Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) told MSNBC's Jen Psaki that there must be congressional accountability for incitement of violence coming from networks and hosts like Tucker Carlson and Fox News.
Former White House press secretary Jen Psaki discussed the massive damages Fox News paid to Dominion Voting systems to settle the defamation lawsuit and asked if Fox News should have been forced to issue a public apology.
The Congresswoman said it was not up to the lawyers of the Dominion into force public policy since they represent a corporation.
"I think this raised much larger questions. Very often, I believe that we leave to the courts to solve issues that politics are supposed to solve," AOC said. "That legislating is supposed to solve."
"And we saw that in the lead up to January 6th and how we navigate questions not just a freedom of speech but also accountability for incitement of violence," she said. "This is the line that we really have to explore as well."
"Do you think media organizations, social media platforms should be held accountable for the role of being platforms for incitement?," Psaki asked.
"I believe that when it comes to broadcast television, like Fox News, these are subject to federal law, federal regulation in terms of what's allowed on air and what isn't."
"And you look at what Tucker Carlson and some of the other folks on Fox do, it is very, very clearly incitement of violence," AOC said. "Very clearly incitement of violence and that is the line I think we have to be willing to contend with."
Freedom of the press is essential to a true democracy, but allowing any media outlets to promote violence and the overthrow of a newly elected president by using conspiracies and lies should not protected by the First Amendment and instead needs Congressional oversight.
