Pushing Ideology Into Iconic Program

Article in The Guardian by Anna Betts and Jeremy Bar, 6/3/26

Headline:  “Fired 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley says CBS told him to inject ‘falsehoods’ into reporting”

Subhead:  “Veteran journalist says executives pushed unverified claims and gave politicians a say in interviews”

“. . .’When stewardship of the program passed to my colleagues and me, our responsibility was to expand energetically into a new age of media technology while preserving the values our audience expects. Now, the new owner of our network is casting this legend aside, apparently to curry a moment of favor with the Trump administration.’

“Pelley criticized the new leadership at CBS, adding: ‘Last month, 60 Minutes lost its DNA when our entire senior leadership and two of our best on-air correspondents were cruelly fired without cause’. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/jun/03/60-minutes-scott-pelley-cbs-accusations

Defending ICE by Rt. Wing Media


Article in Media Matters by Sophie Lawton, 5/29/26

Headline:  “Right-wing media defend ICE detention center amid protests over horrible living conditions”

“Right-wing media are defending the living conditions at Delaney Hall, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in New Jersey, following reports of a detainee hunger strike sparking protests outside. In addition to repeating Department of Homeland Security talking points about the conditions, media figures have attacked protesters outside the facility, claiming the demonstrations are “performance art,” among other allegations. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.mediamatters.org/immigration/right-wing-media-defend-ice-detention-center-amid-protests-over-horrible-living

FCC Wants Labels for LGBTQIA+?

Article in Free Press by Staff 5/26/26

Headline: Free Press Objects to Chairman Carr’s ‘Morally Repugnant’ Proposal on TV Warning Labels for Transgender and Nonbinary Content”

“. . .On Friday, Free Press filed comments condemning the FCC’s inquiry on warning labels for what the agency vaguely describes as ‘transgender and gender non-binary programming.’ Earlier this year, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr initiated the proceeding to inquire whether television programs featuring LGBTQIA+ themes should carry specific labels or modified ratings. More than 50 organizations and industry associations, including Free Press, have filed comments to oppose Carr’s proposal. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.freepress.net/news/free-press-objects-chairman-carrs-repugnant-proposal-tv-warning-labels-transgender-nonbinary-content

Rt. Wing Media – Money for Mobs?

Article in Media Matters by Sophie Lawton, 5/21/26

Headline:   “Right-wing media react to Trump’s slush fund for allies with unquestioning loyalty — and some vague skepticism”

“Some right-wing media figures are jumping on board with the Trump administration’s newest effort to support MAGA allies despite numerous questions about its legality; a few are voicing light skepticism of the plan.

This week, the Department of Justice announced that the Trump family had agreed to drop a legally questionable $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS in exchange for the creation of a $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund.” According to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, the fund’s intended recipients are “victims of lawfare and weaponization” by the federal government. . . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.mediamatters.org/donald-trump/right-wing-media-react-trumps-slush-fund-allies-unquestioning-loyalty-and-some-vague

Heat on CBS Chief?


Article in The Guardian by Jeremy Barr, 5/19/26

Headline: Paramount expresses support for CBS News leader Bari Weiss amid criticism”

Subhead:  “Online publication Puck previously reported Weiss could be moved to a new role with less oversight of the network”

“. . .The network released a statement supporting her after a report that senior leadership at the company has discussed changing Weiss’s role to lessen her oversight of CBS News – and, potentially, CNN, if the company’s acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery receives government approval. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/may/19/paramount-cbs-news-bari-weiss

Trump’s Fox Fellow-Travelers Urge War?

Article in Media Matters by Matt Gertz, 5/18/26

Headline:  “Trump’s Fox Cabinet urges escalation as he ponders a return to war in Iran”

“. . .Influential pundits on the MAGA propaganda channel are telling the president that he currently holds ‘the cards’ and are urging him to use U.S. military might to seize Iran’s uranium stockpile, force open the Strait of Hormuz, assassinate the country’s leaders, and overturn its regime. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.mediamatters.org/us-iran-relations/trumps-fox-cabinet-urges-escalation-he-ponders-return-war-iran

Imperial Ballroom & Rt. Wing Media


Article in Media Matters by Isabella Corrao & Jane Lee 5/7/26

Headline:   “Right-wing media spent months claiming Trump’s ballroom wouldn’t cost taxpayers a penny. Republicans are now proposing $1 billion in taxpayer money to secure it.”

“Since President Donald Trump first demolished the East Wing to build a new White House ballroom, right-wing media personalities have frequently echoed White House talking points asserting that private donors would fund the ballroom at no cost to taxpayers. Recently, however, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) proposed $1 billion as part of a “long-term immigration and border patrol funding bill” for security upgrades related to the ballroom construction project . . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.mediamatters.org/fox-news/right-wing-media-spent-months-claiming-trumps-ballroom-wouldnt-cost-taxpayers-penny

Infowars – Gone?

Article in FAIR by Ari Paul, 5/6/26

Headline: “You Don’t Know What It Is, Do You, Mr. Jones?”

“Silence had never sounded so sweet, blankness had never looked so beautiful. A visit to the far-right conspiracy outlet Infowars website had no ‘Jesus Returns’–sized headlines about government-tainted water turning the frogs gay, or fresh anti-vaccine claims. No promotions for host Alex Jones’ supplements, either, or videos of him screaming gibberish about politicians eating babies. Just a white screen and two very small words: ‘Off Air’. . .”

Read the full story at:

https://fair.org/home/you-dont-know-what-it-is-do-you-mr-jones/

Foxy Nukes

Article in Media Matters by Matt Gertz, 5/5/26

Headline:  Fox’s ”nuke justification for the Iran war — and the higher prices it’s wrought — has collapsed”

Subhead:  “Is it a small price to pay if you get nothing in return?”

Fox pundits have repeatedly argued that the Iran war’s costs are ‘a small price to pay’ for its supposed prevention of the imminent threat posed by Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon.

But a new U.S. intelligence assessment reportedly found that after two months of war, ‘the time Iran would ​need to build a nuclear weapon has not changed since last summer, when analysts estimated that a U.S.-Israeli attack had pushed back the timeline to up to a year,’ according to exclusive reporting from Reuters. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.mediamatters.org/fox-news/foxs-nuke-justification-iran-war-and-higher-prices-its-wrought-has-collapsed

Fox in the White House

Article in Status by Natalie Korach 5/4/26

Headline: Fox’s Pledge of Allegiance”

Subhead: “Rupert Murdoch’s network, having learned its lesson in 2020 is unshakably sticking with Trump while other major MAGA media voices have broken with him over the Iran war.

“On Tuesday night, as Donald Trump feted King Charles and Queen Camilla at a white-tie state dinner, the room could have easily been confused for a Fox News greenroom. . .”

With much of the network’s primetime lineup on the guest list, it served as a visual manifestation of Fox News’ continued allegiance to the Trump White House, standing in sharp contrast to a constellation of right-wing media personalities who have amassed huge digital followings and publicly broken with him on the Iran war. . .

Read the full article at:

https://www.status.news/p/fox-news-iran-war-coverage-trump