Statement on FCC and DOJ's approval of Nexstar-Tegna Merger

If democracy dies in darkness, today brings us closer to it. 

The FCC and DOJ’s approval of Nexstar’s acquisition of Tegna is a reckless decision that hands extraordinary control over local news to a single corporate giant and strikes at the heart of the First Amendment.

Democracy does not survive without a free, diverse, and independent press. This merger is a wrecking ball aimed at all three with Nexstar set to control over 200 local television stations, affecting at least 60% of U.S. households and nearly every major U.S. market.

Let’s be clear: this decision means fewer independent newsrooms, fewer local journalists, and a single, centralized force, shaping what millions of Americans see, hear, and are permitted to know. Such concentrated control over information is fundamentally incompatible with a free press. We simply cannot trust Nexstar to deliver journalism conducive to a healthy democracy.

The Committee calls on lawmakers, state attorneys general, the courts, and the public to oppose this decision and use every available tool to push back against further media consolidation.

The future of a free and independent press — and the very survival of our democracy — is at stake.