Media Politicize

Media White Flag?

by

Article in The Bulwark by Jonathan V. Last 7/27/26

Headline:  “Trump Was Right About the Corporate Media”

Subhead:  “The White House Correspondents’ Association surrenders.”

“On Friday night the White House Correspondents’ Association hosted the re-do of its annual dinner. It was a stunning display of weakness. A sham in which serious journalists chose to pretend that Donald Trump is a normal political figure. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.thebulwark.com/p/trump-was-right-about-the-corporate

– – – – –

Article in The Nation by Jeet Heer, 7/27/26

Headline:  “Submissive Mainstream Media at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner”

Subhead:  “His speech was racist, homophobic, vindictive, and soul-crushingly unfunny—and the journalists in the crowd didn’t seem to care. “

“Fittingly, the disgraceful second edition of the 2026 White House Correspondents’ Dinner (WHCD) was celebrated in a venue that embodies Donald Trump’s corruption and impunity. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/trump-whcd-speech-media-humiliation/

McCarthy Ghost Pursues Media

by


Article in Democracy Now! by Staff, 7/28/26

Headline: “A New McCarthyism? House GOP Subpoenas BreakThrough News in Escalating War on Progressive Groups”

“The Republican-led House Ways and Means Committee subpoenaed BreakThrough News last week, demanding the independent online news outlet hand over internal communications and financial records. BreakThrough News says it’s being targeted over its coverage of U.S. mass deportations, ICE abuses, Cuba and Palestine solidarity and U.S. foreign policy. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.democracynow.org/2026/7/28/rania_khalek_breakthrough_news_subpoena

60 Minutes Continues its Slide?

by


Article in The New Republic by Ellie Quinlan Houghtaling, 7/28/26

Headline:  “NYT’s Most Obnoxious Columnist Joins 60 Minutes in Pro-Trump Overhaul”

Subhead: “Bari Weiss is bringing a friendly face to the prestigious news show.”

“Conservative columnist Ross Douthat is leaving The New York Times to join the storied broadcast magazine in a new role, 60 Minutes executive producer Nick Bilton announced Tuesday. . .”

“Despite being an early skeptic of Donald Trump’s politics and popularity, Douthat has since downplayed the president’s authoritarian and fascist tendencies while attempting to rationalize Trump’s behavior.”

Read the full article at:

https://newrepublic.com/post/213657/new-york-times-columnist-60-minutes-ross-douthat-pro-trump-overhaul

Vendetta Against Reporter?

by


Article in The Washington Post by Scott Nover, 7/27/26

Headline:  “Trump’s fresh mocking of CNN reporter renews calls to end correspondents’ dinner”

Subhead:  “The president posted a doctored image of CNN’s Kaitlan Collins as the network’s future, and that of the correspondents’ dinner, are in limbo.”

“President Donald Trump escalated his attacks on the news media over the weekend, following a blistering address at the rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Association dinner by posting an edited image mocking CNN’s Kaitlan Collins — a personal jab later amplified by an official White House social media account. . .’

Read the full article at:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2026/07/27/trumps-fresh-mocking-cnn-reporter-renews-calls-end-correspondents-dinner/

Media Merger Clock is Ticking

by

Article in Reuters by Brody Godoy, 7/24/26

Headline: “Paramount agrees to pause Warner Bros deal while case plays out”

“. . .​on Friday agreed to pause its acquisition of Warner ‌Bros. Discovery until after a ruling on a challenge by states to the deal, plunging the $110 billion deal into further uncertainty.  . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.reuters.com/world/paramount-agrees-pause-warner-bros-deal-while-case-plays-out-2026-07-24/

– – – – –

Article in Alternet America by Ryan Rose and Alternet America, 7/23/26

Headline:  “We Have 11 Days Until the Free Press Shrinks”

“They don’t call it censorship. They call it a merger.

“Twelve state attorneys general just sued to block Paramount Skydance’s $110 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery. They say the deal would gut competition, raise prices, and shrink an already hollowed-out industry. A federal judge agreed enough to pump the brakes by issuing a 14-day restraining order.

“Three of those days are already gone.It’s not censorship when it’s a merger. That’s the whole trick. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.alternetamerica.com/

Subpoena Against Reporters Burned

by

Article in UPI by Stephen Feller, 7/23/26

Headline: “Justice Department withdraws subpoenas for New York Times reporters”

“The Department of Justice on Thursday agreed in court to withdraw subpoenas it sent to three journalists at the New York Times to force them to reveal their sources.

“The Justice Department ‘unilaterally’ withdrew the subpoenas after U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian threatened to quash them if it did not do so, ABC News and The New York Times reported. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2026/07/23/justice-department-withdraws-subpoenas-new-york-times/1801784850308/

– – – – –

Article in The Guardian by Victoria Bekiempis, 7/23/26

Headline: “Trump’s DoJ drops effort to subpoena New York Times over Qatari jet story”

Subhead:  “Journalists had reported on security concerns about US president flying on $400m Air Force One plane from Qatar”

Read the article at:

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/jul/23/new-york-times-reporter-subpoenas-withdraw

Don’t Like Writing? – Call it Treason

by

Article in Columbia Journalism Review by Jem Bartholomew, 7/20/26

Headline:   “The Uses of ‘Treason”

Subhead:  “By repeatedly blasting the press as traitors, Trump is trying to solidify his splintering MAGA base.”

“. . .David E. Sanger—the New York Times’ White House and national security correspondent . . .asked about the war with Iran. ‘What would the use be of repeating the bombing? You did it for thirty-eight days, and you did not get the political changes in Iran—’ Trump jumped in: ‘No, I got, I had a total military victory,’ he said, . . . . Then he leaped into a tirade against the press. ‘I actually think it’s sort of treasonous what you write,’ Trump concluded. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.cjr.org/the_media_today/the-uses-of-treason-donald-trump-press-traitors-air-force-one-qatar-sanger-subpoenas-maga-base-splinter.php

Journalists Face Danger

by


Article in Reporters Without Borders by Staff, July, 2026

Headline: “New RSF Report: National Security as a Weapon Against Journalism”

“In the name of national security, journalists are being prosecuted, imprisoned, surveilled, forced into exile and even killed. In its new report, ‘National Security as a Weapon Against Journalism,’ Reporters Without Borders (RSF) illustrates how the concept of national security has strayed far beyond its original purpose and become a tool of repression against journalism around the world. . . .”

Read the full article at:

https://rsf.org/en/new-rsf-report-national-security-weapon-against-journalism

Paramount Prevalent Peril

by

Article in The Guardian by Jeremy Barr, 7/17/26

Headline:  ” ‘Laws were broken’: multistate effort to stop Paramount’s $111bn merger heads to court”

Subhead:  “Attorneys general from 12 states are suing to block the Paramount-Warner Bros deal they say violates antitrust law”

“A last-ditch effort to block the merger between Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) is heading to court as 12 Democratic state attorneys general attempt to stop the $111bn deal they say violates antitrust law and reduces competition in both the film and cable television industries.

“The lawsuit, which was filed on Monday, faces a crucial hearing on Friday to determine if a judge will temporarily pause the deal or allow it to continue toward approval. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/jul/17/paramount-warner-bros-merger

Broadcast Me – Or Else!

by


Article in Deadline by Ted Johnson, 7/16/26

Headline:  “Donald Trump Says ABC And NBC Should Lose Broadcast Licenses Because They Didn’t Carry His Primetime Address On Election Claims”

“Donald Trump lashed out at ABC and NBC, the two networks that chose not to carry his speech live on their broadcast platforms, as he delivered a 25-minute long speech full of claims that included China obtaining voter registration data and the “deep state” withholding that intelligence from him.

Without evidence, Trump claimed that ABC and NBC and others in the media were part of a ‘plot’ and ‘want to continue this fraud for whatever reason. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://deadline.com/2026/07/trump-threatens-abc-nbc-licenses-election-speech-1236988065/