Trump warns of canceling media licenses if war news is disliked

A new controversy has arisen in the United States over the coverage of the Iran war. Brendan Carr, head of the country's broadcasting regulatory agency, said that US President Donald Trump has warned that the broadcasting licenses of the media will be canceled if there is dissatisfaction with the coverage of war-related news.

In a post on social media X on Saturday (March 14), Brendan Carr said that the media must be careful when publishing news about the Iran war. He mentioned that rumors, misleading information or distorted news should be avoided and that the media must play a responsible role in the public interest. Otherwise, there may be a risk of losing their broadcasting licenses.

He also said that the media that have already been accused of spreading false or distorted information have the opportunity to correct themselves before their licenses are renewed.

However, after this comment was published, severe criticism began in the US political arena. Gavin Newsom commented that this statement is "clearly unconstitutional". In his opinion, threatening to revoke a media outlet's license for reporting news goes against freedom of expression.

Critics claim that such warnings put pressure on the media and are effectively censorship. Brian Schatz wrote on social media that the message is intended to convey that if the media does not report positively on the war, the broadcasting license may not be renewed. According to him, this is essentially an attempt to dictate how the media should report on the war.

It is worth noting that Brendan Carr has previously been criticized for pressuring the media in favor of various policies of the Trump administration. Last year, he called for action against the American Broadcasting Company after it aired criticism of President Trump on the popular comedy show Jimmy Kimmel Live!, which still sparked widespread controversy.