Journalism, War, and Lies

by

Article in The Nation by Marwan Bishara, 10/112/26

Headline:  “Writing About War as Bombs Fall”

Subhead:  “While the Israeli government launched a well-orchestrated offensive of disinformation and hyperbole that would make the illegal permissible in the war on Gaza.

“When the Gaza war started three years ago, I took to the keyboard. In those dark times, writing was my only sanctuary amid the mayhem. I had written extensively about war in my career as a scholar and a journalist, but nothing prepared me for this war. The words that came to mind felt jaded, even inadequate for what was unfolding in front of our eyes. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.thenation.com/article/world/gaza-war-three-years-global-opinion-israel/

Media Groups Fight Consolidation

by

Article in Free Press by Staff, 12/9/26

Headline:  “Unions and Nonprofits Representing Journalists, Writers and Communications Professionals Petition FCC to Stay Order That Would Allow Massive Media Consolidation”

Subhead:  “Groups call “unlawful” Carr’s move to eliminate a vital limit that prevented massive broadcast conglomerates from acquiring even more local outlets”

“WASHINGTON — A coalition of unions and nonprofit organizations representing journalists, writers and other communications professionals have urged the Federal Communications Commission to stay a recent order repealing its long-standing and congressionally required National Television Multiple Ownership Rule. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.freepress.net/news/coalition-petitions-fcc-stay-order-allowing-massive-media-consolidation

– – – – –

Article in Common Dreams by Jake Johnson, 10/10/26

Headline:  “Coalition Files Emergency Motion to Stop Trump FCC From Unleashing Media Consolidation Spree”

Subhead: “The FCC simply cannot ignore the laws Congress makes just because the current agency head wants to.”

“A coalition of nonprofit groups and labor unions filed an emergency petition on Friday aimed at blocking the Federal Communications Commission’s recent repeal of a decades-old rule that limited consolidation among television broadcasters, a move that would allow media conglomerates to seize even more control over local news stations. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-fcc-tv-consolidation-2678069354

“60 Minutes” Still Rolls Downhill?

by

Article in Status by Oliver Darcy, 10/12/26

Headline:  “Bari’s Stahl Showdown”

Subhead:  “Two recent clashes over Israel coverage have roiled Bari Weiss’ CBS News, Status has learned, with one confrontation even pushing legendary ’60 Minutes’ correspondent Lesley Stahl to the brink of quitting.”

“On Sunday night, ’60 Minutes’ aired a riveting piece examining the violence that extremist Israeli settlers have unleashed against Palestinians in the West Bank. . .”

“. . .Behind the scenes, Status has learned that the screenings for Stahl’s piece grew extraordinarily contentious, with the legendary correspondent becoming so frustrated that she privately discussed the possibility of quitting the show.. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.status.news/p/bari-weiss-lesley-stahl-60-minutes-israel-gaza

Kangaroo Courts and the Media

by


Article in The Hill by Dominick Mastrangelo, 10/12/26

Headline:  “CBS, ABC, CNN and Fox News: What to know”

“The Department of Justice (DOJ) took many by surprise when it said over the weekend it would investigate the country’s top television networks on antitrust grounds over a boycott the TV networks carried out last month in response to President Trump’s ban of three news outlets from the White House. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://thehill.com/homenews/media/6144038-doj-investigates-tv-networks-boycott/

Too Chicken to Answer Questions?

by


Article in Poynter by Tom Jones 10/12/26

Headline:  “Opinion | Jennifer Griffin has covered 8 defense secretaries. She’s never seen a Pentagon like this.”

Subhead: “On  ‘The Poynter Report Podcast,’ the longtime Fox News correspondent reflects on nearly four decades of reporting, from war zones to Washington”

“. . .Griffin went on to explain why, but also said, ‘There are still very important stories being broken. Every time there’s a story the Pentagon doesn’t want, they call it fake news. That’s just a real cop-out. That’s a cop out for not wanting to answer questions — not wanting to answer questions from Congress, not wanting to answer questions from the press, and I don’t think the American people are buying it anymore’. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.poynter.org/commentary/2026/fox-news-jennifer-griffin-pentagon-pete-hegseth/

Propaganda / Media

by

Article in Media Matters by Matt Gertz, 10/8/26

Headline:  “Fox News at 30: Even the pretense of impartiality is all but gone”

“Fox News’ role as a Republican propaganda machine is clear to anyone who has bothered to peruse its programming — President Donald Trump knows it, Fox co-founder Rupert Murdoch knows it, disgraced network co-founder Roger Ailes knew it, and longtime viewers like me certainly know it. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.mediamatters.org/fox-news/fox-news-30-even-pretense-impartiality-all-gone

– – – – –

Article in Columbia Journalism Review by Susie Banikarim, 10/9/26

Headline: “After Thirty Years, Fox Remains the House Ailes Built”

Subhead: “Racism, misogyny, xenophobia, and consistently high ratings. . .”

“. . .Though much has been made of the fracturing of right-wing media, Fox remains the most popular and powerful source of news-like content for many Americans. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.cjr.org/laurels-and-darts/after-thirty-years-fox-news-remains-house-ailes-built-racism-misogyny-xenophobia-high-ratings.php

If it Looks Like an Oligopoly. . .

by

Article in The Wrap by Kayla Cobb, 10/8/26

Headline: “Skydance’s New TV Empire Explained: Who’s in Charge and What May Be Ahead | Analysis”

Subhead:  “With the acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, Skydance now owns almost 190 shows, over 70 cable networks and two major streamers”

“A lot of attention has been paid to the future of the film industry in the wake of Skydance acquiring Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery, but few are talking about the other big entertainment play of this new merger: TV. With the acquisition of WBD, Skydance now owns nearly 190 shows, more than 70 cable channels and two major streamers.

“It’s a massive portfolio that threatens to disrupt the current order of television. Over the past 12 months, networks and streaming assets owned by Paramount and Warner Bros. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.thewrap.com/media-platforms/tv/skydance-tv-paramount-warner-bros-discovery-merger-analysis/

CBS Puts Whole Hand on Scale

by


Article in Poynter by Tom Jones, 10/8/26

Headline:  “Opinion | CBS gives JD Vance a prime-time town hall just before the midterms”

Subhead: “The Michigan event gives the vice president a national stage as Republicans make their closing argument to voters”

“In timing that is certainly good for a Republican Party looking for a last-minute rally ahead of the midterm elections, CBS announced Wednesday that it will air a town hall with Vice President JD Vance on Oct. 17 — just two and a half weeks before the pivotal Election Day. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.poynter.org/commentary/2026/jd-vance-cbs-town-hall-midterms/

Stopping WH Media Ban

by

Article in AP by Michael Kunzelman, Jocelyn Noveck, and Rebecca Boone

Headline: “Media attorneys ask court for help in preventing White House ban until legal case is resolved”

“. . .An attorney for three news organizations told a federal judge Thursday that the Trump administration must be prevented from barring their reporters from the White House, saying the ban is a classic example of “viewpoint discrimination” that is punishing people for what they say — and violating the media outlets’ First Amendment rights. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://apnews.com/article/trump-networks-media-ban-cnn-6459d3612a0a845a0cf1a093acafbe6f

– – – – –

Article in The Guardian by Jeremy Barr, 10/8/26

Headline:  “Trump made ‘clear’ that media ban was due to critical coverage, court told”

Subhead: “Lawyer for CNN, MS Now and Politico says Trump admitted he banned networks from White House over their coverage”

“Donald Trump continues to be the strongest witness for the media companies arguing that they were unfairly barred from the White House at his direction, a lawyer representing CNN, MS Now and Politico told a federal judge on Thursday afternoon. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/oct/08/trump-media-ban-hearing

Media in the Lifeboats!

by

Article in Mediaite by Alex Griffing, 10/7/26

Headline: “Pete Hegseth Welcomes USS Lincoln Crew Home With a Rant Against the Media: They Tried to Say it Was a ‘Failed Mission!’”

“. . .Hegseth slammed the media for its reporting on the conditions aboard the vessel during his remarks. ‘And there were a few folks in the media who tried to turn the USS Abraham Lincoln into some sort of symbol: a symbol of dysfunction, or a symbol of low morale, or a symbol of a failed mission,’ Hegseth fumed, adding:

“‘And what I look out at right here, and what I talked to your leadership about – and I have had a chance to talk to a number of you – I know it’s the exact opposite, which is actually what the media does so often.’. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/pete-hegseth-welcomes-uss-lincoln-crew-home-with-a-rant-against-the-media-they-tried-to-say-it-was-a-failed-mission/