Yesterday’s Federal Communications Commission announcement about anti-Trump comments on media platforms strikes close to home.
As in, “06880” close.
The FCC said that “electronic content providers” — including, but not limited to, “television and radio stations, and operators of websites, blogs, apps and other internet platforms” — would be liable for “any defamatory, libelous, scurrilous or in other ways negative” remarks about President Trump.
This includes, the FCC added, comments made by the “operators, as well as the users” of any such platform.
In other words, I would be liable for anything I wrote perceived as anti-Trump. I would also be responsible for anything written in the Comments section.
I could be fined up to $1,000 — per instance. Jail time is possible for repeated offenders.
Late yesterday, “06880” received an email from the FCC. It reiterated all the information contained in the morning press release.
In a different font, at the bottom, was this: “NOTE: President Trump has received screenshots of comments on ‘06880/Where Westport Meets the World’ that could be considered defamatory, libelous, scurrilous or in other ways negative. If you would like to see those comment [sic], please contact this office at the email below.”
The American Civil Liberties Union and Electronic Frontier Foundation have already said they will fight the FCC edict in court.
I am weighing my options. I monitor the “06880” Comments section for libelous statements, but generally allow free speech (provided it is on the topic of the story).
This is a chilling development. My first instinct is to resist. However, I do not want to be liable for fines — or possible jail time.
When I decide my response, “06880” readers will be the first to know.
Click here to see the full FCC letter to “06880.” Click here to sign an online petition opposing the FCC plan. Click here send a private message to “06880.”
President Donald J. Trump
The sad truth is that it could have been real. We do have 3 years 8 months left after all.
Dan Woog… All week I’ve been preparing myself for April Fool Day and damn it, I got fooled again! It’s getting embarrassing.
I’d be in jail with you, Dan, you rascal. April Fools that we are.
Dan,,,you should be on TMZ…’The Big Time’
Completely credible!
FDJT.
I agree!
Scary that it seems plausible.
had me going for a minute!!! 😂😂
Omg. You got me. I was all fired up to talk about freedom of speech… glad I came here and saw other comments first 😂😂😂
Brilliant ‼️🇺🇸
Nice pesce di Aprile, Dan !
Not funny!
my wife fainted…..
He will put a tariff on your blog
Possibly the most credible April Fools you’ve written so far! I read it just after the news that Trump is defunding NPR and PBS so you got me too. I hope it stays a funny April Fools prank rather than coming true, which isn’t too much of a stretch…
Jeanine, I would argue this rises to the level of project based art. Apparently people are ranging from shocked, surprised, to angry and uncomfortable! As everyday people we can no longer distinguish fact from fiction, which is SO scary and important to highlight!
I always look forward to your April Fool’s posts. This one hits close to home.
fool me once? every f’ing year you get me. shame on me!
Instead of a laugh, I felt relieved.
Hook, line and sinker!! Although, sadly, it’s so possible now that I’m cutting myself some slack for taking the bait.
Outrageous
It was sad and funny BUT you just gave the FCC an idea Roy persue
April Fool’s Day!!!
That’s when the outside world gets a chance for one day to act like Westport does every day.
An idea to persue
Not funny. Haven’t we been yanked around enough?
They’ll stop when you need glasses.
got me too! but don’t give them any ideas!
Trump just announced that he and Elon will be in Westport this week. New Tesla dealershipto be located in Saugatuck. This is not April fools!
https://www.threads.net/@leeharveyroswell/post/DFyTvbKT-st?hl=en
Oh phew! Best one ever.
Yes! I also heard that Doge is re-instating Prima Nocta for all newlyweds!
The revealingly sad part is that we briefly believed that this was not “Fake News”
I did not find this funny at all. It was in very bad taste.
Vicki, Chill… this isn’t El Salvador. It was a brilliant April Fools joke.
A great blog creator and now (drum roll please)…. the best April Fools prankster !!!
Stick a fork in me. You got me again, Dan!
Way too believable or is it prescient?? What fools are we!
Phew!I was just about to write something defamatory! Good one Dan! 🤣
“Lord, what fools these mortals be!” — Puck, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” — referring to me.
I was having a heart attack and clicked to sign the petition. Thank god I did 😂
Great April Fool’s column!!
My fingers are crossed that this doesn’t actually happen!
Recently a Tufts University grad student was arrested and sent out of state for imprisonment. Her crime: she wrote an op-ed piece in the school paper critical of Israel. Your piece isn’t farfetched.
A. David Wunsch Staples 1956
Just what I was thinking.
David, I haven’t seen you comment in many months! I hope all is well. My cousin Stan (Staples 1956) would be 87 this year too. All the best- Jack
Not to mention, this…
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2025/03/an-administrative-error-sends-a-man-to-a-salvadoran-prison/682254/
Yes. Sent to El Salvador due to admin error and Trumpies say they CAN’T bring him back.
They don’t care, because he’s a person of color. Cost of doing business, for Republicans.
Too close to the news to be funny. ….and if you think it can’t happen, think again. There’s an unwritten rule I’m reminded of when I was studying physics ;
If it has never happened it probably won’t, but if it has happened once it probably will again.
BTW- you are a courageous..Prankster, given the news these days.
Yes- You got me!! Brilliant Dan! And now I feel relieved – though somehow cautiously relieved. Ahhh. Thank you for your great work- I so appreciate you and all you do!!!
I agree with the “not funny” comments – too frightening to be at all funny.
This was a scary prospect. Given the political environment, this ciuld be another assault down the road!
So, Dan…are you saying if I leave scathing comments about Trump here you get in trouble, not me? BRB!
April Fool!
Really had me worried until started reading comments.
Unfortunately this is the reality in your country today!
Dan, I finished your first paragraph and crash-landed on not funny. If true, it would be horrifying. But so is its mere credibility. Given the wildfire abridgement of rights we’ve taken for granted, Mark Yurkiw nails it: “…if you think it can’t happen, think again.”
Holy s…t! This was a fake (as in fake news?!) Got my heart racing and then I was able to exhale. Hits too close to home.
Better than The Onion! However — gven the threats againts the major news media organizations, and the actual actions against Voice of America, NPR and PBS, well . . . It is TRUE. All TRUE.
So let me paraphrase myself from an earlier posting: Anyone who supports, or does so directly BY RUNNING FOR OFFICE AS A REPUBLICAN, a multiple BANKRUPTEE, adjudicated RAPIST, and 54 count FELON — that person is an Anti-American.
You are actively aiding in the destruction of the democratic institutions of the country where you were born and to which, on a daily basis throughout elementary school at least, you Pledged Allegiance to. That makes you a Quisling.
The rest of us? Act NOW. Rind groups like Indivisible. Become an active $ supporter & also a hands-on supporter, too, of Dem candidates in those 17 House districts with GOP incumbents where Joe won in 2020. Flip ’em all.
Do these things, then, hell yes, you can keep the Tesla.
Paraphrasing Longfellow’s call to arms: “The Trumpists are coming! The Trumpists are coming!”
OMG, you got me! Sad…..
You got me too! Good April fool’s joke. However, I just can’t joke about this anymore.
OMG, I totally bought this……not remembering that it was April Fools’ day; and also forgetting that you try to fool your readers every year. Plus which, it this current world, it was believable.
Gratefully you have a good sense of humor. And, you are clever. But please don’t scare me anymore.
OK. Now that we’re done hyperventilating would anybody like to take a SWAG at the middle ground? Like maybe we have to deal with this country’s $2MMM annual operating deficit and $30MMM national debt? Doesn’t matter which party is running the show. It’s not going anywhere. Kicking the can down the road like Schumer and Johnson just did with a short-term CR doesn’t accomplish anything. Is there ANYONE on this blog willing to take a shot? Is this what we learned at Staples? Where is Mr. Kraut on this? Was he a Keynesian or a Monetarist?
Terror-iff-ism!!!
“The Truth is Often Said In Jest.” Beware, the prick could try during his third term.
You did not get me. I was on the lookout this year. (You have skunked me too often in past years.) But if you had run this piece any other day of the year, I might — just might — have believed you. I would’ve believed you more had I read any national reports of similar notices to bloggers.
Dan, you are a treasure. I am grateful for you.
As for the earlier commentator who wrote about the PhD Tufts student spirited away from Somerville, Mass., I also worry greatly about that case. One reason I worry is because I was managing editor of my campus daily newspaper. We published lots of anti-Israel/pro-Palestine op-eds from U.S. and foreign students. Back during the 1970s, none of them were suddenly taken away by the authorities. I worry about the chilling effect on campus newspapers, now usually student-operated news campus news sites. I stand for The Tufts Daily and the First Amendment. As well as for the wrongly apprehended. If anyone reading this is a former campus newspaper editor, please contact me privately.
Dear Mr. Woog,
I’ve never read anything that was written by someone who was less self aware.
For a blogger, you don’t seem to have taken a look or listen to what’s actually going on in this country, by even conceiving of this “April Fool’s” prank. This so-called joke is a reality on so many different levels in this country.
Large and small media outlets ARE under attack. Law firms and the rule of law writ large, voting rights, universities and education in general, libraries, factual history, museums, basic human rights, the constitution, and anything else that demagogue in the white house sets his sights on. This is to say nothing about turning our backs on our Allies, particularly Ukraine.
I am one of many volunteers in a group, and part of a subgroup called Freedom of the Press. One of the members in the FOP subgroup learned of your clever article and immediately went into action mode.
Below is the real time Signal chat of FOP on 4/1/2025:
Smithy 1: This morning a friend told me about a happening that I find more chilling than most. It is about a blog which has been a long time Westport staple – 06880 Dan Woog – Apparently the FCC has sent letters to media including this small local blog, threatening them with fines, and possible arrest and imprisonment for publishing material that affronts the Dear Leader.
Smithy 1’s friend: I tried to copy the post directly but it did not work. However, if you google 06880 Dan Woog, click Home on the top left and scroll down the right column to Recent Comments, you will be able to find this. If anyone can post it in its entirety, that would be great. And Smithy 1 – Dan could be a great contact for your group. He has been a fixture with this blog and the former Woog’s World in Westport hard and online publications for as long as I can remember.
Smithy 1: I forwarded this situation to my email to the Reporters Committee in DC as an example of a situation we’d like to assist. Perfect timing on Smithy 2’s post in the newsfeed.
Smithy 3: This is horrifying.
Smithy 1: There’s a link to send a response to Dan. Is it possible to have a FOP meeting tonight to decide as a group what we want to write to Dan?
Smithy 1: Uh oh! All of these links take you to April Fools.
Smithy 3: He should have made it more obvious it was a joke.
Smithy 1: I already emailed the Reporters Committee. Now I have to write them another email apologizing.
Smithy 3: I sent this to my daughter telling her this was happening in her city. Pretty aggravated.
Smithy 4: Omg! We knew this was coming but still😱
Smithy 4: Yes. Just need to not have it at the same time as the Hands off prep call.
Smithy 4: Never mind.
Smithy 1: This could possibly have cost me a meeting with the Reporters Committee. On the other hand, they may feel sorry for me and give me the meeting.
You brought the fear of fascism right to the front door of some really good people, who are wholy in the fight against it. That doesn’t make it any less jarring when it happens right in your backyard. Yes, good people who dropped everything and were ready to pounce and come to your aid. Please try thinking about that next April 1.
But it’s not all bad, Mr Woog. You’ve almost followed in the footsteps of Orsen Welles’ 1938 radio broadcast of War of the Worlds, and the fear and panic it caused. Of course, that broadcast wasn’t a deliberate deception.
Sincerely,
Jesse Friedman
That FOP was gearing up for battle until realizing the truth of Dan’s blog is the perfect ironic compliment to the brilliance and poignancy of what Dan wrote.