Carr Accident


Article in Status, by Oliver Darcy, 9/29/26

Headline: “Comcast’s Carr Calculation”

Subhead: “While the company announced plans to spin off NBCUniversal, Status has learned executives are weighing whether to hang on to their local television stations rather than risk a fight with Trump’s FCC.”

“Earlier this summer, when Comcast announced that it would spin off its NBCUniversal assets into a separate company, most of the industry assumed that the conglomerate’s owned-and-operated television stations would be divested with the rest of the media portfolio. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.status.news/p/comcast-nbc-stations-spinoff-fcc-brendan-carr

Will Court Stop Media Ban?


Article in The Washington Post by Victoria Craw, 9/29/26

Headline: “CNN, MS NOW and Politico ask judge to extend block on Trump’s media ban”

Subhead:  “The current 14-day order is due to expire Oct. 8, and the media outlets say the White House is preventing CNN from fulfilling its television pool duties.”

“CNN, MS NOW and Politico have asked a federal court to block President Donald Trump’s media ban beyond the current 14-day order while legal proceedings play out.

The outlets called for the ‘same access’ to the White House and president they had before Trump announced the ban on Sept. 18, accusing them of ‘FAKE NEWS.’. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/09/30/cnn-ms-now-politico-ask-judge-extend-block-trumps-media-ban/

Who Paid for Trump Ads?


Article in AP by Ali Swenson, 9/28/26

Headline:  “Taxpayers have funded nearly $1.5M in pro-Trump ads. Criticism is mounting, including from the GOP”

“The White House has spent days fiercely defending three taxpayer-funded advertisements that glorify President Donald Trump and are nearing at least $1.5 million in public spending, calling them public service announcements like those used in past administrations. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://apnews.com/article/trump-government-ads-taxpayer-funded-psa-propaganda-26ae03010d78221d1d93b06c0818d06d

Something Was “Hatched” in the Media

Article in Common Dreams by Stephen Prager, 9/24/26

Headline:  “White House Airs ‘Illegal’ Trump Propaganda Ad ‘Paid For By the US Government’ Weirdest way to violate the Hatch Act, ever.”

“The White House is being accused of violating federal law after it aired an ad glorifying President Donald Trump, which it explicitly said was ‘paid for by the US government.’

“The ad was first reported by CBS News Miami investigative reporter Jim DeFede, who saw it airing on Fox News Wednesday night. . . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-government-funded-ad

No Coverage? Why Would That Be?

Article in The New Republic by Greg Sargeant, 9/28/26

Headline: “Trump’s Rage Over Failing Press Ban Goes Off Rails in Epic Self-Own”

Subhead:  “As Trump’s fury at news organizations grows after he loses in court, the writer of a piece on Trump’s shrinking stature explains how the media can collectively resist his abuses of power.”

“A few days ago, Donald Trump exploded in an extended tirade at news organizations. Why? Because they had suspended TV pool coverage of him to show solidarity with three news outlets he’d banned from the White House. This resulted in no TV footage of his reception of Xi Jinping at the White House. Trump absurdly raged that news orgs were trying to deny him coverage of a major success. But in saying this, he actually revealed that he badly needs the attention of news outlets. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://newrepublic.com/article/215898/trump-rage-failing-press-ban-goes-off-rails-epic-self-own

– – – – –

Article in Status by Natalie Korvach, 9/27/26

Headline: “The Press Pool Whiplash”

Subhead:  “Just as major networks thought their standoff with the White House was cooling, CNN was blocked from pool duty again, forcing the group into a day-by-day battle over coverage.”

Read the article at:

https://www.status.news/p/trump-cnn-msnow-white-house-press-pool-fight

Whose News is Fake News?

Article in Poynter by Tom Jones, 9/28/26

Headline: “Opinion | Rachel Maddow on why Trump keeps attacking the media: ‘You play the hits’”

Subhead:  “Maddow kicks off season seven of ‘The Poynter Report Podcast’ to talk Trump, the press, polling and the future of news”

“Donald Trump, in perhaps his most brazen act as president, banned prominent news outlets from covering his administration. That battle rages on.

“In addition, he put out a TV commercial attacking ‘fake news’ — a common phrase he has used over the past decade whenever he is bothered by coverage he doesn’t like. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.poynter.org/commentary/2026/poynter-report-podcast-rachel-maddow-msnow/

Media Havoc Likely to Continue

Article in AP by Jocelyn Noveck, 9/28/26

Headline: “After a chaotic weekend in the Trump-media standoff, it’s now a wait-and-see game for networks”

“Is the standoff over between the White House and the nation’s main broadcast networks? Not exactly.

“Are we back to Square One? Also not exactly.

“One week after three news outlets filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump and his abrupt ban of CNN, MS NOW and Politico journalists from White House grounds, the extraordinary First Amendment showdown has morphed into a wait-and-see game. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://apnews.com/article/trump-media-networks-pool-ea7fbf9c0a0506dde6f95738922640d4

Don’t Repeat Fake Information? – Get Punished?

Article in Media Matters by Matt Gertz. 9/28/26

Headline:  “Trump’s press grievances are based in their refusal to do propaganda”

“The Justice Department sought last week to justify President Donald Trump’s decision to ban three news outlets from the White House by arguing that their reporters had jeopardized national security. But Trump’s own statements show what he actually wants from the press: servile propaganda that parrots what he and his political allies say about his administration. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.mediamatters.org/donald-trump/trumps-press-grievances-are-based-their-refusal-do-propaganda

At Least One Press Outlet Still at WH!

Article in The Babylon Bee by Staff

Headline: “Update: ‘The Babylon Bee’ Now The Only News Outlet Left In America With Press Credentials”

“Several media outlets have officially walked out of the White House Press Corps in solidarity with CNN, MS NOW, and Politico after President Trump banned them from the premises. Now, The Babylon Bee is in a unique position as the only remaining news outlet with White House credentials.

“As the only source for news in the White House, The Babylon Bee vows to accurately report every cool thing President Trump does, whether it’s bomb Iran or order a Diet Coke. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://babylonbee.com/news/update-the-babylon-bee-now-the-only-news-outlet-left-in-america-with-white-house-credentials

Will Reporter’s Barricade Last?


Article in The Wrap by A.J. Katz, 9/25/26

Headline:   “Trump’s War With the Press Keeps Escalating. How Long Can the Guardrails Hold? | Analysis”

Subhead:  “A court victory and an unusual show of media solidarity ended the latest White House standoff — for now”

“The Trump administration’s latest confrontation with the press ended, for now, with the institutional guardrails holding. But not for lack of the president trying to barrel his way through them.

“A federal judge on Thursday ordered the White House to restore access to CNN, MS NOW and Politico. The major television networks stood together rather than replace CNN in the White House TV pool. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.thewrap.com/media-platforms/journalism/trump-press-war-white-house-guardrails-analysis/