Media Corruption

FCC Slides Major Deal Through

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Article in the New York Times by Benjamin Mullin, 7/24/25

Headline:  “F.C.C. Approves Skydance’s $8 Billion Merger With Paramount”

Subhead:  “The deal, which came under intense scrutiny by the Trump administration, was hailed by the F.C.C. chief, who welcomed “significant changes” at CBS, a unit of Paramount.”

“The Federal Communications Commission said Thursday that it would allow Paramount to merge with the Hollywood studio Skydance, clearing the way for one of the most highly scrutinized media deals in the last decade.

“Brendan Carr, the chairman of the F.C.C., said in a statement that the agency had approved the deal after receiving assurances from Skydance that the new company would be committed to unbiased journalism and would not establish programs related to diversity, equity and inclusion. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/24/business/media/fcc-skydance-merger-paramount.html

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Article in The Washington Post by Jeremy Barr, 7/24/25

Headline: “FCC approves $8 billion Paramount-Skydance merger after lengthy review”

Subhead:  “The commission voted 2-1 in favor of the transaction amid accusations of political pressure on Paramount and Skydance, with Biden-appointed Commissioner Anna M. Gomez in opposition.”

“. . .Gomez, who has expressed concern that the administration was unduly pressuring Skydance and Paramount to make concessions to secure approval of the merger, blasted the outcome in a statement. ‘After months of cowardly capitulation to this administration, Paramount finally got what it wanted,’ she said. ‘Unfortunately, it is the American public who will ultimately pay the price for its actions.’ . . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/07/24/fcc-approves-8-billion-paramount-skydance-merger-after-lengthy-review/

Media Deal or Bribe?

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Article in Democracy Now by Jeff Cohen, 7/23/25

Headline: “Big Fat Bribe: Stephen Colbert’s Show Canceled After He Slams Trump & Paramount/Skydance Merger”

The top-ranked show on late-night television, CBS’s The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, has been canceled, just days after Colbert skewered Paramount, the parent company of CBS, for settling a lawsuit brought by President Donald Trump. The lawsuit accused another CBS show, 60 Minutes, of biased editing in an interview with Kamala Harris during the 2024 election. Its settlement comes as Paramount works to finalize a lucrative merger with Skydance Media that must be approved by the Federal Communications Commission. On his show, Colbert called the settlement ‘a big fat bribe.’

“So many media conglomerates had already given thinly disguised bribes to Trump to settle lawsuits they could not possibly lose in court,” explains Jeff Cohen, co-founder of the online action group RootsAction and the media watch group FAIR, Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting. Cohen says he suspects Paramount agreed to cancel Colbert’s show — and will likely remove other programming critical of Trump — as part of a deal with the administration to win favorable conditions for its merger. . . It’s profit maximization. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.democracynow.org/2025/7/23/stephen_colbert

A Dirge for Public Media?

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Public media is not state-controlled media

Article in Poynter by Angela Fu, 7/18/25

Headline: “Congress signs off on Trump’s request to rescind $1 billion in funding for public broadcasting”

Subhead: “The Corporation for Public Broadcasting will lose its funding starting in October — a first in its history”

“For the first time in its 58-year history, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting — the organization responsible for distributing federal dollars to NPR, PBS and other public broadcasters — will lose its funding.

“The loss is a result of Congress’ striking deference to President Donald Trump. Under the Constitution, Congress holds the power to control government spending. But early Friday morning, at Trump’s request, the House joined the Senate in agreeing to take back $9 billion in funds it had already appropriated. That money included $1.07 billion for CPB and nearly $8 billion in foreign aid. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.poynter.org/business-work/2025/trump-defunds-npr-pbs-cpb-public-broadcasting/

Fallout from Paramount / CBS

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Article in The Guardian by Cecelia Nowell, 7/18/25

Headline:   “Democrats condemn CBS for axing Colbert show: ‘People deserve to know if this is politically motivated’ “

Subhead:   “Lawmakers note cancellation follows Colbert’s criticism of parent company Paramount for settling Trump suit”

“Democrats are condemning CBS for its recent decision to cancel The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, noting the news comes just a few days after its host criticized the network’s parent company, Paramount, for settling a $16m lawsuit with Donald Trump. . .”

“In early July, Paramount settled a ‘frivolous’ lawsuit with Trump over the president’s claim that CBS News deceptively edited an interview with then presidential candidate Kamala Harris. Paramount is also seeking approval from the US Federal Communications Commission for an $8.4bn merger with Skydance Media. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/jul/18/democrats-cbs-colbert-show

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Article in NBC News by Tim Stelloh and Steve Kopack, 7/17/25

Headline: “Stephen Colbert’s ‘Late Show‘ run will come to an end next year as CBS cancels franchise”

Subhead: ” ‘The decision “is not related in any way to the show’s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount,’ the network said.”

“The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” will broadcast its final show in May, CBS said Thursday.

“The network, which has aired ‘The Late Show’ with Colbert as its host since 2015, said it is ending the franchise after a ‘historic run.’

” ‘We consider Stephen Colbert irreplaceable and will retire ‘”THE LATE SHOW” franchise at that time,’ CBS executives said in a joint statement. “We are proud that Stephen called CBS home. He and the broadcast will be remembered in the pantheon of greats that graced late night television.

” ‘This is purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night’. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/tv/stephen-colbert-late-show-end-cbs-rcna219499?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us

Objectivity or Propaganda?

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Article in Columbia Journalism Review by Julie Gerstein & MArgaret Sullivan, 7/10/25

Headline:  “Is Objectivity Still Worth Pursuing?”

Subhead:  “A generation of journalists is challenging traditional standards.”

“Objectivity hasn’t always been a cornerstone of journalism. American publishers first turned to objectivity in the early twentieth century, in response to the freewheeling ‘yellow journalism’ common at the time. Readers embraced it, grateful for a withdrawal from sensationalism and opinionated coverage.

“American journalist Walter Lippmann, one of the early champions of objectivity, saw the dangers posed by propaganda masquerading as news and argued in 1920 that the ‘sensible procedure in matters affecting the liberty of opinion would be to ensure as impartial an investigation of the facts as is humanly possible.’ . . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.cjr.org/analysis/is-objectivity-in-journalism-still-worth-pursuing.php

Media Cheerleader for Republicans?

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Article in Daily Kos by Oliver Willis, 6/28/25

Headline:  “Why Republicans desperately want the media to be their cheerleaders”

“Following the decision to bomb Iranian nuclear targets without first seeking congressional approval, the Trump administration renewed its ongoing war against the media for reporting factual information.
Republicans want cheerleading, not journalism.

“President Donald Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, and other Republicans challenged reporting that revealed that the Pentagon did not believe Iran’s nuclear capability had been decimated. In fact, the Trump administration argued that journalists should celebrate Trump’s actions. . .”

Republicans, particularly Trump and his orbit, have spent more than a decade whining about media coverage—which has largely been laudatory of him and has promoted his favored (false) narratives—but this week’s behavior explicitly argued that the press should “cheer” for Trump, as Hegseth said. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/6/28/2330499/-Why-Republicans-desperately-want-the-media-to-be-their-cheerleaders?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=top_news_slot_1&pm_medium=web

MAGA Media Turning on Themselves?

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Update:

Article in Status by Oliver Darcy, 6/23/25

Headline: “The Fractured Faithful”

Subhead: “Donald Trump’s strikes on Iran have poured fuel on an already raging MAGA Media feud, forcing its stars to choose between a hawkish foreign policy and isolationist ideals”

“Over the weekend, Donald Trump unilaterally plunged the U.S. into war with Iran, ordering strikes on three nuclear sites inside the country. The decision has sent shockwaves through the MAGA Media ecosystem, where over the last week its top personalities have clashed over what action Trump should—or should not—take.

“As hawks like Mark Levin and Sean Hannity celebrated Trump’s move as historic and heroic, the more isolationist wing of the new right-wing media ecosystem have been far more quiet. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.status.news/p/maga-media-trump-iran-strikes

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Article in Status by Oliver Darcy, 6/16/25

Headline:  “Tucker’s War Cry”

Subhead:  “Tucker Carlson’s fiery attacks on Fox News and pro-Israel MAGA Media figures have exposed a rare and consequential rift within the far-right ecosysten”

“On Monday morning, Tucker Carlson joined Steve Bannon’s “War Room” and launched a broadside at some of his peers in MAGA Media, accusing them of fanning the flames of war in the Middle East. Carlson singled out Mark Levin as ‘terrible on TV’ and claimed the talk show host “kind of controls” Sean Hannity ‘in this weird way.’ But his harshest words were reserved for his former employer, Fox News. . .”

“ ‘What they’re doing is what they always do, which is just turning up the propaganda hose to full blast and just trying to knock elderly Fox viewers off their feet and make them submit to where you want them to,’ Carlson said. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.status.news/p/tucker-s-war-cry-4126715f1915019b

FCC Being Blown Up?

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Article in Free Press, press release by Staff, 6/17/25

Headline:  “Senate Confirmation of Olivia Trusty Paves a Path for Trump’s Campaign to Control the Media”

Subhead:  “Her confirmation gives the FCC the Republican majority Chairman Carr needs to carry out the president’s dangerous agenda”

“WASHINGTON — On Tuesday, the U.S. Senate confirmed Olivia Trusty as a commissioner at the Federal Communications Commission. Trusty previously served as a top congressional staffer for Sen. Roger Wicker and Rep. Bob Latta, both Republicans.

“Upon her swearing in, Trusty will be the third member of the five-person Commission, with two recently created vacancies remaining. Her arrival will give FCC Chairman Brendan Carr a 2–1 Republican majority, likely allowing him to advance a number of controversial initiatives . . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.freepress.net/news/senate-confirms-olivia-trusty-fcc-paves-path-trump-control-media

Cheering Fallen Senator

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Article in Media Matters by Gideon Taaffe, et. al., 6/12/25

Headline:  “Right-wing media immediately cheer Sen. Alex Padilla being thrown to the ground and handcuffed at Noem press conference”

Subhead:  “After clearly identifying himself, the California senator was pushed into a hallway, forced to the ground, and handcuffed”

“Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) was forcibly removed from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem’s June 12 press conference in Los Angeles amid ongoing protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests. Right-wing media immediately began to justify the incident, falsely claiming that the senator had not identified himself, misrepresenting Padilla’s behavior, and defending the actions of law enforcement.

In a video of the incident, Padilla is clearly heard identifying himself as ‘Sen. Alex Padilla.’ . . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.mediamatters.org/fox-news/right-wing-media-immediately-cheer-sen-alex-padilla-being-thrown-ground-and-handcuffed

Book Sales Drive Media?

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Article in AlterNet by Ailia Zehra, 5/22/25

Headline:  ” ‘Fake outrage to gin up ratings’: Critics say Tapper’s book is ‘everything wrong with the media’ “

“CNN anchor Jake Tapper is being criticized over the information he supposedly had about former President Joe Biden’s mental acuity before the 2024 election as he promotes his new book about the former president’s decline.

“Some commentators have argued that talking about President Donald Trump’s actions and their impact is more important than discussing Biden’s cognitive health during his presidency.

“Political commentator Tristan Snell wrote on the social platform X: “Dear Jake Tapper, No, the original sin was JANUARY 6 — and not convicting Trump immediately after. Anything else is fake outrage to gin up ratings and book sales.”

Read the full article at:

https://www.alternet.org/jake-tapper-book/