Craig Aaron
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Articles by Craig Aaron
Even Disney Is Fed Up with the FCC’s Dirty Tricks
Disney loves a reluctant hero. You know the trope: Circumstances force a cautious, cowardly or cynical character to go on a quest, join a rebellion or finally stand up for what’s right. Under the Trump regime, corporate media have been woefully short of heroics — and the House of Mouse is no exception. When Trump filed a spurious lawsuit against ABC News, the Disney bosses paid off the president.
The Trump Regime’s Wartime Response: Target the Media
Two weeks into its senseless, unlawful, unpopular and grossly mismanaged war on Iran, the Trump administration has locked in on a familiar target: the media. Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and FCC Chairman Brendan Carr have lashed out at critical coverage with bogus charges of “fake news,” “hoaxes” and even “TREASON” in a desperate attempt to cover up their blunders by blaming the messengers.
Pressing Issues Interviews FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez
This isn’t what Anna Gomez signed up for. A longtime communications lawyer and FCC insider, the agency’s lone Democratic commissioner got the job because of her deep subject-matter expertise. But under the Trump regime, the assignment has changed. Trump FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has weaponized the agency, shaking down merger-seeking companies, launching bogus investigations into news content, attacking diversity programs and pushing the agency into the middle of the culture wars.
In Media MergerMania 2025, We All Lose
On December 5, Netflix announced an $82.7 billion merger agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery, the media behemoth that owns everything from CNN and HBO Max to the Harry Potter films and Hanna-Barbera cartoons. The deal would combine the number-one and number-four streaming platforms and give the former DVD deliverers control of a massive library of content. But Paramount Skydance, the other giant — behind Top Gun, SpongeBob SquarePants, and CBS — wants Warner too.
Six Impossible Things That Might Save Journalism
“Alice laughed. ‘There's no use trying,’ she said. ‘One can't believe impossible things.’ “‘I daresay you haven't had much practice,’ said the Queen. ‘When I was your age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day.
What Bob McChesney Taught Me
I traveled to Wisconsin over the weekend to attend a celebration of life for Robert W. McChesney, the esteemed media scholar and Free Press co-founder. He was my mentor and friend. Bob died in March. On Saturday, dozens of Bob’s family members, friends, neighbors and colleagues gathered in Madison. There were tears but more laughter, much talk of political economy and even more conversation about his beloved Cleveland Browns.
Broadcasters Strike a Devil’s Bargain with the Trump Regime
At a time of serious attacks on press freedom, in the face of government censorship and shakedowns, when reporters are literally being clubbed in the streets, the nation’s television broadcasters are united — in their quest to kill off the few remaining limits on how much local media they can control.
Broadcasters Strike a Devil’s Bargain with the Trump Regime
At a time of serious attacks on press freedom, in the face of government censorship and shakedowns, when reporters are literally being clubbed in the streets, the nation’s television broadcasters are united — in their quest to kill off the few remaining limits on how much local media they can control.
Let’s Make the End of CPB the Start of Public Media’s Revival
Public Media — 7 min read My personal history with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting is mostly one of being shown the door. It just kept happening. I’d meet an eager CPB staffer at some conference. We’d excitedly share ideas after a panel about supporting local journalism, expanding community radio or funding diverse documentary filmmakers. We’d make plans to meet up back in D.C. But when I’d show up at their office, inevitably CPB’s lobbyist would join us.
Remembering Robert W. McChesney
Robert W. McChesney, the renowned media scholar and co-founder of Free Press, died on March 25 at his home in Madison, Wisconsin. He was 72. Professor McChesney — Bob to his friends — was an intellectual force who changed the way a generation of academics, journalists, politicians and activists thought about how the media shape our broader politics and possibilities.
We Must Fight Back Against Trump’s Illegal FTC Firings
Craig Aaron and Jessica J. González are the co-CEOs of Free Press Action. FTC Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya served on the board of Free Press prior to entering public service. Writing for Tech Policy Press three weeks ago, we warned of the Trump regime’s plans to “terminate uncooperative bureaucrats” and “remove sitting commissioners without cause.” We pleaded with congressional leaders to suspend business as usual and challenge the mounting attack on independent agencies.
Don’t Rubber Stamp Trump’s Regulators
Craig Aaron and Jessica J. González are the co-CEOs of Free Press Action. In normal times, the nominations of two experienced United States Senate staffers to fill vacant commissioner seats at independent regulatory agencies like the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade Commission would be pro forma: a few private meetings, a quick and amiable hearing, a quick vote. But these are not normal times.
When the Truth Doesn't Exist, Democracy Is in Trouble
I testified on Feb. 12 before the House Judiciary Committee about the free-speech emergency in our country. The culprits: Donald Trump, Elon Musk, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, the country’s most powerful media billionaires, and members of Congress too consumed with old tweets (and, well, eggs) to respond to a constitutional crisis.
Media and Tech Billionaires Helped Elect Trump - and Now They're Ready to Serve
Surveying the wreckage after the 2024 election, many post-mortems have tried to explain the tactical or messaging mishaps that led to Trump’s victory. But a lot of them have missed the most obvious culprit: the media. Yes, in this case, it is appropriate to blame the messengers —– or at least their billionaire bosses.
Trump's Return and the Media We Need
In January, Donald Trump will become the president again. We can’t pretend we aren’t devastated. But we’re also reflecting on how we got to this point, what we should or could have done differently, and what it will take to build power to take on the unaccountable billionaires — from Rupert Murdoch and Elon Musk to Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos — whose media empires have put our democracy at risk.
Our Endorsement: Save Journalism from the Billionaires
This year’s most notable newspaper endorsements are the ones that never happened. Just days before the presidential election, the billionaire owners of two of the country’s most important newspapers, The Los Angeles Timesand The Washington Post, blocked their own editorial boards from endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris over former President Donald Trump.
Meet the Project 2025 Co-Author Who Wants to Run the FCC If Trump Wins
You've probably heard of Project 2025—the not-so-secret plan the Heritage Foundation cooked up for the next Republican administration. Project 2025’s contents are so noxious, unpopular and anti-democratic that even Donald Trump has repeatedly tried to distance himself from them—though at least 140 former Trump officials contributed to the plan.
Meet the Project 2025 Co-Author Who Wants to Run the FCC If Trump Wins | Common Dreams
By now you’ve probably heard of Project 2025 — the not-so-secret plan the Heritage Foundation cooked up for the next Republican administration, complete with a 900-page authoritarian playbook for overturning civil-rights laws, gutting environmental and labor protections, criminalizing abortion, and purging the federal government of any career workers who aren’t partisan loyalists.< Project 2025’s contents are so noxious, unpopular and anti-democratic that even Donald Trump has repeatedly...
How a New Bill Would Help Stop AI Discrimination
Artificial intelligence has rapidly entered every part of our lives. There’s a lot of hype about AI. There’s a lot of chatter. There’s a lot of fear, too. But too often, we’re asking the wrong questions. The important question isn’t whether AI is inherently bad or good, but who is going to benefit? Is AI going to make our lives easier or is it going to be used to exacerbate inequality, exploitation and discrimination? Who’s going to be at the table when these decisions are made?
What I Told House Republicans About Their Dangerous Attempt to Defund NPR | Common Dreams
Here we go again. Every couple of years, conservative members of Congress launch highly partisan attempts to root out alleged “bias” at NPR and PBS—which remain incredibly popular and trusted among the American public—and threaten to slash funding that supports local nonprofit radio and TV affiliates nationwide. This year’s so-called outrage? A contentious and inaccurate critique of NPR published by a disgruntled editor.
Opinion | What I told House Republicans about their dangerous attempt to defund NPR - Editor and Publisher
Posted Thursday, May 9, 2024 5:55 pm Here we go again. Every couple of years, conservative members of Congress launch highly partisan attempts to root out alleged “bias” at NPR and PBS—which remain incredibly popular and trusted among the American public—and threaten to slash funding that supports local nonprofit radio and TV affiliates nationwide. This year’s so-called outrage? A contentious and inaccurate critique of NPR published by a disgruntled editor.
What I Told Congress About Its Dangerous Attempt to Defund NPR
Every couple of years, conservative members of Congress launch highly partisan attempts to root out alleged “bias” at NPR and PBS — which remain incredibly popular and trusted among the American public — and threaten to slash funding that supports local nonprofit radio and TV affiliates nationwide. 2024’s so-called outrage? A contentious and inaccurate critique of NPR published by a disgruntled editor.
Shout it with me: FCC is bringing back net neutrality
Millions of people have called on the Federal Communications Commission to protect the free and open internet — backed by the authority of Title II of the Communications Act — registering more public comments on this issue than any other in the agency’s history. Now, under the leadership of FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel — who had to wait two years to act until the Senate filled a vacant seat on the commission — net neutrality, gutted under the Trump administration, is back on the docket.
Shout it with me: FCC is bringing back net neutrality
While the Guinness people haven’t sent me a plaque yet, I’m confidently claiming this world record: most times shouting “net neutrality” into a megaphone. Over nearly two decades, I’ve led or joined dozens of protests and rallies to call for “net neutrality” — the fundamental idea that when you go online you should be able to control your own internet experience without interference, blocking or discrimination by the company you pay for access.
'The Crisis in Journalism Underpins a Crisis of Democracy'
Free Press is 20 years old. It wouldn’t exist without the insights, activism and intellectual inspiration of two of its co-founders, Robert W. McChesney and John Nichols. McChesney is professor emeritus at the University of Illinois. Nichols is the national affairs correspondent for The Nation. They have authored or co-authored more than 25 books on media and politics. I spoke with them via Zoom from their homes in Madison, Wisconsin. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
The FCC’s New Net Neutrality Fight Is About More Than Net Neutrality
Are you getting ready? Are you going to be ready? You’re really ready, right? These were the questions running through our minds and often spoken aloud in our interactions with the Federal Communications Commission during the long wait for a fully functional agency. On Monday, Anna Gomez, the fifth FCC Commissioner was finally sworn in.
Happy Anniversary, Free Press!
Free Press turns 20 on Aug. 14 — marking two decades of our fight to transform our media system. As this date has approached, I’ve been thinking a lot about the importance of sharing our history and telling our own story.
My Trip to the White House Shows How Much the Debate Over Broadband Has Changed
I recently found myself in a surreal situation: hearing a string quartet of Marines play “Don’t Stop Believin’” as I walked into the gilded East Room of the White House and saw giant spools of fiber-optic cable piled on the marbled floors. It was indeed quite a journey to get there. As the song goes: “Some’ll win, some will lose. Some are born to sing the blues.” And this event definitely fits in the win column.
A Dirty Campaign Defeated Gigi Sohn. We Can't Let it Happen Again.
FCC NOMINEE - The failure of Democratic senators to advocate for their own nominee means that companies like Comcast and Fox will likely only double-down in the future on the kinds of deceitful tactics they deployed against a nominee who would have been an incredible addition to the FCC. On Tuesday, Gigi Sohn withdrew her nomination to the Federal Communications Commission. This ends a two-year fight to put an accomplished public servant in the important fifth seat on the FCC.
A Dirty Campaign Defeated Gigi Sohn. We Can't Let it Happen Again.
On Tuesday, Gigi Sohn withdrew her nomination to the Federal Communications Commission. This ends a two-year fight to put an accomplished public servant in the important fifth seat on the FCC. In the —after nearly 500 days, multiple confirmation hearings, and a relentless industry-orchestrated campaign against her—Sohn didn't have enough votes in the Senate to move forward. I'm furious—and determined to make sure this doesn't happen again.
A Dirty Campaign Defeated Gigi Sohn. We Can't Let it Happen Again.
On Tuesday, Gigi Sohn withdrew her nomination to the Federal Communications Commission. This ends a two-year fight to put an accomplished public servant in the important fifth seat on the FCC. In the —after nearly 500 days, multiple confirmation hearings, and a relentless industry-orchestrated campaign against her—Sohn didn't have enough votes in the Senate to move forward. I'm furious—and determined to make sure this doesn't happen again.
Craig Aaron
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A Smear Campaign Defeated Gigi Sohn. We Can't Let It Happen Again
After enduring endless attacks, Gigi Sohn withdrew her nomination to the Federal Communications Commission. This ends a two-year fight to put an accomplished public servant in the important fifth seat at the FCC. In the end, after nearly 500 days, multiple confirmation hearings and a relentless industry-orchestrated campaign against her, Sohn didn’t have enough votes in the Senate to move forward. I’m furious — and determined to make sure this doesn’t happen again.
A Dirty Campaign Defeated Gigi Sohn. We Can’t Let it Happen Again.
On Tuesday, Gigi Sohn withdrew her nomination to the Federal Communications Commission. This ends a two-year fight to put an accomplished public servant in the important fifth seat on the FCC. In the —after nearly 500 days, multiple confirmation hearings, and a relentless industry-orchestrated campaign against her—Sohn didn't have enough votes in the Senate to move forward. I'm furious—and determined to make sure this doesn't happen again.
Georgia, Gigi, Elon and the JCPA
We hope that the results of December’s runoff election in Georgia mean that Gigi Sohn’s long-delayed FCC nomination will finally move forward. As TheWashington Post reported, Sohn — a former FCC staffer and the founder of Public Knowledge — has faced an unprecedented barrage of attack ads from shady dark-money groups lying about her record and views.
The Antitrust, Pro-Journalism Bill That is Neither
Craig Aaron is the president and co-CEO of Free Press and Free Press Action. The Journalism Competition and Preservation Act (JCPA) — the top congressional priority of legacy newspaper publishers and TV broadcasters — suffered a major setback last week when lobbyists failed to get it attached to must-pass defense legislation during a last-minute, lame-duck rush in Washington, D.C. Surveying the wreckage of her legislation, lead sponsor Sen.
What the Midterms Mean for the Future of Media and Tech
While the last votes are still being tallied, we saw so many voters reject hate and lies and show up to defend democracy and human rights. When it comes to media and tech, the results mean there is new momentum and political opportunity to advance key appointments and new policies that will actually protect people and improve their lives.
After Buffalo, Media and Tech Can’t Look Away Any Longer
A church elder. A grandmother. A grandfather. A security guard. A Sunday school teacher. A baker. A civil rights activist. A jitney driver. A father of three. A young girl, with “.” Ruth Whitfield, Celestine Chaney, Andre Mackneil, Aaron Salter, Pearl Young, Geraldine Talley, Katherine Massey, Heyward Patterson, Margus Morrison and Roberta Drury were all undoubtedly much more than that list above can ever capture.
How Congress Can Truly Help Local Journalism
Over the past year, in response to both the pandemic and the “infodemic” surrounding it, there’s been more interest on Capitol Hill about the problems facing the Fourth Estate than ever before. Several bills have been introduced this year — backed by influential members who might actually be in a position to pass them.
Free Press Goes to the Supreme Court
This morning, Free Press went to the Supreme Court — well, to the highest virtual court in the land, with the pandemic forcing the justices to dial in by phone — for oral arguments in Prometheus Radio Project v. FCC. This case is the culmination of our long-running challenge to the FCC for repeatedly trying to dismantle media-ownership limits while failing to study the impact on broadcast-ownership opportunities for women and people of color.
Biden Wins. Trumpism Endures. What Free Press Is Doing Next.
But Trumpism endures and must be confronted. That’s the hopeful yet harrowing moment we find ourselves in now that the election is over, and the transition has begun. Free Press is ready. While we’ll remain vigilant for whatever a lame-duck Trump — or let’s face it, the year 2020 — might bring, we will be putting our collective energy toward repairing the damage done over the past four years, while diligently working to expand what’s possible in a Biden administration and new Congress.
Journalism Needs a Stimulus. Here’s What it Should Look Like
Analysis By Craig Aaron March 24, 2020 The coronavirus COVID-19 has upended everything, including business as usual in Washington. In a matter of days, facing the reality of a nationwide shutdown and a worsening economic crisis, Congress got serious about spending money—a lot of it. A recovery package in the trillions of dollars is expected soon, and more stimulus bills are likely to follow.
Your Emoji-Based Guide to Where the 2020 Candidates Stand on Media and Tech Policy
From naming the press an “enemy of the people” and destroying Net Neutrality to advancing mega-mergers and fighting a war on the poor, the past three years of the Trump administration have been an unmitigated disaster for anyone who cares about an open internet, the future of journalism or creating an equitable media system. In a time of impeachment, looming climate disaster and kids being caged at the border, media and tech issues haven’t always topped the list of debate topics.
Why platforms should pay for polluting our civic discourse
Credit: Timothy Karr They should take responsibility for the mess they’ve made Three days before the 2016 election, a shocking story from “Denver’s oldest news source” went viral. “FBI Agent Suspected In Hillary Email Leaks Found Dead In Apparent Murder-Suicide,” blared the headline rocketing around Facebook from the Denver Guardian. There was a problem: It was all fake. There’s no such newspaper as the Denver Guardian.
Tax online ad revenue to fund local and independent journalism
Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive officer and founder of Facebook Inc. attends the Viva Tech start-up and technology gathering at Parc des Expositions Porte de Versailles on May 24, 2018 in Paris, France. (Christophe Morin/IP3 / Getty Images) The past year has been a bumpy ride for Facebook — and even worse for its users. But in 2019 we have a chance to clean up some of the mess Facebook has made by taxing the company to support local journalism.
Want to save journalism? Tax the attention economy
Way, way back in 2009 as Facebook was celebrating its fifth anniversary, CEO Mark ZuckerbergMark Elliot ZuckerbergThe Hill's Morning Report - Democrats duke it out during Nevada debate On The Money: GAO to investigate Trump aid for farmers | Bloomberg calls for bolstering Dodd-Frank | Where the 2020 Democrats stand on taxes Soros: Zuckerberg, Sandberg should be removed from control of Facebook MORE blogged that the company was founded “to give people the tools to engage and understand the...
Want to Save Journalism? Tax the Attention Economy
Way, way back in 2009 as Facebook was celebrating its fifth anniversary, CEO Mark Zuckerberg blogged that the company was founded “to give people the tools to engage and understand the world around them.” In the 10 years since then, Facebook’s user base has multiplied more than 10 times. But instead of giving people the tools to better understand the world, Zuckerberg’s creation has hastened the global spread of misinformation designed to divide populations and manipulate voters.
Government funds local news - and that’s a good thing
Public funding for journalism?!?! The shock! The horror! Got that knee-jerk reaction out of your system? Great. Because 2019 will be the year that more governments start funding local news — and that’s a good thing. If we’re serious about journalism’s essential role in our democracy, then we need to get serious about finding new ways to respond to how the collapse of local news is harming communities. First, we need to engage with and listen to those communities a lot more.
Burger King Loves Net Neutrality (?!) and Other Whoppers
These are not words I ever expected to type. And yet Wednesday, the fast-food giant released one of the most clever Net Neutrality explainer videos ever. Some buzz-killers are complaining that Burger King doesn’t really care about Net Neutrality and is just trying to exploit a hot-button topic. To them, I say: I know! Isn’t it great?! Net Neutrality is so popular right now that it’s being used to sell hamburgers.
Burger King Loves Net Neutrality (?!) and Other Whoppers
These are not words I ever expected to type. And yet Wednesday, the fast-food giant released one of the most clever Net Neutrality explainer videos ever. Some buzz-killers are complaining that Burger King doesn’t really care about Net Neutrality and is just trying to exploit a hot-button topic. To them, I say: I know! Isn’t it great?! Net Neutrality is so popular right now that it’s being used to sell hamburgers.
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