Media News

News about the media.

by

Article in The Washington Post by Sarah Ellison and Jeremy Barr, 12/22/24

Headline:  “Trump signals plans to use all levers of power against the media”

Subhead:  “Press freedom advocates say they fear that the second Trump administration will ramp up pressure on journalists, in keeping with the president-elect’s combative rhetoric.”

“For many years, Donald Trump repeatedly threatened to sue the press but often didn’t follow through. When he did, he almost always lost.

“But Trump’s recent settlement with ABC News and a cascade of lawsuits and other complaints against media entities from him and his allies signal a ramped-up campaign from the president-elect. Together, the action has spurred concerns that his efforts could drastically undermine the institutions tasked with reporting on his coming administration, which Trump has promised will take revenge on those he perceives as having wronged him.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/12/22/trump-abc-news-settlement-george-stephanopoulos/

 

Stomping Out the Media

by


Article in The Guardian by Victoria Bekiempis, 12/21/24

Headline:  “Trump and allies are waging campaign against media to stifle dissent – experts”

Subhead:  “Lawsuits against Iowa paper and settlement with ABC signal beginning of aggressive legal action to silence critics”

“Donald Trump and his allies have started to wage a campaign against media organisations in the US that are critical of the president-elect by launching lawsuits that media experts warn are designed to stifle dissent and potentially put them out of business.

“The tactic appears to be to aggressively pursue legal action against news organisations – which Trump has long dubbed “enemies of the people” – by asking for often hefty sums in damages. The cases are launched even if the odds of success sometimes appear long, because even an unsuccessful court action can be expensive for a cash-strapped media company and act as a deterrent.”

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/dec/21/trump-media-assault-silence-criticism

Race and Media

by

University of Houston

Article in The Guardian by Gloria Oladipo 12/21/24

Headline:  “Media’s empathetic coverage of Luigi Mangione reveals an obsession with humanizing white male suspects”

Subhead:  “Interest in the United Healthcare CEO shooting suspect’s background underscores research that the media covers white and Black perpetrators differently”

“Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old who allegedly shot and killed the United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, has received an avalanche of media attention as people attempt to understand what may have driven him to commit such a violent crime.”

“. . .Multiple studies have shown that white male perpetrators of gun violence, especially ones in high profile incidents such as mass shootings, are often depicted more compassionately by news outlets. According to one study, publications routinely speculate about white perpetrators’ mental health as a possible explanation for their actions, painting a complex picture of their motivations, whereas suspects of color are reduced to racial stereotypes.”

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/dec/21/luigi-mangione-racism-media

Musk Talks Media Puppets

by

From TX Rep. Jasmine Crockett

Article in Mediaite by Zachary Leeman, 12/20/24

Headline:  “Elon Musk Blasts ‘Legacy Media Puppets’ Trying To Tear Him and Trump Apart with ‘President Elon’ Talking Points”

Elon Musk accused “legacy media puppets” of trying to drive a “wedge” between him and President-elect Donald Trump as critics question the pair’s power dynamic amid budget chaos on Capitol Hill.

A number of Democrats have taken to questioning whether Musk is truly in charge after led the charge to oppose an initial spending bill supported by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) that would have avoided a government shutdown. A second bill, supported by Musk and Trump, later failed to pass through the House, leaving lawmakers scrambling at the 11th hour.

Musk’s Friday message was in response to an X user highlighting a post from Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) in which she claimed Musk was more in charge of Republicans than Trump, calling him the “shadow president.”

https://www.mediaite.com/news/elon-musk-blasts-legacy-media-puppets-trying-to-tear-him-and-trump-apart-with-president-elon-talking-points/

Media Court Battles

by


Article in Reuters by Jack Queen and Helen Coster, 12/20/24

Headline:  “Trump’s lawyers bring broad approach to court battles with media”

“President-elect Donald Trump is adopting a wide-ranging legal strategy in suing media companies over what he describes as false or misleading coverage about him, filing cases under civil anti-fraud laws in addition to defamation lawsuits.

‘Some legal experts say the cases appear aimed at punishing outlets for critical coverage, and that the novel legal strategies are an effort to get past steep hurdles in defamation lawsuits, which can be difficult for public figures in the U.S. to win.

“Trump has said the lawsuits, three of which were filed in the past year, are necessary because media companies are “very dishonest” and need to be held accountable.”

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trumps-lawyers-bring-broad-approach-court-battles-with-media-2024-12-20/

by


Encyclopedia Brittanica

Article in Committee to Protect Journalism by Staff, 12/18/24

Headline: “The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns a Kyrgyzstan court’s decision upholding convictions against four journalists from anti-corruption investigative outlet Temirov Live, two of whom were sentenced to lengthy prison terms.”

On Wednesday, the Bishkek City Court upheld an October 10 first instance court decision sentencing Makhabat Tajibek kyzy to six years in prison, Azamat Ishenbekov to five years in prison, and reporter Aike Beishekeyeva and former reporter Aktilek Kaparov to three years of probation. Prosecutors did not appeal the acquittals of seven other current and former Temirov Live staff.”

https://cpj.org/2024/12/kyrgyzstan-court-upholds-convictions-of-4-anti-corruption-journalists/

 

Frivolous Media Lawsuits

by


Article in Vox by Ellen Ioanes, 12/18/24

Headline:  “Trump’s media lawsuits could do serious damage to America’s free press”

Subhead:  “Lawsuits against ABC and the Des Moines Register are meant to chill the media.”

“President-elect Donald Trump’s contempt for the media is well-known, but two lawsuits filed against news organizations offer a worrying look at the next four years for outlets and reporters covering his administration.

“Disney, the parent company of ABC News, settled a suit with Trump for $15 million; Trump sued the company because anchor George Stephanopoulos mistakenly said Trump was found liable for raping writer E. Jean Carroll, when he was actually found liable for sexual abuse. Trump also sued the Des Moines Register, an Iowa newspaper, this week because they published a poll showing Vice President Kamala Harris would win the state; he also sued the person who produced the poll. Trump is alleging this is election interference. These developments come amid ongoing lawsuits Trump has against CBS and publisher Simon & Schuster.

“These kinds of lawsuits aren’t new. They’re meant to be expensive and time-consuming for news companies, even if the outlets win the case.”

https://www.vox.com/donald-trump/391810/trump-media-lawsuits-abc-slapp-des-moines-register

Columnist Bows, Corrects View

by


Article in Raw Story by Erik De La Garze, 12/18/24

Headline: ” ‘Incredibly craven’: Social media slams NYT columnist’s reversal on ‘Never Trump’ “

“Social media users came out swinging against a conservative New York Times columnist who this week declared he was ‘done with never Trump,’ and suggested the movement defeated itself.

“The online backlash came in response to a Tuesday opinion piece by Bret Stephens, who said he believes Trump’s second term could be ‘as bad as his most fervent critics fear,’ but still urged readers to send warm wishes to the new administration and give his cabinet selections ‘the benefit of the doubt.’

“ ‘It is incredibly craven to pretend to take a principled stand against Trump only to rescind it when it becomes clear that Trump isn’t actually going away and there is nothing to be personally gained from the ostentatious display of ‘principle,’ University of Texas at Austin professor Mike Boyla-Kolchin wrote on Bluesky.”

https://www.rawstory.com/trump-2670492806/

Threatening the Press Threatens Us All

by

Freedom House Poster

Article in The Hill by Juliann Venture, 12/18/24

Headline:  “Ex-Post editor Martin Baron: Trump team will do ‘everything to undermine public confidence in the press’ “

Martin Baron, the former executive editor for The Washington Post, said in a new interview that President-elect Trump’s team will do ‘everything’ to undermine confidence in the press.

Baron offered the remarks as Trump won a big victory when ABC settled a lawsuit with him involving incorrect comments by anchor George Stephanopoulos.

Trump days later launched a new suit against The Des Moines Register and pollster Ann Seltzer.

https://thehill.com/homenews/media/5047691-marty-baron-trump-press-undermine/

Relax, Nothing to Report Here

by

Article in The Guardian by Dani Anguiano, 12/18/24

Headline:  “LA Times owner asks editorial board to ‘take a break’ from writing about Trump – report”

Subhead:  “Billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong, who said paper is ‘echo chamber’, also blocked paper’s board from endorsing Harris”

“Patrick Soon-Shiong, the owner of the Los Angeles Times, reportedly asked the newspaper’s editorial board to “take a break” from writing about Donald Trump, in the latest report of the billionaire owner’s growing influence over the newspaper’s coverage.

“The newspaper and its owner were embroiled in controversy for weeks this fall after Soon-Shiong blocked the board from endorsing Kamala Harris for president. The decision led to a wave of resignations on the editorial board and the loss of thousands of subscriptions.”

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2024/dec/18/la-times-patrick-soon-shiong-trump