Free Press: Ban on politicians owning, influencing, or investing in media outlets

The Issue

Call on lawmakers to ban politicians and federal officials from owning, investing in, or directly influencing media outlets. A free press is essential to democracy and the exchange of information. Interference erodes the free press and the separation of press and state. We are seeing a lack of journalistic integrity and an increase in biased reporting and misinformation, due to major media and social media outlets being owned by oligarchs with close ties to politicians that directly influence content. Fight against the suppression of information!

The term Fourth Estate or fourth power refers to the press and news media in their explicit capacity, beyond the reporting of news, of wielding influence in politics.[1]

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/jeff-bezos-defends-washington-post-endorsement-decision-rcna177742

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2025-01-22/will-cnn-move-anchor-jim-acosta-to-the-graveyard-shift

https://www.financialexpress.com/world-news/cnn-anchors-jake-tapper-anderson-cooper-allegedly-instructed-to-avoid-outrage-during-donald-trumps-inauguration-coverage/3725543/

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/meta-facebook-instagram-fact-checking-mark-zuckerberg/

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The Issue

Call on lawmakers to ban politicians and federal officials from owning, investing in, or directly influencing media outlets. A free press is essential to democracy and the exchange of information. Interference erodes the free press and the separation of press and state. We are seeing a lack of journalistic integrity and an increase in biased reporting and misinformation, due to major media and social media outlets being owned by oligarchs with close ties to politicians that directly influence content. Fight against the suppression of information!

The term Fourth Estate or fourth power refers to the press and news media in their explicit capacity, beyond the reporting of news, of wielding influence in politics.[1]

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/jeff-bezos-defends-washington-post-endorsement-decision-rcna177742

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2025-01-22/will-cnn-move-anchor-jim-acosta-to-the-graveyard-shift

https://www.financialexpress.com/world-news/cnn-anchors-jake-tapper-anderson-cooper-allegedly-instructed-to-avoid-outrage-during-donald-trumps-inauguration-coverage/3725543/

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/meta-facebook-instagram-fact-checking-mark-zuckerberg/

The Decision Makers

U.S. House of Representatives
2 Members
Marilyn Strickland
U.S. House of Representatives - Washington 10th Congressional District
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
U.S. House of Representatives - New York 14th Congressional District
Derek Kilmer
Former U.S. House of Representatives - Washington 6th Congressional District
Emily Randall
Former Washington State Senate - District 26
Maria Cantwell
U.S. Senate - Washington

Petition Updates