NAB’s LeGeyt: Now is a “Challenging Time to Be a Broadcast Journalist”
National Association of Broadcasters president and CEO Curtis LeGeyt spoke at The Media Institute’s 2025 Communications Forum yesterday (2/19) and addressed a number of issues including NAB’s belief that the Federal Communications Commission’s broadcast ownership rules need to be modified. However, he also addressed what he called the “elephant in the room.” “This is a challenging time to be a broadcast journalist. It’s not easy to report on the deluge of information (and misinformation on social media) that is shaping our world. Especially in cutting through polarized rhetoric to find the truth. And yet, there has never been a more critical time to arm Americans with the facts and let them make their own decisions. To fulfill this mission, our newsrooms must be able to report without fear or favor. This isn’t just a constitutionally protected right – it is fundamental to serving our communities. And it’s a right we’ve had to defend time and time again since our country’s founding. Efforts to limit the ability of broadcasters to report the facts hinders the public’s right to know and chills free speech. Americans deserve the full and fair reporting that broadcasters provide and NAB strongly defends our members’ First Amendment rights and their vital role in maintaining an informed public. Our democracy relies on journalists’ ability to report the news without the risk of government retribution. In a media environment flooded with social media misinformation and cable news politicization, this role has never been more important.”