Almost as soon as President Trump took office, the newly minted chairs of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) began separate campaigns designed to influence the editorial judgment of the entities within their jurisdiction. 

This session will delve into the First Amendment’s limits on FCC and FTC authority to control or encourage particular editorial policies. It will discuss potential impacts on journalism and online content moderation process and it will look closely at the benefits and challenges of transparency as a normative matter.