Why It Matters
News Corp. filed an amendment to its second-quarter 2026 lobbying disclosure, but the filing provides few details about what the media company is lobbying on. The amendment reports $200,000 in lobbying expenditures without identifying any specific lobbying issues or legislation. The filing comes as AI copyright battles intensify and the Federal Communications Commission examines media ownership rules that could directly affect News Corp.'s business interests.
By the Numbers
News Corp. spent $200,000 on in-house lobbying during the first quarter of 2026, maintaining the same quarterly spending level in the second quarter. The company has filed five lobbying disclosures covering the period from the third quarter of 2025 through the second quarter of 2026. Between the first and second quarters of 2026, Rachel Bissex departed from the in-house lobbying team. No lobbyist profiles for the individuals named on the Q2 2026 amendment filing were found in Legis1 lobbyist records.
The Agenda
News Corp.'s lobbying activity comes amid significant regulatory and legal developments. The FCC is examining media ownership rules, duopoly waivers, and retransmission consent fees. Meanwhile, AI copyright disputes are entering what observers describe as a pivotal year as U.S. courts weigh fair use doctrine. The Anthropic settlement, the largest copyright settlement in U.S. history involving more than 500,000 authors and publishers, could reshape how publishers approach AI content licensing. According to TIKR, the settlement strengthens News Corp.'s licensing thesis regarding AI use of publisher content.
Earlier filings showed News Corp. lobbying on First Amendment protections and the AMERICA Act beginning in the third quarter of 2025, suggesting the company has maintained congressional engagement on those issues.
The Bottom Line
News Corp.'s lobbying activity comes amid significant regulatory and legal developments. The FCC is examining media ownership rules, duopoly waivers, and retransmission consent fees. Meanwhile, AI copyright disputes are entering what observers describe as a pivotal year as U.S. courts weigh fair use doctrine. The Anthropic settlement, the largest copyright settlement in U.S. history involving more than 500,000 authors and publishers, could reshape how publishers approach AI content licensing. According to TIKR, the settlement strengthens News Corp.'s licensing thesis regarding AI use of publisher content.
Earlier filings showed News Corp. lobbying on First Amendment protections and the AMERICA Act beginning in the third quarter of 2025, suggesting the company has maintained congressional engagement on those issues.
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