WATCH: AOC Calls for Government Crackdown on Conservative Journalists

In a recent interview with MSNBC’s Jen Psaki, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) called for journalists on news stations like Fox News to face federal scrutiny for “incitement to violence.” She specifically called out Tucker Carlson and other Fox News hosts for their language, which she believes crosses the line into dangerous territory.

While it’s unclear exactly what role Ocasio-Cortez is suggesting the government should have in influencing broadcast content, she has previously called for a “commission” to “rein in our media environment so you can’t just spew disinformation and misinformation.” She has also accused her own congressional colleagues of “incitement” and defended Twitter’s censorship of the New York Post’s story on Hunter Biden’s laptop.

Ocasio-Cortez is not alone in her calls for greater scrutiny of the media. Rep. Stacey Plaskett (D., V.I.) recently threatened reporter Matt Taibbi with jail time over testimony he gave on his reporting about Twitter’s interactions with federal agencies. And in California, media companies including the satirical website the Babylon Bee are fighting a state law they see as intended to censor content the liberal state doesn’t like.

It remains to be seen what actions, if any, will be taken in response to these calls for greater regulation of the media. But one thing is clear: the debate over free speech and the role of government in regulating the media is far from over.

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