On March 14, 2026, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) head Brendan Carr took another shot at the fundamental right of freedom of the press. Using the language with which the administration of U.S. president Donald Trump has answered every criticism of its policies, Carr wrote on his social media account: “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.”

The FCC licenses radio, television, satellite, and other telecommunications services in the United States. Its scope, however, is framed by the constitutional guarantees of free speech and freedom of the press.

Carr’s threat is the latest volley in efforts by the Trump administration to undermine freedom of the press and free speech and censor the news. As Washington prosecutes its broadly unpopular war against Iran,^[1] these attempts to block access to facts and information are intensifying, providing more evidence of the march toward authoritarian rule that has characterized the course of this administration from day one.

EDITORIAL

Commenting on Carr’s announcement, Trump made crystal clear what prompted this latest attack on the news media. “The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal … and other Lowlife ‘Papers’ and Media actually want us to lose the War,” the president complained on social media.

The following day, Trump alleged “false reporting” on the war in the Middle East by the Wall Street Journal. On his TruthSocial account, Trump upped the ante: “In a certain way, you can say that those Media Outlets that generated [the report] should be brought up on Charges for TREASON for the dissemination of false information!”

Treason, of course, is a capital offense. So, the message from the White House is, in short, “If you don’t report the news the way I want, you’re going to lose your license to operate — and maybe your freedom, or perhaps your life!”

This pattern of intimidation against journalists who challenge him has been part of Trump’s playbook since he took office the first time — name-calling, insulting, threatening litigation, pulling the passes of members of the press corps, and now the threats to rescind broadcast licensing.

Many experts say it is unlikely one or another media outlet would lose a legal battle over their right to operate. But the real purpose of the government’s barrage is the chilling effect it can have — and has had — on broadcasters.

Late night ABC TV host Jimmy Kimmel, the daytime talk show “The View,” and CBS “Late Show” host Stephen Colbert have all been targeted in recent months and, in the cases of Kimmel and Colbert, their networks have bent to the pressure.

It was Carr himself who threatened Disney Entertainment, the owner of the ABC network, following controversial remarks by Kimmel after the assassination of rightist Charlie Kirk. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” the FCC chairman said at the time. “These companies can find ways to change conduct to take actions on Kimmel, or there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”

ABC pulled Kimmel’s show off the air. But the incident provoked such public outcry — including millions canceling their Disney TV accounts and a tumble in the price of the company’s stock — that the Mickey Mouse empire reversed its decision.

In wartime, it is no surprise that these threats are intensifying. As the wealthy who rule the United States learned during Vietnam,^[2] controlling what people know about the facts on the ground is critical to winning; if you lose control of the narrative in your own country, you may lose the war.

Today, as then, defending freedom of the press and the journalists who do the hard work of digging for the truth is vital. And the defense of free speech goes hand in hand with defending the democratic rights of both civilians and GIs who oppose this war and who want to organize a broad movement demanding U.S. withdrawal from the Middle East.

World-Outlook stands firmly with journalists who oppose Washington’s attempts to bury the truth; they are an essential barrier in the way of Trump’s march toward one-man rule.

NOTES

[1] Polling by the Washington Post conducted March 6-9, 2026, shows slightly over 40% of adults oppose continued strikes against Iran, with another 25% saying their opinion about the war remained undecided. Polling by Ipsos conducted March 13-15, 2026, showed 58% disapprove of military strikes against Iran and 78% would oppose deploying ground troops.

[2] The Vietnam War marked the first time that U.S. television viewers saw footage of the battlefield within hours of it being filmed and received “body counts” with every broadcast of the evening news. On a daily basis, the horror of war played out in the living rooms of hundreds of thousands of Americans and contributed to the loss of support for Washington’s war.

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