Two House Democrats on Monday questioned 12 television and content providers about why they carry Fox News, One America News Network, and Newsmax, blaming the right-leaning outlets for spreading misinformation and conspiracy theories.
Democratic Reps. Anna Eshoo and Jerry McNerney, both from California, sent letters to television content providers such as AT&T, Roku, Comcast, and Verizon asking them why they carried the three “purported” news outlets that they say function as “misinformation rumor mills and conspiracy theory hotbeds that produce content that leads to real harm.”
The Democrats asked the content carriers if they plan “to continue carrying Fox News, Newsmax, and OANN,” and if so, why.
The letters represent Democrats’ latest reactions to the Jan. 6 Capitol attack by supporters of former President Donald Trump, many of whom, Democrats say, were influenced by Fox News, OANN, and Newsmax.
“Right-wing media outlets, like Newsmax, One America News Network (OANN), and Fox News all aired misinformation about the November 2020 elections,” McNerney and Eshoo wrote. “These same networks also have been key vectors of spreading misinformation related to the pandemic.”
In response to the allegations, Fox News Media said in a statement, “As the most watched cable news channel throughout 2020, FOX News Media provided millions of Americans with in-depth reporting, breaking news coverage and clear opinion. For individual members of Congress to highlight political speech they do not like and demand cable distributors engage in viewpoint discrimination sets a terrible precedent.”
Republicans also responded to the letters, saying they were calling to limit free speech rights and marked a departure from First Amendment norms.
“Democrats are sending a message that is as clear as it is troubling — these regulated entities will pay a price if the targeted newsrooms do not conform to Democrats’ preferred political narratives,” said Brendan Carr, a Republican commissioner at the Federal Communications Commission.
The Democrats also sent letters to content providers such as Apple, Amazon, Charter, DISH, Cox, Altice, Hulu, and Google’s parent company, Alphabet.
The House Energy and Commerce telecom subcommittee will hold a hearing on Wednesday regarding misinformation and disinformation distributed on television networks, with a focus on the Capitol attack and the coronavirus pandemic.
