Media obsequiousness

Which Media Capitulated Most?

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Article in American Crisis by Margaret Sullivan, 7/29/25

Headline:  “American Crisis exclusive: The ‘Media Capitulation Index’ “

Subhead:  “A sweeping report — with rankings — on the decline of independence in our corporatized media”

“If you’ve been paying attention to the news lately, you know that the media has been on a capitulation-and-kowtowing spree.

“To tick off a few cases: The parent company of CBS News paid $16 million to settle a suit brought by Donald Trump over a (routinely edited) ’60 Minutes’ interview of Kamala Harris. Another Trump suit — against ABC News — raked in $15 million, and garnered a note of regret; many legal experts think ABC could have won the case had they tried. The owner of the Washington Post, Jeff Bezos, ordered an editorial endorsing Harris to be killed last fall; and Bezos was front and center at Trump’s inauguration after contributing $1 million to the festivities. Fox News drastically cut back on its coverage of the Jeffrey Epstein story after Trump charged it was a non-story and a hoax. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://margaretsullivan.substack.com/p/american-crisis-exclusive-the-media

Last Call for Free Media?

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Article in Reuters by David Shepardson, 5/25/25

Headline: “Trump, FCC want to reshape the media landscape starting with CBS”

“President Trump is fundamentally reshaping the media landscape,” FCC Chair Brendan Carr told CNBC Friday. “The media industry across this country needs a course correction.”

“On Thursday, the FCC voted 2-1 to approve the $8.4 billion merger between CBS parent Paramount Global and Skydance Media after Skydance agreed to ensure CBS news and entertainment programming is free of bias, hire an ombudsman for at least two years to review complaints and end diversity programs.

“Trump has repeatedly attacked broadcast networks for what he perceives as unbiased news coverage and called on Carr to rescind their licenses. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/trump-fcc-want-reshape-media-landscape-starting-with-cbs-2025-07-25/

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Article in Daily Kos by Walter Einenkel, 7/25/25

Headline: “Media keeps caving to Trump, but FCC goon demands even more”

“Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr was asked about Stephen Colbert, whose show was canceled in what many view as a craven concession to appease President Donald Trump, during an appearance on CNBC Friday.

“ ‘They have such a storied history, and it’s sort of sad to see what’s happening to Colbert. They obviously can’t get it done. They’re not making money over there. But I think they need a course correction. And frankly, I think, you know, the media industry across this country needs a course correction,’ he said. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/7/25/2335172/-Media-keeps-caving-to-Trump-but-FCC-goon-demands-even-more?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=more_recent_news&pm_medium=web

 

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

Legacy Media See the King’s Clothes

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Article in The Contrarian by Josh Levs, 7/16/25

Headline:  “Media gives crazy legitimacy to Trump’s ‘assurances’ “

Subhead:  “Here’s an idea, journalists: How about reporting his track record?”

“To understand what the legacy media has been up to in recent days, it helps to think of The Emperor’s New Clothes, but with an added element. In this case, picture reporters running around the crowd, interviewing people about how lovely the emperor’s (non-existent) clothes are.

“That’s what we’re seeing as big news agencies come together to form a narrative: that GOP lawmakers decided to support the ‘One Big Beautiful Act’ after President Donald Trump gave them ‘assurances’ . . .”

Read the full article at:

https://contrarian.substack.com/p/media-gives-crazy-legitimacy-to-trumps

Following the Leader – or Not

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Article in Huffpost by Lydia O’Connor, 7/15/25

Headline:  “Right-Wing Media Is Now Falling In Line With Trump On Epstein”

Subhead:  “Days after criticizing his administration for closing the Epstein case, conservative personalities suddenly don’t want to talk about it anymore.”

“Conservative media’s outrage over Attorney General Pam Bondi saying she wouldn’t release more Jeffrey Epstein files appears to have been short-lived. After President Donald Trump stomped his feet and told his supporters to move on over the weekend, his base seems to have fallen in line.

“An assessment by the journalism watchdog group Media Matters found that Fox News has largely stopped talking about Epstein over the past two days. By noon on Monday, the network had mentioned Epstein zero times, the group found. That’s compared to 46 mentions of former President Joe Biden in that window . . ”

Read the full article at:

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/right-wing-media-trump-epstein_n_6876888fe4b0eb54312b8108

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Article in Media Matters by Gideon Taafffe & Reed McMaster, 7/16/25

Headline:  “Right-wing shows field angry calls about Epstein and the Trump administration”

“The Trump administration’s release of the Epstein memo has caused turmoil in right-wing media, and some callers on conservative radio shows are demanding answers. They’ve said they’re “angry,” accused President Donald Trump of “the ultimate betrayal,” and claimed Attorney General Pam Bondi “messed up” in her handling of the situation. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.mediamatters.org/salem-media-group/right-wing-shows-field-angry-calls-about-epstein-and-trump-administration

Selective News Coverage?

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Article in FAIR by Belen Fernandez, 7/9/25

Headline:  “Massive Expansion of Trump’s Deportation Machine Passes With Little Press Notice”

“And so it has come to pass: US President Donald Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ has set the stage for tax cuts for the rich, slashed services for the poor, and a host of other things that qualify as ‘beautiful’ in the present dystopia. Some cuts, like those to Medicaid, have been heavily covered by the corporate media. But one key piece of the bill has gotten much less media scrutiny: The preposterous sum of $175 billion has been allocated to fund Trump’s signature mass deportation campaign, which, as a Salon article (7/3/25) points out, exceeds the military budget for every single country in the world aside from the US and China. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://fair.org/home/massive-expansion-of-trumps-deportation-machine-passes-with-little-press-notice/

A Sad Day for Journalism?

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Article in The Guardian by Anna Betts, 7/3/25

Headline:  “Former CBS anchor slams Paramount settlement with Trump: ‘It was a sellout’ “

Subhead:  “Dan Rather laments ‘sad day for journalism’ after company settles for $16m over 60 Minutes Kamala Harris interview”

“A former CBS News anchor and 60 minutes correspondent, Dan Rather, has blasted the $16m settlement between Paramount, the parent company of CBS News, and Donald Trump, calling it a ‘sad day for journalism’.

“ ‘It’s a sad day for 60 Minutes and CBS News,’ Rather, a veteran journalist who was a CBS News anchor for over 20 years, told Variety in an interview published on Wednesday. ‘I hope people will read the details of this and understand what it was. It was distortion by the president and a kneeling down and saying, “yes, sir,” by billionaire corporate owners.’ . . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/jul/03/dan-rather-cbs-paramount-settlement-trump

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Article in Columbia Journalism Review by Kyle Paolettam 7/2/25

Headline:  “Paramount Will Pay President Trump $16 Million to Settle 60 Minutes Lawsuit”

Subhead:  ” ‘It is a dark day for independent journalism,’ says Sen. Bernie Sanders.”

“Late last night, Paramount, the corporate parent of CBS News, agreed to pay Donald Trump $16 million to settle the president’s lawsuit over the network’s editing of a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris during the 2024 election. This agreement comes six months after ABC paid $15 million to Trump’s foundation to end his suit over how George Stephanopoulos characterized the president’s sexual assault of E. Jean Carroll. Taken together, these settlements represent a troubling compromise of editorial independence for two of the standard-bearers of American broadcast journalism. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.cjr.org/news/paramount-will-pay-president-trump-16-million-to-settle-60-minutes-lawsuit.php

Blackmailing the Media

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Article in The Washington Post by Sara Ellison & Jeremy Barr, 7/2/25

Headline:  “How Trump’s media war brought Paramount to its knees”

Subhead:  “Tuesday night’s $16 million settlement with Trump followed months of tension between CBS’s journalistic mission and its corporate interest.”

“The breaking point came on a Saturday night in the middle of May. CBS President George Cheeks called news division chief Wendy McMahon with a suggestion: “It’s probably time.”

“Two days later, McMahon announced her departure.

“The forced resignation marked a turning point: The network of Edward R. Murrow, which stood against McCarthyism and once defined American broadcast journalism, was capitulating to White House pressure as its corporate owner sought approval for a lucrative merger. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/07/02/trump-paramount-cbs-settlement-media/

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Article in The Washington Post by Eric Wemple, 7/2/25

Headline:  “Paramount betrays ‘60 Minutes’ and the rest of us

Subhead:  “Parent company caves to baseless suit by Donald Trump.”

“. . .On Tuesday night came the news that Paramount had agreed to pay $16 million to settle the suit, which stemmed from a ‘60 Minutes’ interview with then-vice president and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris. The money, which covers the president’s legal fees and costs, will go to his future presidential library.

What happened between disputation and capitulation? . . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/07/02/paramount-settlement-trump-betrayal/

Talk Show Bias?

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Article in FAIR by Keiwana Grant-Floyd & Julie Hollar, 7/1/25

Headline:  “FAIR Study: Sunday Talkshows Downplayed Criticism During Trump’s Second Transition”

“. . . After Donald Trump was declared the winner of the 2016 and 2024 elections, the Sunday shows had an opportunity to hold up both his campaign promises and his cabinet picks to scrutiny. With his campaigns’ racist attacks on immigrants and diversity initiatives, as well as his movement’s assaults on the rights of women and trans people, inviting guests who more accurately reflect the diversity of the country would seem to be a journalistic imperative. Yet a new FAIR study finds that the Sunday shows’ coverage of the Trump transitions were even more heavily white and male than usual.”

read the full article at:

https://fair.org/home/fair-study-sunday-talkshows-downplayed-criticism-during-trumps-second-transition/

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