Broadcasting

Media Deja Vu

by


Article in Status by Oliver Darcy, 3/19/25

Headline:  “MAGA Media’s Musk-querade”

Subhead:  “Right-wing media stars once raged against ‘unelected elites’ wielding government power—now, they’re fawning as Donald Trump hands Elon Musk the keys to federal agencies, despite glaring conflicts of interest.”

” It’s prime time on cable news, and beneath the glow of the studio lights, a monologue erupts. The anchor excoriates the president for having ‘skirted the Senate confirmation process’ and ’empowered’ unelected individuals ‘to oversee major offices within the federal government,’ railing against a system where they ‘operate only under the supervision of the White House.’ The words are dripping with indignation, warning of a government where power is handed to unvetted individuals, accountability is nonexistent, and a radical reshaping of the U.S. government is underway.

“ ‘In essence, a select group of unconfirmed, unvetted individuals are now at the helm of a shadow government right here in the U.S.,’ the anchor warns.”

“. . . But the clip isn’t from 2025. It’s from Sean Hannity on Fox News in the summer of 2009, raging against Barack Obama’s appointment of so-called ‘czars.’. . .”

https://www.status.news/p/right-wing-media-elon-musk-hypocrisy

Historic U.S. Broadcaster Gagged

by

AP – Andrew Harnik photo

Article in Columbia Journalism Review by Liam Scott, 3/18/25

Headline:  “The Last Days at Voice of America“

Subhead:  “Covering the press freedom beat at VOA, I got a front-row seat to its demise.”

“On Saturday, about thirteen hundred Voice of America staffers, myself included, were placed on administrative leave. VOA’s final broadcast went out; its website was updated one last time. For the first time since its creation, in 1942, to combat Nazi propaganda, VOA went silent.

As a press freedom reporter, I’ve spent the past few years constantly interacting with groups like the Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders. But this time, it was my editor, Jessica Jerreat, and I who reached out to sound the alarm. I wasn’t acting in an official capacity—in fact, I had been ordered not to work—but I felt I had to do something.

Dozens of VOA staffers in Washington are on J-1 visas, and if they lose them, they may have to return to countries whose governments have a record of jailing critics. Two VOA contributors are imprisoned in Myanmar and Vietnam, and I didn’t want them to be forgotten. . . .”

https://www.cjr.org/first_person/last-days-voice-of-america-voa-trump-kari-lake.php

—–

Article in The Hill by Dominick Mastrangelo, 3/18/25

Headline:  “Trump’s silencing of Voice of America sparks shock, outrage”

“President Trump’s decision to gut the government agency that oversees Voice of America (VOA) has shocked staffers, who have been ordered to stop working, and fueled concern about the U.S. retreating as a champion of press freedom worldwide. . .”

“Employees who spoke with The Hill this week described a chaotic span of 48 hours after employees received an email Saturday telling them to cease all reporting until further notice. . .”

https://thehill.com/homenews/media/5201754-voa-shut-down-trump/

– – – – –

Article in Al Jezeera by Staff, 3/17/25

“United States President Donald Trump’s administration has begun laying off staff at Voice of America after signing an executive order placing nearly all employees at the government-funded media network on leave.

“VOA employees working on a contractual basis on Sunday received an email informing them that they were being terminated effective March 31.

“In the email, which was seen by Al Jazeera, the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM) said contractors must ‘cease all work immediately’ and were ‘not permitted to access any agency buildings or systems’ . . “.

“Trump’s directive is the latest in a series of moves to draw condemnation from media freedom advocacy groups, including Reporters Without Borders and the Committee to Protect Journalists, which branded the latest order ‘dystopian’. . . ”

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/3/17/trumpadministration-starts-mass-layoffs-at-media-outlet-voice-of-america

No More Media Diplomacy?

by


Article in Huffpost by Lydia O’Connor, 3/17/25

Headline:  “Trump Orders Closure Of Government-Backed, Anti-Propaganda Media Outlet”

Subhead:  “Voice of America has been broadcasting news into oppressive regimes since World War II.”

“. . . The order Trump signed Friday calls for the closure of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which manages VOA and other diplomatic news efforts. More than 1,300 of VOA’s journalists and other staffers were placed on administrative leave Saturday, according to a Facebook post from VOA Director Michael Abramowitz obtained by The Washington Post.

Kari Lake, the Agency for Global Media’s special adviser who once called for the imprisonment of journalists, cheered its demise on social media, saying: “There’s a reason it’s referred to as ‘pound-for-pound the most corrupt agency in Washington DC.’ Because it is!”

A press release from the agency was even harsher, calling it “a giant rot and burden to the American taxpayer — a national security risk for this nation — and irretrievably broken. . .”

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-voice-of-america-executive-order_n_67d852e9e4b0f3826e4c595b

– – – – –

Article in Reporters Without Borders, 3/17/25

Headline:  “US Agency for Global Media shutdown: RSF warns of the dangers facing nine journalists detained abroad”

“Following the Trump administration’s orders to dismantle the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is sounding the alarm over the risks facing USAGM staffers around the world, including nine journalists currently imprisoned abroad for their work. RSF calls on the international diplomatic community to immediately mobilise to obtain the release of these journalists and ensure the safety of all USAGM journalists worldwide.

In a decree issued on 14 March 2025, US President Donald Trump ordered the dismantling of USAGM, the federal agency overseeing several independent media outlets, such as Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and Radio Free Asia (RFA). On 15 March, Voice of America (VOA) employees received an email announcing they were immediately placed under administrative leave. ”

https://rsf.org/en/us-agency-global-media-shutdown-rsf-warns-dangers-facing-nine-journalists-detained-abroad

End of Radio on Freedom?

by


Article in The Guardian by Edward Helmore, 3/15/25

Headline:  “Trump sharpens attacks on US media as Voice of America employees put on administrative leave”

Subhead:  “President denounced CNN and MSNBC as ‘illegal’ and instructed VoA’s parent agency to be eliminated”

“Donald Trump expanded on his threats to the media on Friday, suggesting actions of the press should be deemed illegal and subject to investigation. . .”

“On Saturday, government-employed journalists at Voice of America (VoA) were put on administrative leave, a day after Trump signed an order eliminating the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), VoA’s parent company, along with six other federal agencies.

“Reporters at VoA, which broadcasts news, information and cultural programming in nearly 50 languages to a global audience, were placed on ‘administrative leave with full pay and benefits until otherwise notified’ . . .”

The decision to place VoA employees on administrative leave came a day after its parent moved to terminate contracts with the Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse, and told its journalists on Friday to stop using material from the wire services. . .

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/15/trump-media-attacks

– – – – –

Article in Time Magazine by Nicholas Riccardi / AP, 3/15/25

Headline:  “Trump Signs Order to Cut Staff at Voice of America and Other U.S.-Funded Media Organizations”

“On Friday night, shortly after Congress passed its latest funding bill, Trump directed his administration to reduce the functions of several agencies to the minimum required by law. That included the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which houses Voice of America, Radio Free Europe and Asia and Radio Marti, which beams Spanish-language news into Cuba. . . ”

“. . . The agency also sent notices terminating grants to Radio Free Asia and other programming run by the agency. Voice of America transmits United States domestic news into other countries, often translated into local languages. Radio Free Asia, Europe and Marti beam news into countries with authoritarian regimes in those regions like China, North Korea and Russia.

“Combined, the networks reach an estimated 427 million people. They date back to the Cold War and are part of a network of government-funded organizations trying to extend U.S. power and combat authoritarianism that includes USAID, another agency targeted by Trump.”

https://time.com/7268630/trump-executive-order-staff-cuts-seven-government-entities-agencies/

Ready to Lock Up the Media?

by


Article in Raw Story by Sarah K. Burris, 3/14/25

Headline:  ” ‘He’s talking about criminalizing it!’ Trump’s DOJ attack on media stuns CNN’s Jake Tapper”

Subhead:  “CNN host Jake Tapper was aghast Friday after listening to President Donald Trump’s speech at the Department of Justice.”

Subhead:  “Tapper called Trump’s lengthy rant a ‘norm-shattering speech,’ noting that it was ‘one of the most political speeches given there by a U.S. president.’ “

In Trump’s new era, Tapper said, ‘he apparently wants to weaponize the Justice Department against the news media and perceived political opponents.’ ”

https://www.rawstory.com/trump-justice-department-2671332356/

– – – – –

Article in Mediaite by Michael Luciano, 3/14/25

Headline:  “Trump Accuses Media of Doing ‘Totally Illegal’ Reporting”

“President Donald Trump ripped the media on Friday, as is typical, but he went a step further by calling the press’s coverage of the justice system ‘totally illegal.’. . .”

“He then turned his ire toward several news outlets, including the Murdoch-owned Wall Street Journal, which has been critical of his tariff policy. While doing so, he alleged their coverage has been ‘totally illegal. ‘And The New York Times will write whatever these people say. The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and MSDNC [sic], and fake news CNN, and ABC, CBS, and NBC. . . ‘ ”

” ‘. . . It’s totally illegal what they do. I just hope you can all watch for it, but it’s totally illegal. . . ‘ ”

https://www.mediaite.com/trump/trump-accuses-murdoch-owned-wall-street-journal-and-others-of-doing-totally-illegal-reporting/

– – – – –

Article in Daily Beast by Josh Fiallo, 3/14/25

Headline:  “Trump Goes to DOJ for Bonkers Rant Berating his ‘Illegal’ Media Enemies”

Subhead:  “The president said he will launch a ‘far-reaching investigation’ into the ‘corruption of our system.’ “

“Donald Trump rambled and raged in an unusual visit to the Department of Justice on Friday, rattling off a laundry list of enemies and vowing to have some investigated. . . .”

“Media outlets took the brunt of Trump’s rage and threats in an hour-long speech. He called out some of the biggest players in journalism by name—ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, MSNBC, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post—and said they operate illegally at the behest of Democrats.

“ ‘I believe that CNN and MS-DNC, who literally write 97.6 percent bad about me, are political arms of the Democrat Party,’ he said. ‘And in my opinion, they’re really corrupt and they’re illegal. What they do is illegal.’ ”

https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-goes-to-doj-for-bonkers-rant-berating-his-illegal-media-enemies/

Awarding Good Journalism

by


Article in Columbia Journalism Review by John Darnton, 3/14/25

Headline:  “A Little Light amid the Gloom”

Subhead:  “At a time of flagging faith in journalism—and among journalists—the Polk Awards spotlight the vital role the press still plays.”

“. . .The George Polk Awards are deluged with entries for outstanding work across all media platforms, and as curator I go through all of them. This year there were four hundred and ninety-three. . .”

“Now, I know that many newsrooms are gloomy and anxious places these days.

“But not all is dark. I can vouch that the year’s publications and broadcasts, when seen in their entirety, are wide in scope and deep in substance. The rambunctious spirit of street reporting and savvy editing is still very much alive.

“Among our winners this year are a foreign correspondent who risked his life to cover Sudan’s civil war, a health reporter who uncovered hidden commercial factors for the government’s lagging response to the outbreak of bird flu, and a national TV team that exposed the practice of a Texas medical school selling the body parts of unclaimed corpses without bothering to beat the bushes to inform next of kin. . .”

https://www.cjr.org/business_of_news/little-light-amid-gloom-george-polk-awards.php

Nothing to See Here for Some Media

by


Article in DNYUZ by Staff, 2/13/15

Headline:  “As Markets Whipsaw, Conservative Media Shrugs”

“Nervous investors seeking news about the plunging markets on Monday afternoon would have been out of luck if they turned to the websites of The New York Post, The Daily Caller, One America News or The Blaze. Not one of those right-leaning outlets featured articles about the sell-off as the closing bell rang, cementing Wall Street’s steepest decline of the year.

“And Fox Business Network, which pledges to “deliver content focused on investing, optimism and the American dream,” placed coverage of the drop on its site below a story about temporary outages on Elon Musk’s social media site, X.”

https://dnyuz.com/2025/03/13/as-markets-whipsaw-conservative-media-shrugs/

– – – – –

Article in The Daily Beast by Leigh Kimmins, 3/13/25

Headline:  “Laura Ingraham Tells Her Viewers to Just ‘ignore’ Reports About Trump’s Market Mahem”

“Fox News host Laura Ingraham urged her viewers to “ignore” the potential recession and general market mayhem, saying President Donald Trump “is good for business.”

“Ever the optimist, or committed Trump loyalist, the host played a clip Wednesday on her show, The Ingraham Angle, showing the president talking about better days to come.”

https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/news/ar-AA1APYKY

CNN Coverage of Cuts Not News?

by

Article in The Hill by Sara Fortinsky, 3/11/25

Headline:  “GOP’s Burchett berates CNN anchor over spending cuts coverage”

“Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) on Tuesday attacked CNN’s coverage of the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) spending cuts and accused the network of trying to rally its viewers against President Trump.

“In an interview on “CNN News Central,” anchor Brianna Keilar asked the Republican lawmaker about nonpartisan estimates suggesting the GOP’s targeted spending cuts would necessitate cuts to entitlement programs, including Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security.”

https://thehill.com/homenews/media/5189313-tim-burchett-cnn-doge-cuts/

 

Threat to Broadcasters

by

 

CPJ Photo

Article in Committee to Protect Journalists by Staff, 3/11/25

Headline: “CPJ, partners urge FCC to stop threatening press freedom and free speech”

Subhead: “The Committee to Protect Journalists and 16 other organizations, led by the nonprofit group Public Knowledge, sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr on March 7, expressing concern about recent developments that threaten to erode long-established safeguards for editorial independence and free expression.”

“The agency recently launched investigations into public broadcasting for allegedly airing advertising and threatening to investigate the northern California radio station KCBS after it reported on planned U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids. FCC investigations can result in fines and license revocations, undermining the ability of news organizations to operate freely and without fear of government retaliation.

The signatories underscored that a free press requires the FCC to uphold journalistic independence with impartiality and without political bias.. .”

https://cpj.org/2025/03/cpj-partners-urge-fcc-to-stop-threatening-press-freedom-and-free-speech/

Social Media Tweeting – Treason?

by


Article in Raw Story by Cark Gibson, 2/29/25

Headline:  ” ‘Treasonous’: Trump investigates public media reporters for criticizing his administration”

“Several journalists employed by an outlet funded by the U.S. government have found themselves in President Donald Trump’s crosshairs, according to a new report.

“In a Friday article, the New York Times reported that one longtime journalist at Voice of America (VOA) — which is funded by Congress through the U.S. Agency for Global Media (AGM) — had been put on an extended ‘excused absence’ pending a human resources investigation following a tweet flagged by Trump advisor Richard Grenell. VOA chief national correspondent Steve Herman said the investigation was meant to determine whether his ‘social media activity has undermined VOA’s audiences’ perceptions of the objectivity and/or credibility of VOA and its news operations.”

“In the tweet, Herman quoted a nonprofit leader who criticized Trump’s cuts to the U.S. Agency for International Development as making Americans ‘less safe at home and abroad.’ Grenell called Herman’s tweet ‘treasonous.’ ”

https://www.rawstory.com/donald-trump-2671243816/