Media Intimidation

Free Speech is Treason?

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Article in Democracy Now! by Amy Goodman and Craig Aaron, 3/18/26

Headline:  ” ‘Warmongers Come for the Media’: Trump Threatens Media with ‘Treason’ Charges over Iran War Coverage”

“The Trump administration is escalating threats against news organizations, with President Trump suggesting outlets should face “treason” charges for disseminating false information. . .”

” ‘They want these companies to be afraid,’ says Craig Aaron, CEO of Free Press and Free Press Action. ‘As we’ve seen, whether it’s lawyers, universities, media companies, when the bullying works, you just get more and more bullying.’. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.democracynow.org/2026/3/18/free_press

“Winning” Against the Media?

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Article in Poynter by Tom Jones, 3/17/26

Headline:  “Opinion | Trump is bragging about the damage he’s done to the press”

Subhead:  “In a Truth Social post, the president cited high-profile TV news exits, public media defunding and canceled shows as proof he is ‘winning’ “

“Lost in the midst of President Donald Trump’s constant complaining about media coverage of the war in Iran, as well as FCC commissioner Brendan Carr’s threats to networks, was a weekend post on Trump’s Truth Social that revealed just how much contempt the president has toward the press.

“In the remarkably distressing post, Trump bragged about the damage he has done to the media.

“Under a section called “Gone,” Trump boasted of how PBS and NPR have been defunded. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.poynter.org/commentary/2026/trump-truth-social-press-news-media/

Media – Obey or Else!

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Article in AP by David Bauder, 3/17/26

Headline:  “Trump team applying pressure to media: Tell the war’s story the way we see it”

“Through lectures, scoldings and outright threats, President Donald Trump and his aides are ratcheting up the pressure on journalists to cover the war in the Middle East the way the administration wants.

“The Republican president has fumed on social media about stories he doesn’t like and berated a reporter on Air Force One. The government’s top media regulator has warned that broadcasters risk losing their licenses if they don’t stay away from “fake news.” Trump and his defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, have questioned the patriotism of news outlets because of their reporting. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://apnews.com/article/trump-media-hegseth-carr-fcc-first-amendment-d8bba1bcfa09bd47a9e1523616be480c

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Article in Poynter by Tom Jones, 3/16/26

Headline:  “Opinion | Trump and his FCC chair are barking at the press. Even without a bite, the threat matters.”

Subhead: “FCC chair Brendan Carr is threatening broadcasters over Iran war coverage, though experts say revoking licenses would be legally difficult”

“. . .President Donald Trump has spent the past 10 years chipping away at the media — from sowing mistrust through his constant name-calling to suing networks over coverage he doesn’t like to outright kicking the press out of press conferences for even the silliest reasons, such as what to call the Gulf of Mexico. . .”

“And the latest to do the president’s bidding? Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr, who threatened TV networks because the president is unhappy with coverage of the U.S.’s involvement in Iran.

“On Saturday, Carr put out a dark message on social media, writing, in part, “Broadcasters that are running hoaxes and news distortions – also known as the fake news – have a chance now to correct course before their license renewals come up. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.poynter.org/commentary/2026/brendan-carr-fcc-threaten-pull-news-licenses/

Hegseth Patriotic Media

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Article in New Republic by Greg Sargent, 3/13/26

Headline: “Raging at Media, Pete Hegseth Just Said the Quiet Part Out Loud”

Subhead:  “He wants ‘patriotic’ coverage of the Iran war. He doesn’t understand: In a democracy, coverage that asks difficult questions of the government is itself ‘patriotic.’ ”

“Pete Hegseth wants to live in a world in which the American military can drop bombs on scores of schoolchildren and not face serious media scrutiny over it. And he just might get that world soon enough. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://newrepublic.com/article/207760/pete-hegseth-iran-war-patriotic-media-coverage

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Article in Mediaite by Kathryn Wilkens 3/13/26

Headline:  Newsmax Host Greg Kelly Rips Hegseth’s Iran ‘Trash Talk’: Save It for Your ‘Podcast Bros’

“In a Friday X post, Newsmax host Greg Kelly ripped Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over his “trash talk” amid the ongoing U.S. conflict with Iran, emphasizing that he should save that type of rhetoric for his ‘podcast bros.’. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.mediaite.com/online/newsmax-host-greg-kelly-rips-hegseths-iran-trash-talk-save-it-for-your-podcast-bros/

Demanding Good News

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Article in Rolling Stone by Nikki McCamm Ramirez, 3/13/26

Headline:  “Hegseth Demands Favorable Coverage As Iran Death Toll Increases”

Subhead:  “Following the death of six more American service members, the Secretary of Defense is stressing over negative headlines”

“The American death toll in the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran climbed to 13 on Friday, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth would like everyone to tell him he’s doing a very good job. . .”

” ‘More fake news from CNN. Reports that the Trump administration underestimated the Iran war‘s impact on the Strait of Hormuz. Patently ridiculous, of course,’ Hegseth said, referencing reporting that officials within the Defense Department had underestimated Iran’s willingness to blockade the critical commercial strait, causing wild fluctuations in global energy prices. Hegseth added that he looks forward to Trump-aligned billionaire David Ellison taking control of the network. . . ”

Read the full article at:

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/pete-hegseth-berates-press-iran-death-toll-1235530124/

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“Pete Hegseth attacks media for not being positive enough about US attacks on Iran”

“US defense head is eager to frame operation as a success – and slam journalists for not portraying it in a positive light”

More from The Guardian at:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/13/pete-hegseth-iran-was-us-press

Boots on the Journalists?

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Article li FAIR, by Drew Favakeh. 3/11/26

Headline: “US News Orgs Nearly Silent on Israel’s Violent Suppression of Journalism”

“The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) recently published two meticulous reports that further expose Israel’s violent repression of journalism, in its ongoing genocide in Gaza and elsewhere.

“CPJ published a report on February 19 titled ’We Returned From Hell’: Palestinian Journalists Recount Torture in Israeli Prisons.’ CPJ collected 59 in-depth testimonies from Palestinian journalists released from Israeli custody since October 7, 2023.

“The report goes into excruciating and painstaking detail about the experiences of 56 journalists, who told CPJ they were ‘repeatedly beaten inside prisons by authorities, as well as during arrest and transfer to the facilities.’. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://fair.org/home/us-news-orgs-nearly-silent-on-israels-violent-suppression-of-journalism/

Journalist Arrest Update

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Article in Free Press by Staff, 2/10/26

Headline:  “Coalition of 41 Press-Freedom Groups Calls for Immediate Release of Nashville-Based Journalist Arrested by ICE”

Subhead:  “Rodriguez’s attorneys have filed an emergency petition, seeking an immediate review of whether her detention is legal “

“. . .On Tuesday, a coalition of 41 press-freed     om groups demanded that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) immediately release journalist Estefany Rodriguez.

“ICE failed to produce a warrant when Rodriguez, a Colombian-born reporter, was arrested on March 4, 2026. She has been in ICE custody since, moving between detention facilities with her current whereabouts likely in Alabama but unclear. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.freepress.net/news/coalition-41-press-freedom-groups-calls-immediate-release-nashville-based-journalist-arrested

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Article in Columbia Journalism Review by Carolina Abbott Galvão , 3/10/26

Headline: “Estefany Rodríguez in Limbo”

Subhead:  “Last week, a reporter in Nashville was detained by ICE. Officials claimed to have paperwork for her arrest, but her lawyers say it was warrantless—and retaliation for her reporting.”

“. . . On Friday afternoon, the Department of Homeland Security submitted to the US District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, Nashville Division, a photo of a warrant—what’s known as an administrative, or immigration, warrant, signed by an immigration officer, rather than an arrest warrant signed by a judge. That document, dated March 2, appeared crumpled and contained no A-number (a unique seven- to nine-digit code assigned to noncitizens), and its certificate of service section—which outlines when and where the warrant was served—was left blank. , ,”

Read the full article at:

https://www.cjr.org/analysis/estefany-rodriguez-ice-immigration-detention-limbo-nashville-warrant-status.php

Crackdown on Media

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Article in Common Dreams by Julia Conley, 3/6/26

Headline:  “Retaliation? Nashville Journalist Detained by ICE After Reporting on Trump Crackdown

Subhead:  “ICE abductions of noncitizen journalists take the reporters best equipped to cover immigration Subhead: enforcement”

“Press freedom groups on Friday were calling for the immediate release of Estefany Rodríguez, a journalist with Nashville Noticias and Univision 42 Nashville, after she was detained by federal immigration agents while traveling in her marked press vehicle. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.commondreams.org/news/nashville-ice-arrests

War – Not Iran – But MAGA Media

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Article in The Guardian by Jeremy Barr, 3/6/26

Headline: ” ‘You unbelievable coward’: conservative US media in open warfare over Iran”

Subhead:  “Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, Ben Shapiro and Mark Levin are all trading blows over US involvement – while Sean Hannity says he’s staying out of it”

“The stars of the conservative media movement have been duking it out – in extremely personal terms – over Donald Trump’s decision to enter the United States into a conflict with Iran.

While it can be hard to cleanly group the warring factions, much of the fighting has centered on disagreements about whether the US is too deferential to Israeli interests. Those arguing that position most prominently include former Fox News hosts Tucker Carlson and Megyn Kelly, while conservative media personalities like Mark Levin (a current Fox News host) and Ben Shapiro have strongly supported both the American intervention in Iran and collaboration with Israel. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/mar/06/conservative-media-open-warfare-over-iran

Ice & Media Databases

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Article in Poynter by Angela Fu, 3/5/26

Headline:  “Journalists push back against parent companies’ contracts with ICE”

Subhead:  “Some reporters at Law360 and Reuters are raising concerns about ICE’s use of their companies’ databases in immigration raids”

“More than 200 journalists at Law360, a legal news outlet, and its sister publications have signed a letter demanding that their parent company RELX drop its contract with the Department of Homeland Security.

“The letter, which was signed by more than 80% of the union representing editorial staff at Law360 and regulation news site MLex, states that the $22.1 million contract “raises imminent human rights concerns” given recent actions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, an agency within DHS. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.poynter.org/business-work/2026/law360-reuters-newsrooms-letter-against-ice-dhs/