NEW: FCC says it won’t be 'arbiter' of whether broadcasters should fact-check Trump’s coronavirus press briefings
WASHINGTON - The Federal Communications Commission said on Monday it was rejecting a petition that sought an investigation into broadcasters that aired statements U.S. President Donald Trump made in news conferences about the coronavirus pandemic.
In a statement on Monday, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said"the federal government will not - and never should - investigate broadcasters for their editorial judgments ... We leave it to broadcasters to determine for themselves how to cover this national emergency, including live events involving our nation’s leaders."
"A broadcaster’s decision to broadcast and comment on statements made by the president, relating to one of the most severe public health crises in a century, does not amount to airing an intentional or knowing falsehood," the FCC said."It is implausible, if not absurd, to suggest that broadcasters knowingly deceived the public by airing these press conferences or other statements by the President about COVID-19.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Trump Refuses to Reopen Federal Health Insurance Exchanges During the Coronavirus PandemicWho does this hurt? Many of the workers thrust to the front lines of the pandemic response: from cooks to cleaners, delivery people, and grocery store workers.
Read more »
Illinois Gov: Trump Doesn't Understand The Word 'Federal' Or His Role In PandemicTrump blasted Pritzker, saying he is 'always complaining.'
Read more »
As Trump Admin Tells States to ‘Do Your Part,’ Governors Ask What Trump Is DoingGovernors continued to lambast the Trump administration’s coronavirus negligence after the surgeon general told states to help manage the crisis.
Read more »
Trump discusses opening the country as coronavirus peak approachesThe president also said he's considering another White House coronavirus task force that would focus on the economy.
Read more »
Tensions Persist Between Trump and Medical Advisers Over the CoronavirusWASHINGTON -- Rarely has the schism between President Donald Trump and his own public health advisers over the coronavirus pandemic been put on display quite so starkly. Even as he announced a new federal recommendation on Friday that Americans wear masks when out in public, he immediately disavowed
Read more »