Media Consolidation

Today, GateHouse Media and Gannett Co. announced plans to merge to form an unprecedented newspaper conglomerate. The $1.4 billion deal would combine the two largest newspaper chains, creating the largest newspaper publisher in the United States. A combined GateHouse-Gannett entity would own one in every six newspapers in the nation and control over 100 local news operations.

Today, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) approved the $26 billion merger of T-Mobile Inc. and Sprint Corporation. As part of the approval, T-Mobile and Sprint have agreed to sell assets to Dish Network including Sprint’s prepaid services, Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile, and new spectrum licenses. Dish will also have the ability to operate on T-Mobile’s network for a seven-year period while it builds out its own network. The proposed merger is still pending approval by the full Federal Communications Commission. Fourteen state attorneys general have filed suit to block the transaction.

Today, ten states attorneys general led by New York Attorney General Letitia James and California Attorney General Xavier Becerra filed a lawsuit to block the proposed T-Mobile-Sprint merger. The lawsuit argues that if approved, the merger would lead to higher prices, fewer choices, and less innovation for consumers. New York and California were joined in the lawsuit by Colorado, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Nevada, Virginia, and Wisconsin

“Rather than actually examine the competitive impact, Chairman Pai’s recommended approval points to T-Mobile’s commitments and behavioral conditions,” said Yosef Getachew, media and democracy program director for Common Cause. “Not only are these commitments and conditions unenforceable and riddled with loopholes, they do nothing to address the blatant competitive harms the merger poses to consumers.”

Despite Trump’s attempts to distract the public and control the narrative by waging a war on the media, we simply cannot ignore the dangerous precedent he is setting for the role of the free press in our democracy. By dismissing credible reporting, painting news outlets as a threat, and even endangering the lives of journalists, he’s constantly undermining the free and independent press as one of our core democratic institutions. An informed, engaged public is vital to a functioning democracy. Journalists play a critical role in holding our elected officials accountable and providing the public with news and information to make informed decisions about our government. Trump’s war on the media poses a serious threat to our democracy.

On Friday, Common Cause and Common Cause Ohio, joined by United Church of Christ, OC Inc. filed a petition with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) asking the agency to deny the proposed merger of Apollo Global Management, Cox Enterprises, Inc. and Northwest Broadcasting Inc. If approved, Apollo would own 25 television stations putting a significant amount of media ownership in the control of a private equity firm.