by Winston Wendell
For years, I studied the relationship between information and society. But the latest policy changes in Washington are deeply troubling. This week, the Federal Communications Commission, in a 2-1 vote, overturned a key media ownership rule protecting the diversity of viewpoints in our news and entertainment. This decision, which has been made by a Republican majority, allows bigger corporations to acquire a significantly greater share of local news.
If this is to be achieved, local news outlets will no longer be truly local. As someone who has fought for years for a better environment for local news to survive, I believe this development to be an existential threat to it. This is why I am raising this alarm bell about the end of local news.
What Just Happened? (The 39 Percent Cap Was Lifted)
For more than two decades, companies have been restricted to 39 percent of all television households as a result of a certain law. It was designed to prevent a single entity from dominating the news and information space.
The chairman of the FCC, Brendan Carr, a Trump appointee, argued that this decision was made to “restore fairness” to the system, giving local news a better chance to compete with big tech conglomerates.
Many, however, do not share this point of view. During the debate in the FCC, democrat commissioner Anna Gomez said, “This is not local broadcasting; it is Big Media muscling in to replace Big Tech as the gatekeeper – neither of which is in the public interest.”
Who Wins from This?
In this tug of war, there are always winners and losers, but the main beneficiaries of this policy shift were already predicted by its supporters. With this FCC decision, Nexstar, for example, will be able to merge with Tegna, so that around 80 percent of all households in the USA will receive their local news from one company. Such concentration of power in one media holding threatens the diversity of views in society.
Another media conglomerate that wins from this is Sinclair Broadcasting Group. This company has a reputation for forcing “must run” news stories on its affiliated local TV stations, so that the news coming out of them reflects a particular point of view selected by the company’s bosses. With the repeal of the 39 percent rule, Sinclair will be able to disseminate its political narratives even more widely through dozens of local news outlets.
Not Entirely Legal either (Challenges to the FCC Decision are Being Considered)
In addition to being “unfair,” this FCC decision may also be illegal. This is what the court in Washington will have to decide in one of the lawsuits challenging the new FCC rules. This case, brought by the media watchdog group Free Press, claims that Brendan Carr does not have the authority to repeal the 39 percent rule.
According to the complaint, the FCC’s move violates the Communications Act of 2004, which was adopted by a decision of Congress. Moreover, this law prevented the FCC from overturning the 39 percent cap unless Congress voted to repeal it. According to Matt Wood of Free Press, Carr’s initiative is an attempt to help Trump allies grab local news markets by any means.
How Does This Affect the Local News?
The importance of this decision for the future of local news can’t be overestimated. When a large national media company buys a popular local news outlet, it rarely means that it will begin to provide more comprehensive coverage of local events. Such mergers usually lead to the opposite: cuts in the number of local news shows, journalists’ salaries, and much more remote management decisions.
In other words, the audience will have less information about what is happening around them and about their region in general, since coverage of local events will be controlled by people who speak for themselves. John Bergmayer of Public Knowledge said, “News consolidation leads to less local news, fewer journalists, and more top-down management.”
The FCC as an Agency that Makes Politically Motivated Decisions
Perhaps the most annoying aspect of all this is that the FCC itself seems to serve primarily as an instrument for advancing the policy preferences of the current administration.
By promoting his candidates to the post of FCC chairman, Trump has ensured that the FCC will be willing to loosen regulations whenever they see fit. This week, commissioner Brendan Carr, for example, accused ABC and CBS of “anti-conservative bias” in the coverage of certain news. In essence, it is a call for these federal networks to change their narratives in favor of the Trump administration. By politicizing the FCC, Trump has turned it into an auxiliary instrument for pursuing his policy in Congress.
From my point of view
This decision to repeal the 39 percent rule is another step toward greater corporate control of the news, which is why I am raising this alarm bell about the end of local news. This is because it allows companies to buy more local news outlets and cover fewer local issues than before. In addition, the coverage of news will be subject to the control and management of officials from these companies, which will have an even greater impact on the polarization of opinions in society.
Blue Press Journal 
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