ABC News says FCC is carrying out intimidation campaign to shape coverage

ABC News has accused the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) of orchestrating an intimidation campaign against media outlets critical of President Donald Trump, leveraging the threat of canceled broadcast licenses. In a court filing on Thursday, the Disney-owned company pointed to the FCC's decision to conduct an early license review of eight ABC stations.

ABC argues that this action serves as a warning to other media organizations whose coverage Trump finds unfavorable. "The retaliation against ABC is a signal to every media company in the country: accommodate the administration’s view of what news coverage should look like or pay the price," the company stated in its filing. It further asserted that the FCC is attempting to create "a media industry too fearful of official reprisal to report the news freely."

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The retaliation against ABC is a signal to every media company in the country: accommodate the administration’s view of what news coverage should look like or pay the price.

Critics contend that the Trump administration has frequently sought to pressure companies over coverage deemed critical of the president and his allies. Since Trump took office, his administration has faced accusations of targeting news outlets he dislikes. Examples include Trump's lawsuit against the BBC and ongoing defamation suits against The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. The Department of Justice also recently withdrew subpoenas seeking to compel New York Times journalists to testify about their reporting.

Supporters of press freedom have expressed concern that such aggressive tactics could stifle free speech, a right protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. In ABC's specific case, the broadcast licenses for the stations involved were not scheduled for renewal until October 2028. However, FCC Chair Brendan Carr initiated an early review in April, an action the agency had not undertaken in over 50 years. The FCC stated this decision, made shortly after Trump called for ABC to fire late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, was prompted by an investigation into whether the company's diversity policies constituted unlawful discrimination.

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a media industry too fearful of official reprisal to report the news freely