The End of History – on the Media?

Article in New York Times by Mike Hale, 8/27/25

Headline:  “As PBS Stations Confront Cuts, American History Takes a Hit”

Subhead:   “The documentary series ‘American Experience’ begins an abbreviated schedule this week. A victim of the federal funding take-back, it has suspended production and laid off its staff.”

“The effect of the federal assault on public broadcasting in the United States has mostly been expressed in big numbers and dire forecasts: $1.1 billion taken back; the existence of more than 100 television and radio stations at risk.”

“But the cutbacks have already had one smaller, more immediate effect. WGBH, the bellwether public TV station in Boston, has laid off the 13 people who worked on the history series ‘American Experience’ and announced that no new documentaries will be produced for the show until further notice. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/27/arts/television/american-experience.html

Democracy Now! Documentary

 

Article in Democracy Now! by Nermeen Haikh, 8/29/25

Headline:  ” ‘Steal This Story, Please!’: Documentary on Democracy Now! Premieres at Telluride Film Festival”

“A new documentary, Steal This Story, Please!, which tells the personal story of Amy Goodman and her decadeslong career as an independent journalist, is premiering this Sunday at the Telluride Film Festival in Telluride, Colorado. The film highlights some of the monumental stories Democracy Now! has covered throughout the years and the importance of independent journalism. . .”

Read this article at:

https://www.democracynow.org/2025/8/29/steal_this_story_please

Available on Hulu

Tribal Radio Stations Need Funding


Article in Indian Country Today by Jenifer Shutt, 8/29/25

Headline:  “Tribal radio stations wait on $9M pledged in congressional handshake deal”

Subhead:  “South Dakota Republican Sen. Rounds is trusting the Trump administration to move $9.4 million in funding from an undisclosed account to more than two dozen tribal radio stations in rural areas”

“Tribal radio stations that are supposed to receive millions to fill the hole created when Congress eliminated funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting haven’t heard anything from the Trump administration about when it will send the money or how much in grants they’ll receive.

“Unlike most government spending deals, the handshake agreement South Dakota Republican Sen. Mike Rounds negotiated with the White House budget director in exchange for Rounds’ vote on the rescissions bill wasn’t placed in the legislation, so it never became law. . .”

https://ictnews.org/news/tribal-radio-stations-wait-on-9m-pledged-in-congressional-handshake-deal/

Need to Protect Journalists


Article in Columbia Journalism Review by Josh Hersh, 8/28/25

Headline:  “Hind Hassan Is Sorry We Didn’t Do More to Make Journalism Safe”

Subhead:  “ ‘We’re responsible for what our industry stands for,’ the documentary news reporter says.”

“Earlier this month, Hind Hassan, a decorated documentary news reporter who has covered everything from conflicts in Gaza, Lebanon, and Ukraine to the bizarre underworld of the global wellness industry, spoke at a graduation ceremony for students at Columbia Journalism School. . .”

“ ‘We’re responsible for what our industry stands for,’ she said. ‘I think it is the responsibility of the industry, of those who have the power, of heads of news organizations, to defend journalists when they come under attack, no matter where they are.’ . . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.cjr.org/kicker/hind-hassan-gaza-journalism-safety.php

Another One Bites the Dust?


Article in Poynter by Tom Jones, 8/29/25

Headline:  “Opinion | The Atlanta Journal-Constitution to end print, move to digital only in 2026″

Subhead: “After 157 years, of print, the AJC will focus on digital growth, promising top-notch journalism and a modern user experience”

“One of America’s best-known newspapers, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, made a stunning announcement on Thursday: it will stop publishing its print edition at the end of 2025 and start 2026 as a digital-only product.

“Andrew Morse, president and publisher of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, said in a statement, “The entire news industry is being upended by rapidly evolving technology and consumer behavior. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.poynter.org/commentary/2025/atlanta-journal-constitution-ends-print-newspaper/

Pro-Democracy Medium

Article in Status by Oliver Darcy, 8/29/25

Headline:  “The Democracy Rocket”

Subhead: “Marc Elias’ Democracy Docket has quietly become a pro-democracy media force, expanding its newsroom to 20 staffers as it surpasses 50,000 paid subscribers.”

“Earlier this month, Marc Elias, the prominent Democratic lawyer turned media entrepreneur, was at his home just outside Washington when the milestone arrived. The outlet he founded in 2020, Democracy Docket—a digital news organization that covers voting rights, elections, and the courts from an unapologetically pro-democracy standpoint—had been inching toward 50,000 paid subscribers. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.status.news/p/democracy-docket-marc-elias-newsletter

Controlling Foreign Press


Article in Daily Beast by Farrah Tomazin, 8/28/25

Headline:  “Trump Reveals Sinister New Plot for Curbing the Media”

Subhead:  “The administration says the changes would prevent the likelihood of ‘visa abuse.’ “

“President Donald Trump has moved to curb the number of foreign journalists who can work in America by significantly reducing the time they can stay in the country.

“After embarking on a mass deportation plan to get rid of illegal immigrants, the administration has now set its sights on legal immigration, with a dramatic shakeup of visas for members of the media, as well as students and cultural exchange visitors. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-reveals-sinister-new-plan-for-curbing-the-media/

Media Find Happy Warrior


Article in FAIR by Raina Lipsitz, 8/28/25

Headline:  “Media Like Newsom’s Fighting Words—But Are Words Enough to Beat Trump?”

“Corporate media outlets, and the consultants and former administration officials who work for them, have a message for Democratic voters: To revive its dwindling appeal, their party needs a fighter to take on Trump. And California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has lately made headlines for parodying Trump on X, is the man for the job. . .”

“Because corporate media outlets have taken Trump’s 2024 victory as evidence that the Democratic Party has moved too far left, they are eager to portray Newsom’s shifts as part of a commonsensical and pragmatic effort to broaden his appeal by tacking right. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://fair.org/home/media-like-newsoms-fighting-words-but-are-words-enough-to-beat-trump/

Did Media Panic?


Article in Mediaite by Ahmad Austin Jr., 8/28/25

Headline:  “CNBC Analyst Rips Media’s Trump Panic After Latest Jobs Report Turns Out Good: ‘Not Sending Any Smoke Signals’ “

“CNBC Analyst Rips Media’s Trump Panic After Latest Jobs Report Turns Out Good: ‘Not Sending Any Smoke Signals’ . . .”

“At the end of his report, Santelli noted how the drama surrounding President Donald Trump’s feud with the Federal Reserve — despite all the media attention — has had little impact on the economy itself. . .”

Read the ull article at:

https://www.mediaite.com/media/tv/cnbc-analyst-rips-medias-trump-panic-after-latest-jobs-report-turns-out-good-not-sending-any-smoke-signals/

Changing From Print to TV


Article in Poynter by Amaris Castillo, 8/27/25

Headline: “Can a print journalist become a TV reporter? Some face significant challenges. Others find success.”

Subhead: “Behind the scenes of a bold program at Scripps, the promise of reinvention collides with the realities of TV news culture.”

“Three years ago, The E.W. Scripps Company, one of the largest broadcast news organizations in the United States, prepared to launch an ambitious initiative. The Scripps Journalism Journey Initiative, a multiyear program with Google, was designed to transition experienced print journalists into broadcast news careers, at a time when local newspapers were closing and newsrooms were shrinking. . .

Read the full article at:

https://www.poynter.org/business-work/2025/scripps-jji-print-journalists-reinvent-careers-broadcast/