Censorship Panic Shields Media Monopolies

The Kimmel–FCC jawboning uproar triggered bipartisan outrage against government meddling in media. The author argues this backlash risks neutering the FCC’s broader mandate just as mega‑mergers and consolidation concentrate control over what Americans see and hear. The spectacle may be a sideshow that diverts attention from structural market power. — If censorship scandals are used to delegitimize routine media oversight, consolidation can tighten its grip on public discourse without scrutiny.