' struck between his White House and the D.C. press corps. @timkarr.bsky.social exposes the dark forces at work during the humiliating DC event:

It's not just the FCC's Brendan Carr who is abusing his power to censor dissent. FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson's only slightly more subtle swipe at free speech attempts to prevent AI companies from mitigating bias. @freepress.bsky.social's statement and filing: www.freepress.net/news/ftcs-ar...

FTC's Artificial Intelligence 'Policy Statement' Is Latest White House Effort to Distort the Law and Censor Speech

The FTC’s ultimate aim is to anoint itself judge and jury over AI content — and silence dissent.

freepress.net

Honored to co-author our @freepress.bsky.social comment re: the FTC's proposed policy on AI bias. We argue this latest effort to distort fighting discrimination as "censorship" is part of a wider gov't pattern to gut civil rights protections. www.freepress.net/download/fre...

Carr's unconstitutional crusade has no place in a legitimate democracy. "Even if Disney had engaged in some kind of discrimination, there's no reason and no precedent for threatening its broadcast licenses. The partisan nature of this whole endeavor is clear." - @mattfieldwood.bsky.social

Free Press Calls for End to Carr’s Unconstitutional Crusade Against ABC

"Carr is embarrassing himself again by concocting this utterly shameful censorship campaign on behalf of a petty president" says Free Press' Matt Wood.

freepress.net

Our democratic process relies on free, safe and equitable access to honest journalism. By policing broadcasters like this, Carr is enabling this authoritarian regime to rewrite the truth and control the narrative.

ABC Calls on FCC to Dismiss Early Renewal License Review: 'Untimely and Unwarranted'

Over 140,000 comments have been received from the stations’ local communities in support of the broadcast stations

thewrap.com

Attacking the media is a foundational strategy of authoritarianism, used to control information, silence critics and avoid accountability. But the fight for our First Amendment rights is growing. Here's the latest with media consolidation, and local newsrooms over the last few weeks...

One FCC commissioner is listening to broad public opposition to censorship. She's standing up for free speech and against government censorship and control. Thank you, @agomezfcc.bsky.social, for lifting up the voices of regular people. @freepress.bsky.social applauds you.

FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez@agomezfcc.bsky.social · 6d ago

The FCC has no authority to police the ideological balance of the airwaves. No matter what this Commission does next, the record now makes clear that this was never a genuine search for the public interest. 🧵

FCC Chair Brendan Carr is using ABC's license review to punish speech. This order is a threat to Disney's licenses, and alters how broadcasters exercise their First Amendment rights and freedom of the press. The FCC must stop its unconstitutional attacks on ABC. Our statement:

Free Press Calls for End to Carr’s Unconstitutional Crusade Against ABC

"Carr is embarrassing himself again by concocting this utterly shameful censorship campaign on behalf of a petty president" says Free Press' Matt Wood.

freepress.net

“BreakThrough News is not the first, nor will it be the last, to come under official attack for bringing people alternative and useful news coverage about ICE abuses, foreign policy, Palestinian rights, and other topics.” - Free Press' @attorneynora.bsky.social via @commondreams.org

Common Dreams@commondreams.org · 2w ago

Press Freedom Groups Warn 'No Newsroom in America Is Safe' After House GOP Subpoenas Left-Wing Outlet "BreakThrough News is not the first, nor will it be the last, to come under official attack," said one press freedom advocate.

"Paramount can pretend that it looks forward to that test, but that's just more bluster trying to spin a major setback. Now this deal will face its day in court, and we are confident the evidence will show this mega-merger should be blocked." - @notaaroncraig.bsky.social via @arstechnica.com

Paramount/WBD merger delayed for months as states' lawsuit moves toward trial

“Halting this merger while our case proceeds is a critical victory," NY AG said.

arstechnica.com

Paramount retreats. They said it was a done deal. Not anymore. Paramount and the state attorneys general have agreed to a freeze of the Ellisons' dangerous takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, allowing the antitrust suit to move forward. Our statement: www.freepress.net/news/paramou...

TODAY nationwide there are hundreds of vigils calling for accountability and an end to ICE killing with impunity. Thank you @erikaandiola.bsky.social and others for leading the charge. Justice for Lorzenzo. Justice for Johan. Justice for all. Find an event near you. IceOutJusticeNow.org

Press freedom group Free Press (no, not THE Free Press) reacts to the multi-month delay in the Paramount-Warner merger: "Paramount tried to tell us this deal was a slam-dunk, but it just shot an airball."

Paramount retreats. They said it was a done deal. Not anymore. Paramount and the state attorneys general have agreed to a freeze of the Ellisons' dangerous takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, allowing the antitrust suit to move forward. Our statement: www.freepress.net/news/paramou...

Stay strong😄! Thank you. Clearly the vibes are bad on the Para-Bros merger. #blockthemerger By the way no matter how Paramount and the Ellisons want to spin this. It’s bad news for them. This will cost them a lot of money in ticking fees. Retreats don’t win wars.

Attorney General Jennifer Davenport@newjerseyoag.bsky.social · 2w ago

BREAKING NEWS: Thanks to our lawsuit, Paramount and Warner Bros. are backing down and putting their merger on hold. We won’t let corporate monopolists profit at your expense—driving up prices and reducing your entertainment choices.

Paramount clearly understood what anyone would who followed the facts in this case: that this deal is clearly a violation of U.S. antitrust laws. Instead of fighting the inevitable, they've resigned to fighting this where it was always going to end up: an antitrust trial in Federal court.

Paramount Agrees to Delay Warner Bros. Merger for Months (Gift Article)

The company agreed to a proposed freeze until June 2027, unless a judge issues a ruling before then on a lawsuit blocking the deal.

nytimes.com

"Organizations need to shift how they do their work, stop being tied to legacy platforms, and look at where audiences are, where people are gaining information and how we can shift our services to meet those needs." - Matt Schuster of @publicmedianet.bsky.social on new community media models

Community Media Centers Can Benefit from New Public-Funding Models for News and Civic Information

A Pressing Issues conversation with Matt Schuster, executive director of Public Media Network

pressingissues.org

Wisconsinites are often in the dark about what's happening in their communities. Free Press Action gathered a group of newsroom leaders to map out a path forward. More here: https://www.freepress.net/blog/pass-legislation-wisconsin-journalists-and-media-leaders-are-getting-organized

To Pass Legislation, Wisconsin Journalists and Media Leaders Are Getting Organized

People in Wisconsin are struggling to find basic information about everything from wildfire smoke to local ICE activity. A new coalition could change that.

freepress.net

🚨 One of the defining battles for modern democracy is media consolidation. Watch the full conversation between @jgo4justice.bsky.social and Robert Weissman of @publiccitizen.bsky.social on the deliberate consolidation and control of the media ecosystem: substack.com/inbox/post/2...

Civil rights records and demographic statistics to be erased into digital oblivion. Such a troubling pattern by this administration: www.latimes.com/world-nation...

U.S. civil rights agency moves to end demographic data collection after 60 years

The Trump administration is seeking to toss aside a 60-year-old requirement for private-sector employers to submit workforce demographic reports to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

latimes.com

The 93rd edition of PressingIssues.org, the twice-weekly @freepress.bsky.social newsletter is by @newsjawn.bsky.social A Pressing Issues conversation with Matt Schuster, executive director of @publicmedianet.bsky.social, about how community media centers can benefit from new public funding models

Community Media Centers Can Benefit from New Public-Funding Models for News and Civic Information

A Pressing Issues conversation with Matt Schuster, executive director of Public Media Network

pressingissues.org

The 12-state coalition, led by CA AG @robbonta.bsky.social, sought the temporary restraining order for up to 28 days. The states are also seeking a preliminary injunction, which would block it until the judge rules on the merits of the states’ lawsuit. More: www.freepress.net/news/federal...

Before 2024 election, @freepress.bsky.social held a webinar w/ luminaries to consider what election threats looked like, possible political violence, manipulation of media & claims of fraud, anticipated sector responses. Good refresher heading into midterms: www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Anp...

Red, White & Coup: Mapping Threats of Violence Around the 2024 Election

YouTube video by Free Press

youtube.com