Media Misinformation

Reporters Experience “Show Me State”

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Article in Poynter by Tom Jones, 9/30/26

Headline: “Opinion | Sen. Eric Schmitt confused the Hawks and Hawkeyes and the political press had a field day”

Subhead:  “The Missouri senator accused Jack Smith of perjury over an Atlanta Hawks game. Smith had actually watched Caitlin Clark play … in Maryland.”

“The Republican senator thought he was going to dunk on his opponent. Instead, he ended up flat on his back in a wild moment on Capitol Hill on Tuesday. Get ready for a bizarre story that somehow includes basketball star Caitlin Clark.

“And it’s what the Washington media was buzzing about Tuesday. . . ”

Read the full article at:

https://www.poynter.org/commentary/2026/eric-schmitt-hawks-hawkeyes-hawks-jack-smith/

Who Paid for Trump Ads?

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Article in AP by Ali Swenson, 9/28/26

Headline:  “Taxpayers have funded nearly $1.5M in pro-Trump ads. Criticism is mounting, including from the GOP”

“The White House has spent days fiercely defending three taxpayer-funded advertisements that glorify President Donald Trump and are nearing at least $1.5 million in public spending, calling them public service announcements like those used in past administrations. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://apnews.com/article/trump-government-ads-taxpayer-funded-psa-propaganda-26ae03010d78221d1d93b06c0818d06d

Media Havoc Likely to Continue

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Article in AP by Jocelyn Noveck, 9/28/26

Headline: “After a chaotic weekend in the Trump-media standoff, it’s now a wait-and-see game for networks”

“Is the standoff over between the White House and the nation’s main broadcast networks? Not exactly.

“Are we back to Square One? Also not exactly.

“One week after three news outlets filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump and his abrupt ban of CNN, MS NOW and Politico journalists from White House grounds, the extraordinary First Amendment showdown has morphed into a wait-and-see game. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://apnews.com/article/trump-media-networks-pool-ea7fbf9c0a0506dde6f95738922640d4

Don’t Repeat Fake Information? – Get Punished?

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Article in Media Matters by Matt Gertz. 9/28/26

Headline:  “Trump’s press grievances are based in their refusal to do propaganda”

“The Justice Department sought last week to justify President Donald Trump’s decision to ban three news outlets from the White House by arguing that their reporters had jeopardized national security. But Trump’s own statements show what he actually wants from the press: servile propaganda that parrots what he and his political allies say about his administration. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.mediamatters.org/donald-trump/trumps-press-grievances-are-based-their-refusal-do-propaganda

At Least One Press Outlet Still at WH!

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Article in The Babylon Bee by Staff

Headline: “Update: ‘The Babylon Bee’ Now The Only News Outlet Left In America With Press Credentials”

“Several media outlets have officially walked out of the White House Press Corps in solidarity with CNN, MS NOW, and Politico after President Trump banned them from the premises. Now, The Babylon Bee is in a unique position as the only remaining news outlet with White House credentials.

“As the only source for news in the White House, The Babylon Bee vows to accurately report every cool thing President Trump does, whether it’s bomb Iran or order a Diet Coke. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://babylonbee.com/news/update-the-babylon-bee-now-the-only-news-outlet-left-in-america-with-white-house-credentials

Treasonous Reporters?

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Article in Media Matters by Matt Gertz, 9.23.26

Headline: “President Trump keeps casually accusing news outlets of treason”

Subhead:  “He’s accused journalists of almost or actually committing treason at least 13 times since last year”

“President Donald Trump, in a Truth Social post published shortly before midnight on Tuesday, declared reporters at news outlets that produce reporting critical of his administration as ‘treasonous.’

“Trump, in his rambling and confused message, expressed dismay that CNN’s Kaitlan Collins and other unnamed “SLEAZEBAGS” had been present to cover his Tuesday appearance at the United Nations General Assembly after he banned CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House on Friday. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.mediamatters.org/donald-trump/president-trump-keeps-casually-accusing-news-outlets-treason-0

Punish Others for Your Own Leaks?

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Article in Status by Oliver Darcy, 9/23/26

Headline: “The Source Behind the Ban”

Subhead: “The anonymous source behind one of the stories the White House cited to justify banning POLITICO was none other than Vice President JD Vance, Status has learned.”

“. . .The White House singled out six stories published by POLITICO, including a June 2026 article that cited a ‘senior administration official’ who put the odds of the U.S. striking a deal with Iran to end the war at between 80 and 85 percent. That senior administration official, Status has learned, was none other than Vice President JD Vance. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.status.news/p/white-house-press-ban-jd-vance-source-iran

Rt. Media – Nothing to See Here!

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Article in Media Matters by Allison Fisher, 9/17/26

Headline: “Gas and diesel prices are soaring. Right-wing media figures promised that wouldn’t happen.”

Subhead: “Right-wing media knew that soaring gas prices would be trouble for the midterms — and assured their audiences repeatedly that they’d come back down”

“Since the beginning of President Donald Trump’s war with Iran, right-wing media have attempted to downplay, dismiss, and deflect from the resulting pain at the pump, including by repeatedly claiming that elevated prices would be temporary. Some right-wing media personalities have even gone so far as to predict exactly when prices would fall back to prewar levels or to speculate about precisely what deadlines prices would need to drop by in order for the Trump administration and Republican Party to avoid suffering severe political fallout. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.mediamatters.org/us-iran-relations/gas-and-diesel-prices-are-soaring-right-wing-media-figures-promised-wouldnt

Media – Digging Out the Facts

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Article in Mediaite by Kathryn Wilkens, 9/8/26

Headline:  “Trump Rages at Maggie Haberman and New York Mag Over 9/11 Reports: ‘Liars and Scoundrels’

“President Donald Trump erupted at New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman and New York magazine on Tuesday over reporting about his whereabouts following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and his plans for this year’s 25th anniversary commemoration, demanding retractions while calling journalists ‘liars and scoundrels’ and attacking Haberman as ‘unattractive both inside and out.’. . .”

“. . .During Tuesday’s Tunnel to Towers event on the Ellipse, Trump recounted being near One Liberty Plaza when two firefighters, fearing the building was about to collapse, grabbed him under the arms, ‘literally lifted me up,’ and carried him away. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.mediaite.com/politics/trump/trump-rages-at-maggie-haberman-and-new-york-mag-over-9-11-reports-liars-and-scoundrels/

Report Weapons Use – Treason?

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Article in Al Jezerra by Staff, 9/3/26

Headline:  “Trump calls media ‘treasonous scum’ over reports of low Iran war munitions”

“US President Trump has again pushed back on media reports detailing dangerously low munitions stockpiles as the US-Israel war on Iran stretches into its seventh month.

“In a post on his Truth Social account, Trump said the military was producing munitions at ‘levels never seen before” and has “far more than we could ever use’. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2026/9/4/iran-war-live-us-rules-out-iran-talks-until-ship-attacks-stop?update=4915298