{"id":172351,"date":"2025-09-21T18:32:11","date_gmt":"2025-09-21T18:32:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/172351\/"},"modified":"2025-09-21T18:32:11","modified_gmt":"2025-09-21T18:32:11","slug":"government-pressure-on-media-has-come-from-both-parties-nab-chief-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/172351\/","title":{"rendered":"Government Pressure on Media ‘Has Come From Both Parties,’ NAB Chief Says"},"content":{"rendered":"

Curtis Leyget, president of the National Association of Broadcasters, is no fan of government pressure on the media to cover stories a certain way \u2013 and says it has come \u201cfrom both parties.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a blog post published Sunday<\/a> on the NAB\u2019s site, LeGeyt, who has led the trade group since 2022, addressed the Jimmy Kimmel controversy for the first time since \u201cJimmy Kimmel Live!\u201d was suspended indefinitely by ABC<\/a> over his comments about Charlie Kirk\u2019s assassin.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe controversy surrounding\u00a0\u2018Jimmy Kimmel Live!\u2018\u00a0has sparked understandable questions about broadcasters\u2019 First Amendment rights and the influence of those in power. This is an unprecedented time in media history and moments like this demand a direct conversation about what is at stake,\u201d writes LeGeyt, who was senior counsel for Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont before joining NAB in 2011.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet me first state affirmatively that broadcasters must be able to make decisions about the content on our airwaves free from government influence,\u201d LeGeyt writes. \u201cThe First Amendment affords our stations \u2014 and all Americans \u2014 this fundamental right, and the mere perception that broadcasters acted because of undue pressure is a problem for our credibility and the trust we have built with our audiences.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, government pressure on media to cover events in a particular way is not new and it has come from both political parties. During the Obama administration, journalists decried the use of the Espionage Act to investigate reporters and demand their confidential sources. Under the Biden administration, reporters faced growing barriers to access, and local affiliate stations were targeted based on the actions of cable news networks. Today, we continue to see veiled threats suggesting broadcasters should be penalized for airing content that is contrary to a particular point of view.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

LeGeyt states that each of those attempts \u201cwere wrong then, and they are wrong now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe First Amendment makes clear that broadcasters \u2014 not the government \u2014 bear the responsibility for editorial decisions,\u201d he writes. \u201cLocal radio and television stations take this obligation seriously, working every day to reflect the unique and diverse needs of our communities, especially on sensitive issues. This is what makes local stations the most trusted sources of information. Ultimately, broadcasters are accountable to the viewers and listeners we serve.\u201d<\/p>\n

LeGeyt also addressed the market disruption challenges that broadcasters are facing from Big Tech; the efforts NAB is making to \u201censure broadcasters have the scale to compete with national and global behemoths\u201d; and its continued investment in local newsrooms and programming.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut all of that is futile if we cannot fulfill our most sacred responsibility: reporting to our communities without fear of government retribution,\u201d LeGeyt writes in the annual First Amendment Day address. \u201cBecause without it, everything else falls away.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read the entire blog post here<\/a>. <\/p>\n

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