Corporate Media

Media Harping on Trump Aide

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Article in The Atlantic by Jonathan Lemire 8/20/26

Headline: “The White House Freak-Out Over Natalie Harp”

Subhead:  “The West Wing’s explosive response to a fleeting jab didn’t kill the story. It enabled days of coverage.”

“. . .This past Sunday, Senator Jon Ossoff of Georgia—who has become quite good at delivering viral campaign sound bites, slickly filmed by multiple cameras—unleashed a blistering indictment of President Trump’s leadership. . .”

“But then the West Wing lost its mind. And Trump did too. Their pushback was so overwhelming, so obviously coordinated, so ugly and personal that it became a story. The White House inadvertently created news, as well as a permission structure for even the most cautious, fact-based media organizations to take on the topic. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/2026/08/ossoff-trump-natalie-harp/688365/

Went Past Media Hook

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Article in Common Dreams by Julia Conley, 8/21/26

Headline:  “In Post-Primary Media Tour, Angie Nixon Refuses to Take Corporate Media’s Bait on Hasan Piker, DSA”

Subhead: “I am actually focused on Florida and making sure that I’m talking to voters here, to uplift their needs and their concerns,’ said the progressive Democrat. ‘And so that’s what my focus is going to be over the next 76 days.”

“The corporate media has spent months helping to push the narrative that progressive Democratic candidates are anti-American and have radical foreign policy views . . .”

“But Nixon (D-13) suggested Thursday night she prefers to discuss her desire to represent working Florida residents’ interests in the Senate over the topics that news anchors are eager to talk about. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.commondreams.org/news/angie-nixon-senate

 

Consolidating Media Costs Jobs?

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Article in The Wrap by Lucas Manfredi, 8/19/26

Headline:  “Paramount-WB Deal Could Cost LA 4,500 Film and TV Jobs and $2.8 Billion, Study Finds | Exclusive”

Subhead:  “Over 5,800 indirect or induced jobs from related small businesses could also be at risk over the next three years”

“. . .If the two companies merge, the decisions they make about where to
film their shows could dramatically affect how much production stays in California, CVL and DEO said. The high cost of living in L.A. County and California, combined with stronger incentives out of state and abroad, also contribute to work shifting out of the state and country. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.thewrap.com/industry-news/deals-ma/paramount-warner-bros-deal-job-losses-los-angeles/

Media Give Politicians a Break?

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Article in Common Dreams by James Zogby, 8/18/26

Headline:  ” Independent Interviewers Expose How Mainstream Media Lets Politicians Off the Hook”

Subhead: “Two recent podcasts demonstrated what happens when establishment politicians, whose prepared talking points never stray from what serves as the conventional wisdom about Israel-Palestine, run up against interviewers unwilling to give them a pass.”

“Two July podcasts hosted by progressive media stars and featuring leading Democratic lawmakers brought home the deep disconnect that exists between the way establishment politicians and media operate and the way both come to speak about the Middle East and the realities that exist in that region.. .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/mainstream-media-israel-palestine

Mainstream Media Distortion?

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Article in Common Dreams by Roger Bybee, 8/7/26

Headline:  “Establishment Media: Narrow Wisconsin Loss for Hong I​s Massive Defeat for the Left”

Subhead:  “Her defeat was welcomed by conventional media and pundits impatiently awaiting some sign that a wave of progressive victories was finally being halted by sensibly moderate Midwestern voters. But is this accurate?”

“Mainstream media voices reflexively advising ‘moderate’ politics for the Democrats have unveiled a comfortably reassuring explanation of the razor-thin 3,796-vote defeat of democratic socialist Francesca Hong. . .”

Wisconsin’s Democratic gubernatorial primary provided the opportunity to serve up a pre-baked narrative favored by many journalists. Following democratic socialist Francesca Hong’s narrow defeat. . . ‘The socialists met their match,’ The New York Times concluded smugly. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/media-wrong-hong-s-defeat

Legacy Media Put Head in Sand?

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Article in Daily Kos by Oliver Willis, 8/15/26

Headline:  “Why the media ignores the growing Republican schism”

“Republicans are having a bad time ahead of this year’s midterm elections, where the momentum has consistently been with the Democrats. . .”

“Republicans are the ones having the real midterm problem, both internally and in contrast to the Democratic Party. Why? Trump. . .”

“Republican disarray is the new “Democratic disarray,” and someone should tell the mainstream media.”

Read the full article at:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/8/15/800084437/series/why-the-media-ignores-the-growing-republican-schism/

Take Political Media With a Grain of. . .

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Article in Daily Kos by Weinsch, 8/14/26

Headline:  “Listen to Political Media — But Listen Carefully”

“Folks who are new or sporadic voters should avoid a mistake that many make: Don’t put too much faith in political media. . .”

” it’s fair to say that the political media craves drama. It makes things more interesting for them. Whether it’s the primaries or the general election, the job is much easier for these folks if a theme or narrative develops into which daily or weekly news fits. The campaign becomes a novel with a beginning, middle and conclusion (or “denouement,” as we learned in high school) instead of an endless series of repetitive and disconnected short stories. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/8/14/800084505/community/listen-to-political-media-but-listen-carefully/

Post Sees Eyes on Things

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Article in Poynter by Angela Fu and Amaris Castillo

Headline:  “Opinion | A Washington Post investigation prompts changes at surveillance company Flock”

Subhead:  “The Post found dozens of cases of police misusing license plate readers. Flock is adding safeguards intended to prevent abuse.”

“Flock, the company that operates an extensive network of license plate readers, announced Thursday that it will implement new safety measures. . .”

“The Post noted that the announcement comes one week after the paper published an investigation finding dozens of examples of police officers using Flock’s cameras to stalk women without their knowledge or consent. In one case, a police chief searched his ex-girlfriend’s license plate more than 500 times and repeatedly sent her messages indicating he knew her location. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.poynter.org/commentary/2026/flock-security-camera-changes-washington-post/

Media Distort New Movements?

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Article in FAIR by Raina Lipsitz

Headline:  “Corporate Media Portray DSA’s Grassroots Organizing as a Sinister Conspiracy”

“. . .The ‘takeover’ language is telling: The corporate press sees any assertion of agency on the part of everyday people as a threat to establishment interests. The Free Press (7/21/26) sounded the alarm in an article headlined ‘What the Movement Taking Over the Democratic Party Wants.’ And Fox News (7/27/26) went further with a story headlined ‘[US Rep. Steve] Scalise Warns ‘Bolshevik Revolution’. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://fair.org/home/corporate-media-portray-dsas-grassroots-organizing-as-a-sinister-conspiracy/

In Sheep’s Clothing?

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Article in Status by Oliver Darcy 8/12/26

Headline:  “Ellison’s CNN Board Game”

Subhead: “Paramount is floating an oversight board to safeguard CNN’s independence under Ellison ownership—but inside the network, staffers tell Status that they aren’t buying it.”

On Wednesday, by way of The Wall Street Journal, Paramount floated creating an editorial board to oversee CNN. In theory, the board would safeguard the news organization’s independence, should David Ellison be successful in his odyssey to acquire the outlet’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery.

Read the full article at:

https://www.status.news/p/cnn-board-david-ellison-paramount