Resources
Federal Communications Commission
The FCC manual for broadcasters
The FCC’s broadband access map
REC Networks’ live tracking of FCC applications
CMAP’s Brief History of LPFM
CMAP’s Underwriting update
CMAP’s DEI enforcement by the FCC
CMAP’s Words 101: Fairness doctrine, public interest, news distortion
The FCC is an independent agency overseen by Congress and regulates interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable. Its Enforcement Bureau takes actions two ways: (1) by initiating investigations, and taking appropriate action if violations are found; and (2) by resolving disputes between industry participants either through mediation and settlement, or adjudication of formal complaints. Enforcement often begins with a Letter of Inquiry and, if a violation is found, can be resolved a number of ways, from a Consent Decree that does or does not contain a penalty and/or corrective action to the extreme case of license revocation. Agency’s enforcement primer here.
REC Networks’ live listing of FCC enforcement actions
Tips for best practices
Governance
CMAP’s Character counts page
CMAP’s and the FCC’s fresh look at payola
CMAP’s Good Governance guide
Navigating the tax changes in the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act
The basics of public media, for newbies
First Amendment defense
A newsroom security audit from Neiman Lab and CMAP’s Self-defense tips from WPKN
Because press freedom requires more protection than what the First Amendment provides, the Ida B. Wells Media Defense Network Pledge of Resistance
The American Association of University Professors has an excellent resource page that includes a field guide for responding to political attacks and know-your-rights fact sheets
American Civil Liberties Union Know Your Rights
Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Atlas of Surveillance
Court documents from Black Power Radio’s free speech case currently before the 11th Circuit
The Committee to Protect Journalists provides short-term, emergency support to working journalists and media workers following an incident related to their journalistic work. Support includes financial and non-financial assistance. More here on their Safety and Emergencies page.
Our favorite databases and trackers
Poynter’s new Press Freedom Watch collects stories from around the country that document government actions, including lawsuits, policy changes, investigations, funding cuts, firings, and detentions.
Another new U.S. press freedom tracker has connections to the Committee to Protect Journalists. Go here for the U.S. Press Freedom tracker, or start here for links to CPJ’s international datasets
See who gets a star rating and who’s collecting chickens on the Free Press Media Capitulation Index.
Reporters Without Borders barometer
Follow academic and First Amendment issues with Georgetown Law’s Free Speech tracker
An open-source project, the Project 2025 tracker
Semipublic’s list of NPR and PBS media stations most at risk