Finally! FCC Kills Newsroom Study

Critics claimed it violated press freedom

The Federal Communications Commission finally killed the study that caused an uproar because it called for researchers to query the stations it licenses and newspapers about how they make editorial decisions in the newsroom.

The short, two-sentence statement from a spokesperson (not chairman Tom Wheeler), came late Friday, the time the FCC always seems to pick for controversial news.

"The FCC will not move forward with the Critical Information Needs study. The commission will reassess the best way to fulfill its obligation to Congress to identify barriers to entry into the communications marketplace faced by entrepreneurs and other small businesses," the statement said.

The study triggered two weeks of controversy about government intrusion into freedom of the press.

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