1. United States
2. Alaska
3. Letter

As your Alaskan constituent, I am outraged by the Pentagon’s new requirement that journalists sign a pledge promising not to report any information unless it has been officially approved — even if it is unclassified. This is censorship in its purest form, and it is profoundly un-American. I know firsthand the importance of a free press. My mother worked at the Anchorage Times starting in the 1970s, and I grew up in a household that valued truth and accountability. Alaskan leaders like Bob Atwood, along with strong Alaskans like my parents, fought for a free and independent press. They would be outraged to see this administration muzzling reporters and they’re probably spinning in their graves today. At the same time, the FCC is threatening comedians and networks over speech the administration dislikes. If the government can decide which jokes are allowed, it won’t stop there. Soon they’ll be trying to control the news, YouTube, podcasts, and every other platform where Americans share ideas. This is exactly how authoritarian regimes consolidate power. Congress must act now to defend the First Amendment. Stand up for Alaska, stand up for Americans, and stand up for the free press. Silence is complicity.