Carr’s remarks came shortly after Donald Trump accused major news outlets of misleading the public about U.S. military actions in Iran
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NEED TO KNOW
- FCC Chair Brendan Carr warned broadcasters they must “correct course” on their news coverage or risk losing their licenses, according to a post shared by Carr on X on Saturday, March 14
- The Trump-appointed Carr added that it is “time for change” at the end of his post
- Carr’s remarks came shortly after Donald Trump accused major news outlets of misleading the public about U.S. military actions in Iran
Brendan Carr, chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), is warning mainstream media organizations that they must “correct course” on their news coverage or else “lose their licenses.”
Carr, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, issued the statement in a post shared on X on Saturday, March 14.
“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 chairman began in his post.
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 law is clear. Broadcasters must operate in the public interest, and they will lose their licenses if they… https://t.co/7bBgnsbalw
— Brendan Carr (@BrendanCarrFCC) March 14, 2026
“The law is clear. Broadcasters must operate in the public interest, and they will lose their licenses if they do not,” he continued.
“The American people have subsidized broadcasters to the tune of billions of dollars by providing free access to the nation’s airwaves. It is very important to bring trust back into media, which has earned itself the label of fake news,” Carr wrote.
He went on to say that it is “time for change!”
The FCC did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Carr’s post was shared in direct response to a message that Trump, 79, shared on Truth Social several hours prior. In his post, the president claimed that the “Fake News Media” was “intentionally misleading” the public on U.S. military actions in Iran.
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“The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal (in particular), and other Lowlife ‘Papers’ and Media actually want us to lose the War,” Trump wrote in his post.
“Their terrible reporting is the exact opposite of the actual facts! They are truly sick and demented people that have no idea the damage they cause the United States of America,” he continued.
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Democratic Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii reshared Carr’s response to Trump on his own X feed, stating that Carr’s post was a “clear directive” to news organizations to provide positive coverage of the current war in Iran or else risk being taken off the air.
This is a clear directive to provide positive war coverage or else licenses may not be renewed. This is worse than the comedian stuff, and by a lot. The stakes here are much higher. He’s not talking about late night shows, he’s talking about how a war is covered. https://t.co/maKAZhcUjN
— Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) March 14, 2026
“This is worse than the comedian stuff, and by a lot,” Schatz continued, referring to recent clashes between the FCC and late-night hosts Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert regarding freedom of speech issues.
“The stakes here are much higher. He’s not talking about late night shows, he’s talking about how a war is covered,” Schatz added.
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