ARLINGTON, Va.—Michael O’Rielly has joined The Media Institute as a senior fellow, according to an announcement made by Richard T. Kaplar, president of the Institute. O’Rielly has also been appointed a member of the First Amendment Advisory Council, the foundation’s flagship advisory body comprising First Amendment scholars and practitioners.
After more than three decades as a public servant, including service in the U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senate and as an FCC Commissioner, O’Rielly was previously a visiting fellow at the Hudson Institute’s Center for the Economics of the Internet, and principal at MPORielly Consulting LLC. He served as a commissioner at the Federal Communications Commission from 2013 through 2020.
“Michael O’Rielly shares the same values we hold dear: sound communications policy, a competitive media industry and a strong First Amendment,” said Institute President Richard Kaplar. “We are truly honored and gratified to welcome him as a senior fellow of the institute and as a member of our First Amendment Advisory Council. With his insightful perspectives on media and telecom policy and his love of the First Amendment, Commissioner Mike O’Rielly is a highly respected voice in the public policy arena.”
“Being invited to join The Media Institute—a legendary institution set on defending and preserving the First Amendment—as senior fellow and member of its First Amendment Advisory Council is an extremely deep honor,” said O’Rielly. “Hopefully, my record shows that I welcome the opportunity, even when not easy or popular, to push back against anyone seeking to denigrate, malign or infringe upon our cherished rights preserved by the U.S. Constitution.”
The Media Institute is a nonprofit foundation working to advance sound communications policy, freedom of speech, and excellence in journalism. The Digital Media Center is a program of The Media Institute that brings clarity to key issues at the heart of today’s digital revolution. For more information, visit the Institute online at www.mediainstitute.org.
