Media Intimidation

Both Feet Forward

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Article in Daily Kos by Oliver Willis, 5/1/26

Headline: “CNN’s favorite MAGA creep is giving the network headaches”

“CNN’s decision to keep pro-Trump provocateur and MAGA shill Scott Jennings on its payroll despite a career filled with lies and boorish behavior is once again generating a wave of negative news for the network.

“Some pundits who have appeared on the network’s programs are calling for Jennings to be fired after a Thursday night appearance where he couldn’t keep his composure.

Read the full article at:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/5/1/800031617/media/cnns-favorite-maga-creep-is-giving-the-network-headaches/

MAGA Media & DOJ

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Article in Media Matters by Matt Gertz, 4/30/26

Headline:  “DOJ indictments are converging with MAGA media narratives”

“Recent Justice Department indictments whose validity have been questioned by legal experts demonstrate an increasing alignment of the Trump DOJ’s activities with the narratives of the MAGA media echo chamber.

“President Donald Trump has long sought to use federal law enforcement to punish his enemies. . .”

“But since Trump’s former personal lawyer Todd Blanche became acting attorney general last month, the president’s federal retaliation machine has seemed to sync up more closely with long-running talking points of his propaganda arm rather than simply focusing on the same targets. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.mediamatters.org/fox-news/doj-indictments-are-converging-maga-media-narratives

No Access, No News

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Article in AP by Deepti Hajela, 4/30/26|

Headline:  “Media organizations call on Israel to allow foreign reporters independent access to Gaza”

The leaders of major media companies around the world, including The Associated Press, are calling on Israel’s government to lift a ban keeping foreign journalists from being able to independently enter and report from Gaza, a barrier that’s been in place since the war’s start in 2023 and continues even as a ceasefire has been in place for more than six months. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://apnews.com/article/gaza-israel-journalists-coverage-access-war-zone-0b3e72a7d73e211944fb5ff1c9d5d645

Threatening TV Stations?

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Article in Free Press by Staff, 4/28/26

Headline:  “FCC Chairman Carr’s Threat to Pull ABC Broadcast Licenses Is an Unconstitutional Attack on Free Speech”

WASHINGTON — On Tuesday, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr issued an order to initiate early license reviews of all of ABC’s broadcast station licenses. This extraordinary move follows calls by President Donald Trump and his wife Melania for the broadcaster to fire Jimmy Kimmel.

Since becoming chairman, Carr has threatened multiple actions against the network and has opened at least three dubious investigations into the broadcaster, following instances in which ABC news and entertainment programming upset Trump. . .

Read the full article at:

https://www.freepress.net/news/fcc-chairman-carrs-threat-pull-abc-broadcast-licenses-unconstitutional-attack-free-speech

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Article in The Hill by Dominick Mastrangelo, 4/28/26

Headline: “FCC ordering review of Disney broadcast station licenses ”

“. . .In a filing made on Tuesday, the department confirmed it had been conducting an investigation into Disney’s diversity, equity and inclusion practices and was kicking off the process to start an early review of the company’s broadcast licenses for a handful of stations it owns and operates in major markets across the country.

“The stations in question are ABC affiliates in major markets like New York, Los Angeles and Houston. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://thehill.com/homenews/media/5854049-fcc-ordering-review-of-disney-broadcast-station-licenses/

Many ABC TV Stations Have Licenses

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Article in The Guardian by Jeremy Barr, 4/28/26

Headline:  “FCC orders review of ABC licenses after Jimmy Kimmel’s Melania Trump joke”

Subhead:  “Eight local broadcasting licenses under review after White House launched attack on late-night host over comment”

“The US’s top media watchdog announced on Tuesday that it is accelerating the review of eight local broadcasting licenses used by ABC, in a move critics see as a clear example of political and regulatory retribution against a disfavored broadcaster.

The Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) announcement comes after the White House launched a full-on attack against the ABC’s late-night host, Jimmy Kimmel, over a joke he made last week about Melania Trump. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/28/fcc-abc-jimmy-kimmel

More CBS Angst

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Article in Daily Beast by Annabella Rosciglione, 4/23/26

Headline:  “CBS Staffers Revolt After MAGA-Coded Anchor’s Wild Lecture”

“CBS News staffers have been fuming over the network’s top talent ever since he released a video complaining about the ‘legacy media.’

Before CBS Evening News anchor Tony Dokoupil took over the anchor chair, he posted a video in January accusing the ‘legacy media’ of having ‘missed the story’ by putting ‘too much weight in the analysis of academics or elites, and not enough on you.’. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.thedailybeast.com/cbs-staffers-revolt-after-maga-coded-anchor-tony-dokoupils-wild-lecture-on-legacy-media/

Investigate Journalist for Reporting?

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Article in Daily Kos by Oliver Willis, 4/23/26

Headline: “Kash Patel’s FBI is mad as hell that this reporter did her job”

“FBI agents investigated a New York Times reporter who uncovered that FBI Director Kash Patel’s girlfriend was being ferried around on taxpayer-funded flights.

“The New York Times reported Thursday that agents probed reporter Elizabeth Williamson in March, following the article about Patel that she wrote in February. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/4/23/800026413/media-and-culture/kash-patel-fbi-reporter/

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Article in The Hill by Dominick Mastrangelo, 4/23/26

Headline:  “New York Times alleges FBI investigated journalist after report about Patel girlfriend ”

Read the article at:

https://thehill.com/homenews/media/5844807-fbi-investigates-new-york-times-journalist-patel-girlfriend-security/

Anger at Media Supporters

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Article in Daily Kos by Oliver Willis, 4/15/26

Headline: “Why Trump turned his rage on these MAGA mainstays”

“Last week, President Donald Trump went to war against some of his most diehard supporters in the world of right-wing media.

“These figures—conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, pundit Megyn Kelly, former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, and conspiracy theorist and author Candace Owens—have bolstered Trump’s cause and attacked his political enemies without hesitation for years.

“But on April 9, Trump took a swing at them on Truth Social, calling them ‘nut jobs’ with ‘low IQs’ after they criticized his war in Iran. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/4/15/800019711/media-and-culture/why-trump-turned-his-rage-on-these-maga-mainstays/

Pushing Media Around

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Article in Poynter by Tom Jones, 4/14/26

Headline: “Opinion | Trump’s Truth Social posts are driving the news cycle — and raising alarms”

Subhead:  “From threats about Iran to attacks on the pope and an AI image of himself as Jesus, the president’s posts have drawn unusually broad criticism”

“President Donald Trump has never been one to avoid chaos and controversy, especially on Truth Social. . .”

“Does he have a crazy-like-a-fox strategy behind his posts? Does he do it to troll people? Does he do it to draw focus away from other matters? Is he so starved for attention that he’ll post anything to be at the top of the news cycle?. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.poynter.org/commentary/2026/trump-as-jesus-post-taken-down/

 

Another Legal Domino Falls?

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Article in The Guardian by Richard Luscombe, 4/13/26

Headline:  “Trump media company drops lawsuit against the Guardian”

Subhead: “TMTG drops defamation claim over report that prosecutors were investigating payments received as possible money laundering”

“Donald Trump’s media corporation has dropped a defamation claim against the Guardian and two other defendants over a report that federal prosecutors were investigating $8m in payments the company received from entities with ties to Vladimir Putin as possible money laundering. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/13/trump-media-guardian-lawsuit