ADVOCACY

NRB Office of Public Policy

Protecting the future of Christian communications through advocacy, legal engagement, public education, and strategic leadership in Washington. 

What we do
issues
connect

what we do

Leading Christian communicators into a new era in Washington

Throughout the year, the Office of Public Policy leads direct lawmaker engagement, maintains NRB presence on Capitol Hill, submits filings in the agency rulemaking process, produces articles and analysis, issues statements on public policy matters, hosts interviews with subject matter experts, collaborates with advocacy colleagues, recommends issues for board resolutions, and more.

NRB is leading Christian communicators into a new era in Washington and leveraging every tool at our disposal to maintain access for religious broadcasters, defend First Amendment freedoms, and advance excellence in Christian media.

Four verticals of
policy engagement

direct advocacy issues

1

ADVOCATING for a FAVORABLE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT for BROADCASTERS

Core to NRB’s mission is advocating for First Amendment freedoms and the ability of our members to maintain their voice in the marketplace. NRB engages Congress and federal agencies to champion a legal and regulatory environment favorable to small, local, and independent broadcasters like our members.

Radio

NRB is committed to protecting the future of radio, including the role of AM and FM broadcasters as trusted sources of faith-based content, local information, and emergency communication, while advocating against policies and industry changes that threaten free, over-the-air access for listeners.

Television

NRB advocates for a television marketplace where Christian and independent broadcasters can thrive, supporting policies that preserve free local television, ensure fair access on emerging distribution platforms, and modernize regulations for the next generation of broadcasting.

FCC Regulation

NRB maintains a working relationship with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in order to advocate for a regulatory environment favorable to small, independent, and religious broadcasters. NRB regularly attends FCC meetings, communicates with FCC staff, and submit filings on behalf of its members.

Internet Technology

NRB advocates for internet and communications policies that foster innovation while ensuring Christian communicators can thrive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape, protecting access to audiences across both emerging technologies and traditional platforms.

Artificial Intelligence

As artificial intelligence drives rapid innovation that far outpaces regulation, NRB monitors policy measures to implement prudent guardrails against AI harms, while urging Christians to exercise responsibility and wisdom in utilizing these emerging technologies, recognizing that human redemption and transformation are spiritual goods, not products of technology.

direct advocacy issues

2

ADDRESSING CORPORATE & GOVERNMENTAL THREATS to FREE SPEECH

NRB monitors corporate policies and actions that directly impact freedom of expression, federal government coordination with private entities to limit free speech, and other forms of governmental or corporate hostility toward viewpoint diversity and religious free speech.

Corporate Censorship

NRB opposes collusive corporate actions, biased “disinformation” tracking indexes, and hostile vendor deplatforming that weaponize “brand safety” and “hate speech” labels to systematically censor, blacklist, and financially handicap Christian and conservative media.

Government Coercion

NRB opposes the weaponization of government authority and unconstitutional collusion between federal agencies and private technology platforms to pressure, coerce, and systematically silence the voices of Christian communicators.

Religious Liberty

NRB acts as a historic advocate for religious freedom, resisting government infringement on the ability of believers to speak and worship freely while defending churches and Christian communicators against discriminatory restrictions and viewpoint discrimination.

Section 230

NRB supports a careful reexamination of Section 230 so that it can reflect its original purpose, urging lawmakers to pursue legislation that sunsets or requires a periodic reauthorization of the statute to ensure powerful digital platforms are held accountable.

Life Issues

As an association of Christian communicators that requires its members to affirm a statement of Christian faith, NRB is unequivocally pro-life from conception to natural death in both word and deed. With rising threats to religious speech aimed at silencing pro-life voices, NRB fights to protect free speech from corporate and governmental censorship, affirming the sanctity of life and First Amendment freedoms.

See how NRB members are leading on this issue:

direct advocacy issues

3

DEFENDING the RIGHTS of RELIGIOUS NONPROFITS

Religious exemptions and donor privacy are essential to the survival of religious nonprofits. Many NRB members are ministries that rely on these protections to engage in Christian issue advocacy, charitable work, humanitarian aid, and more. NRB monitors issues impacting rights of conscience, tax-exempt status, and donor privacy for Christian organizations and professionals.

Equality Act

NRB historically opposes the Equality Act as an attack on freedom of conscience, warning that it threatens the ability of Christian ministries, religious organizations, and faith-based nonprofits to conduct business and maintain policies consistent with biblical views on human sexuality and the sanctity of life.

Gender & Conscience Protections

Affirming a biblical and traditional view of gender, NRB opposes attempts to strip rights of conscience from healthcare providers, alter protections in federal rulemaking, and enshrine sexual orientation and gender identity concepts into law and policy to the detriment of America’s children and families.

Preventing IRS Abuse

NRB resolutely opposes the political weaponization of Internal Revenue Service enforcement, pursuing an ongoing legal challenge against the Johnson Amendment to vindicate the First Amendment freedom of all nonprofits and churches to speak on all issues their faith informs without imperiling their tax-exempt status.

Donor Privacy

NRB opposes measures that unconstitutionally violate donor and associational privacy, inflict prohibitive compliance costs on advocacy organizations, and threaten the ability of private donors to support the advancement of their interests without fear of reprisal.

direct advocacy issues

4

PROTECTING FIRST AMENDMENT FREEDOMS in the COURTS

From filing amicus briefs in key cases to monitoring judicial nominations to direct litigation, NRB regularly engages in legal actions to prevent pernicious and unconstitutional efforts from trampling on first freedoms. Michael P. Farris serves as NRB’s General Counsel.

General Counsel

NRB’s Office of General Counsel works to protect First Amendment freedoms in the courts, vindicating the right of every church and religious nonprofit to express what their faith teaches on every issue.

Litigation

NRB’s direct litigation works to defend the First Amendment freedoms of Christian communicators and protect them from government overreach and censorship.

Amicus Briefs

NRB regularly files amicus briefs in key cases to defend first freedoms, protecting the rights of Christian organizations to maintain their theological distinctives and ensuring that nonprofits and ministries are never forced to deliver messages that violate their beliefs.

Judicial Monitoring

NRB monitors federal judicial nominations to oppose any nominees to the federal bench whose professional backgrounds demonstrate hostility toward First Amendment freedoms.

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we also talk about

CULTURAL & PUBLIC INTEREST ISSUES

NRB also provides thought leadership on issues affecting Christian communicators and the audiences they serve. While these issues are not always the focus of direct advocacy or litigation, they remain important to our members and our public engagement. 

International Religious Freedom

NRB, since its founding, has championed religious liberty and opposed the persecution of religious minorities worldwide.

Christians across the world do not enjoy the same guarantee of religious liberty provided in America by the First Amendment, but instead face harassment, discrimination, imprisonment, displacement, and death at the hands of hostile governments and violent groups.

NRB stands in solidarity with persecuted Christians in these countries, calling for the United States and international bodies to take immediate and decisive action to end the ongoing atrocities and protect the fundamental rights of believers worldwide.

NRB members working in this field include:

Marriage & Family

NRB represents numerous Christian ministries who seek to serve the community, the nation, and the world while affirming and upholding the fact that marriage and family are the most fundamental, God-given institutions for human and societal flourishing.

The association calls on all Christian communicators, developers, and entrepreneurs to create and innovate safe, robust, and enriching media that offer families and youth a positive, safe, and edifying experience online.

Key NRB members working toward that end include:

National Heritage

NRB honors the faith foundations of the American experiment, mobilizing Christian communicators to lead patriotic celebrations of liberty and make a lasting, spiritual investment in our nation’s next 250 years of freedom.

NRB Freedom 250 Initiative

Education

Today’s students are the future of Christian media. NRB is committed to equipping the next generation with the skills, experience, mentorship, and opportunities they need to carry the hope and truth of Christ into tomorrow’s media landscape.

NRB provides students hands-on experience in Christian media through NRB Next.

Key NRB members in this field:

Veterans

Through its Veterans Ministry Initiative, NRB works to bridge the gap between veterans and the church, equipping local congregations to welcome our nation’s warriors and guide them toward healing, fellowship, and renewed purpose in Christ.

Israel

Recognizing the undeniable biblical and historical ties of the Jewish people to the land, NRB stands with Israel against challenges to its rightful sovereignty, partnering across the globe to combat antisemitism and defend the region’s most free, democratic nation.

NRB members working in this field:

NRB Membership

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