“Winning” Against the Media?

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Article in Poynter by Tom Jones, 3/17/26

Headline:  “Opinion | Trump is bragging about the damage he’s done to the press”

Subhead:  “In a Truth Social post, the president cited high-profile TV news exits, public media defunding and canceled shows as proof he is ‘winning’ “

“Lost in the midst of President Donald Trump’s constant complaining about media coverage of the war in Iran, as well as FCC commissioner Brendan Carr’s threats to networks, was a weekend post on Trump’s Truth Social that revealed just how much contempt the president has toward the press.

“In the remarkably distressing post, Trump bragged about the damage he has done to the media.

“Under a section called “Gone,” Trump boasted of how PBS and NPR have been defunded. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.poynter.org/commentary/2026/trump-truth-social-press-news-media/

Media – Obey or Else!

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Article in AP by David Bauder, 3/17/26

Headline:  “Trump team applying pressure to media: Tell the war’s story the way we see it”

“Through lectures, scoldings and outright threats, President Donald Trump and his aides are ratcheting up the pressure on journalists to cover the war in the Middle East the way the administration wants.

“The Republican president has fumed on social media about stories he doesn’t like and berated a reporter on Air Force One. The government’s top media regulator has warned that broadcasters risk losing their licenses if they don’t stay away from “fake news.” Trump and his defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, have questioned the patriotism of news outlets because of their reporting. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://apnews.com/article/trump-media-hegseth-carr-fcc-first-amendment-d8bba1bcfa09bd47a9e1523616be480c

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Article in Poynter by Tom Jones, 3/16/26

Headline:  “Opinion | Trump and his FCC chair are barking at the press. Even without a bite, the threat matters.”

Subhead: “FCC chair Brendan Carr is threatening broadcasters over Iran war coverage, though experts say revoking licenses would be legally difficult”

“. . .President Donald Trump has spent the past 10 years chipping away at the media — from sowing mistrust through his constant name-calling to suing networks over coverage he doesn’t like to outright kicking the press out of press conferences for even the silliest reasons, such as what to call the Gulf of Mexico. . .”

“And the latest to do the president’s bidding? Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr, who threatened TV networks because the president is unhappy with coverage of the U.S.’s involvement in Iran.

“On Saturday, Carr put out a dark message on social media, writing, in part, “Broadcasters that are running hoaxes and news distortions – also known as the fake news – have a chance now to correct course before their license renewals come up. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.poynter.org/commentary/2026/brendan-carr-fcc-threaten-pull-news-licenses/

Hegseth Patriotic Media

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Article in New Republic by Greg Sargent, 3/13/26

Headline: “Raging at Media, Pete Hegseth Just Said the Quiet Part Out Loud”

Subhead:  “He wants ‘patriotic’ coverage of the Iran war. He doesn’t understand: In a democracy, coverage that asks difficult questions of the government is itself ‘patriotic.’ ”

“Pete Hegseth wants to live in a world in which the American military can drop bombs on scores of schoolchildren and not face serious media scrutiny over it. And he just might get that world soon enough. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://newrepublic.com/article/207760/pete-hegseth-iran-war-patriotic-media-coverage

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Article in Mediaite by Kathryn Wilkens 3/13/26

Headline:  Newsmax Host Greg Kelly Rips Hegseth’s Iran ‘Trash Talk’: Save It for Your ‘Podcast Bros’

“In a Friday X post, Newsmax host Greg Kelly ripped Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over his “trash talk” amid the ongoing U.S. conflict with Iran, emphasizing that he should save that type of rhetoric for his ‘podcast bros.’. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.mediaite.com/online/newsmax-host-greg-kelly-rips-hegseths-iran-trash-talk-save-it-for-your-podcast-bros/

Circling Paramount Oscars

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Article in Free Press by Staff, 3/13/26

Headline:  “Free Press Circles the Oscars With a Mobile Billboard Protesting Paramount’s Terrible Takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery”

Subhead:  “Protest sign mockingly urges the Academy to consider David Ellison for ‘Best Performance in a Puppet Show’ — with President Trump holding the strings”

“. . . a mobile billboard parodying Paramount Skydance owner David Ellison will be circling the Dolby Theater, site of Sunday’s Academy Awards. The billboard is a roving protest of Ellison’s plans to take over Warner Bros. Discovery and transform the resulting media colossus into a mouthpiece for Donald Trump’s authoritarian agenda.

“The billboard urges members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to consider Ellison’s performance for the imaginary “Best Performance in a Puppet Show” category.. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.freepress.net/news/free-press-circles-oscars-mobile-billboard-protesting-paramounts-terrible-takeover-warner-bros

Media in Court – or Not?

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Article in Huffpost by Hannah Schoenbaum, 3/13/26

Headline:  “Utah Judge In Charlie Kirk Killing Case Weighs Media Access”

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The man accused of killing Charlie Kirk on a Utah college campus is due back in court Friday as a state judge weighs whether certain documents and proceedings should be open to the public.

The outcome will set the stage for an April hearing in which attorneys for Tyler Robinson will make their case to exclude TV cameras, microphones and photographers from the courtroom.

Judge Tony Graf has been weighing the public’s right to know details about the case against concerns by defense attorneys that the media attention could undermine Robinson’s right to a fair trial.

Read the full article at:

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/utah-judge-charlie-kirk-killing-case-weighs-media-access_n_69b415afe4b0676e64bf175a?origin=home-zone-c-unit

 

 

Fairness in Broadcasting?

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Article in Babylon Bee by Staff, 3/13/26

Headline: “To Save Time, CNN Will Now Run Retractions Simultaneously With News Stories”

“ATLANTA, GA — As part of the channel’s ongoing quest to ensure accurate media reporting, CNN has elected to run live retractions simultaneously with the news stories being reported at the time.

“Retractions will appear on an additional ticker at the bottom of the screen, retracting the usual live news updates with corrections of everything the on-screen anchor is saying. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://babylonbee.com/news/to-save-time-cnn-will-now-run-retractions-simultaneously-with-news-stories

Join or Fight AI?

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Article in Columbia Journalism Review by Stephen J. Adler, 3/13/26

Headline:  “How Journalists Can Make AI Work for Them”

Subhead:  “A framework for newsrooms to use AI in ways that don’t sacrifice quality or lessen oversight.”

“Ask a working journalist about AI, and you’re likely to hear a string of expletives, an indictment of tech companies, and—especially if the person is over fifty—a searing lament for times past.

“The use of AI in journalism has recently created controversy everywhere from the Cleveland Plain Dealer to the Associated Press, as many reporters have passionately disagreed with managers who have insisted on its value in reporting and drafting stories. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.cjr.org/analysis/how-journalists-can-make-ai-work-for-them.php

Strait-Jacketed News?

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Article in Media Matters by Matt Gertz, 3/13/26

Headline:  “Dire Strait: Trump’s Fox Cabinet ignored Hormuz in the month before the U.S. attacked Iran”

“It’s little wonder that President Donald Trump didn’t seem to worry about the Strait of Hormuz in planning his war of choice against Iran: His Fox News advisers utterly ignored the possibility that Iran could respond by closing that critical shipping lane as they urged the president to launch the attack last month.

“Roughly 20% of global crude oil and liquified natural gas, along with a ‘dominant’ share of global fertilizers, reach world markets by flowing from the Persian Gulf through the narrow strait between Iran and Oman and into the Indian Ocean. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.mediamatters.org/us-iran-relations/dire-strait-trumps-fox-cabinet-ignored-hormuz-month-us-attacked-iran

Demanding Good News

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Article in Rolling Stone by Nikki McCamm Ramirez, 3/13/26

Headline:  “Hegseth Demands Favorable Coverage As Iran Death Toll Increases”

Subhead:  “Following the death of six more American service members, the Secretary of Defense is stressing over negative headlines”

“The American death toll in the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran climbed to 13 on Friday, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth would like everyone to tell him he’s doing a very good job. . .”

” ‘More fake news from CNN. Reports that the Trump administration underestimated the Iran war‘s impact on the Strait of Hormuz. Patently ridiculous, of course,’ Hegseth said, referencing reporting that officials within the Defense Department had underestimated Iran’s willingness to blockade the critical commercial strait, causing wild fluctuations in global energy prices. Hegseth added that he looks forward to Trump-aligned billionaire David Ellison taking control of the network. . . ”

Read the full article at:

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/pete-hegseth-berates-press-iran-death-toll-1235530124/

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“Pete Hegseth attacks media for not being positive enough about US attacks on Iran”

“US defense head is eager to frame operation as a success – and slam journalists for not portraying it in a positive light”

More from The Guardian at:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/13/pete-hegseth-iran-was-us-press

After Purge, US Broadcasting Back?

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Article in Daily Beast by Cameron Adams, 3/12/26

Headline:  “Trump Picks New Propaganda Boss After MAGA Loser Kari Lake Ousted”

“Donald Trump has nominated a senior State Department official and free speech activist to oversee government broadcasters after the ousting of his previous appointee, Kari Lake.

“Sarah B. Rogers, who has been serving as Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy since October, was nominated as CEO for the U.S. Agency for Global Media in a court filing on Thursday, according to the Washington Post.

“The media agency oversees Voice of America and other government broadcasters, as well as funding international outlets including Radio Free Asia.

“Two-time failed gubernatorial candidate Lake was removed from the role after U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth, a Reagan administration nominee, ruled on Saturday that she had been running the agency in violation of the law, labelling her a “de facto” CEO. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-picks-new-propaganda-boss-after-maga-loser-kari-lake-ousted/