Media Politicize

More Media Agglomeration?

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Article in CNN Business by Brian Stelter, 7/15/26\

Headline: “FCC moves to deliver long-sought win for Trump-aligned broadcasters”

“The Federal Communications Commission is changing its rules so that local TV station owners can get much, much bigger. . .”

“Carr announced on Wednesday that the FCC will vote next month to repeal its national broadcast ownership rule, which prohibits a single company from reaching more than 39% of US TV households.

Read the full article at:

https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/15/media/fcc-carr-trump-broadcasters-sinclair-nexstar

FCC Hobby, Getting Gifts?

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Article in AlterNet by Corey G. Johnson – ProPublica, 7/15/26

Headline:  “Busted: Paramount gave FCC officials gifts while seeking approval for billion-dollar dea

“The rich and famous who filed into the Kennedy Center’s opera house in December. . .”

“Federal Communications Commissioner Olivia Trusty cast a decisive vote approving Paramount’s historic $8 billion merger with Skydance Media. Now, the commissioner and a guest enjoyed the star-studded celebration thanks to tickets gifted to her by Paramount worth more than $12,000. . .

“The other commissioner who approved the merger watched from a prized perch. FCC Chair Brendan Carr and his wife sat in a private skybox with Paramount CEO David Ellison and other executives from Paramount and CBS. Such seats sold for $125,000 a ticket, according to Kennedy Center guidelines. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.alternet.org/fcc-paramount/

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Article in Daily Kos by Lisa Needham, 7/15/26

Headline:  “Trump’s FCC cronies get in on the sweet bribe action”

“Why should President Donald Trump have all the fun of extorting money from people with business before the government? How ‘bout letting the folks in charge of the Federal Communications Commission get a taste, hmmm?

“ProPublica broke the news that both FCC Commissioner Olivia Trusty and FCC Chair Brendan Carr got a little treat. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/7/15/800070473/news/trumps-fcc-cronies-get-in-on-the-sweet-bribe-action/

Right Sites Wrong Now?

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Article in The Righting by Howard Polskin , 7/13/26

Headline:  “Visits to All Top Right-Wing News Websites Drop for Second Straight Month”

“For the second consecutive month, year-over-year (YOY) visits to all of the 20 most popular right-wing news websites declined. According to TheRighting’s exclusive analysis of mobile and desktop traffic based on Similarweb data in June, 17 of top 20 right-wing news websites tracked regularly by TheRighting experienced double-digit decreases.

“The ongoing negative trend in traffic is bad news for news websites,” said Howard Polskin, President, TheRighting. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://therighting.com/traffic-reports/visits-to-all-top-right-wing-news-websites-drop-for-second-straight-month/

WaPo Tipping the Scale?

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Article in FAIR by Pete Tucker, 7/9/26

Headline:  “One Year Into Clampdown, WaPo Opinion Cheers for MAGA, Billionaires and AI”

“It’s been an eventful year since Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos tapped Adam O’Neal for the prestigious job of Post Opinions editor. O’Neal was an unusual hire, a 33-year-old with little by way of managerial experience. But O’Neal had a redeeming quality: He was ready to shill for Bezos, and the man Bezos has been desperately wooing, President Donald Trump. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://fair.org/home/one-year-into-the-clampdown-wapo-opinion-cheers-for-maga-billionaires-and-ai/

Examining a Newsroom

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Article in Columbia Journalism Revue by C.J Robinson, 7/9/26

Headline: “Inside Restoration News, a Political Nonprofit’s ‘Newsroom’ “

Subhead:  “How a media outlet funded by conservative donors is ‘waging a permanent campaign to defeat the radical left.’ “

“Restoration News, which covers topics ranging from abortion to diversity in the military to local school policies, calls itself the news source for the ‘America First movement.’ It is also a line item in a political operation. The site is directly funded by Restoration of America, a right-wing nonprofit . . .”

“Unlike other ‘pink slime’ sites that use AI or automation to produce stories, Restoration News employs human writers who make use of traditional journalistic methods. . .

“But they often fail to meet established journalistic standards.”

Read the full article at:

https://www.cjr.org/tow_center/inside-restoration-news-political-nonprofits-newsroom-conservative-donors-pink-slime-restore-military-pac-manning-bouferrache-honeybadgermom-truax.php

Rt. Media & Regime Change

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Article in Media Matters by Matt Gertz, 7/9/26

Headline: “As Trump declares Iran ceasefire ‘over,’ right-wing media hawks push for ground troops, regime change — even nuclear strikes”

“Right-wing media hawks are floating a new wave of risky and at times bloodthirsty escalations after Iranian forces struck commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. retaliated by resuming military strikes, and President Donald Trump declared the long-shaky ceasefire with Iran “over.”

“Fox News contributor and Washington Post columnist Marc Thiessen wants to ‘destroy 100%’ of Iran’s defense industrial base and ‘set them back to the Stone Age militarily and then declare victory’. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.mediamatters.org/fox-news/trump-declares-iran-ceasefire-over-right-wing-media-hawks-push-ground-troops-regime-change

FCC Decides What is “News”?

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Article in Poynter by Tom Jones, 7/8/26

Headline:   “Opinion | ABC reminds the FCC it already ruled ‘The View’ is news”

Subhead:  “ABC argues that if the FCC can decide what qualifies as news, it can also dictate which political candidates programs may interview”

“ABC is stepping up its fight against the Federal Communications Commission.

“In what is shaping up to be an intense battle that could have long-lasting ramifications, Disney’s ABC and the FCC continue to trade blows. It all goes back to ABC’s ‘The View’ and whether it violated what is known as the ‘equal-time rule.’ That’s the rule that says if a TV or radio program talks to someone running for political office, it must offer their opponent the same amount of time. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.poynter.org/commentary/2026/abc-the-view-fcc-fight/

Courting Defamation?

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

Headline:  “Judge rules for The Washington Post in $3.8B defamation suit brought by Trump Media”

Subhead:  “The social media company failed to identify convincing evidence that The Post acted with actual malice, a federal judge in Tampa ruled.”

“. . .U.S. District Judge Thomas Barber, who is based in Tampa, wrote in a summary docket entry — known as a minute order — that Trump Media “failed to present evidence that would allow a jury to find by clear and convincing evidence” that The Post “published the allegedly defamatory statements with actual malice.” Barber granted The Post’s motion for summary judgment and denied one from Trump Media. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/07/07/judge-rules-washington-post-38b-defamation-suit-brought-by-trump-media/

JD Vance OP-Ed Fireworks

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Article in The Atlantic by Peter Wehner, 7/4/26

Headline: “What J. D. Vance Once Knew”

Subhead:  “Ten years ago, the vice president wrote that one day, voters would realize the truth about Donald Trump. That day has now arrived.”

“. . .In the midst of a social crisis, Vance observed, Trump offered ‘an easy escape from the pain. To every complex problem, he promises a simple solution.’ But, he argued, such promises were a cheap high. ‘He never offers details for how these plans will work, because he can’t. Trump’s promises are the needle in America’s collective vein.’

“ ‘Trump is cultural heroin,’ Vance wrote. ‘He makes some feel better for a bit. But he cannot fix what ails them, and one day they’ll realize it’. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/07/jd-vance-trump-independence-day/687779/

Rt. Wing Media has Pregnant Pause

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Article in Media Matters by Reed McMaster & Torri Lonergan 7/2/26

Headline:  “Right-wing media target pregnant and female travelers following SCOTUS birthright citizenship ruling”

Subhead:  “Pundits suggested refusing pregnant travelers visas, deporting “birthing-aged” women, and even sterilizing travelers entering the United States”

“After the Supreme Court upheld birthright citizenship, right-wing media proposed draconian policies to prevent travelers potentially giving birth in the United States. The policies demanded by right-wing media — which almost exclusively target female migrants — were often proposed under the guise of combating birth tourism, which the U.S. already has enforcement tools in place to prevent. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.mediamatters.org/supreme-court/right-wing-media-target-pregnant-and-female-travelers-following-scotus-birthright