Press Freedom Report: March 31, 2025

United States

• Legal Strategy Builds Around VOA Shutdown
  In response to the sudden defunding and operational halt of U.S. government-backed media organizations, press freedom attorneys, former executives, and union representatives convened to present legal arguments aimed at reversing the administration’s actions. The focus of the legal effort is on the constitutional implications of dissolving institutions with long-standing journalistic missions. The case is expected to test the boundaries of executive power over semi-independent media arms of the federal government.

• FCC Investigation of CBS Raises Alarms Over Editorial Autonomy
  The Federal Communications Commission has opened an investigation into CBS News under allegations of “news distortion.” Media watchdogs argue this could represent a misuse of regulatory authority, employed to pressure or censor independent newsrooms. If the investigation proceeds without clear legal grounding, it may pave the way for punitive oversight of editorial content, undermining the firewall between government oversight and newsroom decision-making.