RTDNA joins legal battle to halt FCC chilling effect

The Radio Television Digital News Association, along with a bipartisan group of former FCC Chairs and Commissioners, filed a writ of mandamus in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The filing asks the court to compel the FCC to respond to a November 2025 petition to repeal the News Distortion Policy. RTDNA signed on to join that petition last week. 

“The free press is called the fourth estate for a reason — it exists to hold powerful leaders in the legislature, judiciary, and executive branch to account. Journalists must be able to safely seek the truth and publish facts, without fear of retaliation,” said Tara Puckey, President & CEO at RTDNA, the world’s largest professional organization devoted to broadcast and digital journalism. “Any policy that enables the federal government to punish broadcasters for their coverage is an existential threat to independent journalism. The stakes are too high for the FCC to remain silent.”

If the writ is granted, the FCC will be required to take a position on whether to repeal or uphold the news distortion policy, a rule that has raised concerns among journalists and free press advocates about its potential to chill editorial decision-making.

The RTDNA Code of Ethics prioritizes truth and accuracy above all. It is wildly problematic for government officials to try to rule what is true and what is accurate. 

Read the full news release here. Read the full petition here.