Two wars are unfolding in America right now. One is economic—fought with tariffs. The other is informational—fought through deregulation. Both are being sold as strategies for prosperity. Both put the future of America on the line.

This month, the FCC launched a sweeping initiative called Delete, Delete, Delete. Its goal? To wipe away any rule, regulation, or guidance it sees as a burden to business. That may sound cosmetic. It’s not. The agency is asking the public to help identify which rules to eliminate, based on cost-benefit analysis. It even acknowledges that cutting one regulation may mean fewer resources to handle more serious problems elsewhere.

If consolidation makes media stronger, why hasn’t it led to more reporters on the ground and better coverage in America?

When we remember this is a business tasked with serving the public interest, convenience, and necessity, this latest move by the FCC should not be taken lightly.

If we’re going to talk about costs and benefits, let’s be honest about what’s truly at stake. When you delete regulations that protect access to information and hold media accountable, you’re not streamlining government—you’re erasing responsibility.

Truth & Chaos

Sure, some rules may be outdated. But they didn’t appear out of thin air. They were created in response to real-world problems. To know which still serve the public, we need thoughtful review—something this FCC hasn’t exactly shown an appetite for.

Here’s more truth: There’s already chaos in the media landscape. Newsrooms have been gutted. Mergers and layoffs have thinned out the reporters actually doing the work—replaced, in many cases, by talking heads long on opinion and short on facts. The internet is overrun with misinformation—both accidental and deliberate. And the local newspapers that still cover civic life, like school board meetings and town councils, are increasingly behind paywalls many people simply can’t afford.

Tariffs will only make that worse. This U.S.-versus-the-world approach isn’t just raising the price of cars or electronics—it’s driving up the cost of groceries, fuel, and everyday household items. You know it’s true because you’re already feeling it.

The timing is unfortunate: We haven’t recovered from the last wave of supply chain disruptions. Now, with ongoing issues like bird flu outbreaks and deepening food insecurity, we’re staring down even more instability—right when government oversight is being stripped away in a most unapologetic manner.

For families already feeling the pinch, a newspaper subscription moves from “essential” to “luxury.” That leaves local broadcasters—TV and radio—as the last free, trusted sources of information. They’re critical during major weather events, public emergencies, and breaking news. But in regions with just one or two local stations left, the FCC’s push to deregulate could mean even less coverage, more consolidation, and more decisions made far from the people they impact.

The media industry has long argued for lifting ownership caps (which it has) and eliminating the cross-ownership ban (which it did), all in the name of efficiency. But here’s the question that never gets answered: If consolidation makes media stronger, why hasn’t it led to more reporters on the ground and better coverage in America?

An Act of War

And while all of this is happening, we’re being sold a recycled approach to the economy. Warren Buffett recently called it like it is: “Tariffs are an act of war.” So the stock market tumbles. Problems escalate. Retaliation follows.

Some believe war drives a strong economy. But the equation has a flaw: If war is so good for business, do the benefits stretch far enough to fully care for our veterans when they come home?

History says no. And that should tell us everything we need to know about the cost of a war-based economy: It’s too high.

A country that cuts off its own access to truth, then tells people to trust the system—the very same system it’s been dismantling under the banner of corruption and inefficiency—is playing a dangerous game.

So here we are, caught in a double bind. Deregulate the media, and the public loses access to trusted, factual information. Isolate the country and escalate economic pressure, and the public pays the price—financially, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and physically.

A country that removes responsibility under the guise of efficiency isn’t building prosperity—it’s erasing accountability.

Your comments are always welcome. Please email jaci@fairmediacouncil.org To receive commentary in your inbox, sign up below for FMC’s weekly newsletter.