Cracks in Republican Media Wall

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Article in The Guardian by Edward Helmore, 9/22/25

Headline: “Republican slams FCC chair’s comments on Kimmel suspension: ‘absolutely inappropriate’ “

Subhead:  “Rand Paul, a Kentucky senator, also said Disney and ABC have no obligation to employ the late-night host”

“Republican US senator Rand Paul broke with Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr for seemingly putting his finger on the scale in the ongoing dispute between suspended talkshow host Jimmy Kimmel and his employer, Disney-owned ABC. . .”

“Paul told Meet the Press that Carr’s comments were ‘absolutely inappropriate’ and the FCC chair ‘has got no business weighing in on this’.

“ ‘Any attempt by the government to get involved with speech – I will fight,’ Paul added. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/22/rand-paul-fcc-brendan-carr-jimmy-kimmel-suspension

Shots at the Media

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Article in Media Matters by Gideon Taaffe. et. al., 9/18/25

Headline:  “How right-wing media sow distrust and confusion around vaccines and science”

Subhead: “As Florida ends school vaccine requirements and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s leadership comes under fire, the right has repackaged anti-science talking points as well-meaning skepticism”

“Amid the rise of the so-called ‘Make America Healthy Again’ movement, right-wing media figures have employed a variety of tactics that sow doubt and confusion around vaccine efficacy and science more broadly. These efforts to capitalize on existing distrust of public health institutions and pharmaceutical companies have gained renewed momentum following Florida’s elimination of vaccine requirements for schools . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.mediamatters.org/coronavirus-covid-19/how-maha-media-sow-distrust-and-confusion-around-vaccines-and-science

Don’t like what you hear? – Attack!

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Article in Columbia Journalism Review by Amos Barshad, 9/18/25

Headline:  “The Campaign Against Network Television Picks Up Steam”

Subhead:  “The suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s show was just the latest result of an ongoing conservative effort to stamp out unfavorable voices.”

“Carr and his conservative allies have made no secret of their desire to use the power of the FCC to change what Americans see and hear on the radio and television stations that rely on public airwaves. Since January, Carr’s FCC has opened inquiries into Saturday Night Live, 60 Minutes, and the entirety of NPR. When Paramount, the parent company of CBS, sought to merge with the production company Skydance, the FCC required CBS News to appoint a conservative ‘bias monitor’ before granting its approval. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.cjr.org/analysis/abc-jimmy-kimmel-fcc-brendan-carr.php

One Party, One Media

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Article in FAIR by Ari Paul, 9/19/25

Headline: “As Ellison Buys Out TikTok, US Moves Toward One-Party Media”

Larry Ellison, founder of the software firm Oracle, is the second-richest billionaire in both the US and the world, and for a brief moment was No. 1 in the world (AP, 9/11/25). . .”

“Former CBS Evening News star Dan Rather (Hollywood Reporter, 9/15/25) said Americans “have to be concerned about the consolidation of huge billionaires getting control of nearly all of the major news outlets. . .”

“Rather and others are right that the Ellison duo taking over both CBS and CNN, as well as controlling a major social media network like TikTok, would be dangerous for democracy. And given their closeness to the Trump regime, that seems to be the point.”

Read the full article at:

https://fair.org/home/as-ellison-buys-out-tiktok-us-moves-toward-one-party-media/

Media Godfather?

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Article in The New York Times by Staff, 9/19/25

Headline:  “Trump Administration Live Updates: Cruz Calls F.C.C. Threats to Media ‘Dangerous as Hell’ “

“Cruz comments: Senator Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas, harshly criticized the Federal Communications Commission chairman, Brendan Carr, accusing him of mafia-like tactics and saying his threat to retaliate against media companies for speech on their airwaves was ‘dangerous as hell.’ President Trump said that news reporters who cover his administration negatively have broken the law, a significant broadening of his attacks on journalists . . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/09/19/us/trump-news

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Article in The Washington Post by Alec Dent, 9/19/25

Headline:  “Republican Ted Cruz says FCC chair’s threats about Kimmel are ‘dangerous’ “

Subhead: “The conservative senator warns that letting the government threaten to censor voices it doesn’t like could hurt the political right if Democrats return to power.”

“. . .’No, no, no, no,’ Cruz said on his show after playing Carr’s comments. ‘What he said there is dangerous as hell.’ He added: ‘That’s right out of “Goodfellas.” That’s right out of a mafioso coming into a bar. “God, nice bar you have here. It’d be a shame if something happened to it”. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/09/19/ted-cruz-carr-fcc-jimmy-kimmel/

 

Community Radio – Last Hope For News

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Article in Reporters Without Borders by Partager, 9/17/25

Headline:  “RSF releases new documentary on community radio stations, the last bastions of reliable news in the Sahel”

“As several Sahel countries face growing insecurity and their media are heavily pressured, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is screening ‘Community radios: the fight to keep the Sahel informed,’ its new documentary dedicated to community radio stations, in Dakar. The film delves into the daily lives of three journalists from Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, essential workers in the news industry.

Read the full article at:

https://rsf.org/en/rsf-releases-new-documentary-community-radio-stations-last-bastions-reliable-news-sahel

Media Monopoly?

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Article in Mediaite by Colby Hallm 9/17/25

Headline: “Can Larry Ellison and TikTok Rescue the TV Industry?”

“Once upon a time, television was the fireplace around which America gathered. Paramount’s movies filled the multiplex, CBS’s anchors narrated history, CNN beamed wars and elections into living rooms.

“Now the hearth has been replaced by a five-inch rectangle that no one can put down . . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.mediaite.com/opinion/can-larry-ellison-and-tiktok-rescue-the-tv-industry/

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Article in Democracy Now by Staff, 9/16/25

Headline:  “Billionaire Larry Ellison Could Add TikTok to Media Empire as U.S. and China Reach Deal”

“Larry Ellison has a decades-long history with the Republican Party and has frequented Trump’s Mar-a-Lago for dinners and has met Trump in the Oval Office. . .”

“This comes just months after the Trump administration cleared the way for an $8 billion merger between Paramount and Skydance, which is run by David Ellison, son of Larry Ellison.  . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.democracynow.org/2025/9/16/headlines/billionaire_larry_ellison_could_add_tiktok_to_media_empire_as_us_and_china_reach_deal

Free Speech Firestorm

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LINKS TO HEADLINES ON THREATS TO FREE SPEECH 9/18/25

 

Article inVox by Cameron Peters:   “Trump’s brazen attack on free speech”

https://www.vox.com/the-logoff-newsletter-trump/461990/jimmy-kimmel-trump-carr-free-speech-attack

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Article in The Guardian by Joseph Gedeon & Marina Dunbar :  “Trump suggests punishing TV networks for ‘negative’ coverage amid outrage over Kimmel suspension –  President says Jimmy Kimmel was ‘not a talented person’ as critics decry show’s suspension as an attack on free speech”

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/18/jimmy-kimmel-show-trump

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Article in The Hill by Brett Samuels:  “Trump on Jimmy Kimmel: Networks that only criticize him ‘not allowed to do that’ “

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5510784-trump-jimmy-kimmel-criticism/

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Article in Mediaite by Michael Luciano:  “FCC Commissioner Rebukes Agency’s Chair, Says ‘We Don’t Have the Authority’ To Retaliate Against Broadcasters”

ttps://www.mediaite.com/media/news/fcc-commissioner-rebukes-agencys-chair-says-we-dont-have-the-authority-to-retaliate-against-broadcasters/

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Article in Meidasnews by Aaron Parnas :  “Rep. Robert Garcia Launches Probe Into Trump Administration, ABC, and Sinclair – Oversight Ranking Member Denounces ‘Corrupt Schemes’ Amid Censorship Concerns”

https://meidasnews.com/news/rep-robert-garcia-launches-probe-into-trump-administration-abc-and-sinclair

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Article in AlterNet by Carl Gibson:” ‘Blatant assault on freedom of speech’: Colbert issues scathing takedown of ABC and Trump”

https://www.alternet.org/colbert-trump-kimmel/

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Article in Common Dreams by Julia Conley :   ” ‘Red Alert Moment’ for Free Speech as ABC Cowers to Trump FCC and Cancels Kimmel – These companies are turning the public airwaves into another propaganda arm of the Trump regime,’ said one critic.”

https://www.commondreams.org/news/jimmy-kimmel-show-canceled

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Article in Raw Story by Robert Reich:  “Trump just opened another front in his all-out war on U.S. media”

https://www.rawstory.com/trump-kimmel-2674006230/?utm_source=breaking

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Article in Poynter by Ellen Clegg:  “Opinion | Why unsigned newspaper editorials no longer work – The Boston Globe’s response to Charlie Kirk’s murder highlighted how anonymous editorials can sound hollow and out of touch”

https://www.poynter.org/commentary/2025/boston-globe-charlie-kirk-editorials-problem/

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Article in Media Matters by Matt Gertz:  “Jimmy Kimmel and the MAGA strong-arming of American media”

https://www.mediamatters.org/donald-trump/jimmy-kimmel-and-maga-strong-arming-american-media

Media in a Sea of Scandal

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Article in Media Matters by Matt Gertz, 9/1625

Headline:  “Another massive Trump corruption scandal for right-wing media to bury”

Subhead:  “How many orders of magnitude worse is Trump’s corruption than various Hunter Biden claims the right said justified his father’s impeachment: An investigation”

“. . .It goes without saying that the volume of coverage right-wing media outlets give to these shady deals won’t be proportionate — or even inversely proportionate — to what they provided for those Biden stories. Indeed, when House Democrats issued a report last year showing that China directed millions of dollars straight to Donald Trump’s businesses during Trump’s first term, Hannity promptly excused him and moved on. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.mediamatters.org/fox-news/another-massive-trump-corruption-scandal-right-wing-media-bury

Kancel Kulture Kimmel?

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Article in Free Press by Staff, 9/17/25

Headline: “Federal Censorship Commission Reaches New Low in Push to Force Jimmy Kimmel Off the Air”

“. . .The move followed threats Trump FCC Chairman Brendan Carr made in an interview with right-wing podcaster Benny Johnson. ‘We can do this the easy way or the hard way,’ Carr said. These companies can find ways to change conduct and take actions on Kimmel, or there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead’. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.freepress.net/news/federal-censorship-commission-reaches-new-low-push-force-jimmy-kimmel-air

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Article in Raw Story by Matthew Chapman, 9/17/25

Headline:  ” ‘Terrible’: Ex-White House strategist issues chilling alarm at Trump’s ‘media takeover ‘ “

“Former White House strategist Ben Rhodes sounded the alarm on MSNBC’s “All In” Wednesday evening, following the Trump administration’s successful strong-arming of ABC News into indefinitely suspending late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel’s show.

“Kimmel was yanked after he criticized how the media bent to pro-Trump narratives about right-wing activist Charlie Kirk following his assassination. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.rawstory.com/jimmy-kimmel-2674004901/

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Article in Daily Kos by Lisa Needham

Headline:  “Federal government forces Jimmy Kimmel off the air. RIP First Amendment.”

“Man, you gotta hand it to ABC. The speed with which it will knuckle under to President Donald Trump is really impressive.

“It took only a few hours for the powers that be to indefinitely sideline award-winning late-night host Jimmy Kimmel after the Trump administration expressed displeasure with Kimmel’s recent monologue. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/9/17/2344089/-Federal-government-forces-Jimmy-Kimmel-off-the-air-RIP-First-Amendment?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=top_news_slot_1&pm_medium=web

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Article in New York Times by By John KoblinMichael M. Grynbaum and Brooks Barne, 9/17/25

Headline: “ABC Pulls Jimmy Kimmel Off Air for Charlie Kirk Comments After F.C.C. Pressure”

Subhead: “Mr. Kimmel faced criticism from the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission for remarks about the motives of the man who is accused of killing Mr. Kirk, the conservative activist . . .”

Read the fill article at:

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/17/business/media/abc-jimmy-kimmel.html