Demons in the Media?

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Article in Poynter by Tom Jones, 4/17/26

Headline:  “Opinion | Pete Hegseth uses the Bible to demonize the press”

Subhead:  “In a Pentagon press briefing, defense secretary called the press ‘unpatriotic’ and lashed out about ‘endlessly negative coverage’ of the war in Iran”

“. . .After calling the coverage ‘unpatriotic,’ Hegseth then launched into a bizarre attack of the press by invoking the Bible . .”

“Then he added, ‘As the passage ends, the Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel against him, how to destroy him. I sat there in church and I thought, Our press are just like these Pharisees, not all of you, not all of you, but the legacy Trump-hating press.’ ”

Read the full article at:

https://www.poynter.org/commentary/2026/hegseth-compares-press-biblical-pharisees/

New Media Masters

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Article in FAIR by Caitlan Scialla, 4/17/26

Headline: “Paramount’s Purchase of CNN Heralds a New Trump-Friendly Media Empire”

“The ultra-wealthy have long leveraged their capital to build sprawling media empires that narrow our public range of debate (FAIR.org, 6/1/87). But Paramount Skydance‘s winning bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) marks a major milestone in media monopolization that, if successful, will further expand Trump-allied tech moguls Larry and David Ellison’s burgeoning power over US news and entertainment media. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://fair.org/home/paramounts-purchase-of-cnn-heralds-a-new-trump-friendly-media-empire/

Media Climate-Coverage Vital

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Article in The Nation by Staff, 4/16/26

Headline:  “A Burning House, a Quiet Media, a Silenced Majority”

Subhead: “A white paper from Covering Climate Now on the state of climate journalism.”

“All parts of the media—news media, social media, entertainment media—play a decisive role in how humanity confronts the climate challenge. These media are largely responsible for what people know and feel about that challenge, and what people know and feel in turn shapes what they say and do: whether and how they vote, what products they buy or don’t buy, how they talk with friends and family, whether they act or not.

“News media play a particularly important role, both because huge numbers of people still read, watch, or listen to their reporting and because that reporting shapes the narrative that politicians, social media, and the public engage with. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.thenation.com/article/environment/covering-climate-now-white-paper/

Reporter Bots Know Best?

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Article in Daily Kos by Walter Einenkel, 4/16/26

Headline: “Fox News is asking AI chatbots to defend Trump’s Iran war”

“Facing a tough reelection campaign, Republican Rep. Mike Lawler went on Fox Business to join host Maria Bartiromo in a President Donald Trump ass-kissing session, where the two defended the Iran war by posing a convoluted question to a chatbot.

“ ‘How would the media report on World War II?’ Bartiromo said. ‘Here’s what I got from Chat GPT. You ready?’ “Leaders like Franklin D. Roosevelt would face nonstop scrutiny—not near unified messaging like in the 1940s. Social media would amplify dissent, leaks, and battlefield setbacks in real time, changing public support even faster.” ‘. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/4/16/800021315/videos/fox-news-is-asking-ai-chatbots-to-defend-trumps-iran-war/

Last Correspondent’s Supper?

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Article in Poynter by Kelly McBride, 4/16/26

Headline: “Opinion | The White House Correspondents’ Dinner has always been a cringefest. Trump just makes it obvious.”

Subhead:  “This year’s disaster has been decades in the making”

“The certain awkwardness of President Donald Trump gloating about his presidency in front of a silent press corps at this year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner — a gala intended to celebrate both free speech and the work of the watchdogs who hold the president accountable — is a trainwreck that should have been averted years ago. . .”

“Journalists and their corporate bosses are going to dress up in gowns and tuxes on Saturday, April 25, and sit down at the Washington Hilton with a man who not only says he despises them, but who repeatedly has used his power to undermine their credibility. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.poynter.org/commentary/2026/white-house-correspondents-dinner-trump-criticism/

Journalism Compass Burning?

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Article in AP by David Bauder, 4/16/26

Headline:  “In address on media ethics, former Washington Post editor worries about fading moral compass”

“. . .Worries that ‘to each his own’ is replacing an ethical compass

“While conceding he risked sounding sanctimonious, Baron dove right in. He said he worried that journalists can’t agree on an ethical compass — seeking the truth with humility is his suggestion — and that “to each his own” is becoming the evolving ethos for many who cover and talk about the news. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://apnews.com/article/journalism-baron-ethics-trump-coverage-7e2e01e8d447c75c22a41695cdb2e498

Against Mega Media Merger

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Article in Free Press by Staff, 4/15/26

Headline: “Free Press Flies Protest Banners Around Paramount Studios as a Struggling CBS Attempts to Woo Advertisers During ‘Upfront Week’ “

Subhead:  “Billboard trucks and a plane circle studio lot showing the dangers of media mega-mergers as CBS seeks to attract advertisers amid historic declines in ratings.”

“LOS ANGELES — On Wednesday evening, two mobile billboards and a plane banner exposing the dangers of the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger circled the Paramount Studio lot as the media giant attempts to woo advertisers to purchase spots on CBS’s fall primetime schedule. . .”

“The protest billboards and banner, produced by Free Press, warn advertisers about placing their products on CBS, as it remakes itself into a mouthpiece for the Trump regime. If the Paramount Skydance acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery goes through, it would put outlets including HBO and CNN under the control of David Ellison and his father Larry, one of the richest men in the world. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.freepress.net/news/free-press-flies-protest-banners-around-paramount-studios-struggling-cbs-attempts-woo

Anger at Media Supporters

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Article in Daily Kos by Oliver Willis, 4/15/26

Headline: “Why Trump turned his rage on these MAGA mainstays”

“Last week, President Donald Trump went to war against some of his most diehard supporters in the world of right-wing media.

“These figures—conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, pundit Megyn Kelly, former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, and conspiracy theorist and author Candace Owens—have bolstered Trump’s cause and attacked his political enemies without hesitation for years.

“But on April 9, Trump took a swing at them on Truth Social, calling them ‘nut jobs’ with ‘low IQs’ after they criticized his war in Iran. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/4/15/800019711/media-and-culture/why-trump-turned-his-rage-on-these-maga-mainstays/

Axis of Evil in Media?

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Article in The Intercept on The “Intercept Briefing”, 4/14/26

Headline: “Amy Goodman on the Media’s ‘Access of Evil’ ”

Subhead: “The investigative journalist and ‘Democracy Now!’ host — and the subject of a new documentary — on why independent media is needed now more than ever.”

“As talks to end the U.S.–Israel war on Iran break down and President Donald Trump demands a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, journalist Amy Goodman says that in times of war and conflicts, ‘What I care about is the answer, and I care that people in this country don’t get health care at the same time that money goes to kill others in another country.’

“This week on ‘The Intercept Briefing’, Goodman speaks to host Akela Lacy about a new documentary called ‘Steal This Story, Please!’. . . ”

Read the full article at:

https://theintercept.com/2026/04/14/amy-goodman-democracy-now-independent-media/

Internet Wayback Machine Threatened

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Article in Forbes by Anisha Sircar, 4/13/26

Headline: “Why Major News Sites Are Blocking The Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine”

“For nearly three decades, the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine has served as a go-to for anyone looking to access its vast treasure trove of archived internet pages.

“Its mission of crawling and preserving the public web has made it an indispensable resource for journalists, historians, researchers, courts and beyond. As of October 2025, the Wayback Machine contained more than one trillion archived web pages.

“Now, that mission is facing a threat that could make it harder to access digital history.. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/anishasircar/2026/04/14/why-major-news-sites-are-blocking-the-internet-archives-wayback-machine/