The ability to speak freely is a cornerstone of American liberty. At NRB 2025, join top analysts for a discussion of the cultural and political elements that create an environment of censorship in the modern communications marketplace.
Panelists will unpack the “censorship industrial complex,” a term defined by Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) as “a robust and dangerous alliance of governments, international institutions, tech giants, media outlets, academic institutions, and advocacy groups collaborating to control the flow of information, primarily online.”
In this deep-dive panel at NRB 2025, learn how the weaponization of federal government and corporate collusion have produced a complex and powerful ecosystem of information warfare and barriers to free expression.
John Solomon, founder, CEO, & editor in Chief at Just the News, will moderate the panel discussion. Solomon is an award-winning investigative journalist, author, and digital media entrepreneur. Before founding Just the News, Solomon played key reporting and executive roles at some of America’s most important journalism institutions, such as The Associated Press, The Washington Post, The Washington Times, Newsweek, The Daily Beast, and The Hill.
Solomon will be joined by the following subject matter experts to dissect this critical issue and discuss what it means for the future of religious and independent media:
- Mike Benz is the founder and executive director of Foundation for Freedom Online (FFO). Benz is a former State Department official with responsibilities in formulating and negotiating U.S. foreign policy on international communications and information technology matters. Benz founded FFO as a civil society institution building on his experience in the role of championing digital freedom around the world in the public sector.
- Felice Friedson is president & CEO at The Media Line. A seasoned multimedia journalist, Felice created a decade-long, nationally syndicated radio program that brought her to the Middle East. In 2000, Felice developed the concept for The Media Line, an American news agency specializing in coverage of the Middle East which has since become one of the most prolific content providers to the region and around the world. Felice also established The Mideast Press Club, mobilizing collaboration with more than 200 Israeli and Palestinian journalists. Felice has interviewed top leaders of the Middle East and served as interlocutor between Israeli and Palestinian government officials, negotiating the issues of press freedoms. Felice was named a delegate to the Global Creative Leadership Conference in New York, has been twice nominated for the Charles Bronfman Prize, and is a recipient of the Global Citizen Award from Orphans International.
- Benjamin Weingarten is editor at large at RealClearInvestigations and a senior contributor at The Federalist. His writings can also be found at outlets including RealClearPolitics and the New York Post. Weingarten has testified before the House Homeland Security and Small Business committees in connection with their censorship industrial complex oversight efforts. He is the author of American Ingrate: Ilhan Omar and the Progressive-Islamist Takeover of the Democratic Party (Bombardier, 2020). He is a Robert Novak Journalism Fellow (2019), and a Claremont Institute Publius Fellow (2015). He is a graduate of Columbia University. Subscribe to Weingarten’s Substack at weingarten.substack.com and follow him on X @bhweingarten.
Don’t miss the discussion. The “Understanding the Censorship Industrial Complex” forum will take place on Tuesday, February 25, from 9:50 a.m.–10:45 a.m. at NRB 2025.
The NRB 2025 International Christian Media Convention is in Grapevine, Texas, February 24–27, 2025. Register at nrbconvention.org and add the forum to your schedule at this link.