It was funny when Sergeant Schultz said it but it is not funny when major news organizations are shut out from the news!
The is a systematic attempt to control the news you get from the Trump White House, only right-wing news outlets are being allowed at White House news conference,
40 news organizations — including Fox News and Newsmax — asked Trump to lift his ban on the AP. Here’s why it probably won’t matter.PoynterBy: Tom JonesFebruary 21, 2025Dozens of news organizations are urging the White House to reconsider its ban on The Associated Press over a dispute about what to call the body of water between Florida and Texas. The AP is calling it the Gulf of Mexico. President Donald Trump wants it called the Gulf of America.And Trump, as recently as early this week, said he will continue to ban the AP from certain media events, including inside the Oval Office and on Air Force One, until the wire service gives in and calls it the Gulf of America.However, 40 outlets wrote a letter to the White House this week asking Trump to lift the ban. The outlets include many of the news organizations that you would expect to fight for press freedoms: The New York Times, The Washington Post, NBC, CNN and The Wall Street Journal.But it also included two outlets that you might not have expected: Fox News and Newsmax — conservative outlets that usually support Trump.[...]The New York Times’ Katie Robertson reports that Newsmax, which is a staunch supporter of Trump, said in a statement, “We can understand President Trump’s frustration because the media has often been unfair to him, but Newsmax still supports the AP’s right, as a private organization, to use the language it wants to use in its reporting. We fear a future administration may not like something that Newsmax writes and seeks to ban us. This is why news organizations like Newsmax and Fox News are supporting the AP’s First Amendment rights though we may disagree with its editorial point of view from time to time.”
But you know this is all personal for Trump, he only want news agencies that tow his line! What got my attention is that Fox News and Newsmax also want the mainstream media back in the Oval office again.
But, will it have any kind of meaningful impact?It seems unlikely that Trump and his White House will reverse the ban just because other news outlets sent a letter and showed solidarity. It feels more likely that Trump and his White House will simply shrug their shoulders.
But that is not the only First Amendment issues... Poynter write in another article,
‘Anytime that whole FOIA offices are getting fired, it portends terrible things’By: Angela FuFebruary 21, 2025The federal government — no matter the administration in charge — has always had issues fulfilling public records requests in a timely manner. But the recent firings of staff responsible for handling such requests have left some experts worried about access to government records under President Donald Trump.“I think that reporters, as is the American citizen, are in for a boatload of trouble in the next four years in this regard,” said Terry Mutchler, an attorney and former journalist who serves as the vice president of the National Freedom of Information Coalition’s board.CNN reported Tuesday that it had used the Freedom of Information Act to ask the Office of Personnel Management for records related to the security clearances for billionaire Elon Musk and the staff of the Department of Government Efficiency. An OPM email responded, “Good luck with that” — the staff responsible for responding to FOIA requests at OPM had been fired.
This is going to end up in the court because by law a FOI request has to be replied to in 20 days!
Not having staff available to process records requests does not relieve a federal agency of its legal obligation to respond, experts said. The law requires agencies to respond to requests within 20 business days and allows requesters to sue for records if that deadline is missed.“It’s going to come down to the courts, and it’s going to come down to whether or not this administration has any honor in honoring court opinions,” Muchler said.[...]“Let the public know about their losses: ‘We requested this information under FOIA. Public, don’t you think that you have the right to it?’” Jones said. “Be transparent with the readership about the federal government’s failings in following the law or withholding information.”
You know that the Trump administration are just going to tie it up in the courts.
Now tell me where else is the news media under attack?
- Eritrea
- North Korea
- Turkmenistan
- Saudi Arabia
- China
- Vietnam
- Iran
- Equatorial Guinea
- Belarus
- Cuba
And now we can add us to the list!
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