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Hope Amid Trump’s Bullying Media Grip

by richard0562

Hope Amid Trump’s Bullying Media Grip:
Reinstatement of Kimmel Isn’t Only Bright Spot
. . . Renee Graham Quits Boston Globe Editorial Board
. . . Attiah’s Firing Tied to Posts About White Men
Pentagon Unveils New Crackdown on Journalists

 

Imprisoned Reporter Faces Imminent Deportation
A Co-Author Honors Ron Harris
IRE Raises $1.5 Million as 600 Attend Gala
Israeli Strikes Kill 31 in Yemen Newspaper Office

Nominations Open for J-Educator Promoting Diversity


(Homepage photo: Jimmy Kimmel, credit: ABC)

 

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Reinstatement of Kimmel Isn’t Only Bright Spot

The surprise announcement from the Walt Disney Co. Monday that Jimmy Kimmel would return to ABC-TV airwaves Tuesday is but one sign of hope for those who fear for the future of media freedom under the Trump administration.

The civil liberties group PEN America was one of the first to react. Summer Lopez, interim co-CEO and chief program officer for free expression, said:

“Jimmy Kimmel’s return is a vindication for free speech: both remedying his unjustifiable suspension, and reminding us that when people speak out to hold the powerful to account — it matters. We must all channel the same energy to fight the many assaults on free speech underway, including against those with less reach and resources.”

(“While ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ will return to ABC on Tuesday, the late night show won’t be returning to Sinclair’s ABC affiliates as the broadcaster will replace the show with news programming as discussions with ABC continue,” Loree Seitz and Lucas Manfredi reported for The Wrap. Nexstar, which like Sinclair said it would not carry Kimmel, said Tuesday it would follow suit. That means nearly one-third of the roughly 240 national ABC stations will not carry the program for the time being, Jennifer Maas reported for Variety.) [Updated 9/23}

President Trump’s bullying of media companies and the GOP’s embrace of “cancel culture” after the killing of Charlie Kirk led last week to the resignation by Renee Graham from the Boston Globe editorial board (though she’ll remain as a columnist), the reappearance of Ta-Nahesi Coates in print, a defiant pledge from the Washington Post’s Karen Attiah that she’ll keep writing despite her firing, and warnings from the only Democrat on the Federal Communications Commission, Anna Gomez, that the stance the Trump administration is taking toward the media is unconstitutional, among other developments.

April Ryan of BlackPressUSA said she is not being called upon inside the White House briefing room while conservative media members are. Moreover, members of the conservative press have started taking pictures of her. “This is dangerous,” Ryan told Journal-isms.

“This [is] anti-free speech and anti-free press,” Ryan said in an interview posted on Instagram. “If they would have dealt with this in the first term –,” referencing disrespect toward other Black women journalists, such as Yamiche Alcindor and Abby Phillip,  as well as CNN”s Jim Acosta, “but because we were Black women and you thought we were being hams, now look what you got. . . . . I ask questions that the American people want answers to and he [Trump] doesn’t like.”

On Kimmel, James Hibberd and Alex Weprin reported for the Hollywood Reporter that ABC’s suspension “sparked a massive outpouring of criticism of Disney, Nexstar and Sinclair for caving to pressure. Media pundits, politicians, Hollywood unions, celebrities, other talk show hosts and even some Republican leaders (such as Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul) condemned the series of events as a dangerous step toward networks becoming state-run media, with many framing it as a potential ‘tipping point’ moment if Disney didn’t reverse its decision. Some people online pledged to unsubscribe and boycott Disney subsidiaries such as Disney+ and Hulu.

“California Gov. Gavin Newsom wrote on X, ‘The @GOP does not believe in free speech. They are censoring you in real time.’ Former President Barack Obama also weighed in, writing, ‘After years of complaining about cancel culture, the current administration has taken it to a new and dangerous level by routinely threatening regulatory action against media companies unless they muzzle or fire reporters and commentators it doesn’t [like].”

Comedian Wanda Sykes took aim at the president with a video shared on Instagram.

“Let’s see,” she started, with a reference to Kimmel, whose show was dropped by ABC after his pokes at Trump.

“He didn’t end the Ukraine war or solve Gaza within his first week. But he did end freedom of speech within his first year. Hey, for those of you who pray, now’s the time to do it. Love you, Jimmy.”

The apparently successful pushback over Kimmel isn’t the only bright spot, Max Tani reported Sunday for Semafor. “Establishment media corporations’ capitulation to the Trump administration has alienated Democrats — and opened the door for a new crop of independent partisan outlets hoping to capitalize on left-of-center audiences’ discontent.”


The journalists of color associations haven’t issued any statements about the recent Trump administration clampdowns on the media, but former president Barack Obama posted this message about free speech by Frederick Douglass, publisher of the North Star and Black journalist icon.

About the pushback, Tani reported that Democrats and others opposing the Republicans’ crackdown on the media have “been increasingly turning to alternatives like The Bulwark and Crooked Media, which produces Pod Save America.

 “ Those two companies, which have grown sharply in the last year, have discussed partnerships or maybe even a rollup deal (though those familiar with the talks said they were mostly speculative and both companies declined to comment). And platforms like Substack, once the home of the contrarian right, and Bluesky, a haven for people tired of X, have risen in tandem.

“Those audiences ‘feel deeply betrayed by a lot of the mainstream news organizations that they felt like they could rely on when things started to go off the rails back in, you know, 2017, 2018,” said Sarah Longwell, founder of The Bulwark. ‘They feel betrayed by a lot of those organizations and those people.’ ”

Tani added, “No new platform has benefited more from this friction than Substack, which has nearly doubled its number of paying subscribers in the last year alone, from around 3 million to more than 5 million.

The journalists-of-color associations have been quiet about the recent anti-media actions, though some of their members have started their own Substack columns.

Globe Opinion’s original headline. It was later changed to “Charlie Kirk murder: America needs dialogue, not bullets” online and “An attack on democracy” in print. (Screenshot)

. . . Renee Graham Quits Boston Globe Editorial Board

“Boston Globe columnist Renée Graham has quit the paper’s editorial board in protest over last week’s editorial praising the slain right-wing activist Charlie Kirk’s commitment to free speech — an editorial that was widely derided by critics who objected to Kirk’s often hateful rhetoric. Graham will remain as a columnist and will continue to write her Globe newsletter, Outtakes,” Dan Kennedy wrote Thursday for his Media Nation site.

“Graham (pictured) confirmed those developments in an email exchange but would not offer any further comment. . . .

“The Globe’s editorial, published online Sept. 12, was originally headlined ‘We need more Charlie Kirks.’ It was later changed to ‘Charlie Kirk murder: America needs dialogue, not bullets,’ and appeared in print on Sept. 12 under the headline ‘An attack on democracy.’

“The editorial brought widespread criticism, some of which landed in my inbox. Mike Deehan reports at Axios Boston that some readers threatened to cancel their subscriptions, and I heard the same thing.

“In a statement provided to me this morning, editorial-page editor Jim Dao (pictured) said: ‘We stand behind the message of the editorial which is a reasoned response to the strong emotions surrounding Kirk’s killing. We respect the thoughts of readers who object to the editorial and encourage them to express their views by submitting letters to the editor.’ (The Globe ran a column of critical letters Sept. 15.) Additionally, Dao told Deehan that digital headlines often change, ‘but in this instance, the decision to change the editorial’s digital headline was in direct response to reader feedback.’

At the Poynter Institute, Ellen Clegg, who led the Globe’s editorial pages from 2014 to 2018, used the incident to argue against continuing unsigned editorials.

“At The Boston Globe, the apparent institutional aim of crafting a quick and reasoned response to Kirk’s murder resulted in a tone-deaf piece that did not contain a single quote from Kirk’s appearances — quotes that might have added depth and context and provoked a more nuanced discussion of the First Amendment of the Constitution, a core principle that has guided American journalists from the founding of the country.” Clegg wrote.


Karen Attiah conducted an interview before a standing-room-only crowd at Busboys and Poets, a popular Black-oriented D.C. restaurant and bookstore, that owner Andy Shallal estimated at 500. (Credit: Facebook)

. . . Attiah’s Firing Tied to Posts About White Men

Washington Post opinion columnist Karen Attiah, whose firing by the Post she disclosed last week, was let go because of social media comments mentioning white men in connection with the killing of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, according to a letter from the Post that Attiah posted on Substack.

“Your postings on Bluesky (which clearly identifies you as a Post Columnist) about white men in response to the killing of Charlie Kirk do not comply with our policy,” wrote Wayne Connell, the Post’s director of human resources (and a white man). “For example, you posted: ‘Refusing to tear my clothes and smear ashes on my face in performative mourning for a white man that espoused violence is… not the same as violence’ and ‘Part of what keeps America so violent is the insistence that people perform care, empty goodness and absolution for white men who espouse hatred and violence.’ ”

Oliver Darcy, who published the letter last week in his Status newsletter, wrote then, “Suffice it to say, the letter took Attiah by surprise, especially given how quickly the situation escalated. She told me on Monday evening that her posts on social media had received ‘very little backlash’ and that she had been posting about ‘the state of gun violence in general,’ noting that there had been another school shooting on the same day as Kirk’s killing.

“ ‘It’s a level of cruelty I did not expect,’ Attiah said about the manner in which she was fired, adding that she will still choose to ‘look back at my time at The Post and how it’s been the coolest job ever.’ ”

Attiah was celebrated Wednesday at a mixer honoring Black former Washington Post journalists, held by the Washington Association of Black Journalists at the National Press Club. (In blue, pictured, by Richard Prince)

Attiah said before about 40 present that one does not become a journalist – particularly a Black journalist – to be popular, calling the job a precious responsibility. She urged her colleagues to ‘take care of yourselves” and to “be smart and vigilant.”

The following night, Attiah appeared before a standing-room-only crowd at Busboys and Poets, a popular Black-oriented D.C. restaurant and bookstore. Owner Andy Shallal estimated the crowd at 500, with more listening on the sidewalk outside. At the previously scheduled appearance, Attiah interviewed prominent Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil.

Attiah has erroneously been called the last remaining Black columnist at the Post, or a variation.
However, columnist Colbert King remains at the paper but plans to leave, citing health issues, and Keith Richburg, another Black journalist, is on the editorial board.

There are others who write frequently for the op-ed page, such as Theodore R. Johnson, who is called a “contributing columnist.”

 Jerry Brewer, Candace Buckner and Kevin B. Blackistone are sports columnists, and Michelle Singletary writes a personal finance column for the Business section.

Attiah’s firing was celebrated in a posting on X by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. 

Pentagon Unveils New Crackdown on Journalists

“The Trump administration unveiled a new crackdown Friday on journalists at the Pentagon, saying it will require them to pledge they won’t gather any information — even unclassified — that hasn’t been expressly authorized for release, and will revoke the press credentials of those who do not obey,” Scott Nover reported Friday for the Washington Post.

“Under the policy, the Pentagon may revoke press passes for anyone it deems a security threat. Possessing confidential or unauthorized information, under the new rules, would be grounds for a journalist’s press pass to be revoked. . . .”

In one of the first reactions from journalists, the National Press Club issued a statement condemning the decision. “If the news about our military must first be approved by the government, then the public is no longer getting independent reporting,” said Mike Balsamo, the organization’s president. “It is getting only what officials want them to see. That should alarm every American.”

Others added their protests.

“These were three very hard days,” Mario Guevara wrote of his time in prison. “I didn’t eat anything, and I had severe headaches. I was afraid that they were going to kill me and cause more suffering to my family.”

Imprisoned Reporter Faces Imminent Deportation

 “The Atlanta-area journalist whose immigration arrest sparked national conversation is facing imminent deportation to his home country of El Salvador, following an immigration appeals court’s decision to order him removed,”  Lautaro Grinspan reported Friday for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The journalist, Mario Guevara, wrote an account of his imprisonment published Monday in the Bitter Southerner, in which he said that “Since my arrest, I have lost tens of thousands of dollars and my company, the news channel MGNews, is on the verge of bankruptcy.”

Guavara, said to be the only known journalist detained by ICE on U.S. soil, also wrote, “The prison is not only old, ugly and gloomy, but it is also designed to drive people crazy.

“With me, they almost succeeded. I had barely been admitted for two hours when I was already being extorted.

“A group of several non-immigrant inmates took photos of me and charged $60 a day to not hurt me. This was all because I was well-known outside of jail. “

Grinspan also wrote, “Guevara, who has a valid work permit and a path to residency through his U.S. citizen son, had been granted bond in July. But Immigration and Customs Enforcement took steps to block Guevara’s release, filing an appeal. Friday’s decision renders the July bond decision moot.”

Katherine Jacobsen, U.S., Canada and Caribbean program coordinator for the Committee to Protect Journalists, said Friday, “We are outraged that journalist Mario Guevara was initially detained for almost 100 days because the government believes that livestreaming law enforcement poses a danger to their operations.

“This latest move allows the government to circumvent addressing the reason why Guevara was detained, in retaliation for his journalism. Instead, authorities are using the very real threat of deportation to remove a reporter from the country simply for doing his job and covering the news.”

Ron Harris “was passionate about everything he touched, and that includes relationships with people,” said Harry Dunn, who wrote two books with him. (Credit: Richard Prince)

A Co-Author Honors Ron Harris

Harry Dunn, a retired Capitol Police officer who served heroically during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, was one of several who spoke Friday at Howard University in a tribute to Ronald J. Harris, the journalist who died at 73 on Aug. 21 after sailing off the Georgia coast. Harris and Dunn wrote two books together, the second a children’s book.

Harris’ son, Tracy Harris, said his father lost his life after he dropped anchor and could not get it back up before a hurricane came up the coast, according to the Coast Guard. About 85 people, with about another 53 on Zoom, heard loving, warts-and-all stories about Harris, who had also taught and mentored student journalists at Howard. Journalists and journalism educators who spoke included  Yanick Rice Lamb,  Sonya Ross, Ingrid Sturgis, Phillip  Dixon, Jube Shiver and Fred Sweets. On Sunday, sailors honored Harris at Baltimore’s harbor. Watch the video of Friday’s event.


Corey Johnson, a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter at Pro Publica, and Tisha Thompson, investigative reporter for ESPN, at the IRE Gala. Thompson is co-chair of the IRE 50th Anniversary Task Force. Johnson, while at the Tampa Bay (Fla.) Times, led a project that revealed how Florida’s only lead smelter endangered hundreds of workers and polluted the surrounding community. (Credit: Nathalie Schueller)

IRE Raises $1.5 Million as 600 Attend Gala

Investigative Reporters and Editors, with 4,845 members the nation’s largest journalism organization, raised more than $1.5 million at its 50th anniversary gala in New York last week, IRE announced.

“With donations from $50 to $150,000, and the support of major funders including the ProPublica Board of Directors and the Knight Foundation, it is the largest amount raised through a single event in IRE history,” according to the organization. About 600 were present for the Sept 15 event, board chairman Brian M .Rosenthal said. 

Journalists of color Corey Johnson, the late Renee Ferguson, Melvin Claxton and Manny Garcia were among those honored as the organization cited investigative work delivered in each decade since IRE’s founding. Ferguson’s son, Jason Smikle, accepted on her behalf.

New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger told the group, “My colleagues and I have spent more than a year studying the anti-press playbook used in places like Hungary, India, Brazil and Turkey. Today, we’re seeing these same tactics deployed in the United States, a country long synonymous with press freedom.”

Sulzberger listed the “five core elements” in the playbook and advised as his first point, “continue to report on this administration without fear or favor. Following the facts and reporting the truth are not partisan acts. They do not make journalists the opposition. In that spirit journalists should not let themselves be baited into acting as such, whether through jeers or cheers. Instead let’s continue to ask the tough questions and bring the public the information it needs – fully, fairly, and independently.”

A federal judge in Tampa, Fla., Friday dismissed President Trump’s $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times as “decidedly improper and impermissible,” but is allowing Trump to refile a much shorter and less florid amended civil complaint within the next month.

Israeli Strikes Kill 31 in Yemen Newspaper Office

“Israel’s targeted strikes on two newspaper offices in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, which killed 31 journalists and media support workers on September 10, signal that its deadly pattern of attacking reporters and newsrooms on the grounds that they publish ‘terrorist’ propaganda has spread firmly across the Middle East,” the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday.

“Yemen’s September 26 newspaper was the first to name the 31 killed by multiple strikes on its office and that of the Yemen newspaper, both in the government’s Moral Guidance Directorate’s headquarters. All but one of the dead worked for the two outlets.

“Nasser Al-Khadri, editor-in-chief of 26 September, described the killings as an ‘unprecedented massacre of journalists,’ with multiple strikes hitting its newsroom at around 4:45 p.m. as staff were finalizing publication of the weekly paper, which is the Yemeni army’s official outlet. . . . “

Julian Rodriguez of the University of Texas, Arlington, accepts the Barry Bingham Sr. Fellowship award in 2015 at the Association of Opinion Journalists Symposium, held at the Poynter Institute. (Credit: John McClelland/YouTube)

Nominations Open for J-Educator Promoting Diversity

Beginning in 1990, the Association of Opinion Journalists annually granted a Barry Bingham Sr. Fellowship — actually an award — “in recognition of an educator’s outstanding efforts to encourage minority students in the field of journalism.”

Journal-isms assumed stewardship of the award last year, handed the baton from the News Leaders Association, which absorbed the now-defunct Association of Opinion Journalists but in 2024, itself dissolved.

Since 2000, the recipient had been awarded an honorarium of $1,000 to be used to “further work in progress or begin a new project.”

This will be the first such award under the new affiliation.

Past winners include James Hawkins, Florida A&M University (1990); Larry Kaggwa, Howard University (1992); Ben Holman, University of Maryland (1996); Linda Jones, Roosevelt University, Chicago (1998); Ramon Chavez, University of Colorado, Boulder (1999); Erna Smith, San Francisco State (2000); Joseph Selden, Penn State University (2001); Cheryl Smith, Paul Quinn College (2002); Rose Richard, Marquette University (2003).

Also, Leara D. Rhodes, University of Georgia (2004); Denny McAuliffe, University of Montana (2005); Pearl Stewart, Black College Wire (2006); Valerie White, Florida A&M University (2007); Phillip Dixon, Howard University (2008); Bruce DePyssler, North Carolina Central University (2009); Sree Sreenivasan, Columbia University (2010); Yvonne Latty, New York University (2011); Michelle Johnson, Boston University (2012); Vanessa Shelton, University of Iowa (2013); William Drummond, University of California at Berkeley (2014); Julian Rodriguez of the University of Texas at Arlington (2015); David G. Armstrong, Georgia State University (2016); Gerald Jordan, University of Arkansas (2017), Bill Celis, University of Southern California (2018); Laura Castañeda, University of Southern California (2019); Mei-Ling Hopgood, Northwestern University (2020); Wayne Dawkins, Morgan State University (2021); Marquita Smith of the University of Mississippi (2022), and Rachel Swarns of New York University (2023).

Nominations may be emailed to Richard Prince, who chairs the awards committee, at richardprince (at) hotmail.com. The deadline is Oct. 15.  Please use that address only for Bingham fellowship matters.

Feel free to urge others to write supporting letters for your nominee, especially if they are students or former students of the person you favor.

  

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