Media Turmoil

Rt. Wing Media Losing Stock?

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Article in Media Matters, 3/26/26

Headline:  “Right-wing media accused Trump of ‘obvious’ stock market manipulation”

Subhead:  “Right-wing media also suspect someone close to Trump of insider trading, asserting “clearly there’s somebody that had some information”

“Right-wing media figures accused President Donald Trump of manipulating the market after stocks surged following his March 23 social media post claiming that the war in Iran was winding down. Additionally, oil and gas futures purchases spiked just before Trump’s announcement about a seemingly nonexistent ‘resolution’ with Iran, leading some in right-wing media to suggest that people close to the president, or even within Trump’s administration, were guilty of insider trading. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.mediamatters.org/us-iran-relations/right-wing-media-accused-trump-obvious-stock-market-manipulation

Pay to Play Journalism

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Article in The Bulwark by Will Somer, 3/23/26

Headline:  “Folks, We’ve Got Yet Another Right-Wing Media Payola Scandal”

Subhead:  “This one involves Jack Abramoff’s crypto venture!”

“HOW MUCH WOULD IT COST to bribe a Daily Caller writer for positive coverage? It could be cheaper than you think.

“According to a newly unearthed ledger kept by a Washington lobbyist who tracked his payments to conservative bloggers, it took only $500 to buy a story in the publication, which was one of a handful caught in the latest payola scandal. And though the story appeared under the byline of the Caller’s managing editor, prosecutors who unearthed the ledger say it was actually ghostwritten by the company that effectively bought the coverage. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.thebulwark.com/p/another-right-wing-media-payola-scandal-cryptocurrency-abramoff-darling-andrade

The Power of Radio!

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Article in Poynter by Tom Jones, 3/24/26

Headline:  “Opinion | Was a conservative radio caller behind the idea to send ICE agents into airports?”

Subhead:  “A suggestion from ‘Linda from Arizona’ on The Clay and Buck Show made its way to Fox News and, soon after, into White House policy”

“. . .So, where did President Donald Trump get the idea to send ICE into airports to help the TSA? It might have been. . .

“Linda from Arizona.

“Several media observers — including Semafor’s Ben Smith and CNN’s Brian Stelter — noted that a woman named Linda called into Clay Travis’ conservative radio show last Friday and made the suggestion to deploy ICE to airports.

“Linda told ‘The Clay and Buck Show,’  ‘I think I have a solution to the TSA problem. … We need to bring in ICE agents.’ Travis replied, ‘Linda, I have to say that’s kind of a brilliant idea.’. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.poynter.org/commentary/2026/ice-airports-radio-show-linda-arizona/

Stopping Media Merger?

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Free Press Press Release by Staff, 3/23/26

Headline:  “Unlawful Approval of Largest Broadcast Merger in History”

Subhead:  “Notice of appeal to the D.C. Circuit comes as FCC Chairman Brendan Carr continues his campaign to censor and control a free and independent press in the United States”

“WASHINGTON – On Monday, Free Press, the Communications Workers of America, the United Church of Christ Media Justice Ministry, Inc. and Public Knowledge filed an appeal of the Federal Communications Commission’s rushed approval of the largest broadcast television merger in U.S. history.

“The challenge, filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, asks the court to stop the merger of Nexstar and Tegna before it proceeds and the companies combine all operations, and asks the court to set aside the FCC’s approval of the deal. The groups assert that the merger is unlawful — in contradiction of laws established by Congress and of FCC procedures, too. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.freepress.net/news/public-interest-coalition-sues-fcc-unlawful-approval-largest-broadcast-merger-history

Judge Bari Show?

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Article in Status by Oliver Darcy, 3/19/26

Headline:  “CBS’ Judgment Day”

Subhead:  “Staffers at CBS News tell Status they are “on edge like crazy” as the newsroom readies itself for mass layoffs overseen by Bari Weiss that will reshape the storied outlet around her vision for it”

“Over on 57th Street, at the CBS Broadcast Center on the West Side of Manhattan, anxiety and fear in the air are palpable. Over the last 24 hours, word has spread amongst staffers that the axe is set to fall imminently, with a second round of mass layoffs poised to hit the David Ellison-owned newsroom just months after the last round. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.status.news/p/cbs-news-layoffs-bari-weiss-ce41

Internet Media in Trouble?

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Article in Status by Natalie Korach, 3/18/26

Headline:  “HuffPost’s Buzz Kill”

Subhead:  “As BuzzFeed teeters on the brink, HuffPost staffers tell Status that anxiety is rippling through the newsroom and raising uncomfortable questions about the progressive outlet’s uncertain future.”

“Last week, BuzzFeed sent another shockwave through media circles by disclosing that the company may not have enough liquidity to continue operating over the next year, raising speculation that what was once one of digital media’s crown jewels could be heading toward bankruptcy. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.status.news/p/buzzfeed-bankruptcy-huffpost-future

Rt. Wing Media Upset?

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Article in Media Matters by Noah Dowe, Alex Guiden & Ben Van Bloem, 3/18/26

Headline: “Some right-wing media figures are urging Trump to declare early victory and leave Iran”

Subhead:  “Newsmax host Michael Savage: ‘Is it possible we could just pack up and go home? Or must we kill half the population in the name of peace?’ “

“As President Donald Trump’s war with Iran continues, some right-wing commentators are urging the administration to ‘declare victory’ and ‘get out’ of Iran ‘before it gets much worse’. . .”

“Some right-wing figures are fearful of what a military quagmire in the Middle East would “do to us at the midterms,” and a number of right-wing media personalities are now urging the administration to save face by declaring victory. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.mediamatters.org/us-iran-relations/some-right-wing-media-figures-are-urging-trump-declare-early-victory-and-leave

Notice on Washington Post

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Article in The Guardian by Jeremy Barr, 3/17/26

Headline:  “US media mogul sees a big opportunity in the cuts at the Washington Post“

Subhead:  “Robert Allbritton’s Notus plans to double its newsroom staff, which includes hiring prominent ex-Post journalists”

“Robert Allbritton, the billionaire media entrepreneur, said he was “pained” by the Washington Post’s decision to lay off a large chunk of its newsroom in early February. But he also saw it as an opportunity to hire some of the Post’s most well-known journalists, including many who would have been hard to poach in previous years. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/mar/17/notus-hire-washington-post-staff-robert-allbritton

On Media Under. . .?

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Article in Washington Post by Scott Nover, 3/17/26

Headline:  “The Ellisons are building a media empire. Trump keeps cheering them on.”

Subhead:  “The president and defense secretary have each heaped praise on Larry and David Ellison as the Justice Department reviews Paramount Skydance’s Warner Bros. deal.”

“President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth publicly celebrated the wealthy Ellison family’s growing media empire in recent days, even as the Trump administration is reviewing Paramount Skydance’s deal to buy Warner Bros. Discovery and its assets including CNN for $110 billion.. .”

“Trump’s fresh praise for the Ellisons comes as the president has spent weeks insulting the press over their coverage of the Iran war. On Sunday, Trump alleged without evidence in a Truth Social post that news organizations were running AI-generated Iranian propaganda and should be charged with “TREASON for the dissemination of false information. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/03/17/trump-hegseth-praise-ellisons-approval/

“Winning” Against the Media?

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Article in Poynter by Tom Jones, 3/17/26

Headline:  “Opinion | Trump is bragging about the damage he’s done to the press”

Subhead:  “In a Truth Social post, the president cited high-profile TV news exits, public media defunding and canceled shows as proof he is ‘winning’ “

“Lost in the midst of President Donald Trump’s constant complaining about media coverage of the war in Iran, as well as FCC commissioner Brendan Carr’s threats to networks, was a weekend post on Trump’s Truth Social that revealed just how much contempt the president has toward the press.

“In the remarkably distressing post, Trump bragged about the damage he has done to the media.

“Under a section called “Gone,” Trump boasted of how PBS and NPR have been defunded. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.poynter.org/commentary/2026/trump-truth-social-press-news-media/