The head of the FCC is now the (second) most dangerous man in America
I know this because I feel like I've written and said about half of it, and read whatever's left. You can break the whole ridiculous thing down to three words that start with C: coercion, capitulation and cowardice.
You might as well throw in Colbert while you're at it. CBS announces the biggest coincidence a couple of weeks after the $16 million settlement: It was canceling "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," citing "purely financial" reasons. Maybe they just discovered those reasons all of a sudden, and the decision had nothing to do with Colbert being a frequent and vicious critic of Trump.
It's all terrible, a real warning sign that Trump is trying to control not just the flow of information, but the information itself ― what actually gets covered. (Only things that put him in a positive light, naturally.) It's tinpot strongman stuff and if it doesn't scare you, it should.
Does the head of the FCC believe in free speech? Does Trump?
We know this. But what's really scary is what Brendan Carr, Trump's handpicked human rubber stamp of a Federal Communications Commission chairman, has been going around saying after the settlement. It's really ominous, at least if you believe free speech is a pillar of democracy. Which I do.
Does Carr? You wouldn't know it by what he's been telling people after the FCC approved a merger between Paramount and Skydance, a media company.
"Americans no longer trust the legacy national news media to report fully, accurately, and fairly. It is time for a change," Carr said in a statement after the approval. "That is why I welcome Skydance's commitment to make significant changes at the once storied CBS broadcast network. In particular, Skydance has made written commitments to ensure that the new company's programming embodies a diversity of viewpoints from across the political and ideological spectrum."
At least Anna Gomez is fighting back
The problem is that Carr's idea, which, let's face it, is really Trump's idea, of what accurate and fair means is whatever is positive about Trump and negative about his perceived enemies. That's what is at the heart of the ridiculous lawsuit, which accused "60 Minutes" of editing one of Kamala Harris' answers in an interview before the election, a practice that is routine. Why settle? Because Paramount wanted the FCC approval.
It's disturbing, but hardly unexpected. And Anna Gomez, the lone Democrat on the FCC board, certainly didn't back down. "Even more alarming, (the FCC) is now imposing never-before-seen controls over newsroom decisions and editorial judgment, in direct violation of the First Amendment and the law,' Gomez said in a statement after the approval.
Maybe she's exaggerating? Maybe not. Skydance CEO David Ellison pledged to eliminate DEI programming, whatever that is ― I can guess who gets to decide ― and to create an ombudsman to handle complaints of bias. I wonder if the White House will have a direct line to make them? Or will CBS be so hobbled by fear it won't need one?
It doesn't end there. On a recent appearance on Fox News ― everybody wants to party with their friends ― Bill Hemmer asked Carr if "The View," the liberal-leaning talk show on ABC, was "in the crosshairs of this administration."
Now, in normal times, if you can remember those, this is the kind of question that would get a quick, "Of course not, we don't target anyone specifically, we just follow the FCC practice of responding to complaints."
Nope.
"Look, it's entirely possible that there's issues over there," Carr said. "And stepping back, this broader dynamic, once President Trump has exposed these media gatekeepers and smashed this facade, there's a lot of consequences. I think the consequences of that aren't quite finished."
What is all this "exposed" and "smashed" garbage? What Trump has done is bully news operations into submission. It's not brave. It's not useful. It's scary.
Of course there's more.
Whining about accurate coverage isn't courage. It's sick
"If you step back, what's happening here is, you know, I think President Trump is fundamentally reshaping the media landscape," Carr said in an interview on CNBC's "Squawk Box On the Street." And the way he's doing that is when he ran for election, he ran directly at these legacy broadcast media outlets, ABC, NBC, CBS."
Yes, by whining about their accurate coverage to a base of supporters only too eager to hear it.
"For years, you know, government officials just allowed those entities with execs sitting in Hollywood, in New York, to dictate the political narrative," Carr said. "And he has fundamentally changed the game. And you see that really having consequences that are just rushing all through the media."
Yes, we do. And it is chilling.
In what possible way does this constitute free speech? How does shaping the narrative to bolster your own interests and suppress those you disagree with fit that definition in any way? At that point it's propaganda.
At any other time Brendan Carr would be the most dangerous person in America. Given the circumstances, however, he'll have to settle for second place.
'South Park' excoriated Trump: The White House comeback is just sad
Reach Goodykoontz at bill.goodykoontz@arizonarepublic.com. Facebook:facebook.com/GoodyOnFilm. Media commentary with a side of snark? Sign up for The Watchlist newsletter with Bill Goodykoontz.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: How the head of the FCC is selling out free speech | Opinion
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