Media – Going, Going, Gone

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Article in Reporters Without Borders by Staff, 11/18/25

Headline:  “USA: 8 ways Trump is shrinking the space for press freedom – literally”

“The attacks against the press carried out by President Donald Trump since the start of his second term have increasingly stretched beyond rhetoric and policy and turned into physical limitations for journalists. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is highlighting eight ways the US administration is physically restricting journalists’ access to areas where they were previously free to report. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://rsf.org/en/usa-8-ways-trump-shrinking-space-press-freedom-literally

More Media Judgements?

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Article in Mediaite by Sean James, 11/19/25

Headline:  ” ‘They Will Win!’ Dan Abrams Urges Media Orgs To Fight Trump on ‘Meritless’ Lawsuits After CNN’s Court Victory”

“Dan Abrams urged media companies on Wednesday to punch back against President Donald Trump whenever he files a “ridiculous” lawsuit against them, because, as CNN just showed in court, “they will win!”

Abrams made his plea to outlets one day after a U.S. appeals court upheld the dismissal of a Trump lawsuit against CNN. The president sued the cable channel in 2022 for $475 million after several of its reporters referred to his claims that the 2020 presidential election was rigged as ‘The Big Lie.’. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.mediaite.com/politics/they-will-win-dan-abrams-urges-media-orgs-to-fight-trump-on-meritless-lawsuits-after-cnns-court-victory/

Where’s Media?

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Article in The Contrarian by Josh Levs, 11/19/25

Headline:  “Trump’s Epstein call is coming from inside the house”

Subhead:  “There’s something we know for certain, and the media is failing to convey it clearly.”

“When a House committee released some documents related to sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein last week, the overtly partisan media did what it always does: grab a few lines out of context and rush to sweeping conclusions. Mainstream media did what it always does, as well: find any morsels to play up in hopes of getting people to click, watch, listen, or read, even if it’s unclear what those morsels mean. So, yet again, the public has been subjected to a confusing morass in the news. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://contrarian.substack.com/p/trumps-epstein-call-is-coming-from

One Company – One Media?

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Article in Freepress by Staff, 11/19/25

Headline:  “Proposed Nexstar-Tegna Merger Is Blatant Violation of the Law Prohibiting One Company from Too Much Control of Local Airwaves”

Subhead:  “The $6.2 billion deal would also violate the FCC’s few remaining local-ownership limits in nearly 30 markets. In some, it would leave Nexstar in control of three of the top-four-ranked stations.”

“On Tuesday, Nexstar Media Group announced that it had filed an application with the Federal Communications Commission seeking agency approval to acquire Tegna, Inc.’s broadcast licenses in a proposed $6.2 billion deal first reported in August. . .”

If approved, the deal would combine the nation’s largest television-station conglomerate with its fourth largest. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.freepress.net/news/proposed-nexstar-tegna-merger-blatant-violation-law-prohibiting-one-company-too-much-control

War and Media

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Article in FAIR by Ricardo Vaz, 11/19/25

Headline: “Corporate Media Parrot Dubious Drug Claims That Justify War on Venezuela”

“. . .Over the years, Western media have endorsed Washington’s Venezuela regime-change efforts at every turn, from cheerleading coup attempts to whitewashing deadly sanctions (FAIR.org, 6/13/22, 6/4/21, 1/22/20). Now, with a possible military operation that could have disastrous consequences, corporate outlets are making little effort to hold the US government accountable. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://fair.org/home/corporate-media-parrot-dubious-drug-claims-that-justify-war-on-venezuela/

FCM Meeting & Potluck

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The regular meeting of Friends of Community Media will be held at 5 PM CST on Saturday 11/22/25 at 3707 Pennsylvania Avenue.  A potluck (hot dogs / beverages provided) will follow later  with a possible film about the media / backyard fire.

For more information / inquiries, email to savethemedia@cs.com

Networks Have Broadcast Licenses?

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Article in The Hill by Dominick Mastrangelo, 11/18/25

Headline:  “Trump threatens ABC News broadcast license after reporter asks about Epstein “

“President Trump attacked an ABC News reporter Tuesday after she asked about the Epstein files, threatening to have the network taken off the air for questioning him about the controversy. . .”

Read the full story at:

https://thehill.com/homenews/media/5611057-president-trump-threatens-abc/

Eating All the Media?

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Article in Poynter by Al Tompkins, 11/18/25

Headline: “Scripps tells staff a Sinclair takeover isn’t a done deal, even after surprise stock purchase”

“Scripps Broadcasting president and CEO Adam Symson told employees Monday that a takeover by rival Sinclair Broadcasting is far from a done deal, even after Sinclair announced it had purchased more than 8% of Scripps stock and had been in merger talks for months. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.poynter.org/business-work/2025/scripps-tells-staff-a-sinclair-takeover-is-unlikely-despite-surprise-stock-purchase/

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Article in Status by Oliver Darcy, 11/18/25

Headline: “The War for Warners”

Subhead:  “Paramount, Comcast, and Netflix are preparing final bids for Warner Bros. Discovery’s assets, setting up a high-stakes showdown that will reorder the media landscape”

“. . . Variety had reported, and then largely walked back, that Paramount had ‘formed an investment consortium with the sovereign wealth funds of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi’ to pursue a bid for Warner Bros. Discovery. . .”

“What is accurate is that Paramount is preparing its final bid for WBD, which Ellison still hopes to swallow whole despite David Zaslav’s best efforts to beat back the takeover. . .

Read the full article at:

https://www.status.news/p/warner-bros-discovery-bids-paramount-comcast-netflix

Not “Pure Enough” Now?

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Article in Media Matters by John Knefel, 11/14/25

Headline:  “MAGA media figures are furious over Trump’s immigration apostasy”

Subhead:  “The president’s comments on H-1B visas were “a little hard to stomach,” said one Fox News host.”

“. . .For years, Trump has benefited from a symbiotic relationship with his hardcore supporters in right-wing media, allowing him to achieve narrative dominance that extends beyond conservative spaces. Now he’s showing signs of faltering; even Trump isn’t nativist enough for the top influencers on the right.

“The current feud stems from Trump’s Tuesday interview with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham, during which the president defended the H-1B visa program, which allows employers to sponsor foreign-born workers for some high-skilled jobs. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.mediamatters.org/immigration/maga-media-figures-are-furious-over-trumps-immigration-apostasy

Media Looking Away?

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Article in FAIR by Ari Paul, 11/17/25

Headline:  “For NYT, Trump’s Gulf Corruption Is the New Normal”

“. . .It is a hallmark of corrupt societies that institutions like the media simply accept that payoffs and the personal business interests of politicians supersede public service. A good example of this casual resignation to a corrupt regime came from the New York Times (11/15/25) under the headline ‘Trump Organization Is Said to Be in Talks on a Saudi Government Real Estate Deal.’ ”

Read the full article at:

https://fair.org/home/for-nyt-trumps-gulf-corruption-is-the-new-normal/