Anna Gomez, the sole Democratic member of the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC), has formally urged the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) to significantly ramp up its response to mounting pressure from the US regime on major news networks and television stations ahead of the pivotal November 3 midterm elections.

In a comprehensive four-page letter addressed to industry group CEO and President Curtis LeGeyt, Gomez argued that the current volume of pushback from broadcasters still fails to match the unprecedented scale of challenges confronting media organizations. She alleged that the administration is orchestrating a coordinated, government-wide initiative aimed at reshaping independent media into a sanctioned state mouthpiece.

The tensions were further exacerbated by recent assertions from Trump-appointed official Brendan Carr, who claimed that television channels might be violating regulatory duties by broadcasting what he termed "entirely fake polls" ahead of elections that could alter the balance of power in Congress. Despite formal inquiries from journalistic outlets requesting specific evidence and clarifications regarding which networks allegedly aired such content, the regulatory agency declined to provide any details.

Free press advocates swiftly condemned Carr's remarks, with Seth Stern, chief of advocacy at the Freedom of the Press Foundation, arguing that the official is attempting to act as an unauthorized journalism police force to deflect unfavorable reporting directed at the political leadership.

Gomez concluded by reiterating that the agency lacks legal authority to intervene simply because the regime dislikes specific polling results, noting that the strict legal threshold for news distortion requires knowing broadcast of false information about crimes or catastrophes that directly causes immediate and substantial harm to public safety.

Source: www.aljazeera.com