Media Intimidation

Dig Into Reporter Families Now?

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Article in Freedom of the Press Foundation by Staff, 7/20/26

Headline:  “Trump admin escalates attacks on journalists, probing family communications”

“The New York Times reported today that the Trump administration issued third-party subpoenas seeking communications not only of journalists’ phone and text records but those of their relatives, including spouses and parents.

“The subpoenas were part of the government’s investigation into the source of reporting that President Donald Trump’s Qatari-gifted Air Force One replacement was deemed unsafe to fly him back from the NATO summit. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://freedom.press/issues/trump-admin-escalates-attacks-on-journalists-probing-family-communications/

Don’t Like Writing? – Call it Treason

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Article in Columbia Journalism Review by Jem Bartholomew, 7/20/26

Headline:   “The Uses of ‘Treason”

Subhead:  “By repeatedly blasting the press as traitors, Trump is trying to solidify his splintering MAGA base.”

“. . .David E. Sanger—the New York Times’ White House and national security correspondent . . .asked about the war with Iran. ‘What would the use be of repeating the bombing? You did it for thirty-eight days, and you did not get the political changes in Iran—’ Trump jumped in: ‘No, I got, I had a total military victory,’ he said, . . . . Then he leaped into a tirade against the press. ‘I actually think it’s sort of treasonous what you write,’ Trump concluded. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.cjr.org/the_media_today/the-uses-of-treason-donald-trump-press-traitors-air-force-one-qatar-sanger-subpoenas-maga-base-splinter.php

Journalists Face Danger

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Article in Reporters Without Borders by Staff, July, 2026

Headline: “New RSF Report: National Security as a Weapon Against Journalism”

“In the name of national security, journalists are being prosecuted, imprisoned, surveilled, forced into exile and even killed. In its new report, ‘National Security as a Weapon Against Journalism,’ Reporters Without Borders (RSF) illustrates how the concept of national security has strayed far beyond its original purpose and become a tool of repression against journalism around the world. . . .”

Read the full article at:

https://rsf.org/en/new-rsf-report-national-security-weapon-against-journalism

Broadcast Me – Or Else!

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Article in Deadline by Ted Johnson, 7/16/26

Headline:  “Donald Trump Says ABC And NBC Should Lose Broadcast Licenses Because They Didn’t Carry His Primetime Address On Election Claims”

“Donald Trump lashed out at ABC and NBC, the two networks that chose not to carry his speech live on their broadcast platforms, as he delivered a 25-minute long speech full of claims that included China obtaining voter registration data and the “deep state” withholding that intelligence from him.

Without evidence, Trump claimed that ABC and NBC and others in the media were part of a ‘plot’ and ‘want to continue this fraud for whatever reason. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://deadline.com/2026/07/trump-threatens-abc-nbc-licenses-election-speech-1236988065/

Coercing Reporter to Reveal Sources

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Article in Columbia Journalism Review by Riddhi Setty, 7/15/26

Headline:  “Private Matters”

Subhead:  “Catherine Herridge, a former Fox News reporter, is being compelled to pay $800 a day until she reveals confidential sources.”

In 2003, Toni Locy, a former reporter for USA Today, published a series of articles about the FBI’s investigation into the 2001 anthrax attacks . . . Along the way, she reported on Steven Hatfill, a former Army scientist who was the initial focus of the FBI’s probe. In 2003, Hatfill filed a civil lawsuit under the Privacy Act. . . As part of his legal efforts, in 2004 he pressed Locy and other journalists to testify and reveal their sources.

In February of 2008, a federal judge held Locy in contempt of court for refusing to do so.

Read the full article at:

https://www.cjr.org/analysis/private-matters-catherine-herridge-fox-news-confidential-sources-reveal-privacy-act-lawsuit.php

Teeing-up Court Fight Over Press Freedom

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Article in The Guardian by AP, 7/15/26

Headline: “New York Times files motion to quash justice department’s subpoenas”

Subhead:  “Journalists who had reported on security concerns around the new Air Force One, a gift from Qatar, received summons”

“. . .’As we set out in our motion, these subpoenas are brought in bad faith to punish the Times for its coverage. They violate the constitutional rights of the Times and its journalists. We are going to court to defend our journalists’ rights to report freely on the administration and to provide the public with stories that matter,’ David McCraw, the newspaper’s senior vice-president and deputy general counsel, said in a statement. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/15/new-york-times-subpoenas-air-force-one

Stomping Out Reporting?

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Article in The Guardian by Margaret Sullivan, 7/14/26

Headline: “With New York Times subpoenas, Trump is brazenly escalating his attacks on the press”

Subhead:  “Federal agents showed up at reporters’ homes, targeting journalists for doing exactly what the first amendment protects”

“To non-journalists, receiving a government subpoena is a serious thing but probably not a violation of basic rights. . .”

” ‘“When the public’s right to know is crushed, as the Trump administration is trying to do … all of us suffer irreparable harm,’ responded Stephen Adler, chairperson of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jul/14/new-york-times-subpoenas-trump-media

Next Step – Subpoena Reporters

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Article by Jeremy Barr in The Guardian, 7/13/26

Headline:  “Is Donald Trump winning his war against the media?”

Subhead:  “President and allies have sued, cut access and issued subpoenas, but experts say media still producing strong work”

“Donald Trump has ramped up his attacks on the media to a level without precedent in American history in the first 17 months of his second presidency.

“But have Trump and his allies won their war against the media – or at least put the industry on a weaker footing than in the past? The answer isn’t so straightforward.

“The list of assaults is dizzying. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/jul/13/trump-war-on-media

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Article in Daily Kos by Staff, 7/13/26

Headline:  “Trump’s ugly war on journalists goes airborne”

“News broke over the weekend that the administration had subpoenaed multiple New York Times journalists over the crime of reporting unfavorably on the antics of Dear Leader.

“The administration is very unhappy that the Times reported on the big switcheroo where President Donald Trump, after soaking the taxpayers for untold millions for his fancy new bribe plane, was forced to use his old, sad, shabby existing Air Force One when flying out of Turkey. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/7/13/800069346/media/trumps-ugly-war-on-journalists-goes-airborne/

FCC Decides What is “News”?

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Article in Poynter by Tom Jones, 7/8/26

Headline:   “Opinion | ABC reminds the FCC it already ruled ‘The View’ is news”

Subhead:  “ABC argues that if the FCC can decide what qualifies as news, it can also dictate which political candidates programs may interview”

“ABC is stepping up its fight against the Federal Communications Commission.

“In what is shaping up to be an intense battle that could have long-lasting ramifications, Disney’s ABC and the FCC continue to trade blows. It all goes back to ABC’s ‘The View’ and whether it violated what is known as the ‘equal-time rule.’ That’s the rule that says if a TV or radio program talks to someone running for political office, it must offer their opponent the same amount of time. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.poynter.org/commentary/2026/abc-the-view-fcc-fight/

Courting Defamation?

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Article in Washington Post by Scott Nover, 7/7/26

Headline:  “Judge rules for The Washington Post in $3.8B defamation suit brought by Trump Media”

Subhead:  “The social media company failed to identify convincing evidence that The Post acted with actual malice, a federal judge in Tampa ruled.”

“. . .U.S. District Judge Thomas Barber, who is based in Tampa, wrote in a summary docket entry — known as a minute order — that Trump Media “failed to present evidence that would allow a jury to find by clear and convincing evidence” that The Post “published the allegedly defamatory statements with actual malice.” Barber granted The Post’s motion for summary judgment and denied one from Trump Media. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/07/07/judge-rules-washington-post-38b-defamation-suit-brought-by-trump-media/