In December 2025, Congress passed and President Trump signed the $901 billion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026 (S. 1071), which includes a significant provision—Section 1541—that bars the Department of War (formerly the Department of Defense) from contracting with advertising agencies that employ so-called “media monitors.”
These groups, such as the left-leaning NewsGuard, assign subjective ratings to news organizations based on vague criteria like “misinformation” or perceived bias, a practice routinely used to suppress conservative and independent media.
Under the new rule, any ad agency receiving Department of War funds must certify that it does not:
Rate or rank news sources for so-called “factual accuracy,”
Provide subjective opinions on misinformation, bias, or journalistic standards,
Use any third-party service that engages in these practices.
This restriction builds on a similar prohibition in the 2025 NDAA and extends through December 31, 2030, preventing the Department from funding entities that engage in viewpoint-based suppression for the next five years.
Pete Hegseth, Secretary of War - Wikimedia
NewsGuard, one of the most prominent media-monitoring firms, has a history of financial ties to the federal government. Records show the Department of Defense previously awarded NewsGuard approximately $749,387 for its “Misinformation Fingerprints” project, a tool used to tag and suppress narratives it deems unacceptable.
Founded in 2018 by Steven Brill, a major Democratic donor and activist and former Wall Street Journal publisher Gordon Crovitz, NewsGuard has repeatedly drawn criticism for its blatant partisan bias. Crovitz’s wife, Minky Worden, serves as media director at Human Rights Watch, an organization that has actively targeted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Studies, including those from the Media Research Center, consistently show that NewsGuard’s ratings system disproportionately targets conservative outlets.
Why does this matter? Well the major advertisers have used these ratings to blacklist right-leaning media, depriving them of crucial revenue under the guise of managing “risk.”
Legal scholar Jonathan Turley has condemned NewsGuard’s approach as part of a “massive censorship system” designed to silence conservative perspectives. He emphasized that the company’s “nutrition labels” for news are based on highly subjective and ideologically driven criteria.
The Independent Media Council, representing conservative and independent media organizations, praised Congress for this action in support of free speech. It specifically recognized Sens. Tommy Tuberville, Eric Schmitt, Roger Wicker, and Reps. Rich McCormick and Mike Rogers for their leadership on the issue.
This provision represents a key victory in the ongoing battle against government-funded censorship, ensuring that taxpayer dollars no longer support efforts to stifle dissenting voices in the press.
Sources
NDAA FY2026 Passage and Signing — Signed into law by President Trump on December 18, 2025, after House passage (December 10) and Senate passage (December 17). White House Statement | Congress.gov - S. 1071 Enrolled Bill
Section 1541 Details (Prohibition on Media Monitors) — Bars contracts with ad agencies using ratings for misinformation/bias; extends through 2030. Newsmax Coverage | Daily Signal Report
NewsGuard DoD Contract ($749,387 for Misinformation Fingerprints) — Awarded in September 2021 via Air Force Research Laboratory. HigherGov Contract Record | USASpending.gov Award
Independent Media Council Praise — Thanks Sens. Tuberville, Schmitt, Wicker and Reps. McCormick, Rogers for leadership. Daily Signal Quote
Department of War Rebranding — Executive order signed September 5, 2025; Pete Hegseth as Secretary of War. Official DoW Biography | BBC Report
NewsGuard Bias and MRC Studies — Disproportionate targeting of conservative outlets. MRC Study (2023 Example)
Jonathan Turley Criticism — Describes NewsGuard as part of a "massive censorship system." The Hill Op-Ed by Turley
