"Monitoring threats to free media in the United States - International Press Institute (Last UPDATED: September 24, 2026)",,,,,,,,,,
Data corresponds with entries in the IPI timeline: /us-media-freedom-timeline,,,,,,,,,,
DATE,HEADLINE,SUMMARY,ACTOR,Source 1,Source 2,Source 3,Source 4,Source 5,Source 6,Source 7
November 6 2024,Trump wins 2024 election,"Trump wins the 2024 election. On the campaign trail, he continued his long-standing attacks on the press. ",Donald Trump,,,,,,,
December 14 2024,ABC settles Trump defamation lawsuit for $16 million,"ABC News agrees to settle a lawsuit filed by Trump over anchor George Stephanopoulos’s on-air comments about a sexual abuse case against him. $15 million of the $16 million settlement payment is directed to Trump’s presidential library. There are very few regulations governing what kinds of funds can be donated to presidential libraries, raising concerns among members of Congress that donations could be used to “secure favorable outcomes” from Trump. ABC’s decision to settle — despite agreement among legal experts that Trump was unlikely to win the case — drew criticism that the network was seeking to curry favor with the incoming administration. Commenting on the settlement, an anonymous ABC executive told CNN “this problem needed to go away.”",Donald Trump,"Associated Press, https://apnews.com/article/abc-trump-lawsuit-defamation-stephanopoulos-04aea8663310af39ae2a85f4c1a56d68","CourtListener (court filing), https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.664183/gov.uscourts.flsd.664183.1.0_5.pdf","Congress.gov, https://www.congress.gov/crs_external_products/R/PDF/R40209/R40209.5.pdf","Office of Sen. Elizabeth Warren, https://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/new-warren-report-exposes-potential-trump-corruption-bribery-through-presidential-library-donations/","CBS News, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-suing-abc-news-george-stephanopoulos-defamation/","Axios, https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-am-77f0fb70-c0b5-11ef-bbf5-41746dcfe460?","CNN, https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/16/media/george-stephanopoulos-trump-settlement-abc"
December 16 2024,Trump sues the Des Moines Register over election poll,"Trump files a lawsuit against the Des Moines Register and Iowa pollster Ann Selzer claiming ""brazen election interference"" over a poll released several days before the 2024 election that showed Kamala Harris leading Trump in Iowa by three points. The Des Moines Register’s parent company, Gannet, said it stood by its reporting. The lawsuit was dismissed nearly two years later by an Iowa judge who said allowing the suit to proceed risked creating a chilling effect on “reporting and debating public affairs.”",Donald Trump,"CourtListener (court filing), https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.iasd.89411/gov.uscourts.iasd.89411.1.1.pdf","The Washington Post, https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/media/2024/12/17/trump-des-moines-register-ann-selzer-lawsuit/","The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/23/us/politics/des-moines-register-trump-lawsuit.html",,,,
January 20 2025,Big Tech backs Trump at inauguration,"Top tech leaders are given seats typically reserved for family and past presidents at Trump's inauguration. Attendees include X and Tesla's Elon Musk, Meta's Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeff Bezos, the billionaire owner of the Washington Post, along with other social media and AI executives. Several in attendance own or control major news outlets and the platforms through which most Americans encounter news. It comes as journalists and press freedom groups raise concerns about the future of human-powered journalism, the growing role of AI in news production and distribution, and the use of surveillance technology against journalists.",Corporate,"Associated Press, https://apnews.com/article/trump-inauguration-tech-billionaires-zuckerberg-musk-wealth-0896bfc3f50d941d62cebc3074267ecd","The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/01/20/us/politics/trump-inauguration-attendees.html","TheWrap, https://www.thewrap.com/media-platforms/journalism/reuters-editor-ai-existential-threat-to-journalism/","Le Monde, https://www.lemonde.fr/en/economy/article/2026/08/11/how-ai-poses-a-threat-to-journalism-already-weakened-by-20-years-of-digital-upheaval_6756369_19.html?srsltid=AU7gw4V3etNnoEXnnu7etMV_ADUUo_p0irTio-vHGlP6I1Rs7SN7yRZO","International Press Institute, /ipi-general-assembly-resolution-in-the-age-of-ai-human-made-journalism-must-be-prioritized-and-protected/","Committee to Protect Journalists, https://cpj.org/special-reports/how-mass-surveillance-from-online-advertising-puts-journalists-at-risk/",
January 20 2025,Trump issues executive order on free speech,"The day of his inauguration, Trump releases an executive order pledging to “restore freedom of speech” and end “federal censorship,” raising alarms among legal experts that the order could be used to justify government interference in the public and private sector.",White House,"The White House, https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/restoring-freedom-of-speech-and-ending-federal-censorship/","Just Security, https://www.justsecurity.org/106608/free-speech-executive-order/",,,,,
January 22 2025,"FCC revives dismissed complaints against ABC, CBS, and NBC","Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr reopens previously closed inquiries into ABC, CBS, and NBC following complaints filed by the conservative Center for American Rights over the networks’ coverage of the 2024 election and Trump’s own call for ABC’s licenses to be revoked. The complaints, which allege violations of the FCC’s rarely enforced policy against news distortion and the equal-time rule, were dismissed by the previous FCC chairwoman as “fundamentally at odds with the First Amendment.”",FCC,"Deadline, https://deadline.com/2025/01/fcc-complaints-trump-cbs-nbc-abc-1236263995/","USA Today, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/09/12/trump-abc-debate-dispute/75196601007/","Ars Technica, https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/04/trumps-fcc-chair-invokes-rarely-enforced-news-distortion-policy-to-punish-media/","Deseret News, https://www.deseret.com/entertainment/2026/02/20/fcc-brendan-carr-stephen-colbert-equal-time/?","The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/22/fcc-reinstates-complaints-abc-cbs-nbc",,
January 29 2025,"FCC chairman launches investigation into NPR, PBS","In a letter to NPR and PBS, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announces an FCC investigation into how NPR and PBS recognize financial sponsors on air, a decades-long practice that NPR’s president says complies with federal regulations. In his letter, Carr urges Congress to discontinue funding for NPR and PBS.",FCC,"The New York Times, https://static01.nyt.com/newsgraphics/documenttools/340343f285781674/6da3eb69-full.pdf","NPR, https://www.npr.org/2025/01/30/g-s1-45619/statement-from-npr-president-and-ceo-katherine-maher",,,,,
January 31 2025,Pentagon removes major news outlets from office spaces,"In a memo, the Pentagon announces a new “rotation program” for its press corps, directing several legacy outlets to vacate their longstanding office spaces and rotating in One America News Network, the New York Post, Breitbart, and HuffPost. A week later, the Pentagon replaced four more outlets with the Washington Examiner, the Free Press, the Daily Caller, and Newsmax. The Pentagon Press Association expressed concern about the “singling out” of “highly professional media who have covered the Pentagon for decades.”",Pentagon,"X, https://x.com/KellieMeyerNews/status/1885685584141721849?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1885685584141721849%7Ctwgr%5E9cb6b30de58dc2d5bf81badb3f30a09210df4bfa%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.businessinsider.com%2Fpentagon-defense-department-hegseth-media-access-new-york-times-nbc-2025-2","NBC News, https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/pentagon-removes-major-media-outlets-nbc-news-dedicated-workstations-p-rcna190276","Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/world/us/pentagon-doubles-number-news-outlets-rotate-out-office-spaces-2025-02-08/",,,,
February 11 2025,White House bars Associated Press reporter from Oval Office,"The White House bars an Associated Press (AP) reporter from accessing an Oval Office event. The AP said the decision was meant to “punish” the outlet for its refusal to change its style guidance following a Trump executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. Later reports also tied the ban to the AP’s refusal to give Trump the rights to an AP photo taken after he was shot at a 2024 campaign event. Following Trump’s announcement that the AP would continue to be barred from presidential events, the AP sued three Trump administration officials for violating the outlet’s First Amendment rights.",White House,"International Press Institute, /u-s-ipi-urges-trump-administration-to-end-ap-restrictions/","Associated Press, https://www.ap.org/the-definitive-source/announcements/ap-statement-on-oval-office-access/","The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/12/us/politics/trump-free-speech.html","Associated Press, https://apnews.com/article/trump-ap-white-house-press-corps-pool-91535a6384d681fee1cd7e384ea6c627","NPR, https://www.npr.org/2025/02/21/nx-s1-5305226/ap-sues-white-house-gulf-of-america-mexico-trump",,
February 11 2025,FCC announces investigation into Comcast and NBCUniversal,"FCC Chairman Brendan Carr informs Comcast and NBCUniversal that the FCC would investigate whether the companies were “promoting invidious forms of DEI [diversity, equity and inclusion].” Carr references an executive order signed by the president three weeks earlier, which intends to root out DEI practices in the private sector.",FCC,"Federal Communications Commission, https://www.fcc.gov/sites/default/files/Chairman-Carr-Letter%20to-Comcast-02112025.pdf","The White House, https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/ending-illegal-discrimination-and-restoring-merit-based-opportunity/",,,,,
February 25 2025,White House announces changes to press pool,"Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announces the White House will determine the makeup of the traveling press pool that covers the president rather than the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA), which historically rotated positions in the press pool among its members. In a statement, the WHCA said the new policy “suggests the government will choose the journalists who cover the president.”",White House,"Politico, https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/25/trump-white-house-press-pool-access-00206001","White House Correspondents Association, https://whca.press/2025/02/25/whca-statement-on-white-house-announcement-on-press-pool/",,,,,
February 26 2025,Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos announces new direction for paper's opinion section,"In a company-wide memo, Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos announces new guidance for the newspaper’s opinion section, which he says will now focus on supporting personal liberties and free markets. The decision to narrow the scope of opinions expressed signaled a distinct departure from the newspaper’s traditional stance hosting viewpoints from across the political spectrum.",Corporate,"X, https://x.com/JeffBezos/status/1894757287052362088","The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/26/business/media/washington-post-bezos-shipley.html?eafs_enabled=false",,,,,
March 14 2025,"Trump administration orders the closure of Voice of America, U.S. international broadcasters","In a late-night executive order, the Trump administration effectively orders the elimination of the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees congressionally funded U.S. international broadcasters, including Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), and Radio Free Asia, which provide news to audiences in countries without access to a free press. Following the executive order, more than 1,000 employees were put on leave and grants to USAGM-funded networks were terminated, sparking several court cases.",White House,"The White House, https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/continuing-the-reduction-of-the-federal-bureaucracy/","Associated Press, https://apnews.com/article/trump-voice-of-america-cuts-3faf72e620dbc5f42e5508a2b9d8c8da","International Press Institute, /ipi-condemns-dismantling-of-voa-rfe-rl-and-rfa/","Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/trump-signs-order-gut-voice-america-other-agencies-2025-03-15/","NPR, https://www.npr.org/2025/03/15/nx-s1-5329244/bloody-saturday-voiceofamerica-radio-free-asia-europe-trump-kari-lake","Save VOA, https://savevoa.com/documents/Widakuswara-v-Lake_01-Complaint.pdf","CourtListener (court filing), https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69752936/rferl-inc-v-lake/"
March 27 2025,"FCC announces investigation into Disney, ABC","In a letter to the CEO of Disney, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announces an investigation into Disney and ABC over concerns that the companies were “promoting invidious forms of DEI [diversity, equity and inclusion] discrimination” in their hiring practices. The move follows Carr’s January 2025 decision to reopen a previously dismissed FCC complaint against ABC, and Trump’s own calls to revoke ABC’s broadcast licenses.",FCC,"Federal Communications Commission, https://www.fcc.gov/sites/default/files/Carr-Letter-to-Disney-DEI-03252027.pdf","Deadline, https://deadline.com/2025/01/fcc-complaints-trump-cbs-nbc-abc-1236263995/","USA Today, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/09/12/trump-abc-debate-dispute/75196601007/",,,,
April 25 2025,Justice Department voids policy protecting journalists from records seizure,"In a memo reversing a Biden-era policy protecting journalists, Attorney General Pam Bondi allows the government to once again issue subpoenas, search warrants, and other court orders to compel the testimony or phone records of reporters as part of government leak investigations. The Bondi memo said that the government would only seek reporters’ communications after the attorney general determined other investigative methods had been exhausted, but did not elaborate on how such determinations would be made.",DOJ,"Associated Press, https://apnews.com/article/politics-business-government-and-politics-67ac2f4f96b2dfd7f47446662e59ec6e","The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/25/us/politics/leak-investigations-media.html","Associated Press, https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-subpoenas-journalists-leaks-investigations-0d5745648eb935a89af1529e08536b9d",,,,
April 28 2025,Legal fight sparked after Trump seeks to fire public broadcasting board members,"Trump moves to fire three of the five members of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) board. CPB was a private corporation created by Congress to oversee public media with “maximum protection from extraneous interference and control.” The move prompted a lawsuit from the CPB arguing that Trump lacked the legal authority to fire its board members. In removing a majority of the CPB’s board, and consequently its quorum, Trump would effectively hamstring the operations of the organization, which provides federal funding to U.S. public broadcasters NPR and PBS. The lawsuit was later dismissed following the CPB’s August 2025 decision to dissolve the organization after being defunded by Congress.",White House,"NPR, https://www.npr.org/2025/04/29/nx-s1-5381045/cpb-board-members-trump-lawsuit-npr-pbs","DocumentCloud, https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25921425-cpb-v-trump-complaint/","International Press Institute, /us-alarm-bill-slashing-1-billion-budgeted-cpb/","Current, https://current.org/2026/01/judge-dismisses-pending-cpb-lawsuits-as-corporation-dissolves/",,,
April 30 2025,Trump marks 100 days in office with an attack on the press,"Marking Trump’s 100th day in office, the White House releases a lengthy statement titled “100 DAYS OF HOAXES: Cutting Through the Fake News,” which details an alleged list of “some of the most egregious hoaxes peddled” by news outlets such as CNN, NBC, NPR, and the New York Times.",White House,"The White House, https://www.whitehouse.gov/releases/2025/04/100-days-of-hoaxes-cutting-through-the-fake-news/",,,,,,
May 1 2025,"Trump issues executive order halting funding for NPR, PBS","In a midnight executive order, Trump directs the CPB, a private corporation created by Congress to oversee the development of public broadcasting, to cease all direct and indirect federal funding to NPR and PBS, alleging ideological bias at the publicly-funded broadcasters, which receive a mix of federal and private funding. The move came amid Trump’s attempts to remove a majority of the CPB’s board, which requires a quorum to take action. A federal judge later ruled the order unconstitutional, writing that “it is difficult to conceive of clearer evidence that a government action is targeted at viewpoints that the President does not like and seeks to squelch.”",White House,"The White House, https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/05/ending-taxpayer-subsidization-of-biased-media/","Cornell Legal Information Institute, https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/47/396","The White House, https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/05/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-ends-the-taxpayer-subsidization-of-biased-media/","NPR, https://www.npr.org/2025/05/02/nx-s1-5384790/trump-orders-end-to-federal-funding-for-npr-and-pbs","PBS, https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/judge-blocks-trumps-executive-order-to-end-federal-funding-for-pbs-and-npr",,
May 23 2025,Pentagon imposes escort requirement for journalists ,"In a memo, the Pentagon announces a new policy requiring journalists to be accompanied by an escort in several parts of the building, including the Secretary’s office, ending decades of precedent under previous administrations. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said the change was necessary to reduce “unauthorized disclosures.”",Pentagon,"X, https://x.com/SecWar/status/1926020350191567308/photo/2",,,,,,
July 1 2025,Paramount announces plan to settle $16 million lawsuit,"CBS parent company Paramount announces its decision to pay Trump $16 million to settle a personal lawsuit he filed over a 60 Minutes edit of a 2024 interview with Kamala Harris. The payment will be allocated to Trump’s future presidential library, which operates under fewer legal restrictions than a political campaign. Several Democratic lawmakers explicitly called the settlement a “bribe” intended to pave the way for federal approval of Paramount’s multibillion-dollar merger with Skydance Media. Legal experts agreed that Trump would not have prevailed in court. As part of an effort to hasten a settlement, Ellison reportedly pledged to spend as much as $20 million in public service announcements (PSAs) “to promote causes supported by the president.” Paramount denied knowledge of such a deal.",Donald Trump,"CourtListener (court filing), https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.txnd.396451/gov.uscourts.txnd.396451.1.0.pdf","CBS News, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-presidential-library-fundraising/?","Office of Sen. Elizabeth Warren, https://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warren-calls-for-investigation-into-paramount-settlement-with-trump","International Press Institute, /united-states-paramounts-settlement-trump-60-minutes-interview/","New York Post, https://nypost.com/2025/07/02/media/how-secret-side-deal-helped-seal-paramounts-16m-settlement-with-trump/",,
July 15 2025,Federal government files lawsuit against three CPB board members,The Justice Department files a lawsuit against three members of the CPB’s board “for refusing to vacate their offices” after the president moved to fire them in April 2025. The lawsuit was dismissed following the CPB’s August 2025 decision to dissolve the organization after being defunded by Congress.,DOJ,"US Department of Justice, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-files-complaint-against-former-members-corporation-public-broadcasting","Current, https://current.org/2026/01/judge-dismisses-pending-cpb-lawsuits-as-corporation-dissolves/",,,,,
July 17 2025,“The Late Show” canceled after Stephen Colbert comments,"CBS announces it will cancel Stephen Colbert’s long-running late-night talk show. The announcement came three days after Colbert called Paramount’s legal settlement with Trump a “big fat bribe,” echoing similar concerns raised by some Democrats about political interference at the network. CBS denied the accusations, saying financial reasons were behind the decision to cancel the show. The cancellation comes as CBS owner Paramount Global awaits federal regulatory approval for its multibillion-dollar merger with Skydance Media. Trump had previously called for Colbert’s show to be canceled in a social media post, saying “CBS should terminate his contract.”",Corporate,"Politico, https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/22/donald-trump-colbert-jon-stewart-reaction-00467249","Forbes, https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2025/07/18/cbss-cancellation-of-colberts-late-show-called-out-by-democrats-and-trump-critics/","The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/18/business/media/stephen-colbert-late-show-cbs.html","Truth Social (archive), https://www.trumpstruth.org/?cursor=eyJzdGF0dXNfY3JlYXRlZF9hdCI6IjIwMjQtMDktMjQgMTg6MjQ6NDUiLCJfcG9pbnRzVG9OZXh0SXRlbXMiOmZhbHNlfQ&utm_source=chatgpt.com",,,
July 18 2025,Trump files $10 billion defamation lawsuit against Wall Street Journal,"Trump files a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the owners of the Wall Street Journal and two reporters over the paper’s publication of an article disclosing what appeared to be a birthday message sent by Trump to Jeffrey Epstein in 2003. Trump denies authoring the card. After the lawsuit was dismissed by a judge, Trump amended and refiled the suit in May 2026.",Donald Trump,"CourtListener (court filing), https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.693830/gov.uscourts.flsd.693830.1.0_3.pdf","The Wall Street Journal, https://www.wsj.com/politics/trump-jeffrey-epstein-birthday-letter-we-have-certain-things-in-common-f918d796?mod=article_inline",,,,,
July 18 2025,Congress rescinds CPB funding,"The Trump administration claws back $1.8 billion in previously allocated funding for the CPB, which provides federal funding to NPR and PBS, via a rarely used mechanism known as “rescission.” Republican lawmakers who approved the rescission package cited the need to reduce “waste, fraud, and abuse,” and echoed Trump’s claims of liberal bias at the public news stations. The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 had recommended the complete elimination of the CPB.",White House,"International Press Institute, /us-alarm-bill-slashing-1-billion-budgeted-cpb/","Associated Press, https://apnews.com/article/pbs-npr-budget-cuts-trump-republicans-b0044285659ab708e23eb2dc2f3eabfa","The White House, https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/05/ending-taxpayer-subsidization-of-biased-media/","Internet Archive, https://web.archive.org/web/20231116113522/https://thf_media.s3.amazonaws.com/project2025/2025_MandateForLeadership_FULL.pdf",,,
July 22 2025,Paramount pays Trump $16 million ,"Trump announces on social media he received Paramount’s $16 million payment settling his defamation lawsuit against CBS. The payment was to be allocated to Trump’s presidential library, which operates under fewer legal restrictions than a political campaign. Trump also says he expects to receive $20 million more in advertising deals “from the new owners,” an apparent reference to David Ellison’s pending acquisition of Paramount Global, which owns CBS.",Donald Trump,"Truth Social, https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114898229237459086","NBC News, https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/top-trump-adviser-gets-involved-fight-win-presidential-library-site-he-rcna195474","CBS News, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-presidential-library-fundraising/?",,,,
July 24 2025,FCC approves Paramount-Skydance merger ,"Skydance Media’s $8 billion merger with Paramount Global, which owns CBS News, is approved after FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said Skydance, which is owned by David Ellison, had provided written commitments pledging not to pursue any initiatives related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and to adopt measures to “root out the bias” at CBS. The approval came months after the FCC’s informal review deadline lapsed in May 2026. Carr repeatedly denied that the FCC’s delayed merger review was related to Trump’s then-ongoing legal fight with CBS News. As settlement talks progressed, Ellison reportedly agreed to spend up to $20 million in PSAs “to promote causes supported by the president” should the deal close. Paramount denied knowledge of such a deal.",FCC,"Federal Communications Commission, https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-413229A1.pdf","Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/trump-says-he-received-16-million-payment-after-paramount-lawsuit-settlement-2025-07-22/","Deadline, https://deadline.com/2025/05/fcc-chief-paramount-skydance-donald-trump-cbs-60-minutes-lawsuit-1236385944/","New York Post, https://nypost.com/2025/07/02/media/how-secret-side-deal-helped-seal-paramounts-16m-settlement-with-trump/",,,
July 29 2025,FCC announces second investigation into Comcast and NBCUniversal,"In a letter, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr informs Comcast and NBCUniversal that the FCC will be examining Comcast's relationship with its local broadcast affiliate stations to ensure “compliance with FCC regulations as well as the public interest standard.” Anna Gomez, the FCC’s only Democratic commissioner, has criticized the FCC for “twisting the public interest to mean whatever it wants in order to kill broadcasters' free speech."" Carr had previously sent a letter outlining similar concerns to the CEO of Disney, which owns ABC, before he was named chairman of the FCC.",FCC,"Deadline, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Chairman-Carr-Letter-to-Comcast-FINAL-7.29.25.pdf","Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/trumps-fcc-chair-carr-uses-old-powers-new-ways-rein-media-companies-2025-09-19/","Federal Communications Commission, https://www.fcc.gov/sites/default/files/Carr-Letter-to-Disney-12212024.pdf",,,,
August 1 2025,CPB announces it will shutter after being defunded by Congress,"The CPB announces it will close down after more than 50 years in operation following the Trump administration’s rescission of its congressional funding. In a statement, the CPB board said that in choosing to dissolve the organization, they hoped to prevent a “dormant and defunded” CPB from becoming “vulnerable to future political manipulation or misuse.”",White House,"PBS, https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/cpb-says-it-is-shutting-down-after-being-defunded-by-congress-targeted-by-trump","Columbia Journalism Review, https://www.cjr.org/analysis/what-the-dissolution-of-the-corporation-for-public-broadcasting-means.php",,,,,
September 8 2025,"David Ellison appoints ombudsman to ""evaluate bias"" at CBS","Under the new ownership of David Ellison, CBS News appoints a conservative ombudsman to “evaluate complaints of bias” at the network, per the FCC’s terms in approving the Paramount-Skydance merger. The new ombudsman, Kenneth Weinstein, does not have an extensive background in journalism; he is a former chief executive of the Hudson Institute, a conservative think tank, and donated to Trump’s 2024 campaign. Earlier in the week, CBS changed its rules regarding how it edits political interviews on “Face the Nation” in response to direct criticism from the Trump administration.",Corporate,"The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/08/business/media/cbs-news-ombudsman-kenneth-weinstein.html","Federal Communications Commission, https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-413229A1.pdf","Associated Press, https://apnews.com/article/paramount-trump-ombudsman-journalism-cbs-news-56e68f08389e30b49360d73c018f8e7c","The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/05/business/cbs-face-the-nation-editing-rules.html",,,
September 11 2025,Paramount reportedly considering bid for Warner Bros.,"Reports emerge that Paramount Skydance is planning to submit a bid, backed by David and Larry Ellison, to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery. The proposed merger would put CBS News and CNN under the combined ownership of the Ellison family.",Corporate,"The Wall Street Journal, https://www.wsj.com/business/media/paramount-skydance-prepares-ellison-backed-bid-for-warner-bros-discovery-0b921c20?mod=author_content_page_1_pos_1",,,,,,
September 15 2025,Trump files $15 billion defamation lawsuit against the New York Times,"Trump files a defamation lawsuit against the New York Times, including four reporters, requesting $15 billion in damages for a book and articles published in the lead-up to the 2024 presidential election which examined Trump’s business dealings and his rise to fame. The lawsuit was dismissed days after it was filed. The judge called the complaint “improper and impermissible.” Trump was given a chance to amend and refile the suit, which he did in October 2025.",Donald Trump,"CourtListener (court filing), https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flmd.447437/gov.uscourts.flmd.447437.1.0.pdf","NBC News, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/donald-trumps-15-billion-new-york-lawsuit-struck-federal-judge-rcna232479","The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/19/business/media/trump-new-york-times-lawsuit.html",,,,
September 17 2025,Broadcast groups preempt Jimmy Kimmel Live! following FCC threats,"Sinclair Broadcast Group and Nexstar Media Group announce they will preempt Jimmy Kimmel Live! from their ABC affiliate stations “indefinitely” following Kimmel’s commentary on Charlie Kirk’s death. The move came hours after FCC Chairman Brendan Carr threatened Disney, ABC’s parent company, to take measures against Kimmel or face FCC action, saying: “we can do this the easy way or the hard way.” At the time, Nexstar was awaiting FCC approval for its $6 billion acquisition of Tegna Inc.",Corporate,"Sinclair Broadcast Group, https://sbgi.net/sinclair-says-kimmel-suspension-is-not-enough-calls-on-fcc-and-abc-to-take-additional-action/","Nexstar Media Group, https://www.nexstar.tv/nexstar-abc-affiliates-to-preempt-jimmy-kimmel-live-indefinitely-beginning-tonight/","NOTUS, https://www.notus.org/media/abc-disney-jimmy-kimmel-fcc-chair-brendan-carr-nexstar",,,,
September 17 2025,ABC suspends Jimmy Kimmel Live! ,"The same day that Sinclair Broadcast Group and Nexstar Media Group announce they will preempt Jimmy Kimmel Live! following Kimmel’s commentary on Charlie Kirk’s death, ABC announces its own decision to indefinitely suspend the show. ABC’s announcement was praised by Trump. The decision was made hours after FCC Chairman Brendan Carr threatened Disney, ABC’s parent company, to take measures against Kimmel or face FCC action. Republican Senator Ted Cruz called Carr’s remarks “dangerous as hell” and said Carr was acting like ""a mafioso.""",Corporate,"Sinclair Broadcast Group, https://sbgi.net/sinclair-says-kimmel-suspension-is-not-enough-calls-on-fcc-and-abc-to-take-additional-action/","Nexstar Media Group, https://www.nexstar.tv/nexstar-abc-affiliates-to-preempt-jimmy-kimmel-live-indefinitely-beginning-tonight/","The Hill, https://thehill.com/homenews/media/5509204-trump-celebrates-kimmel-suspension/","NOTUS, https://www.notus.org/media/abc-disney-jimmy-kimmel-fcc-chair-brendan-carr-nexstar","BBC, https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1kwzgrwdd0o",,
September 19 2025,Pentagon announces new rules on press access ,"The Pentagon announces new rules barring journalists from accessing the Pentagon building unless they agreed not to publish classified or unclassified information not specifically cleared by agency officials. The next month, nearly 50 journalists turned in their Pentagon press passes after refusing to sign the new policy. Shortly after, the Pentagon announced a new, “next generation” press corps made up of right-wing outlets that had agreed to the Pentagon’s rules. The New York Times filed a lawsuit challenging the new rules.",Pentagon,"Politico, https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/19/pentagon-limits-access-journalists-00574227","NPR, https://www.npr.org/2025/10/15/nx-s1-5574312/journalists-to-turn-in-press-passes-after-news-outlets-reject-new-pentagon-rules","X, https://x.com/SeanParnellASW/status/1981048206923329719","Associated Press, https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-media-rules-new-press-corps-b14b8cef6ba63cdac17c8ffac375e615","The New York Times, https://static01.nyt.com/newsgraphics/documenttools/b8e696e67f82a5b6/b09267cf-full.pdf",,
October 6 2025,David Ellison installs new editorial leadership at CBS,"Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison, whose company owns CBS News, announces the network has bought The Free Press and appoints the digital media outlet’s co-founder, Bari Weiss, as CBS’ editor-in-chief. Weiss has no background in broadcast TV. In the newly created position, Ellison says Weiss will report directly to him and “shape editorial priorities” at CBS in line with Ellison’s promises to the FCC to “root out the bias” at the network. Reacting to the appointment, CBS staffers expressed concerns about Weiss’s “political agenda.”",Corporate,"CBS News, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bari-weiss-editor-in-chief-cbs-news-paramount-the-free-press/","Politico, https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/06/cbs-bari-weiss-editor-in-chief-00594957","NPR, https://www.npr.org/2025/10/06/nx-s1-5561116/bari-weiss-cbs-skydance-free-press","The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/media/2025/oct/07/cbs-news-staffers-react-bari-weiss-appointment",,,
October 16 2025,Trump refiles defamation lawsuit against New York Times,"Trump amends and refiles a defamation lawsuit against the New York Times and several of its reporters that had been tossed out by a judge in September 2025 for being unnecessarily lengthy. The revised complaint — which is half the length of the original, per the judge’s orders — still requests $15 billion in damages.",Donald Trump,"CourtListener (court filing), https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flmd.447437/gov.uscourts.flmd.447437.9.0.pdf",,,,,,
November 9 2025,Trump threatens BBC with lawsuit over January 6 documentary,"In a letter to the BBC’s leadership, Trump threatens to sue the broadcaster “for no less than” $1 billion in damages unless the BBC retracted a Panorama documentary episode that spliced together two different parts of Trump’s speech the day of the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, giving the impression Trump had called for violence. Trump also demanded the BBC “appropriately compensate” him for the “harm caused,” giving the BBC five days to comply. The BBC apologized to Trump for the edit, but maintained there was no basis for a defamation suit and did not agree to compensation. Trump’s letter was followed by one from FCC Chairman Brendan Carr to the leadership of the BBC, NPR, and PBS informing them that the FCC is looking into whether “any FCC regulations have been implicated” by the Panorama episode.",Donald Trump,"The Washington Post, https://www.washingtonpost.com/documents/4292eaef-0713-431b-a6b1-24d9093d7868.pdf","The Washington Post, https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/11/10/trump-threatens-bbc-with-lawsuit-amid-editing-scandal-fallout/","Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/bbc-apologises-trump-over-speech-edit-rejects-compensation-claim-2025-11-13/","Federal Communications Commission, https://www.fcc.gov/sites/default/files/carr-letter-bbc-november2025.pdf",,,
November 21 2025,Trump terminates funding for RFE/RL’s Hungarian service ahead of Orbán visit,The Trump administration moves to terminate funding for the Hungarian service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) two days in advance of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s visit to the United States. The Trump administration said RFE/RL’s Hungarian service was “destabilizing” Hungary and “undermined President Trump's foreign policy.” RFE/RL’s Hungarian service had been re-launched by Congress in 2020 with wide bipartisan support in response to rising press freedom challenges in the country.,White House,"X, https://x.com/ConradsonJordan/status/1986244155316588872?s=20","International Press Institute, /hungary-rfe-service-shuttered-by-trump-administration-for-opposing-ally-orban/","Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/radio-free-europe-closing-key-trump-ally-hungary-2025-11-21/",,,,
November 28 2025,White House launches “Wall of Shame” ,"The White House launches a webpage claiming to “expose” media bias and “false and misleading” coverage. The page features a “Media Offender of the Week,” and is regularly used by the administration to directly attack media outlets and individual journalists, branding their reporting under categories such as “conspiracy theories” and “left-wing lunacy.”",White House,"X, https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/1994551029338431752","The Wall Street Journal, https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/new-white-house-website-takes-aim-at-journalists-and-news-outlets-1b97e59f",,,,,
December 8 2025,Paramount announces hostile bid for Warner Bros. after courting Trump administration ,"The day after FCC Chairman Brendan Carr shares a box at a Kennedy Center gala with Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison, Paramount announces a hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, which owns CNN. In the days before, David Ellison had reportedly told the president he would make changes to CNN’s programming should Paramount’s acquisition succeed. The night of the gala, before Paramount’s hostile bid was announced, Trump expressed concern about Netflix’s rival bid for Warner Bros., and said he would be involved in the regulatory process. Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law, is one of the financial backers of Paramount’s bid for Warner Bros.",Corporate,"ProPublica, https://www.propublica.org/article/paramount-mergers-fcc-kennedy-center-gala","CNN, https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/08/business/paramount-hostile-takeover-bid-wbd","The Wall Street Journal, https://www.wsj.com/business/media/paramount-netflix-warner-bros-battle-ellisons-a86fe15c","CNBC, https://www.cnbc.com/2025/12/08/trump-netflix-wbd-paramount.html","US Securities and Exchange Commission, https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1437107/000119312525310708/d92876dex99a1a.htm",,
December 10 2025,Trump weighs in publicly on Warner Bros. bidding war,"In contravention of norms, President Trump weighs in on the bidding war for Warner Bros. Discovery — CNN’s parent company — during a roundtable discussion in which he called CNN’s leadership “a very dishonest group of people,” adding that it was “imperative that CNN be sold.”",Donald Trump,"The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/09/us/politics/trump-warner-bros.html","CNN, https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/10/media/trump-cnn-sold-paramount-warner-bros-netflix",,,,,
December 15 2025,Trump files $10 billion defamation lawsuit against BBC,"Trump files a $10 billion lawsuit against the BBC over the broadcaster’s editing of his comments the day of the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol in a Panorama documentary episode. The defamation suit came after the BBC apologized for the edit that spliced together two different parts of Trump’s speech, and weeks after FCC Chairman Brendan Carr wrote a letter to the BBC over the matter. The lawsuit — and the compensation demanded — were widely criticized by media and press freedom organizations as being disproportionate and excessively punitive.",Donald Trump,"CourtListener (court filing), https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.703382/gov.uscourts.flsd.703382.1.0_5.pdf","BBC, https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c874nw4g2zzo","Federal Communications Commission, https://www.fcc.gov/sites/default/files/carr-letter-bbc-november2025.pdf","International Press Institute, /united-states-ipi-alarmed-by-trump-10-bln-lawsuit-against-bbc/","CBS News, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-lawsuit-bbc-sues-10-billion-defamation-unfair-trade-practice-response/",,
December 21 2025,CBS pulls 60 Minutes report ,"Bari Weiss, the Ellison-appointed editor-in-chief of CBS News, pulls a scheduled 60 Minutes report on the conditions of a Salvadoran prison hosting Venezuelan migrants deported from the United States. 60 Minutes correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi, who reported the story, called the decision “political,” stressing that the segment had been reviewed several times by CBS attorneys and Standards and Practices. In her justification for pulling the segment, Weiss cited the need for further attempts to include interviews with Trump administration officials. A month later, the segment aired with no additional interviews.",Corporate,"Paramount, https://www.paramount.com/press/paramount-announces-deal-to-acquire-the-free-press","NPR, https://www.npr.org/2025/12/22/g-s1-103282/cbs-chief-bari-weiss-pulls-60-minutes-story","The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/21/business/60-minutes-trump-bari-weiss.html","PBS, https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/cbs-airs-60-minutes-report-on-trump-deportations-that-was-suddenly-pulled-a-month-ago",,,
January 14 2026,FBI raids Washington Post reporter’s home,"The FBI raids the home and seizes the devices of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson as part of an investigation into a government contractor. Natanson is well known for her vast network of government sources. A federal judge later ruled that the Department of Justice could not search Natanson’s devices, due to concerns that allowing the government to review her large trove of government sources would be akin to “leaving the government’s fox in charge of the Washington Post’s henhouse.”",DOJ,"X, https://x.com/globalfreemedia/status/2011534525034008744?s=20","The Washington Post, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/12/24/trump-federal-government-workers/","Politico, https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/24/federal-judge-rejects-governments-request-to-search-washington-post-reporters-devices-00797070","CourtListener (court filing), https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.vaed.588772/gov.uscourts.vaed.588772.62.0_1.pdf",,,
January 15 2026,Pentagon announces plan to overhaul Stars and Stripes,"The Pentagon announces a plan to “modernize” and “refocus” Stars and Stripes, the U.S. military’s independent newspaper, “away from woke distractions” a day after reports emerge that applicants to the newspaper were being asked about their commitment to upholding Trump administration policies. The announcement coincides with the Pentagon’s rescission of a regulation governing Stars and Stripes from the Code of Federal Regulations, which had included measures designed to protect the paper’s editorial independence.",Pentagon,"X, https://x.com/SeanParnellASW/status/2011802849903009991?s=20","The Washington Post, https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/01/14/stars-and-stripes-trump-loyalty-test/","Federal Register, https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/01/15/2026-00695/stars-and-stripes-media-organization","Office of Sen. Elizabeth Warren, https://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/in-new-response-to-warren-pentagon-reveals-interference-with-stars-and-stripes-mission-that-threatens-censorship-media-independence/",,,
January 20 2026,Trump marks first year in office,"During a marathon, 104-minute press briefing marking his first year in office, Trump lists his accomplishments, citing his decision to cut funding to “woke and biased [outlets] NPR and PBS,” and pushing back on claims that he was “weaponizing government.”",Donald Trump,"Senate Democrats, https://www.democrats.senate.gov/newsroom/trump-transcripts/transcript-president-trump-leads-the-press-briefing-at-the-white-house-12026",,,,,,
January 21 2026,FCC announces it will enforce equal-time rule against talk shows,"In a memo, the FCC suggests it would begin enforcing the agency’s rarely invoked equal-time rule against talk shows, which have historically been exempted from the rule as “bona fide” news programs. Anna Gomez, the FCC’s only Democratic commissioner, called the announcement “an escalation” of the FCC’s “ongoing campaign to censor and control speech.” Trump has repeatedly called for ABC’s “The View” to be “pulled off the air,” and has also publicly criticized late-night show hosts Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert for their commentary on his administration.",FCC,"Federal Communications Commission, https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-26-68A1.pdf","Deseret News, https://www.deseret.com/entertainment/2026/02/20/fcc-brendan-carr-stephen-colbert-equal-time/?","The Washington Post, https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/01/22/late-night-equal-time-fcc/","X, https://x.com/AGomezFCC/status/2014063716967330023?s=20","TheWrap, https://www.thewrap.com/trump-the-view-cancellation-threats-joy-behar-obama/","Los Angeles Times, https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2025-07-18/trump-colbert-why-late-show-canceled-kimmel-fallon",
January 30 2026,Don Lemon and Georgia Fort arrested by federal agents,"Journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort are arrested by federal agents following their coverage of an anti-immigration enforcement protest in a Minnesota church and charged with conspiracy and interfering with the First Amendment rights of worshipers. The Department of Justice obtained a grand jury indictment after a federal magistrate judge and a district judge declined to sign off on charges against Lemon, citing the fact that he was in the church in a journalistic capacity. Fort has accused the Trump administration of censorship, as she has been largely unable to continue reporting amid ongoing litigation.",DOJ,"International Press Institute, /united-states-ipi-decries-arrests-legal-harassment-of-journalists-don-lemon-and-georgia-fort/","Politico, https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/22/don-lemon-prosecution-justice-department-00741629","X, https://x.com/jaketapper/status/2017236405064274158?s=20","The Washington Post, https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/05/17/journalist-targeted-by-trump-administration-still-feels-silenced-months-after-arrest/",,,
February 4 2026,Jeff Bezos lays off a third of the Washington Post’s staff,"Jeff Bezos, who initially bought the Washington Post in 2013 pledging to usher in “a new golden era” for the newspaper, announces mass layoffs of one-third of the Post’s staff in what the paper’s executive editor called “a strategic reset.” The Post’s journalists said the decision would hamper journalists’ abilities to “hold power to account.” The cuts eliminate the paper’s entire Middle East reporting and editing staff, closes foreign bureaus, including Ukraine and New Delhi, cuts at least 13 journalists from the climate desk, and lays off the reporter assigned to cover Amazon, the company Bezos founded. Bezos, whose personal wealth is estimated at $261 billion, bought the paper for $250 million in 2013 and expanded the newsroom by about 85% at its peak.",Corporate,"The Washington Post, https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/jeffrey-bezos-washington-posts-next-owner-aims-for-a-new-golden-era-at-the-newspaper/2013/09/02/30c00b60-13f6-11e3-b182-1b3bb2eb474c_story.html","NPR, https://www.npr.org/2026/02/04/nx-s1-5699328/washington-post-layoffs-jobs-bezos","Reuters, https://www.reutersconnect.com/item/bezos-washington-post-employees-protest-sweeping-layoffs-call-leadership-shameful/dGFnOnJldXRlcnMuY29tLDIwMjY6bmV3c21sX1ZBMzA4ODA1MDIyMDI2UlAx","HuffPost, https://www.huffpost.com/entry/washington-post-layoffs-bezos_n_6983656fe4b0926afe69cc60","NPR, https://www.npr.org/2026/02/04/nx-s1-5699328/washington-post-layoffs-jobs-bezos",,
February 7 2026,Trump throws his support behind Nexstar-Tegna merger,"In a Truth Social post, Trump backs Nexstar’s $6 billion merger with Tegna, saying: “GET THAT DEAL DONE!” Nexstar is the largest local TV station owner group in the United States, while Tegna is the fourth largest. In a social media post of his own responding to the president, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr says “President Trump is exactly right.” Nexstar’s CEO thanked Trump for his support during an earnings call weeks later. In approving the merger, the FCC would need to waive its own ownership cap rule, which limits the reach of broadcast station groups to no more than 39% of U.S. households. Together, Nexstar and Tegna would reach approximately 80% of U.S. households.",Donald Trump,"Truth Social, https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116030041948459285","TVNewsCheck, https://tvnewscheck.com/business/article/nexstar-again-tops-station-groups-as-consolidation-prospects-grow/","X, https://x.com/brendancarrfcc/status/2020216093445444054","Deadline, https://deadline.com/2026/02/nexstar-tegna-merger-donald-trump-fcc-1236736488/","Federal Communications Commission, https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/fccs-review-broadcast-ownership-rules","Nexstar Media Group, https://www.nexstar.tv/nexstar-media-group-inc-enters-into-definitive-agreement-to-acquire-tegna-inc-for-6-2-billion-in-accretive-transaction/",
February 16 2026,Colbert says CBS blocked airing of interview over fears of FCC retaliation ,"Late-night host Stephen Colbert says CBS lawyers barred him from airing an interview with Senate candidate James Talarico over concerns about the FCC’s rarely invoked equal-time rule, which has historically exempted “bona fide” news programs, including talk shows. The move follows the FCC’s January 2026 announcement that talk shows do not automatically qualify for the exemption and must abide by the rule.",Corporate,"Bloomberg, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-02-17/cbs-blocks-colbert-from-airing-interview-with-senate-candidate","Deseret News, https://www.deseret.com/entertainment/2026/02/20/fcc-brendan-carr-stephen-colbert-equal-time/?","The Washington Post, https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/01/22/late-night-equal-time-fcc/","Federal Communications Commission, https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-26-68A1.pdf",,,
February 18 2026,FCC chairman confirms investigation into ABC’s “The View” over equal-time rule,"FCC Chairman Brendan Carr says the agency will investigate ABC’s “The View” over alleged violations of the equal-time rule following an appearance by Senate candidate James Talarico. The investigation comes despite a 2002 FCC ruling which found that “The View” qualified for the “bona fide” news exemption. Since the FCC investigation was announced, “The View” has refrained from hosting any political candidates, which ABC says is a direct result of pressure from the administration.",FCC,"PBS, https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/fcc-is-investigating-abcs-the-view-over-equal-time-rule-chairman-says","The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/07/business/media/the-view-abc-fcc-investigation.html?eafs_enabled=false","Semafor, https://www.semafor.com/article/07/05/2026/the-view-throttles-back-political-candidate-bookings-following-fcc-inquiry","Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/abc-says-intimidation-by-trumps-fcc-forced-programming-changes-2026-08-19/?utm_source=chatgpt.com",,,
February 24 2026,Federal prosecutors pursue journalists’ records despite denials of search warrants,"Federal prosecutors file applications for search warrants seeking the YouTube account information of journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort, who were arrested by federal agents in January 2026. After a judge twice denies the requests for failing to establish probable cause, prosecutors send similar requests to Google and T-Mobile citing a provision of customs law that allows the Department of Homeland Security to seek records from third parties without judicial approval. While Google did not comply with the request, T-Mobile turned over six months of Georgia Fort’s phone records to prosecutors.",DOJ,"CourtListener (court filing), https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mnd.232141/gov.uscourts.mnd.232141.4.0_1.pdf","CourtListener (court filing), https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mnd.232141/gov.uscourts.mnd.232141.1.0_2.pdf","The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/29/trump-dhs-1509-summons-records-journalists-nonprofits","Cornell Legal Information Institute, https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/19/1509","PhoneArena, https://www.phonearena.com/news/t-mobile-journalist-data-minnesota-government_id182990",,
March 3 2026,FCC weighs in on Paramount bid for Warner Bros.,"FCC Chairman Brendan Carr weighs in publicly on the bidding war for Warner Bros. Discovery, CNN’s parent company, saying Paramount Skydance’s bid was “cleaner” and would achieve regulatory approval “pretty quickly.” Seven Democratic senators wrote a letter to Carr raising national security concerns about how the large amount of foreign investment behind Paramount’s bid would affect CNN’s programming, and urged the FCC to examine the transaction under the FCC’s foreign ownership rules.",FCC,"CNBC, https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/03/fcc-chair-brendan-carr-wbd-paramount-merger-deal-netflix.html","Office of Sen. Cory Booker, https://www.booker.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/final_fcc_letter_on_warner_bros.pdf","Federal Communications Commission, https://www.fcc.gov/general/foreign-ownership-rules-and-policies",,,,
March 4 2026,Pentagon bans photographers from Iran war press briefings,"The Pentagon bars photographers from two press briefings held by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on the Iran war, reportedly after outlets published photos Hegseth and his staff found “unflattering.” Although many members of the press have been effectively sidelined from working on the Pentagon premises due to new rules and restrictions, the department does grant reporters passes to cover scheduled press briefings.",Pentagon,"The Washington Post, https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/03/11/hegseth-press-briefings-photos-iran/","Politico, https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/19/pentagon-limits-access-journalists-00574227",,,,,
March 9 2026,Pentagon outlines new restrictions on Stars and Stripes,"Following the Pentagon’s January 2026 announcement about its intention to “modernize” and “refocus” Stars and Stripes, the U.S. military’s independent newspaper, the Pentagon releases an eight-page memo outlining the new policy. The memo mandates that all the paper’s publications be “consistent with good order and discipline of the military,” a line from the Uniform Code of Military Justice, and curtails the paper’s use of wire services. In response, two members of Stars and Stripes’ advisory board sued, accusing the Pentagon of attempting to ""erode"" the newspaper’s editorial independence.",Pentagon,"X, https://x.com/SeanParnellASW/status/2011802849903009991?s=20","Stars and Stripes, https://www.stripes.com/theaters/us/2026-03-13/pentagon-modernization-plan-stars-and-stripes-21051529.html","CourtListener (court filing), https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.293084/gov.uscourts.dcd.293084.1.0_2.pdf",,,,
March 13 2026,Pete Hegseth suggests Paramount-Warner Bros. merger will lead to better coverage of Iran war,"During a live briefing at the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth calls CNN’s reporting that the Trump administration had underestimated the impact of the war with Iran “fundamentally unserious,” and praises Paramount Skydance’s pending acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, CNN’s parent company, saying “the sooner David Ellison takes over that network, the better.”",Pentagon,"Fox News, https://www.foxnews.com/media/hegseth-scolds-cnns-unserious-report-iran-conflict-suggests-paramount-should-overhaul-network","The Hill, https://thehill.com/policy/defense/5782562-hegeseth-criticizes-cnn-iran/",,,,,
March 14 2026,FCC threatens to revoke broadcasting licenses over coverage of Iran war,"After Trump complains on social media about media coverage of the Iran war, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr accuses broadcasters of “running hoaxes and news distortions” and orders them to “correct course before their license renewals come up.” Republican Senator Ron Johnson criticized Carr’s statements, expressing support for the First Amendment and saying the government should “stay out of the private sector.”",FCC,"X, https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/2032813177369493694","X, https://x.com/BrendanCarrFCC/status/2032855414233047172","The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/15/fcc-chair-broadcasters-license-iran-war",,,,
March 19 2026,"Justice Department, FCC approve Nexstar-Tegna merger","One day after eight state attorneys general sue to block Nexstar’s $6 billion merger with Tegna for violations of antitrust laws, the Justice Department abruptly terminates its antitrust investigation into the deal, clearing the way for FCC approval. In approving the merger, the FCC waived its own rule limiting national TV ownership. The new entity would operate more local television stations than any other company in the U.S., reaching approximately 80% of U.S. households. While its merger was under federal review, Nexstar acted quickly in September 2025 to preempt Jimmy Kimmel’s show following FCC Chairman Brendan Carr’s critical comments.",FCC,"NBC News, https://www.nbcnews.com/business/media/8-states-california-new-york-sue-block-62b-nexstar-tegna-merger-rcna262820","Bloomberg Law, https://news.bloomberglaw.com/antitrust/nexstars-3-5-billion-tegna-deal-cleared-by-justice-department","The Washington Post, https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/03/19/nexstar-tegna-tv-merger-approved/","Federal Communications Commission, https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/fccs-review-broadcast-ownership-rules","Nexstar Media Group, https://www.nexstar.tv/nexstar-media-group-inc-enters-into-definitive-agreement-to-acquire-tegna-inc-for-6-2-billion-in-accretive-transaction/","The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/20/business/jimmy-kimmel-show-abc-kirk-fcc.html",
March 23 2026,"Pentagon closes press workspace, expands escort policy","After a court order vacated large swaths of the Pentagon’s press access policy proposed in September 2025, the Pentagon announces a “revised policy” that closes the “Correspondents' Corridor,” the primary office space used by journalists covering the agency and establishes a new “annex facility” for journalists outside the Pentagon. The new policy also mandates escorts for all journalists inside the Pentagon. The revised policy prompted the New York Times to file a second lawsuit against the Pentagon, arguing the latest escort policy was unconstitutional.",Pentagon,"The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/20/business/media/pentagon-press-restrictions-new-york-times.html","X, https://x.com/seanparnellasw/status/2036197221121794508?s=46","CourtListener (court filing), https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.292479/gov.uscourts.dcd.292479.1.0.pdf",,,,
April 20 2026,FBI director files defamation suit against the Atlantic,"FBI Director Kash Patel files a $250 million defamation lawsuit against the Atlantic over an article documenting his erratic behavior on the job, including “conspicuous inebriation and unexplained absences,” citing more than two dozen sources. Patel has previously and unsuccessfully sued Politico, the New York Times, and CNN. Shortly after Patel filed his lawsuit, the FBI reportedly opened a leak investigation involving the journalist who reported the Atlantic story.",DOJ,"CourtListener (court filing), https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.291527/gov.uscourts.dcd.291527.1.0.pdf","The Atlantic, https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/2026/04/kash-patel-fbi-director-drinking-absences/686839/","The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/14/business/media/kash-patel-defamation-lawsuits.html","X, https://x.com/globalfreemedia/status/2052104669606936865?s=20",,,
April 23 2026,David Ellison hosts Trump as Paramount-Warner Bros. merger undergoes federal review,"David Ellison hosts the president and several senior members of his administration for a private dinner “honoring the Trump White House” while his company, Paramount Skydance, seeks regulatory approval for its $111 billion bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, which owns CNN. In attendance at the dinner were Bari Weiss, CBS’ editor-in-chief, whose editorial decisions have raised concerns from current and former staff about political interference, and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who oversees the Justice Department, whose antitrust division would be involved in the federal review of the merger.",Corporate,"YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvJHmoMFWaU","The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/24/business/media/david-ellison-trump-cbs-news.html","NPR, https://www.npr.org/2025/12/22/g-s1-103282/cbs-chief-bari-weiss-pulls-60-minutes-story",,,,
April 23 2026,Pentagon fires Stars and Stripes ombudsman,"The Pentagon fires Jacqueline Smith, the congressionally mandated ombudsman overseeing the editorial independence of Stars and Stripes, without formal cause. Smith said she believed her firing was in retaliation for “speaking out against Pentagon attempts to control the news” after the department announced a plan to overhaul the publication in January 2026. Following her firing, Smith filed a wrongful termination suit, accusing the Pentagon of violating her First Amendment rights.",Pentagon,"The Washington Post, https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/04/23/stars-stripes-ombudsman-fired-pentagon/","Stars and Stripes, https://www.stripes.com/opinion/2026-04-23/stripes-former-ombudsman-pentagon-trying-to-silence-21465037.html","X, https://x.com/SeanParnellASW/status/2011802849903009991?s=20","CourtListener (court filing), https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.293839/gov.uscourts.dcd.293839.1.0.pdf",,,
April 28 2026,FCC orders unprecedented early review of ABC broadcast licenses,"The FCC orders an early review of the broadcast licenses for eight ABC-owned stations a day after Trump lashes out at ABC over a joke late-night host Jimmy Kimmel made about Melania Trump. The FCC argued the move was necessary in light of an ongoing FCC investigation into ABC's diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies. A bipartisan group of former FCC officials criticized the FCC’s actions as “an assault on free speech disguised as a regulatory process.” After submitting renewal applications as ordered, ABC filed a First Amendment suit against the FCC, alleging the Trump administration was waging a “retaliatory campaign” against the network.",FCC,"The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/28/business/media/fcc-abc-television-kimmel.html","The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/28/fcc-abc-jimmy-kimmel","NPR, https://www.npr.org/2025/03/29/nx-s1-5344469/fcc-disney-dei-changes-abc","The Washington Post, https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/07/30/disney-abc-argue-trump-administration-is-reviewing-licenses-punishment/","CourtListener (court filing), https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.295648/gov.uscourts.dcd.295648.1.0_1.pdf",,
May 27 2026,Trump revives defamation lawsuit against Wall Street Journal,"Trump refiles his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal after a judge dismissed it for failing to prove the Journal had engaged in “actual malice” in publishing an article detailing a sexually suggestive birthday card Trump had allegedly sent to Jeffrey Epstein in 2003. During a subsequent hearing, the judge overseeing the case expressed skepticism over the Trump legal team’s claims that the president had suffered “overwhelming financial and reputational harm” as a result of the article.",Donald Trump,"CourtListener (court filing), https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.693830/gov.uscourts.flsd.693830.67.0_3.pdf","Associated Press, https://apnews.com/article/trump-murdoch-wall-street-journal-lawsuit-40e7aba7731db9e8800488038cb92a66","The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/aug/05/trump-defamation-lawsuit-murdoch-dismissal","CourtListener (court filing), https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70843413/67/trump-v-murdoch/",,,
June 1 2026,Pentagon announces further restrictions on press access,"The Pentagon redesignates its press office a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF), effectively prohibiting journalists from entering it. Historically, the space was a meeting area where journalists could ask questions of department public affairs officers. The redesignation comes as many members of the press have already been sidelined from working on the Pentagon premises due to new rules and restrictions announced in September 2025.",Pentagon,"The Washington Post, https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/06/01/pentagon-bans-journalists-press-office-designating-it-classified-space/?utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&fbclid=IwY2xjawSK8EZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEezu7nHuSZhrPtBUdsOJgNbcdULJ05Gq96RnEEYCP8KE7JukBuXN7WTL2y740_aem_zZbsHvzV3vSjeusGpxgQyA","Politico, https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/19/pentagon-limits-access-journalists-00574227",,,,,
June 2 2026,CBS fires 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley,"Longtime 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley is fired after criticizing CBS Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss’ management of the news program. In public statements following his firing, Pelley said Weiss had put her “thumb on the scale for the president’s version of events” in 60 Minutes programming. Days before Pelley’s departure, Weiss fired veteran correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega, who both raised concerns about political interference in their stories. In a call with one of 60 Minutes’ remaining correspondents, Paramount Skydance owner David Ellison pledged to respect the show’s editorial independence.",Corporate,"PBS, https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/scott-pelley-fired-from-60-minutes-deepening-turmoil-at-cbs-news","The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/07/magazine/scott-pelley-interview.html","The Washington Post, https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/05/27/months-after-feud-with-bari-weiss-sharyn-alfonsi-is-out-60-minutes/","The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/27/business/media/cbs-sharyn-alfonsi-bari-weiss.html","Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/p/DY5kqjqu8JR/?hl=en","The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/09/business/media/60-minutes-david-ellison-paramount.html?",
June 12 2026,Justice Department clears way for Paramount-Warner Bros. merger,"The Justice Department greenlights the $111 billion merger between Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery, clearing the way for another major consolidation in the American media market under the ownership of the Ellison family. Two days later, David Ellison attends a UFC event at the White House. Prior to the merger’s approval, senior department officials reportedly closed an antitrust investigation into the merger prematurely, despite indications that career investigators were likely to challenge it.",DOJ,"US Department of Justice, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/statement-department-justice-antitrust-division-closing-its-investigation-merger-paramount","The Wall Street Journal, https://www.wsj.com/business/media/justice-department-decision-to-allow-paramount-deal-surprised-staff-investigators-a18f70da",,,,,
June 22 2026,"Trump threatens to sue ABC again, citing 2024 settlement ","In a Truth Social post, Trump threatens to again sue ABC, calling their reporting about the ongoing repair work of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool “fake news.” “I like their money,” Trump wrote, citing ABC’s 2024 settlement of a defamation suit he filed against the broadcaster that ended with ABC agreeing to pay $16 million to Trump. Trump’s latest threat against ABC follows the FCC’s announced “early review” of ABC’s broadcast licenses, and an investigation into “The View” over the FCC’s rarely enforced equal-time rule.",Donald Trump,"Truth Social, https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116796512818935902","Associated Press, https://apnews.com/article/abc-trump-lawsuit-defamation-stephanopoulos-04aea8663310af39ae2a85f4c1a56d68","The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/28/business/media/fcc-abc-television-kimmel.html","PBS, https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/fcc-is-investigating-abcs-the-view-over-equal-time-rule-chairman-says","Deseret News, https://www.deseret.com/entertainment/2026/02/20/fcc-brendan-carr-stephen-colbert-equal-time/?",,
June 22 2026,FCC dismisses petition to repeal news distortion policy,"The FCC’s Media Bureau formally dismisses a petition filed by a bipartisan group of former FCC officials calling for the repeal of the agency’s news distortion policy, arguing it violates the First Amendment and “seeks to mold the speech of private broadcasters to the FCC’s own view of what is correct, complete, and accurate news.” The petition is dismissed by the FCC on the grounds that it was not filed under the proper procedures. After months of inaction, the petitioners had requested a federal appeals court compel the FCC to review their petition.",FCC,"Federal Communications Commission, https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-26-615A1.pdf","Protect Democracy, https://protectdemocracy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/News-Distortion-Petition-for-Special-Relief-1.pdf","Federal Communications Commission, https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-26-615A1.pdf","Bloomberg Law, https://news.bloomberglaw.com/tech-and-telecom-law/court-asked-to-force-fcc-action-on-news-distortion-policy",,,
June 23 2026,Department of Justice subpoenas Washington Post and Wall Street Journal reporters,Reports emerge that the Justice Department issued grand jury subpoenas to several Wall Street Journal and Washington Post reporters following their reporting on U.S. military action in Iran and Venezuela. The subpoenas follow the Justice Department’s April 2025 decision to void a Biden-era policy protecting journalists from records seizures. The government later withdrew the subpoenas after the outlets took legal action to block their reporters from testifying.,DOJ,"The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/23/us/subpoenas-wall-street-journal-washington-post.html","Associated Press, https://apnews.com/article/politics-business-government-and-politics-67ac2f4f96b2dfd7f47446662e59ec6e","Associated Press, https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-fbi-media-c4fcb4d718d8313940f7c19a8f3f8e26",,,,
June 25 2026,Pentagon requests new authority to withhold unclassified records,"The Pentagon sends a legislative proposal asking Congress to grant the department new authority to limit public access to unclassified records by exempting the military from fulfilling requests for “controlled unclassified information” under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The Pentagon cited the need to protect national security as the justification for its request to Congress. FOIA requests — which have long been integral to investigative reporting on the U.S. government — hit record highs in 2025, with federal agencies receiving more than 1.7 million requests.",Pentagon,"CBS News, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pentagon-secrecy-power-unclassified-records-foia/","National Archives, https://www.archives.gov/cui/about","US Department of Justice, https://www.justice.gov/oip/blog/summary-fiscal-year-2025-annual-foia-reports-published",,,,
July 10 2026,Department of Justice subpoenas New York Times reporters,The Department of Justice delivers grand jury subpoenas to a group of New York Times reporters following an eight-hour meeting of several senior Justice Department officials at the White House. Subpoenas are also delivered to several of the journalists’ relatives and third-party telecommunications providers. The move follows the journalists’ reporting on security concerns involving Trump’s Qatari-gifted Air Force One plane. The subpoenas were later withdrawn.,DOJ,"International Press Institute, /united-states-ipi-strongly-condemns-trump-admin-subpoenas-of-new-york-times-reporters/","Associated Press, https://apnews.com/article/trump-administration-media-new-york-times-a1100f027095e07ffb5fbd1708e70942","The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/20/business/media/new-york-times-subpoenas-phone-records.html","The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/08/us/politics/trump-air-force-one-security.html","USA Today, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/07/23/new-york-times-reporters-air-force-one-subpoenas-withdraw/91027898007/",,
July 13 2026,Legal fight sparked over Paramount-Warner Bros. merger,"A coalition of 12 state attorneys general led by California sue to block Paramount Skydance’s $111 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, arguing the merger is anticompetitive. A day later, the Writers Guild of America filed a second suit to block the merger. The proposed merger, which would put CBS News and CNN under the combined ownership of the Ellison family, had previously raised concerns about political interference, given the Ellisons’ close relationship with Trump and recent editorial and management decisions at CBS. In his first public reaction to the lawsuits, David Ellison wrote an op-ed in the New York Times emphasizing his commitment to CNN’s independence.",Corporate,"California Attorney General, https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/attachments/press-docs/Redacted%20Paramount%20Warner%20complaint%20%20-%20file%20stamped.pdf","Writers Guild of America, https://www.wga.org/news-events/news/press/2026/wga-files-lawsuit-to-block-paramount-warner-bros-discovery-merger","Los Angeles Times, https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2026-03-20/paramount-deal-for-cnn-warner-bros-draws-concerns-about-news-independence","The Wall Street Journal, https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/how-a-45-million-donation-brought-larry-ellison-deeper-into-trumps-circle-b3e26c03","NPR, https://www.npr.org/2025/12/22/g-s1-103282/cbs-chief-bari-weiss-pulls-60-minutes-story","PBS, https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/scott-pelley-fired-from-60-minutes-deepening-turmoil-at-cbs-news","The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/04/opinion/david-ellison-paramount-warner-deal.html"
July 22 2026,FCC says ABC’s decision not to broadcast Trump speech will factor into license review ,"FCC Chairman Brendan Carr says ABC’s decision not to broadcast live a presidential speech on election security would be taken into consideration as it continues its review of ABC’s license renewal applications. ABC aired Trump’s remarks on its streaming platform. During his remarks, Trump called out ABC and NBC for declining to carry his speech and repeated his request for their licenses to be revoked. Reports emerged later that Carr had reached out to broadcast station owner groups prior to the speech inquiring about their plans to air it.",FCC,"Variety, https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/fcc-abc-trump-speech-review-station-licenses-1236818342/","CourtListener (court filing), https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.295648/gov.uscourts.dcd.295648.1.0_1.pdf","Politico, https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/16/trump-calls-for-revocation-of-abc-nbc-licenses-over-speech-snub-01002580","Bloomberg, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-08-25/fcc-queried-stations-about-coverage-plans-before-trump-s-speech",,,
August 1 2026,Department of Justice subpoenas New York Times freelancer,"The New York Times discloses that the Department of Justice had subpoenaed their freelancer Matthew Cole months earlier, seeking to compel his testimony over a 2025 article he wrote about a previously undisclosed failed 2019 SEAL Team 6 mission in North Korea. The subpoena is being challenged by the New York Times in court.",DOJ,"The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/01/us/politics/times-subpoena-reporter-trump-north-korea.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share","The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/05/us/navy-seal-north-korea-trump-2019.html",,,,,
August 6 2026,FCC votes to eliminate ownership cap,"In a 2-1 vote, the FCC moves to lift its longstanding cap on national TV station ownership, which limits the collective reach of any one broadcast station owner group to no more than 39% of U.S. households. Instead, the FCC says it would review future broadcast mergers on a case-by-case basis, weighing whether mergers are in the “public interest” using criteria like “viewpoint diversity,” terms the Wall Street Journal Editorial Board called an “invitation” for political abuse. Senator Ted Cruz had previously said he was skeptical that the FCC could change the ownership rule without an act of Congress.",FCC,"Axios, https://www.axios.com/2026/08/06/fcc-broadcast-ownership-cap-vote","Federal Communications Commission, https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/fccs-review-broadcast-ownership-rules","The Wall Street Journal, https://www.wsj.com/opinion/the-fcc-tries-to-save-broadcast-tv-117c0295","Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/us-agency-votes-end-39-local-tv-station-ownership-cap-2026-08-06/",,,
August 7 2026,Trump nominates Carr aide to FCC ,"The White House announces the nomination of Danielle Thumann Severs, a longtime aide of FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, to fill one of the two empty seats on the Republican-controlled commission. Trump did not name a nomination for the second vacant seat, which would be required by law to go to a Democrat. Democratic members of Congress raised concerns that the addition of Thumann Severs would further cement the president’s control over the FCC, as the commission only requires a three-person quorum to conduct votes.",White House,"The White House, https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/08/nominations-sent-to-the-senate-e61c/","Cornell Legal Information Institute, https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/47/154","Politico, https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/07/democrats-wary-of-advancing-trumps-fcc-pick-without-bipartisan-pairing-01029423",,,,
August 21 2026,Pentagon fires Stars and Stripes leadership ,"The Pentagon fires Max Lederer, Stars and Stripes’ publisher; Erik Slavin, the newspaper’s editor-in-chief; and Lara Korte, a senior reporter, for “insubordination” after Lederer did not follow a Pentagon official’s order to fire Slavin and Korte for participating in a CBS News story in which they expressed their concerns over the outlet’s editorial independence. Lederer said he believes the “underlying cause” of the firings was a report on deteriorating conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East, published a day before the Pentagon ordered Lederer to fire Slavin and Korte. Lederer, Slavin, and Korte have filed a First Amendment lawsuit against the Pentagon alleging retaliation and censorship.",Pentagon,"X, https://x.com/globalfreemedia/status/2092305487979000135","CBS News, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-battle-over-stars-and-stripes/","Politico, https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/14/iran-war-coverage-stars-and-stripes-firings-01074639","Stars and Stripes, https://www.stripes.com/theaters/us/2026-08-11/abraham-lincoln-middle-east-mental-health-town-hall-meeting-22506344.html","CourtListener (court filing), https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.295983/gov.uscourts.dcd.295983.1.0.pdf",,
August 27 2026,Trump amends New York Times lawsuit for second time,"After the New York Times asks a judge to dismiss Trump’s defamation lawsuit against the paper, originally filed in September 2025 and refiled in October 2025, Trump amends his complaint for a second time. The updated filing adds new details intended to back up his claims that the outlet committed “actual malice” in its reporting, which its legal team has said are meritless.",Donald Trump,"CourtListener (court filing), https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flmd.447437/gov.uscourts.flmd.447437.1.0.pdf","CourtListener (court filing), https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flmd.447437/gov.uscourts.flmd.447437.9.0.pdf","The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/28/business/media/trump-new-york-times-lawsuit.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share",,,,
August 29 2026,Treasury Department denies journalist accreditation requests for G20 meeting,"The Treasury Department rejects the accreditation requests of several individual reporters from the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and Bloomberg News ahead of a Group of 20 finance ministers’ meeting in Asheville, North Carolina. The Treasury Department did not explain why the accreditation requests were denied.",Treasury Department,"The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/29/business/reporters-denied-g20-meeting.html","Bloomberg, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-08-30/us-treasury-bars-reporters-from-several-outlets-from-g20-meeting",,,,,
August 30 2026,Trump says he will report NBC anchor to FCC,"In a Truth Social post, Trump says he will report NBC’s Kristen Welker to the FCC “for rebuke or punishment” after Welker commented on Trump’s record of primary endorsements ahead of the U.S. midterm elections, saying he had “some mixed results.” In a second Truth Social post a short time later, Trump alleges members of the media are using “fake polls,” writing “FCC to the rescue!” According to the FCC’s rules, the regulator is prohibited from “preventing the broadcast of any particular point of view.”",Donald Trump,"Truth Social, https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/117184581053116309","The Washington Post, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/08/30/trump-says-he-will-report-nbc-host-fcc-rebuke-or-punishment/","Truth Social, https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/117184527741564500","Federal Communications Commission, https://www.fcc.gov/media/radio/public-and-broadcasting",,,
September 6 2026,FCC chairman says agency looking at “actions” to address “fake polls” ,"After Trump posts on social media accusing members of the media of using “fake polls,” FCC Chairman Brendan Carr says the agency is “looking at a lot of actions” to “remind broadcasters about their obligations with respect to not air fake polls” ahead of the U.S. midterm elections.",FCC,"Truth Social, https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/117184527741564500","The Hill, https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/6073995-carr-fcc-trump-nbc-punishment/",,,,,
September 9 2026,Kimmel says ABC won’t air James Talarico interview over fears of FCC retaliation ,"Jimmy Kimmel says ABC will not broadcast his upcoming interview with Senate candidate James Talarico, citing pressure from the Trump administration. In February 2026, the FCC launched an investigation into ABC’s “The View” over alleged violations of the equal-time rule after Talarico appeared on the show. Kimmel's interview with Talarico will instead air on YouTube, which does not fall under the FCC’s mandate. In response, Anna Gomez, the FCC’s only Democratic commissioner, said: “Any attempt to pressure broadcasters into self-censorship undermines both press freedom and the public’s right to hear from candidates in their communities seeking public office.”",Corporate,"YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bsx_YubufG0","PBS, https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/fcc-is-investigating-abcs-the-view-over-equal-time-rule-chairman-says","X, https://x.com/AGomezFCC/status/2098095312329920673?s=20",,,,
September 15 2026,Justice Department seeks journalist’s LinkedIn records,"During a public session at Virginia appeals court, details emerge about a monthslong effort by Justice Department prosecutors to obtain a journalist’s LinkedIn records, including data on their interactions with other users as part of a government leak investigation. LinkedIn is challenging parts of the government’s request, including a secrecy order. One of the judges overseeing the session expressed concern about how the disclosures could compromise journalist source protection. Further details and the identity of the journalist remain sealed.",DOJ,"YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/live/J3FyhhQ_EbU?t=8868s","Microsoft, https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2026/09/15/protecting-customer-privacy-means-standing-up-for-transparency/","Politico, https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/15/linked-in-justice-department-case-arguments-01077872",,,,
September 17 2026,FCC greenlights Paramount-Warner Bros. foreign ownership request,"Paramount receives FCC approval to allow sovereign wealth funds from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to have indirect ownership of nearly 50% of the new entity that would be created by Paramount’s $111 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery. The FCC said the three countries would not have voting stock. Under the FCC’s foreign ownership rules, regulatory review is required for any deal that involves foreign “direct or indirect interest” greater than 25%. Democrats had previously raised concerns to Carr about how the large sum of foreign investment in the deal “creates concrete avenues for potential foreign influence” in U.S. media. The Justice Department greenlit the merger in June 2026 after it reportedly prematurely closed an antitrust investigation despite indications that career investigators were likely to challenge it.",FCC,"Associated Press, https://apnews.com/article/paramount-warner-foreign-ownership-equity-fcc-d8172aef73431968412ec33f2f0a78ce","US Department of Justice, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/statement-department-justice-antitrust-division-closing-its-investigation-merger-paramount","Federal Communications Commission, https://www.fcc.gov/general/notifications-affiliation-foreign-carrier","Office of Sen. Cory Booker, https://www.booker.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/final_fcc_letter_on_warner_bros.pdf","US Department of Justice, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/statement-department-justice-antitrust-division-closing-its-investigation-merger-paramount","The Wall Street Journal, https://www.wsj.com/business/media/justice-department-decision-to-allow-paramount-deal-surprised-staff-investigators-a18f70da",
September 18 2026,Trump bans three outlets from White House ,"In a social media post, Trump announces he will ban CNN, MSNOW, and Politico from the White House “as a result of their constant ‘reporting’ FAKE NEWS!” Trump added that other news outlets would follow. The day after his post, reporters from the three outlets were denied entrance to the White House grounds. In a show of solidarity with CNN, members of the rotating TV press pool suspended coverage of the White House. Days after they were denied access to the White House, the three outlets filed a joint First Amendment lawsuit arguing the access ban amounts to viewpoint discrimination and violates their right to due process.",White House,"Truth Social, https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/117293599348325006","NPR, https://www.npr.org/2026/09/19/nx-s1-5974854/trump-cnn-msnow-politico-ban","France 24, https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20260921-us-networks-halt-trump-coverage-over-white-house-ban","CourtListener (court filing), https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.296754/gov.uscourts.dcd.296754.1.0_1.pdf",,,
September 21 2026,"Paramount settles lawsuit over merger with Warner Bros., will install editorial board at CBS and CNN","Paramount Skydance reaches a deal to settle a lawsuit filed by 12 state attorneys general in July 2026 to block Paramount’s $111 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery. In a concession aimed at calming concerns over the editorial independence of CNN under new ownership, Paramount agreed to create a “news editorial independence board” for CBS and CNN that would be appointed by, and report to, the combined company’s board of directors. Several prominent journalists and legal experts called the board “toothless,” warning its governance terms leave a ""significant enforcement gap.""",Corporate,"CNN, https://www.cnn.com/2026/09/21/media/paramount-wbd-settlement-cnn-ellison-bonta-lawsuit","California Attorney General, https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/attachments/press-docs/Redacted%20Paramount%20Warner%20complaint%20%20-%20file%20stamped.pdf","House Judiciary Committee Democrats, https://democrats-judiciary.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/ranking-member-raskin-seeks-transcribed-interview-with-paramount-skydance-ceo-david-ellison-following-ceo-s-pledge-to-break-silence","The Hollywood Reporter, https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/new-cnn-cbs-news-editorial-indepedence-board-who-what-why-1236707168/","Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/legal/legalindustry/cnn-cbs-news-oversight-board-will-be-toothless-experts-warn-2026-09-22/",,