Press Freedom

Media Silence for Public

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Article in Poynter by Kelly McBride, 12/9/25

Headline:  “When powerful people bully the press, they’re really trying to silence the public”

Subhead:  “What looks like a personal attack is often an intimidation tactic aimed at the entire press and the people it serves”

“. . .In addition to recently calling a reporter “piggy,” President Donald Trump has mocked a journalist’s physical disabilities and belittled one of his interviewers at the 2024 NABJ conference for her tough opening question. But he’s not the only one. Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene told a reporter to go back to her country. . .”

Read the full article at:
https://www.poynter.org/ethics-trust/2025/what-to-do-when-powerful-people-bully-journalists/

Free Speech Disappearing?

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Article in Free Press by Staff 12/8/25

Headline:  “Comprehensive New Report Uncovers a Pervasive Pattern Driving the Trump Administration’s Year of Attacks Against Free Speech”

Subhead:  “In an analysis of hundreds of assaults on the First Amendment, Free Press reveals a systemic speech-chilling campaign.”

“WASHINGTON — On Monday, Free Press published an authoritative report analyzing the hundreds of incidents involving possible First Amendment violations over the first year of the Trump White House. The report — CHOKEHOLD: Donald Trump’s War on Free Speech & the Need for Systemic Resistance — sheds new light on a pattern driving an administration-wide campaign to silence dissent. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.freepress.net/news/report-uncovers-pervasive-pattern-driving-trump-administrations-year-attacks-free-speech

We Still Need Local News

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Photo from Lithub

Article in Poynter by Eric Rynston-Lobel, 12-8-25

Headline:  “As local news disappears, new networks are stepping in to fill the void”

Subhead:  “TAPinto, The Salt Lake Tribune and The Texas Tribune are expanding into underserved areas — testing new models for restoring local journalism”

“TAPinto provides its franchisees with the backend systems and training necessary to run a successful operation. It’s an efficient way to address the loss of local news, and it’s a variation of a model that other organizations have turned to recently as well. . .”

“There are now 853 local news sites across 52 networks providing original reporting, according to the report. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.poynter.org/business-work/2025/tapinto-texas-tribune-salt-lake-tribune-local-news-expansion/

Predicting Future of the Media

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Articles in Columbia Journalism Review by various staff 12/8/25

Headline:  “Forecasting”

Subhead:  “Introducing the Journalism 2050 Issue.”

“We don’t know what exactly the future holds, much as we may want to believe we do. Looking at the transformations of the media industry, and at shifting habits of news consumption, maybe we can do something like meteorology, and put together a forecast. In this issue and an accompanying podcast series, we are watching where the wind blows . . .”

Read the articles at:

https://www.cjr.org/the-journalism-2050-issue

Newspaper Breaking Out of the Cage?

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Article in Poynter by Tom Jones, 12/5/25

Headline:  “The New York Times draws a line on Pentagon press limits”

Headline:  “The Times sues the Pentagon, highlighting a pivotal moment for press freedom”

“The New York Times did something Thursday we haven’t seen enough of as President Donald Trump and his administration continue to strip away press freedoms.

“They took the fight to the administration.

“In a sign that they are sick and tired and aren’t going to take it anymore, the Times filed a lawsuit against the Pentagon, claiming that their First Amendment rights are being violated by the Pentagon’s new press restrictions. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.poynter.org/commentary/2025/new-york-times-sues-pentagon-npr-underage-women/

Students Fill Gap of Local Coverage?

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Article in Columbia Journalism Review by Riddhi Setty & Carolina Abbot Galvao, 12/2/25

Headline:  “How Students Are Trying to Save Local News”

Subhead:  “Across the country, university programs are filling gaps in the coverage.”

At twenty-one, just after her graduation from the University of Vermont, Holly Sullivan became the editor of the Winooski News, the sole paper in Vermont’s smallest city—spanning a mile and a half, with about eight thousand residents who speak more than thirty languages. In the course of a few months, Sullivan went from being a student to editing articles and a newsletter that serve the area at large, written entirely by university students.

Read the full article at:

https://www.cjr.org/news/how-students-are-trying-to-save-local-news.php

Ugly Interviewee?

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Article in The Guardian by Narina Dunbar, 11/26/25

Headline:  “Trump calls New York Times reporter ‘ugly’ in latest insult to female journalist”

Subhead:  “In a Truth Social post, the president lashed out at journalist Katie Rogers after an article questioned whether he was slowing down”

“Donald Trump lashed out on Wednesday against a New York Times reporter, calling her ‘ugly inside and out’ in his latest personal insult against female members of the media after last week calling another ‘piggy. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/26/trump-insults-new-york-times-reporter-katie-rogers

Courts & Media Intimidation?

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Article in Axios by Sara Fisher and Kerry Flynn, 11/25/25

Headline:  “Trump’s media lawsuits keep falling flat”

“Despite two very visible settlements with ABC and CBS in the past year, President Trump’s legal pressure on media companies has still faced ample pushback in court.

“Why it matters: Lawsuits, even if eventually dismissed are extremely costly and burdensome for news organizations to fight. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.axios.com/2025/11/25/trump-media-lawsuits-dismissed

Media Frivolity Cases?

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Article in Mediaite by Sarah Rumpf, 11/24/25

Headline: “Judge Throws Out Truth Social’s Defamation Lawsuit Against The Guardian“

“A Florida judge granted motions to dismiss to The Guardian and other defendants in a defamation lawsuit filed by Truth Social’s parent company, Truth Media & Technology Group Corp. (TMTG), the latest example of President Donald Trump’s legal actions against media companies not holding up in court.

The dispute arose from two articles published by the UK-based Guardian in March 2023 ‘reporting on a federal criminal investigation related to TMTGs receipt of two payments totaling $8 million,’ . . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.mediaite.com/lawcrime/judge-throws-out-truth-socials-defamation-lawsuit-against-the-guardian/