1. United States
2. N.J.
3. Letter

The approval of the Tegla merger is a direct affront to the core principles of antitrust law and a dangerous signal that monopolistic consolidation will be tolerated—even encouraged—at the highest levels of government. This merger does not exist in a vacuum. It reflects a broader pattern of regulatory failure, one that has accelerated under Donald Trump’s leadership. Allowing yet another consolidation of power in a critical industry demonstrates a willful disregard for the economic safeguards designed to protect competition, innovation, and the public interest. Antitrust law is not optional—it is foundational. Ignoring it undermines market integrity and public trust. The consequences for the free press are especially alarming. As ownership consolidates, fewer entities control more information. This inevitably narrows the range of viewpoints, reduces investigative independence, and increases the risk of editorial influence driven by corporate or political interests rather than public accountability. A concentrated media landscape is not a neutral development—it actively erodes the public’s access to diverse, independent, and critical reporting. When monopolies expand unchecked, the public does not benefit—power does. And when those in power fail to intervene, they become complicit in the erosion of democratic norms. This merger should be challenged, not celebrated. If antitrust laws are to mean anything, they must be enforced consistently and without political exception.