In a scathing speech at the 2025 Media Institute Communications Forum in Washington, DC, FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, a 2023 Biden appointee, accused the agency of being “weaponized to chill speech and punish the press” without directly naming its Trump-appointed chair, Brendan Carr.
Gomez condemned the FCC’s recent actions as a “dangerous precedent,” transforming an independent regulator into a tool of political censorship.
Gomez criticized Carr’s moves to target media outlets unfavorable to President Donald Trump, including investigations into PBS and NPR’s sponsorship practices, a reopened CBS probe for alleged “news distortion,” complaints against ABC over a Trump-Harris debate, and new inquiries into NBCUniversal and Disney’s diversity policies.
As the sole Democrat on the five-member commission after Commissioner Geoffrey Starks’ upcoming resignation, Gomez vowed to speak out against the government’s use of regulatory tools to violate the First Amendment.
She warned that some media outlets are yielding to government pressure, citing CBS News and “60 Minutes” as examples. CBS’s parent, Paramount Global, is reportedly considering settling a Trump lawsuit alleging “60 Minutes” manipulated a Harris interview, amid pressures tied to a merger with Skydance Media requiring FCC approval. This has led to editorial changes, with “60 Minutes” executive producer Bill Owens resigning in April, citing a loss of independence, and host Scott Pelley noting Paramount’s new content oversight.
“Pardon my language, but that is a B.F.D.,” Gomez said of the “60 Minutes” situation, emphasizing that a free press requires independent journalists. She concluded by pledging to uphold her duties, even if it leads to her removal: “If I’m removed, it’s because I insisted on doing my job.”
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