Chambana Sun

As the Democratic National Convention (DNC) drew to close, Joshua Loyd, a candidate for Illinois' 13th Congressional District, weighed in on the advertising practices and media censorship that came into play with the placement of billboards around the DNC that feature messages critical of local Democrat's policies. 

The billboard ads, which feature messages such as "Welcome to America's murder capital" and “Welcome to the unemployment capital of the Midwest,” were designed to challenge the narratives of Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and their fellow Illinois Democrats.

Dan Proft, who runs the People Who Play by the Rules PAC which placed the ads, voiced frustration over censorship from billboard companies like JCDecaux, the world’s largest outdoor advertising company which is based in France, and Clear Channel Outdoors, both of which rejected the PAC’s ads. In response, he said billboard companies–like local news outlets–are often run like “state media.”

Loyd said this type of censorship is indicative of a larger trend where media and advertising platforms are influenced by powerful interests, potentially stifling dissenting voices and limiting the public's access to diverse viewpoints.

"I am not surprised that a foreign-controlled media entity would deny the American public the ability to see and hear the truth," Loyd told the Chambana Sun. "Whether this is a foreign government mandate or the personal opinion of the company executives, it shows that the world is casting a shadow over the freedom of speech. We are seeing it in the UK, France, and numerous other first-world nations. We must once again become a beacon of free speech, even if that involves views that differ from those around us." 

Loyd said the refusal to place the ads is a deeper political calculation. 

"The rejection of these ads by JCDecaux and Clear Channel is more than just a business decision," Loyd continued. "It represents a troubling trend where media and advertising entities are increasingly controlled by powerful interests that may not align with the principles of free expression. Our democracy thrives on the ability to discuss and critique those in power openly and without obstruction."

Loyd’s comments come over a week after European Commissioner Thierry Breton, of France, threatened legal action against Elon Musk’s platform X over the planned livestream of an interview with Donald Trump, citing concerns that it could “incite violence” and spread “misinformation.”

Musk and Trump went ahead with the interview despite the threats and intimidation. 

Following the incident, critics have raised questions about potential foreign interference in the upcoming U.S. elections and urged Congress to investigate Breton’s actions and their implications for election integrity.

In addition, United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer has notably and openly engaged in a crackdown on social media “misinformation” threatening to extradite Americans for trial in the U.K. for abridging the Kingdom’s crackdown on speech. 

Doomberg reports the criminalization of free speech in the U.K. has become a common occurrence, with a 40-year-old man recently charged for social media posts deemed anti-Muslim and “anti-establishment” and noting there is increasing pressure to classify "climate denialism" as hate speech, targeting those who oppose certain energy policies. 

Efforts similar to those in the United Kingdom restricting free speech have been enacted under the Biden-Harris Administration, which was subject to an injunction last year in the Missouri v. Biden case where a federal judge limited the Biden-Harris Administration’s contact with social media companies it was lobbying to remove truthful information and satirical posts aimed at President Joe Biden.

Loyd said that the current state of news reporting often falls short of its duty to provide unbiased, factual information. 

"The most powerful force in the world is not a gun, a bomb, or even a nuclear explosion; it is an idea, a message that is able to be spread from person to person," Loyd stated. "The founding fathers knew this, and that is why they placed that before the right to bear arms. The media has a responsibility to report unbiased, unfiltered, raw news that gives the public information, not opinions. How can we call it news when it’s just gossip? How can we call it reporting when it’s just criticizing? We need to ensure that whatever we report or provide to the public is void of all false claims and that the reporter has done their due diligence in finding the unfiltered truth rather than writing a satirical paper. Information is knowledge, and knowledge is power."

In addition to media censorship, Loyd zeroed in on Pritzker and Johnson for failing to address significant issues within the state. 

"When it comes to Pritzker and Johnson, I think it is clear that the American public, not just Illinoisians, see the disaster that they have created or failed to manage," Loyd said. "Illinois, for example, has two of the most dangerous cities in the nation, twelve of the top fifty worst housing markets, the second most expensive tax burdens, and a failing school system that disrespects teachers, with only one-quarter of students even at grade level. It’s a fiasco!"

One of the billboards in question highlights Chicago’s murder rate, which is backed up by data compiled by Wirepoints, a data driven news outlet covering Illinois and national issues. 

Wirepoints found that in 2023 Chicago continued to lead the nation in homicides for the 12th consecutive year, recording 617 murders, despite a 13% decrease from 2022.

Although the city's murder rate dropped slightly, it remains five times higher than New York City's, with only Philadelphia reporting a worse rate among major cities. 

Chicago's homicide total was still 23% higher than pre-COVID levels in 2019, and overall major crimes surged 16% in 2023. 

Also, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, at 5.2% Illinois has the second highest unemployment rate in the nation.

Loyd’s remarks were punctuated by a critical view of how partisan politics have impeded progress. 

"The Democratic Convention is one of only a few places where this criticism will do absolutely nothing," he said. "People's hearts are so hardened by the idea that just because someone has a (D) or an (R) by their name, that automatically makes them a good or bad person. They're anchored on the thought that the other party is automatically evil and will spew lies, thus ignoring the facts and sights around them. There are homeless and drugs everywhere in Chicago; trash is readily thrown out car windows, and unfortunately, violence and crime are rampant as well."

Loyd, a West Point graduate and seasoned political operative, will be facing off against incumbent U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski (D-IL) in the Nov. 5 general election.

The 13th Congressional District includes all of Macoupin County, and sections of Champaign, Macon, Madison, Piatt, Sangamon and St. Clair Counties including the communities of Champaign, Decatur, Springfield and Alton.