Legal Info

Group Legal documents

Finger on Scale of AP’s Hearing?

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Article in Reporters Without Borders by Staff, 3/19/25

Headline:  “USA: RSF condemns Elon Musk’s continued defamation of the AP ahead of its hearing on White House access”

“Elon Musk, head of the US Department of Government Efficiency, tweeted on March 18 ‘AP stands for Associated Propaganda’ in response to a screenshot of an Associated Press (AP) retraction of one of their stories, just two days before the AP’s hearing over its access to the White House. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) strongly objects to Musk’s inappropriate use of his position of power within the executive branch to influence judicial proceedings, under the pretext of using his personal account.

“Without a hint of irony, Elon Musk condemned the AP for doing what any responsible journalist or news organization should do – publish a correction when they get something wrong. Meanwhile, Musk is one of the Internet’s most prolific purveyors of misinformation and never holds himself accountable. . .”

https://rsf.org/en/usa-rsf-condemns-elon-musk-s-continued-defamation-ap-ahead-its-hearing-white-house-access

Not All Media Give-In

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Article in The Hill by Filip Timotija, 3/6/25

Headline:  “CBS News’ parent company Paramount filed a pair of motions in district court to dismiss President Trump’s $20 billion lawsuit stemming from the “60 Minutes” interview with former Vice President Harris right before the 2024 presidential election.”

Subhead:  “One of two motions, both filed in U.S. district court for the Northern District of Texas on Thursday, said the president’s lawsuit is an ‘affront to the First Amendment and is without basis in law or fact.’ “

“Paramount’s legal team wrote that Trump is seeking to “punish a news organization for constitutionally protected editorial judgments they do not like.

“ ‘They not only ask for $20 billion in damages but also seek an order directing how a news organization may exercise its editorial judgment in the future,’ they said. ‘The First Amendment stands resolutely against these demands.’ ”

https://thehill.com/homenews/media/5181790-cbs-files-motions-to-dismiss-trump-20-billion-lawsuit/

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Article in Status by (liver Darcy, 3/3/25

Headline:  “Shell-Shocked at CBS“

Subhead:  “As Paramount’s merger with Skydance nears the finish line, CBS News chief Wendy McMahon and ’60 Minutes’ boss Bill Owens have faced escalating pressure to settle Donald Trump’s lawsuit—including from incoming president Jeff Shell.”

” Last October, Jeff Shell, the veteran media executive set to serve as president of Paramount Global after its merger with Skydance Media is finalized, convened a meeting with CBS News chief Wendy McMahon, ’60 Minutes‘ boss Bill Owens, and government relations officials. . .”

“At the meeting, Shell requested that McMahon and Owens comply with Trump’s demand and release the transcript, according to people familiar with the matter. Shell’s involvement in the editorial matter immediately set off alarm bells. McMahon and Owens later told associates they were disturbed that Shell was inserting himself into the newsroom’s decision-making, given that Paramount’s merger with Skydance has yet to close and that corporate interference in journalistic matters is traditionally anathema. Even more troubling, Shell seemed to believe CBS News should have simply appeased Trump, despite the dangerous precedent it would set.”

https://www.status.news/p/paramount-cbs-60-minutes-lawsuit-settlement-talks

WSJ Sued for Tariffs?

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Article in The Guardian by Staff, 2/26/25

Headline:  “Trump threatens to sue media after Wall Street Journal editorial criticizes tariffs”

Subhead:  “Journal argued Trump’s tariff plans would harm ‘US auto workers and Republican prospects in Michigan’ “

“Wall Street Journal editorial slamming Donald Trump’s tariff plans as terrible for the US economy and auto industry prompted a broadside from the president on Wednesday followed by threats to sue the media.

“In an opinion piece titled Trump’s Tariffs Will Punish Michigan, the Journal argued Trump’s tariff plans would harm ‘US auto workers and Republican prospects in Michigan’.”

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2025/feb/26/trump-wall-street-journal-tariffs

Polygraphing Stops Media Leaks?

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Article in Medite by Akex Griffing, 2/21/25

Headline:  “Kristi Noem Reportedly Warned DHS Employees She’s Going to Start Polygraphing Them Over Leaking to the Media”

“Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told employees under her leadership they will be soon subject to polygraph tests asking about whether or not they have leaked to the media, reported Bloomberg News on Tuesday.

“Bloomberg’s Homeland Security reporter Ellen Gilmer scooped the news and reported that “Noem last week issued an internal directive that all polygraphs the Department of Homeland Security administers must include a question about unauthorized communications with media and nonprofit organizations, according to a memo described to Bloomberg Government by two people without authorization to speak publicly.”

https://www.mediaite.com/news/kristi-noem-reportedly-warned-dhs-employees-shes-going-to-start-polygraphing-them-over-leaking-to-the-media/

Using Media Company to Coerce

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Article in The New York Times by Jack Nicas, 2/19/25

Headline:  “Trump Media Group Sues Brazilian Judge Weighing Arrest of Jair Bolsonaro”

SubHead:  “The lawsuit came hours after the justice received an indictment of Brazil’s former president, who is an ally of President Trump.”

“President Trump’s media company sued a Brazilian Supreme Court justice on Wednesday, accusing him of illegally censoring right-wing voices on social media. . .”

“The Trump Media & Technology Group — which is majority owned by Mr. Trump and runs his Truth Social site — sued the Brazilian justice, Alexandre de Moraes, in U.S. federal court in Tampa, Fla., on Wednesday morning. Joining as a plaintiff was Rumble, a Florida-based video platform that, like Truth Social, pitches itself as a home for free speech.

“The lawsuit appeared to represent an astonishing effort by Mr. Trump to pressure a foreign judge as he weighed the fate of a fellow right-wing leader who, like him, was indicted on charges that he tried to overturn his election loss.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/19/world/americas/trump-brazil-bolsonaro-judge.html

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Article in Axios by Avery Lotz, 2/19/25

Headline:  “Trump’s media group sues Brazilian judge after Bolsonaro indictment”

“President Trump’s media group on Wednesday sued a Brazilian Supreme Court justice, alleging that he censored right-wing voices on social media platforms. . .”

https://www.axios.com/

 

 

Reporting on Politicians Not Allowed?

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Getty image

 

Article in Daily Beast by Liam Archacki, 2/7/25

Headline:  “Trump Megadonor Asks SCOTUS to Eliminate Key Media Protection”

Subhead:  “UNDER ATTACK Billionaire casino mogul Steve Wynn is seeking to eliminate a precedent protecting the press’ ability to cover politicians.”

“A Donald Trump megadonor is asking the conservative-dominated Supreme Court to gut the media’s ability to assertively cover politicians.

“Billionaire casino mogul Steve Wynn, who has donated millions to Trump’s presidential campaigns, is petitioning the court to disavow The New York Times v. Sullivan, a key precedent protecting the press.

“The landmark 1964 decision raised the standards to sue the press for libel when a false statement is published about a public figure.”

https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-megadonor-steve-wynn-asks-scotus-to-strip-media-protection/

Media Labor Victory

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Article in Columbia Journalism Review by Klaudia Zawinska, 2/6/25

Headline:  “In a Volatile Landscape for AI and Labor Rights, Journalists at ABC Secure a Win”

Subhead:  “How union contracts give workers a say in how AI shapes their industry.”

“Last week, the bargaining unit representing journalists at ABC News, which belongs to the Writers Guild of America East, “overwhelmingly” voted to ratify a three-year contract. Among other things, it includes binding protections against potential harms posed by generative artificial intelligence that the WGAE described as a “precedent setting win” for the news business. The agreement ensures that ABC News will not lay off current employees due to the use of generative AI and requires management to provide union members with advance notice before implementing AI systems into newsroom workflows.”

https://www.cjr.org/the_media_today/in-a-volatile-landscape-for-ai-and-labor-rights-journalists-at-abc-secure-a-win.php

Suing Broadcast Icon

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Article in The Guardian by Robert Tate, 2/6/25

Headline:  “Trump calls for ‘termination’ of 60 Minutes in fresh attack on US media”

“President also makes baseless claim that USAid money has been illicitly funding news organisations”

“Donald Trump has called for the “termination” of 60 Minutes, a long-established fixture of US journalism, in a fresh onslaught against the media that also included baseless claims that money from the country’s beleaguered foreign aid body had been illicitly funding news organisations.

  • “The demand that 60 Minutes be taken off the air came in a post on Trump’s Truth Social platform. It was the latest salvo in his long-running dispute with the CBS program over its editing of an interview with Kamala Harris, last year’s defeated Democratic presidential candidate, over which Trump has lodged a $10m suit alleging ‘election interference’.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/06/trump-60-minutes-cbs

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Headline: “Trump: ’60 Minutes’ should be ‘immediately terminated’ after Harris transcript release”

https://thehill.com/homenews/media/5130138-trump-60-minutes-off-air-cbs-news/

NPR / PBS, CPB Investigated?

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Update

Article in Washington Post by Anne Branigin, 1/31/25

Headline:  “Trump’s FCC chief orders investigation into NPR and PBS sponsorships”

Subhead: “FCC’s Brendan Carr also suggests an investigation could be relevant to conservative congressional efforts to defund the public broadcasters.”

“President Donald Trump’s newly appointed chairman of the Federal Communications Commission has ordered an investigation into NPR and PBS over their alleged “airing of commercials,” and suggested that the public broadcasters could be at risk of losing their federal funding.

““I am concerned that NPR and PBS broadcasts could be violating federal law by airing commercials,” Brendan Carr wrote to the heads of both organizations Wednesday. “In particular, it is possible that NPR and PBS member stations are broadcasting underwriting announcements that cross the line into prohibited commercial advertisements.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/2025/01/31/trump-fcc-npr-pbs-investigation/

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Article in Freepress by Timothy Karr, 1/20/25

Headline:  “Trump’s Censorship Czar Orders NPR and PBS Investigation”

“On Thursday, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr ordered an investigation into NPR and PBS. In a letter to the chief executives of both publicly funded networks, Carr used the investigation as a pretext to suggest that Congress end federal funding for NPR and PBS.

“To the extent that these taxpayer dollars are being used to support a for profit endeavor or an entity that is airing commercial advertisements, then that would further undermine any case for continuing to fund NPR and PBS with taxpayer dollars,” Carr wrote.”

https://www.freepress.net/news/press-releases/fcc-chairman-carr-npr-pbs-investigation

Another Medium Pays Homage

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Article in UPI by Mike Heuer, 1/29/25

Headline:  “Meta to pay $25M to settle Trump censorship lawsuit”

“Social media giant Meta has agreed to pay $25 million to settle censorship accusations made by President Donald Trump after Meta suspended his Facebook and Instagram accounts in 2021.

“About $22 million of the settlement will help fund the Trump Presidential Library, which so far is a website operated by the National Archives but likely will have a physical site in the future, NBC News, CNN and Variety reported.”

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2025/01/29/trump-zuckerberg-meta-25M-settlement/2931738199020/