First Amendment

Riding the Press?

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Article in The Hill by Max REgo, 10/6/25

Headline:  “Hegseth defends media restrictions: ‘The Pentagon press corps can squeal all they want’ “

“Pete Hegseth is doubling down on the Pentagon’s new restrictions for the press corps, arguing it will not change despite complaints from the press.

“ ‘I think the American people see things like that as absolute common sense,’ the Defense secretary told Fox News on Sunday. ‘The Pentagon press corps can squeal all they want, we’re taking these things seriously. They can report, they just need to make sure they’re following rules.’ . . .”

Read the full article at:

https://thehill.com/policy/defense/5540286-hegseth-defends-pentagon-rules/

 

Journalism in U.S. Now Dangerous

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Article in The Hill by Michael R.Sisak, 9/30/25

Headline: “Federal agents grab and shove journalists outside NYC immigration court, sending one to hospital”

“Federal agents grabbed and shoved journalists in a hallway outside a NewYork City immigration court on Tuesday, sending one to the hospital in the latest clash between authorities enforcing President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown and members of the public seeking to observe and document their actions. . . ”

Read the full article at:

https://thehill.com/homenews/media/federal-agents-shove-journalists-immigration-court/

Court Defends Reporting

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Article in Free Press by Staff, 9/26/25

Headline:  “A Big Win for the First Amendment in Retaliatory Case Filed Against Journalist Timothy Burke”

“On Friday, Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida dismissed seven of the 14 charges filed in the federal criminal prosecution against reporter Timothy Burke. . .”

“Prosecutors are seeking to convict reporter Burke for publishing unaired footage from the former Fox News talk show Tucker Carlson Tonight. Prosecutors are using the Wiretap Act, which prohibits ‘intercepting’ ‘electronic communications,’ in an attempt to convict Burke for finding and publicizing footage of, among other things, an antisemitic rant by Ye — formerly known as Kanye West — during a taping of Tucker Carlson’s since-cancelled Fox News show. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.freepress.net/news/big-win-first-amendment-retaliatory-case-filed-against-journalist-timothy-burke

Some Media People Don’t Bow

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Article in Poynter by Tom Jones, 9/25/25

Headline: “Opinion | Jimmy Kimmel came back defiant — and viewers rewarded him”

Subhead:  “The late-night host walked back onstage without apology, defended free speech and turned a suspension into record-breaking ratings”

“On Tuesday, ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel returned from his suspension with an empathetic but defiant monologue and included a joke about President Donald Trump. Kimmel said, “You almost have to feel sorry for him. He tried his best to cancel me. Instead, he forced millions of people to watch the show. That backfired bigly. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.poynter.org/commentary/2025/jimmy-kimmel-monologue-disney-nexstar/

Standing For Free Speech

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Article in The New Republic by Perry Bacon, 9/24/25

Headline:  “Jimmy Kimmel Just Showed the Rest of the Media How to Fight Trump”

Subhead:  “New York Times writer E.J. Dionne says that the late-night host essentially forced ABC to end his suspension because of the broad, strong coalition that defended him”

“Jimmy Kimmel strongly defended free speech and slammed President Trump in his return to late night after a brief suspension. In the latest edition of Right Now With Perry Bacon, New York Times opinion writer E.J. Dionne and Perry discussed why Kimmel’s fast return was such a coup for pro-democracy voices. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://newrepublic.com/article/200871/kimmel-brilliant-anti-trump-campaign

 

Media Godfather?

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Article in The New York Times by Staff, 9/19/25

Headline:  “Trump Administration Live Updates: Cruz Calls F.C.C. Threats to Media ‘Dangerous as Hell’ “

“Cruz comments: Senator Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas, harshly criticized the Federal Communications Commission chairman, Brendan Carr, accusing him of mafia-like tactics and saying his threat to retaliate against media companies for speech on their airwaves was ‘dangerous as hell.’ President Trump said that news reporters who cover his administration negatively have broken the law, a significant broadening of his attacks on journalists . . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/09/19/us/trump-news

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Article in The Washington Post by Alec Dent, 9/19/25

Headline:  “Republican Ted Cruz says FCC chair’s threats about Kimmel are ‘dangerous’ “

Subhead: “The conservative senator warns that letting the government threaten to censor voices it doesn’t like could hurt the political right if Democrats return to power.”

“. . .’No, no, no, no,’ Cruz said on his show after playing Carr’s comments. ‘What he said there is dangerous as hell.’ He added: ‘That’s right out of “Goodfellas.” That’s right out of a mafioso coming into a bar. “God, nice bar you have here. It’d be a shame if something happened to it”. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/09/19/ted-cruz-carr-fcc-jimmy-kimmel/

 

Pro-Democracy Medium

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Article in Status by Oliver Darcy, 8/29/25

Headline:  “The Democracy Rocket”

Subhead: “Marc Elias’ Democracy Docket has quietly become a pro-democracy media force, expanding its newsroom to 20 staffers as it surpasses 50,000 paid subscribers.”

“Earlier this month, Marc Elias, the prominent Democratic lawyer turned media entrepreneur, was at his home just outside Washington when the milestone arrived. The outlet he founded in 2020, Democracy Docket—a digital news organization that covers voting rights, elections, and the courts from an unapologetically pro-democracy standpoint—had been inching toward 50,000 paid subscribers. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.status.news/p/democracy-docket-marc-elias-newsletter

Someday, People Will Not be Afraid

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Article in Poynter by Kelly McBride, 8/20/25

Headline:  “Washington, D.C., is filled with journalists. Here’s a primer on filming police and soldiers in public places”

Subhead:  “Public spaces and private ones with permission are usually fair game; if accused of obstruction, backing off is best”

“. . .It doesn’t matter whether you are a journalist; we all have the same right to free speech in public places. This includes sidewalks, streets, Metro stations, parks and government buildings. That right to free speech includes the right to take pictures and record video.

“Here is some basic information for journalists and others who want to document law enforcement and soldiers working in D.C. . . .”

Read the full article at:

ttps://www.poynter.org/ethics-trust/2025/rules-report-film-police-soldiers-public/

First Amendment Wins!

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Article in Media Matters by Staff, 8/15/25

Headline:  “Media Matters wins preliminary injunction against retaliatory FTC investigation”

Subhead:  “Judge writes that the ‘case presents a straightforward First Amendment violation’ “

“. . .Angelo Carusone, Chairman and President of Media Matters, issued the following statement:

“ ‘The court’s ruling demonstrates the importance of fighting over folding, which far too many are doing when confronted with intimidation from the Trump administration. This case is not just about the campaign to punish and silence Media Matters, however. It is a critical test for whether the courts will allow any administration – from any political party – to bully media and non-profit organizations through illegal abuses of power. We will continue to stand up and fight for the First Amendment rights that protect every American.”. . .”

Read the the full article at”

https://www.mediamatters.org/justice-civil-liberties/media-matters-wins-preliminary-injunction-against-retaliatory-ftc

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Article in Raw Story by Matthew Chapman, 8/15/25

Headline:  ” ‘It should alarm all Americans’: Judge blasts Trump’s FTC for retaliating against watchdog”

“A federal judge issued a scathing takedown on Friday of President Donald Trump’s Federal Trade Commission, shutting down their investigation of the liberal watchdog Media Matters for America. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.rawstory.com/trump-ftc-media-matters/

No Reporting on Evil

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Article in Common Dreams by Tim Karr, 7/31/35

Headline: ​ “Why Is So Much of Corporate Media Caving to Trump?”

Subhead:  “A new ranking of the 35 largest media conglomerates finds a systemic failure to protect democracy against authoritarianism.”

“The rules of authoritarianism are pretty simple: Do as the leader says… or else.

This lopsided power equation runs counter to the checks and balances that are baked into the DNA of any healthy democracy. . .”

“Free Press this week released the inaugural Media Capitulation Index to examine how this information ecosystem is fairing nearly 250 years later. This sweeping investigation analyzes and rates the independence of America’s 35 largest media companies, including the many conglomerates that have recently caved to pressure from an authoritarian and corrupt Trump administration.

“The findings are sobering. After digging into the many failures of America’s hyper-commercialized media system, we present a series of recommendations to help dig the United States out of the authoritarian quicksand into which we’re sinking, and build toward a more independent, democratic, diverse, and free press. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/corporate-media-caves-trump