President-elect Trump has not shied away from his critique of the news media, even going so far as suggesting outlets should lose their broadcast licenses. With the new administration’s takeover of the Federal Communications Commission just a month away, outgoing FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel says the White House resident may change, but the constitutional fundamentals remain in place.
“The First Amendment is a cornerstone of our democracy, and the FCC has no business threatening to take away broadcast licenses because the President does not like the content or coverage on a network, and that same First Amendment duty applies to what is out there online,” Rosenworcel says. “We have got to honor the Constitution first and foremost, and the FCC should not be tearing down the First Amendment, because it’s deeply rooted in how we think about the media in this country.”
Speaking on the Politico Tech podcast, she adds she believes if that does not happen in the future it will be “appropriate to speak up.”
Rosenworcel’s comments — which never mention Trump by name — echo those she made last month. Trump has selected Commissioner Brendan Carr to succeed her as the new chairman of the Commission. Carr has, in recent days, stepped up his critique of the media, saying that public interest obligations that broadcasters face give the FCC a role to play.
“Broadcast media have had the privilege of using a scarce and valuable public resource — our airwaves. In turn, they are required by law to operate in the public interest,” Carr wrote in a post on social media. “When the transition is complete, the FCC will enforce this public interest obligation.”
Rosenworcel isn’t taking on Carr’s comments, but she says her successor will benefit from his familiarity with the agency and its staff.
“We have different ways of looking at some issues, but I fully expect that the new President makes choices about new personnel, and this is consistent with that,” she says. Rosenworcel also hopes that Carr resists efforts by Trump to exert more control over the FCC.
“Every public servant takes an oath to the Constitution. That’s the most important thing. I also think our independence has led to its global credibility,” she says. “We make decisions about communications based on the record, based on the facts, and based on the law, and not based on the whims coming out of the White House — or the grievances of the President. I think that independence is something to value, and it’s really important for us to honor that precedent and make sure that continues.”
No Regrets
Rosenworcel’s term as the first woman to serve as the chair of the FCC ends with the media ownership quadrennial unfinished, but much of what she set out to do when President Biden promoted her to lead the agency in 2021 has been accomplished.
“I don’t really have any regrets for my time here. I think we did some really good work,” she says.
Another item that has not yet been acted on is a proposal Rosenworcel first circulated in May requiring that political ads on radio and television produced with the help of artificial intelligence carry disclosers.
“I think ultimately it comes down to disclosure,” she says. “You don’t want the FCC to be the President’s speech police dictating what’s true or what’s false, but you can suggest that if you’re the viewer or the listener, you deserve to know if that’s fake stuff,” Rosenworcel says. However, she didn’t say whether she intends to bring the proposal (MB Docket No. 24-211) to a vote prior to her departure.
Leaving In January
Rosenworcel announced last month that she will depart the FCC when the new administration takes office next month. Rosenworcel, a Democrat, has been at the FCC since 2012 when she was nominated to serve by President Obama. Her term was set to expire on June 30, 2025, but traditionally, the FCC chair steps down when a new President is elected.
In the near term, Rosenworcel says her new goal will be closer to home.
“I know it’s the tritest thing to say in Washington, but it’s trying to spend more time with my family, my kids, and my rescue dog, and I’m looking forward to it,” she says. “This has been the honor of a lifetime and the ability to make history as the first woman to run this place. It took too long, but we did a whole lot, and I’m proud of it.”