Media News

News about the media.

Hear, Hear Mr. President?

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Article in AlterNet by Sarah K. Burris, 10/30/26

Headline: “Morning Joe has a new theory behind Trump’s ‘crazed rage’ at the media”

“. . .Jonathan Lemier noted that aides inside the White House have been saying for a while that the president simply can’t hear anymore and he frequently must lean in and ask people to repeat themselves. As his niece Mary Trump has noted several times, Trump doesn’t like to show weakness. So needing a hearing aid would likely make him feel weak. . . ”

Read the full article at:

https://www.alternet.org/trump-mental-health-2678170734/

TV News Evolving

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Article in Poynter by Kerwin Speight, 10/30/26

Headline: “Opinion | Scripps is cutting anchors and adding reporters. Is this the future of local TV news?”

Subhead: “Anchorless newscasts offer an early look at what viewers could gain — and lose — as local TV evolves”

“CEO Adam Symson announced the job cuts Tuesday, marking the second wave of layoffs this year. In August, 268 employees were let go. Most notable among that group were news anchors at some stations.

At the same time, Scripps’ WMAR-TV in Baltimore debuted newscasts without anchors. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.poynter.org/business-work/2026/scripps-anchorless-local-tv-news-reporters/

New WH Press-Pool-Room Use?

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Article in Poynter by Tom Jones, 10/20/26

Headline:  “Opinion | Buried in Trump’s 1,300-word Bill Maher rant was some news about the press”

Subhead:  “In his record-long post, the president said he isn’t bringing back the White House pool. Moving the press, however, is apparently on the table.”

“. . .There were rumors recently that Trump was thinking of turning the White House briefing room into an indoor swimming pool.

“Trump wrote in his Truth Social post, “I am not building a swimming pool in the White House Briefing Room, and never had any intention of doing so.”

“But then Trump added, “I am thinking about moving the Press, and putting them in a different location, but I will use that location for very badly needed space. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.poynter.org/commentary/2026/trump-bill-maher-truth-social-post/

Time to Run Away From CBS?

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Article in the Daily Beast by Laura Esposito, 10/26/26

Headline:  “CBS News Staff Eye Escape From Trumpy Boss: ‘It’s Ugly’”

Subhead:  “’Folks are tired,’ a CBS News source told the Post.”

“David Ellison is offering buyouts to employees at CBS News and other Skydance properties. . .”

“The shake-up comes as Ellison, the son of Oracle billionaire Larry Ellison, succeeded in his bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery under the Skydance Paramount umbrella. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.thedailybeast.com/cbs-news-staff-eye-escape-from-trumpy-boss-david-ellison

Spanish-Language Media Shift

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Media Matters illustration

Article in Media Matters by Monica Rodriguez, Janos Balazs & Torri Lonergan, 10/15/26

Headline:  “Discontent in Spanish-language conservative media illustrates GOP’s deteriorating Hispanic coalition”

“Since early in his second term, President Donald Trump has been facing criticism from Spanish-language right-wing media figures over his approach to the economy, the Iran war, and mass deportation. This fall — as some of these figures have warned that Republicans will suffer in the midterm elections as a result of the administration ‘failing’ on immigration and economic policy — polls suggest that Latino voters could be a major swing demographic in November. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.mediamatters.org/spanish-language-media/discontent-spanish-language-conservative-media-illustrates-gops

Press Secretary – No Press?

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Article in The Guardian by Shrai Popat, 10/15/26

Headline:  “Trump’s new press secretary says it’s ‘unknown’ how much she’ll deal with media”

Subhead:  “Katie Zacharia tells Guardian her first, widely panned, press briefing followed whirlwind sprint to appoint her to key role”

“Donald Trump’s new White House press secretary says it is ‘unknown’ how much she will engage with the press or hold briefings with reporters, as she faces mounting questions over her legal credentials.. . .”

“Now the White House press secretary, she also would not clarify on Thursday how often she intended to brief the press. . . ‘and that Trump “is his best spokesperson, and I will interact as needed’.”

Read the full article at:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/15/katie-zacharia-trump-press-secretary-interview

Public Radio Breaks With Universities

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Article in Columbia Journalism Review by Luch Schillerm 10/13/26

Headline: “All They’re Going to Hear Is Capitulation”

Subhead: “The Trump administration’s ideological attacks on public media and education converge at university-based radio stations. Some are breaking free.”

“. . .Sarah Morris calls it a “conscious uncoupling.” She is the general manager of KCUR, the major NPR station in Kansas City; her station is licensed to the University of Missouri–Kansas City, and has been since 1957. The two entities—the University of Missouri and KCUR—decided in 2025 to separate in a style Morris characterized as ‘believed to be mutually beneficial, friendly and well down the path toward independence’. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.cjr.org/feature/all-theyre-going-to-hear-is-capitulation-trump-attacks-public-media-education-university-radio-stations-kut-npr-texas.php

After Merger, Comes the Cutting

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Article in Reuters by Deborah Mary Sophia and Neil J Kanatt, 10/1/26

Headline:  “David Ellison’s appointment of Kreiz brings cost-cutter to Paramount-Warner Bros Discovery”

“. . .David Ellison’s choice of Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz as his co-captain at the new Paramount-Warner Bros Discovery signals what the media behemoth will care about most: running a lean, cost-efficient ​business that can pump more money out of its storied franchises. . .”

“That skillset positions Kreiz well to take on the task of knitting together two legacy media giants saddled with roughly $80 billion in debt while delivering the $6 billion in cost-savings promised from the industry-shaping merger. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/david-ellisons-appointment-of-kreiz-brings-cost-cutter-paramount-warner-bros-2026-10-01/

Citizens Worried About Press Freedom

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Article in UPI by By Jill Keppeler, 9/29/26

Headline: “Percentage who say U.S. media have ‘a lot’ of freedom hits new low”

“. . .Slightly more than two in three Americans now say that U.S. news media have “a lot” of freedom, a new low, a Gallup poll released Tuesday said.

“The percentage shows a marked political divide. . . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2026/09/29/perception-of-press-freedom-hits-new-low/5151790716634/

 

Carr Accident

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Article in Status, by Oliver Darcy, 9/29/26

Headline: “Comcast’s Carr Calculation”

Subhead: “While the company announced plans to spin off NBCUniversal, Status has learned executives are weighing whether to hang on to their local television stations rather than risk a fight with Trump’s FCC.”

“Earlier this summer, when Comcast announced that it would spin off its NBCUniversal assets into a separate company, most of the industry assumed that the conglomerate’s owned-and-operated television stations would be divested with the rest of the media portfolio. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.status.news/p/comcast-nbc-stations-spinoff-fcc-brendan-carr