Latest news with #mediafreedom
Forbes
4 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
Trump's War On The Media Explained: White House Asks Congress To Cut $1.1 Billion From Corporation For Public Broadcasting
The White House asked Congress Tuesday to claw back $1.1 billion in funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, as NPR and PBS—which receive federal funding via the CPB—have already sued to block Trump from a previous attempt to prevent the media organizations from receiving the public dollars. The White House asked Congress to rescind $1.1 billion in funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, part of a larger $9.4 billion 'rescissions' request to Congress that also asks lawmakers to retract $8.3 billion in funding for the U.S. Agency for International Development. The move is among a series by Trump and his administration targeting media he views unfavorably. Meanwhile, Trump and his companies have filed lawsuits against his media foes, his administration has elevated partisan right-wing voices in the White House press corps and sought to effectively shut down federally funded media outlets, including the international broadcaster Voice of America, among other tactics. Trump's new FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr also launched investigations into several outlets and warned publicly that a probe into CBS' interview with Harris last year could affect the network's pending multi-billion-dollar merger. Trump has also amped up his rhetoric to attack the press, calling pollsters for the New York Times, ABC News, the Washington Post and Fox News 'negative criminals' who should be 'investigated for ELECTION FRAUD' after the outlets have published surveys in the past week that show he has net negative approval ratings. Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts: We're launching text message alerts so you'll always know the biggest stories shaping the day's headlines. Text 'Alerts' to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here. Trump—who has feuded with CBS for years—sued the network for $20 billion, claiming it deceptively edited its '60 Minutes' interview with Harris after the network in a preview of her interview aired a different version of Harris' answer to a question than the one shown in the full program. In the preview, Harris gave a longer answer in response to a question about the Israel-Hamas war than the one aired during the full show. The network later released a full transcript of the interview that showed it ran the first sentence of her answer in the preview and the last sentence during the show, though the meaning of her response was largely the same. Trump is suing CBS as its parent company, Paramount, is seeking the Federal Communications Commission's approval of a multi-billion-dollar merger with Skydance. Trump urged the FCC to revoke the network's broadcasting license last month over '60 Minutes' coverage of him, and FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has warned that the deceptive-editing allegations against CBS could become a factor in the FCC review of the merger. Meanwhile, Paramount and Trump began mediation talks earlier this month as Paramount owner Shari Redstone wants to settle with Trump, The New York Times reported, citing unnamed sources. The lawsuit has led to accusations from journalists that Paramount leadership has meddled in coverage of Trump, compromising their integrity. Wendy McMahon, president of CBS News and Stations, said she would step down Monday following a 'challenging' few months in which she and the company did 'not agree on the path forward,' ostensibly referring to the settlement talks. Longtime '60 Minutes' producer Bill Owens also left his post in April, citing waning editorial independence. Trump reportedly wants $25 million or more and an apology to settle the lawsuit, the Wall street Journal reported this week, citing an unnamed source. The Federal Trade Commission opened a probe in May into the liberal advocacy group, Media Matters for America, and whether it coordinated with other watchdogs to deter companies from advertising on Elon Musk's X, according to multiple reports. Musk is also suing Media Matters for defamation over a report it published about antisemitic content on X. Media Matters president Angela Carusone told Forbes in response to the probe 'the Trump administration has been defined by naming right-wing media figures to key posts and abusing the power of the federal government to bully political opponents and silence critics. It's clear that's exactly what's happening here, given Media Matters' history of holding those same figures to account. These threats won't work; we remain steadfast to our mission." PBS sued Trump Friday to block him from cutting funding for the public television station, days after NPR also filed a lawsuit to stop the move. Trump signed an order May 2 directing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to cease funding NPR and PBS. The FCC also said it's opened investigations into NPR and PBS and whether they aired 'announcements that cross the line into prohibited commercial advertisements,' Carr said in a letter to the organizations in January. Carr said the investigation could factor into Congress' decision on whether to continue funding the organizations. NPR said in a statement in a news article about the threat that the funding cut 'would have a devastating impact on American communities across the nation,' adding that 'locally owned public media stations represent a proud American tradition of public-private partnership for our shared common good.' PBS CEO and President Paual Kerger told NPR the move would 'disrupt the essential service PBS and local member stations provide to the American people.' On April 29, the CPB sought a temporary restraining order to prevent Trump from removing three board members—two appointed by Biden and one appointed by Trump during his first term then reappointed by Biden—arguing the law that established the organization allows Trump to appoint board members, but not fire them. Carr has opened numerous investigations into media organizations and has echoed Trump's critical rhetoric of news coverage. 'We must dismantle the censorship cartel and restore free speech rights for everyday Americans,' Carr tweeted prior to his appointment as FCC chair. He also warned that 'broadcast licenses are not sacred cows,' suggesting the commission could revoke licenses for companies that don't 'operate in the public interest,' and he threatened that the FCC could block merger proposals from companies that promote DEI. In addition to the NPR and PBS probes, Carr has announced investigations into Comcast's diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and a San Francisco-based radio station's coverage of an immigration raid. Comcast said in a statement to the New York Post in response to the probe that it would cooperate with the investigation and built the company 'on a foundation of integrity and respect for all of our employees and customers.' The FCC doesn't distribute and can't revoke licenses for entire networks and instead oversees licensing for their affiliated local broadcast channels. Cable networks, such as CNN and MSNBC, are not within its jurisdiction since they don't broadcast on public airwaves. Stations could fight any attempt to revoke their licenses in court, and laws that dictate their regulatory authority would make it highly unlikely, if not impossible, to pull a station's license. The FCC is prohibited, for example, from 'engaging in censorship or infringing on First Amendment rights of the press.' Licensing and merger decisions require the approval of the full commission, which is made up of the chair and four members appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate for five-year terms. One of the commission's two Democrats, Geoffrey Starks, announced last month he would resign this spring, and a third Republican seat is vacant. About one-third of Voice of America's workforce was terminated earlier this month, Kari Lake, senior adviser for the organization's parent company, the U.S. Agency for Global Media, told multiple outlets in a statement that said 'buckle up, there's more to come.' The move comes after Lake—a special adviser to the U.S. Agency for Global Media, parent company for international broadcaster Voice of America—announced a 'partnership' earlier this month with the conservative One America News Network to broadcast its programs on USAGM networks, including the Office of Cuba Broadcasting, Radio Martí and Voice of America. U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth on April 22 ordered the Trump administration to restore funding for Voice of America, Radio Free Asia and Middle East Broadcasting Network and rehire all staff, halting an executive order Trump signed in March to shut down the government-funded news organizations. Trump, claiming Voice of America was 'anti-Trump' and pushed 'radical propaganda,' revoked funding for the VOA and its parent company, the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which oversees Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, prompting the organizations to place more than 1,300 employees and hundreds of contractors on leave. Lamberth, who is overseeing six lawsuits opposing the shutdown, ruled the move was likely unconstitutional since the organization was created by and is funded by Congress. On April 29, Lamberth ordered the Trump administration to reinstate $12 million in funding that had previously been appropriated to Radio Free Europe, saying in the ruling the Trump administration cannot take away money that Congress allocated, the Associated Press reported. The VOA, which has a budget of about $260 million annually and was formed in 1942 as a counter to Nazi propaganda, broadcasts in more than 40 languages to an international audience of more than 350 million. Radio Free Asia was formed in 1994 by the International Broadcasting Act and has a budget of about $61 million, and the Middle East Broadcasting Network was founded in 2004 and has a $100 million budget. The White House has attempted to bar the Associated Press from accessing some spaces, such as the Oval Office and Air Force One, after it refused to rename the 'Gulf of Mexico' to the 'Gulf of America' in its style guide. The Associated Press then sued the Trump administration over the blockade, and Judge Trevor McFadden ruled in the AP's favor earlier this month, though Trump has appealed the ruling. The White House also eliminated a permanent spot in the press pool reserved for wire services and instead put the AP, Bloomberg and Reuters in a rotation for two 'print' slots, along with 31 other outlets. The Trump administration announced in February it would decide which journalists are allowed in the White House press pool, breaking a years-long tradition in which the independent White House Correspondents' Association coordinated the pool, made up of 13 journalists from a rotating group of outlets who travel with the president and share their reporting with other media outlets. The Trump administration has also set up a 'new media' seat in the briefing room that's offered to outlets that don't have a permanent spot, such as Forbes, though it often hosts non-traditional media such as podcast hosts and social media personalities. Trump and his companies have filed multiple lawsuits against media organizations prior to his winning a second term. Trump Media & Technology Group, the parent company for Trump's Truth Social platform, filed a $1.5 billion lawsuit against 20 media organizations, including Forbes, The Guardian, Reuters, Axios and MSNBC, in November 2023, alleging they defamed him by incorrectly reporting that Truth Social lost $73 million from its launch in early 2022 through mid 2023. Many outlets, including Forbes, corrected their stories to say Truth Social had lost $31.6 million since its inception. In January 2023, Trump sued journalist Bob Woodward, publisher Simon & Schuster and parent company Paramount Global for nearly $50 million, claiming Woodward published recordings of his interviews with Trump for his book 'Rage' without Trump's permission. Trump in December also sued the Des Moines Register, its parent company, Gannett, and its former pollster, Ann Selzer, over a Selzer poll shortly before the election that found Trump would lose Iowa by three to four points, only for him to win the state by 13 points. Trump alleged the poll amounted to election interference and a violation of the Iowa Consumer Fraud Act. The paper and Selzer filed motions to dismiss the suit in February, and the Register alleged the law only applies to 'consumer merchandise,' and there's no evidence Trump ever purchased anything from the paper. Trump has had mixed results in his legal battles with the press. He settled with ABC News last year in a lawsuit Trump filed when anchor George Stephanopolos said Trump was found liable for 'rape' when a jury found him liable for sexually assaulting writer E. Jean Carroll. The network agreed to donate $15 million to Trump's presidential library and issue a statement of regret as part of the settlement. A judge in July 2023 dismissed a case he filed against CNN over its use of the term 'the big lie' to refer to his false claims he won the 2020 election and alleged comparisons between Trump and Hitler. F.C.C. Chair Orders Investigation Into NPR and PBS Sponsorships (New York Times) Which media companies has Donald Trump sued? (Reuters) '60 Minutes' Chief Resigns in Emotional Meeting: 'The Company Is Done With Me' (New York Times)
Malay Mail
16 hours ago
- Business
- Malay Mail
Fahmi: New updates on Malaysian Media Council to be revealed in June journalists' summit
KUALA LUMPUR, June 3 — New developments regarding the Malaysian Media Council (MMC) are expected to be announced during the summit of the National Journalists' Day (Hawana) 2025 on June 14, said Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil. He stated that the MMC was established with a clear mission: to defend media freedom, ensure fair and responsible reporting, and serve as a channel for the public to voice complaints against the media in a civil manner. 'In building this ecosystem, another important achievement was recorded this year when the Dewan Rakyat passed the Malaysian Media Council Bill 2024 in February. 'After more than 50 years of discussion, our country has finally succeeded in establishing the Malaysian Media Council, a self-regulatory body that brings together all types of media, including print, broadcast and digital media,' he said when speaking at the Hawana 2025–Bernama Strategic Partners' Appreciation Ceremony and Official Launch of Bernama–Motorhome at Wisma Bernama, here today. Also present were Ministry of Communications secretary-general Datuk Mohamad Fauzi Md Isa, Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) chief executive officer Datin Paduka Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin, Bernama editor-in-chief Arul Rajoo Durar Raj, who is also the director of Hawana 2025 Project, as well as Bernama's top management. Fahmi expressed confidence that, with the establishment of the Malaysian Media Council and other initiatives, the government is laying a strong foundation for the future of the Malaysian media. Themed 'Journalism in the New Era: Embracing AI, Safeguarding Ethics', Hawana 2025 will be held at WTC KL from June 13 to 15 with the highlight of the celebration on June 14, which will be officiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. More than 1,000 media practitioners, representatives of local journalist associations and media representatives from Asean member countries are invited to bring together the professional media fraternity and industry experts while exchanging ideas and forging strategic relationships. Fahmi also said that on May 14, 2025, the Bernama (Amendment) Act 2024 was gazetted, covering entities that disseminate news through various platforms such as newspapers, publications, radio, television, as well as other mass communication platforms, including electronic and digital media. 'This amendment also aims to ensure that Bernama's structure and functions are in line with developments in information and communication technology, as well as meeting the needs of the increasingly complex media industry,' he said. Meanwhile, May 29 was gazetted as National Journalists' Day in conjunction with the publication of the first edition of Utusan Melayu newspaper on May 29, 1939, to celebrate the contributions of industry players who have become a medium to shape the minds of an informed society in fostering cooperation and driving positive change in the industry. At today's event, Fahmi also officiated the Bernama Motorhome–Mobile Studio, making Bernama the first media agency in Malaysia to utilise a recreational vehicle, or motorhome, equipped with mobile broadcast studio facilities that can be dynamically deployed to disseminate news quickly. 'Congratulations and well done to Bernama for always striving to improve the quality of its services and excel as a trusted source of news. 'I believe that the Bernama Mobile Studio facility can strengthen external coverage operations and news production with greater flexibility,' said Fahmi. — Bernama
Irish Times
20 hours ago
- General
- Irish Times
Why we should all be alarmed by Hungary's latest assault on independent media
In the complicated, often contradictory patchwork of European politics, language matters. So when a government dresses up repression in the finery of democracy, invoking concepts like 'transparency' and 'public interest', we should be suspicious. Hungary's newly proposed 'On the Transparency of Public Life' Bill, now being rammed through its parliament by prime minister Viktor Orbán's ruling Fidesz party, is a case study in Orwellian doublethink. At first glance, the Bill might appear a wonkish set of amendments to existing public accountability laws. Indeed, it is the latest in a long line of calculated moves aimed at dismantling the last remnants of Hungary's independent media and silencing civil society. READ MORE The proposed legislation purports to increase public trust and combat misinformation, but its real objective is to bring all public discourse – including everything which occurs outside the already Fidesz-captured state media – under government control. The Bill's language is intentionally slippery. It targets what it calls 'foreign-influenced' organisations and 'unaccountable' media actors, allowing for investigations and sanctions against groups and individuals who, in the government's view, 'distort public life'. The vagueness is the point. The net is cast wide enough to catch investigative journalists, non-governmental organisations, independent academic researchers, and indeed anyone who dares to question the government's narrative. The legislation is widely seen as part of a renewed push by Orbán against independent voices, prompted by the rare prospect of a real threat to his 14-year grip on power from opposition leader Péter Magyar at next year's election. Over those 14 years, Orbán has systematically reduced the space for dissent in Hungary. State funding has been funnelled into pro-government media conglomerates. Independent outlets have faced advertising boycotts, legal threats and regulatory harassment. Ten years ago the country ranked 40th in the Reporters sans Frontières world press freedom index; it's now 85th. So what does 'transparency' mean in this context? It has nothing to do with clarity and everything to do with control. The state declares itself the arbiter of truth, and any deviation from the approved script becomes a threat to 'public life'. The language recalls not liberal democratic principles, but the rhetorical doublespeak of the old Stalinist Soviet bloc. The press, you see, must be 'free', but only so long as it doesn't undermine 'national unity'. Why should Ireland, or other European Union member states, care? Because Hungary is not some eccentric outlier, but a test case for how far illiberal democracy can stretch the bounds of EU membership. Each law that goes unchallenged becomes a blueprint for others. Poland's media reforms (unlikely to be improved by Sunday's presidential election result), Slovakia's creeping judicial overreach and even Italy's growing pressure on journalists all bear traces of the same anti-pluralist logic. More than 90 editors-in-chief and publishers from across Europe have signed a statement calling on the EU to take action over the Hungarian Bill, warning that it could result in 'effectively outlawing the free press'. But the bloc's mechanisms for accountability remain frustratingly slow and politically hesitant. Rule-of-law procedures against Hungary have been dragging on for years. Financial sanctions are diluted through back-room deals. The European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), which comes into effect across all member states in August. aims to protect media pluralism and independence. It includes measures to safeguard editorial independence, protect journalistic sources and ensure transparency in media ownership. Hungary launched an unsuccessful legal challenge to the EMFA following its ratification last year, with a spokesperson arguing that it 'covers several areas where the union has no legislative competence'. But it now remains to be seen whether these new and untested regulations are actually effective, whether these will be enforced and what the consequences will be for those who breach them. Last week, before a meeting with European foreign affairs ministers in Brussels, European Commissioner for democracy, justice, the rule of law and consumer protection Michael McGrath said the Commission had serious concerns about the 'transparency' Bill. 'We believe it is a breach of EU law,' he said. 'And we have asked the Hungarian government to withdraw that draft law. And in the absence of that happening, and should they proceed to legislate and enact this legislation, we stand ready to use the tools at our disposal.' Meanwhile, the damage accumulates. The Bill, once passed, will empower a new supervisory authority with wide-ranging powers to investigate and penalise those deemed insufficiently transparent. You don't have to squint too hard to see what that will mean for local reporters asking questions about corruption or activists criticising the government's stance on refugees or LGBTQ+ rights. Ireland has generally taken a principled stance on media freedom, although successive governments have been painfully slow to reform our draconian defamation laws, with their chilling effect on legitimate inquiry into matters of public interest. But it's not enough to nod from the sidelines at what is happening in other member states. The EU must confront the Hungarian government not just in legal terms, but also on the battleground of public opinion. Because if language is allowed to mean its opposite, democracy begins to erode from within. Transparency, in its true sense, involves allowing the public to scrutinise those in power. Hungary's government's Bill reverses this, turning scrutiny on to the public itself under the guise of national interest. That is not transparency; it is surveillance. And if we do not call it what it is, the danger is not just that Hungary falls deeper into autocracy – it's that the rest of us get used to it.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Support journalism that is independent and honest
(Stock photo by Nenov via Getty Images Plus) I am often overwhelmed and alarmed by much of what passes as news in the United States. Moreover, the problem of fake news is increasing as we become ever more polarized and as our government tries to undermine and to silence media that exposes intentions and actions it wants to keep hidden from us. Adding to the problem is the proliferation of social media posts that may or may not be accurate. Increasingly, I have become a supporter of independent journalism and have dropped my subscriptions to local papers — owned by what some call vulture equity firms, interested only in power and profit. I've even dropped my long-time subscriptions to two well-known national newspapers. Instead, I support my local library, where I can access, online, my local newspaper, as well as national news publications such as The New York Times and The Washington Post. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX I am not necessarily advocating that you drop your newspaper subscription. Instead, I am hoping you are aware of the many independent news sources available to you. In Colorado, among those I support are Colorado Sun, Mountain Ear and this newspaper, Colorado Newsline (part of the States Newsroom organization). Conveniently, in Colorado alone there are many more independent news sources than the three I have named. The Media and Democracy Project has compiled a list that can be found at the organization's website. Personally, I also support a number of independent national news sources, some of which are identified online at Most crucially, I support those organizations that support independent journalism in a variety of ways — organizations such as the Colorado News Collaborative, the Freedom of the Press Foundation, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, and the Media and Democracy Project. What do I mean by independent news sources? Independent news sources are those that are free from the influence of governments, corporations or special interest groups, ensuring that what they report is truthful. To determine independence, you could begin by looking at whether the news source is more reliant on facts than on opinions/arguments, by investigating the sources of its funding and whether there are potential conflicts of interest, by evaluating its history and track record (e.g., its record for exposing criminality or abuses of power), and by assessing the extent to which it follows established journalistic standards and ethics. When I want to ensure that what I am reading is trustworthy, I search for primary sources if available (e.g., a C-Span video or a legal document) and for additional reports on the topic. I search Reuters Fact Check, Snopes, and Media Bias/Fact Check, too — all available online. We are awash in fake news, and it is eating away at our society. We deserve an honest, skeptical, independent press. Too much of corporate-run media is only interested in lining their own pockets at our expense. According to a Sept. 18, 2020, article in TechStartups online: These media conglomerates are owned by the elite or the ruling class, which extends its reach to encompass not only traditional power structures but also modern behemoths like big tech companies, exerting control over the content we consume — what we read, watch, and listen to … The term 'elite' often slips into our conversations without much thought, yet its roots and significance remain unfamiliar to many. Derived from the French élite, which traces back to the Latin eligere, meaning 'to select or to sort out,' elites represent a select group of influential individuals who wield a disproportionate share of wealth, privilege, political power, or expertise within society. Are you confused and overwhelmed about whom and what to believe? If so, make a point of becoming a savvy news consumer, and spreader, of truly important and reliable news. Don't repeat or repost something you've read without first checking out whether it's true. And support independent journalism. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Reuters
5 days ago
- General
- Reuters
Kyrgyzstan detains eight media workers in widening crackdown
BISHKEK, May 29 (Reuters) - National security authorities in Kyrgyzstan have detained eight current and former employees of independent media outlet Kloop, their lawyers said, accusing them of inciting unrest amid a growing crackdown on media in the Central Asian country. Five journalists from Kloop - known for its anti-corruption reporting - were arrested on Wednesday after authorities raided their homes and seized their electronic devices, lawyers for the people said. A further three people were arrested on Thursday. They face charges of calling for mass unrest and disobeying government officials, which can incur up to 10 years in prison. Daiyrbek Orunbekov, the head of the presidential administration, wrote on social media that the media workers had "spread false information" and had published material "directed against the state". A spokesman for the national security body declined comment. Rinat Tukhvatshin, a co-founder of Kloop, said the government's claims were fabricated. Syinat Sultanalieva, a Central Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch, condemned the detentions as "yet another example of the Kyrgyzstani authorities' continued crackdown on freedom of speech and expression". Several of the people were released after hours of interrogation, while some are still in custody with no access to their lawyers. Kyrgyzstan, a former Soviet republic, has historically enjoyed greater media freedom than its Central Asian neighbours. However, under President Sadyr Japarov, who came to power in 2020, the government enacted a law prohibiting media and individuals from "discrediting" the authorities, providing a tool to suppress dissent. Kloop, an independent outlet founded in 2007, was forced to shutter last year after state prosecutors filed a lawsuit arguing that its NGO publisher, Kloop Media, was not properly registered as a media organisation.
