Concepts
4 entries in Fcc CensorshipChilling Effect
The legal doctrine describing how government threats — even without formal enforcement — can suppress protected speech by making speakers fear consequences. The central mechanism of the FCC's pressure campaign.
Equal Time Rule
Federal regulation requiring broadcasters to offer equivalent airtime to all candidates for an office if one candidate receives airtime — weaponized by FCC Chairman Carr to pressure talk shows critical of the Trump administration.
First Amendment and Broadcast Speech
The constitutional framework governing broadcast media regulation — historically permitting more government control over airwaves than print or internet speech, but increasingly questioned as the spectrum scarcity rationale erodes.
Regulatory Capture as Speech Suppression
The pattern in which corporations seeking regulatory approval preemptively suppress speech to avoid antagonizing the government — a form of censorship-by-proxy that circumvents constitutional protections.