Media Politicize

A Lonely Fight at FCC

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Article in AP by Steven Sloan, 5/25/26

Headline:  “Q&A: Anna Gomez is the sole Democrat on the FCC. She has a warning for big media companies”

“. . .Anna Gomez wakes up every morning and checks her phone to see if President Donald Trump has fired her yet.

“For now, she remains the sole Democrat on the Federal Communications Commission, where she’s on an increasingly urgent mission to press media companies to more forcefully combat an administration she says is cracking down on free speech. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://apnews.com/article/fcc-disney-censorship-trump-threats-commissoner-democrat-386b210604373bb19ec6a485b89222b1

NYT is a Fan?

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Article in Daily Kos by Oliver Willis, 5/25/26

Headline:  “The Gray Lady is a Trump fangirl

“The New York Times has a long history of producing journalism that has changed the course of politics around the globe. And it has done this during Donald Trump’s two presidential terms, exposing inconvenient truths as well as his corruption.

“But unfortunately, in the 16 months since Trump was sworn in for a second term, the outlet has also embarrassed itself by advancing pro-Trump falsehoods, swooning over his rhetoric, and covering up his barrage of misstatements, gaffes, and outright lies. . .”

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/5/25/800043379/media/new-york-times-trump-fangirl/

Women Silenced in Major Media

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Interview by Spenser Graves, on Radio Active Magazine airs Tuesday, 5/2/26

“Next Tuesday’s Radio Active Magazine features in interview with U Mass Amherst Communication professor Allison Butler on ‘How women are centered and silenced in the major media’.  She has a new book titled, ‘How women are centered and silenced in pop culture’. . .”

A video of the43-minute interview with her is available with the  podcast to air on Tuesday.  Also airs on Pacifica.

Listen live to the episode at on Tuesday, 6:00 PM at:

Killing Late Night TV too Softly?

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Article in AlterNet by Adam Lynch, 5/21/26

Headline: “Inside Trump’s growing frustration as his revenge tour loses its grip on media”

“Even as late-night comedian and critic Stephen Colbert prepares to end his show this week, President Donald Trump is raging that his administration hasn’t managed to kill even more late-night shows. . . .”

“Suebsaeng added that sources inside the White House say Trump is furious at the lack of progress. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.alternet.org/trump-late-night-comedy-colbert/

Rt. Wing Media – Money for Mobs?

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Article in Media Matters by Sophie Lawton, 5/21/26

Headline:   “Right-wing media react to Trump’s slush fund for allies with unquestioning loyalty — and some vague skepticism”

“Some right-wing media figures are jumping on board with the Trump administration’s newest effort to support MAGA allies despite numerous questions about its legality; a few are voicing light skepticism of the plan.

This week, the Department of Justice announced that the Trump family had agreed to drop a legally questionable $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS in exchange for the creation of a $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund.” According to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, the fund’s intended recipients are “victims of lawfare and weaponization” by the federal government. . . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.mediamatters.org/donald-trump/right-wing-media-react-trumps-slush-fund-allies-unquestioning-loyalty-and-some-vague

News Access or Not?

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Article in Poynter by Tom Jones, 5/19/26

Headline: “Opinion | Why The New York Times is suing the Pentagon — again”

Subhead: “The news outlet says the Pentagon’s latest press-access restrictions are unconstitutional and retaliatory after an earlier court loss”

“For the second time, The New York Times is suing the Department of Defense, claiming it’s a violation of the First Amendment for journalists to be required to have an escort while working inside the Pentagon.

“This is just the latest volley in a continuing conflict between the press and President Donald Trump’s Defense Department, led by Defense Secretary and former Fox News talking head Pete Hegseth. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.poynter.org/commentary/2026/new-york-times-pentagon-lawsuit-escort/

Wrong Track – Hit the Brake?

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Article in Status by Oliver Darcy, 5/18/26

Headline:  “Hitting the Brakes on Carr”

“In an interview with Status, the FCC chairman assailed his critics and defended his actions against Disney after a legal watchdog asked authorities to investigate him for having ‘violated his ethical obligations’ as an attorney.. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.status.news/p/brendan-carr-fcc-disney-kimmel

Trump’s Fox Fellow-Travelers Urge War?

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Article in Media Matters by Matt Gertz, 5/18/26

Headline:  “Trump’s Fox Cabinet urges escalation as he ponders a return to war in Iran”

“. . .Influential pundits on the MAGA propaganda channel are telling the president that he currently holds ‘the cards’ and are urging him to use U.S. military might to seize Iran’s uranium stockpile, force open the Strait of Hormuz, assassinate the country’s leaders, and overturn its regime. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.mediamatters.org/us-iran-relations/trumps-fox-cabinet-urges-escalation-he-ponders-return-war-iran

To Leave Dungeon, Reporters Need Minders

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Article in AP by Jocelyn Noveck, 5/18/26

Headline: “The New York Times sues the Pentagon a second time over Hegseth’s media restrictions”

“The New York Times sued the Defense Department on Monday for the second time in five months, arguing that a requirement that journalists be escorted while on Pentagon grounds violates the First Amendment.  . .”

Read the full article at:

https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-press-access-new-york-times-lawsuit-df3330d202a87f41f25effc9ab96abab

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Article in The Guardian by Anna Betts, 5/18/26

Headline: “New York Times sues Pentagon again over ‘utterly unreasonable’ press restrictions”

Subhead:   “Trump administration unveiled sweeping restrictions on press access at the US defense department last September”

“. . .The Trump administration unveiled sweeping restrictions on press access at the US Department of Defense, which it calls the Department of War, last September. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/18/new-york-times-pentagon-press-restrictions-lawsuit

Blowing Other Stuff Up Besides Media?

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Article in The Washington Post by Scott Nover, 5/11/26

Headline:  “Trump taps embattled media czar Kari Lake as ambassador to Jamaica”

Subhead:  “Lake was tasked with dismantling the U.S. Agency for Global Media and Voice of America, and became embroiled in contentious legal battles.”

Kari Lake, the embattled Trump administration official tasked with dismantling the government’s global media outlets, has been nominated as the next U.S. ambassador to Jamaica, according to a list of nominations the White House sent to the U.S. Senate on Monday. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/05/11/kari-lake-jamaica-trump/