A press that publishes only what the government authorizes is toothless and not an actual press. It is just a propaganda arm of the government. www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

Pentagon demands press sign agreement to only report authorized material. Can't even report unclassified info! Otherwise no press pass. In preparation for this extreme censorship, wall of "Pentagon Correspondents” photos in press room has been stripped bare. www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

Pentagon demands that journalists stop practicing journalism www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

When I was fighting in Iraq & Afghanistan, I needed to know that journalists could ask tough questions to hold those in power accountable. It's a dangerous moment when our leaders require the press to self-censor their reporting, or face punishment. Free speech is under attack.

Every news organization that covers the Pentagon has to say if its reporter signed this ridiculous pledge. 
 If yes, it’s no longer trustworthy. apnews.com/article/pent...

Re: Work as a group! "When bureau chiefs from many of the outlets banded together to urge Hegseth’s staff to reconsider the changes, the officials doubled down and removed additional media outlets, including The Washington Post, from their Pentagon desks." www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

“What we’re seeing is an unprecedented attempt to silence disfavored speech by the government,” said Brendan Nyhan, a political scientist at Dartmouth College. “Donald Trump is trying to dictate what Americans can say.” apnews.com/article/trum...

No Laughable www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s new mandate prohibiting reporters from obtaining military or defense information without Pentagon approval — or risk losing their press credentials — was met with condemnation from media organizations and lawmakers in Washington. @scottnover.bsky.social

After we reported on the Pentagon's new draconian demands on the press, lawmakers and media organizations — including The Washington Post— condemned the government's policy as an affront to the First Amendment. My latest for @washingtonpost.com:

“A reporter who publishes only what the government ‘authorizes’ is doing something other than reporting,” said @katiefallow.bsky.social www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

WaPo - Trump administration unveils a new crackdown on Pentagon journalists, requiring them to pledge they won't gather any information — even unclassified — that hasn't been expressly authorized for release, and will revoke press credentials of those who don't obey. www.washingtonpost.com/busine...

Pentagon censorship betrays the freedom it is charged to defend. In demanding pre-approval of press coverage, Trump’s Department of War defends only Trump while making the First Amendment the enemy.

“The judge said a new complaint may be filed within 28 days and must be under 40 pages long.”

“So, I’ve read the draft, and—everything’s here, or probably in your notebook, but I’m sorry to say I have some issues with both structure and in places, tone. And it’s way over word count. Comments in line throughout; call me if anything doesn’t make sense!” www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

Good for the court for swiftly dismissing Trump's ludicrous complaint against the New York Times. Lawyers who file frivolous, harassing complaints -- especially in First Amendment cases while representing the president -- can and should face court sanctions.

Brendan Carr, media enforcer www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

FCC Chair Brendan Carr, who Trump called a "warrior for free speech," led the push that got ABC to take Jimmy Kimmel off the air. "I don't think this is the last shoe to drop," he said. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/09/19/trumps-media-enforcer-is-relishing-his-jimmy-kimmel-moment/

Pretty obvious that when Brendan Carr said he favored “free speech” (as during the Biden administration) what he meant was “right-wing speech.” True of a lot of folks in MAGA land: free speech for me but not for thee. www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

“.. Those who refuse to sign the new policy will be stripped of or denied permanent credentials to cover the Pentagon.” @washingtonpost.com www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

It’s not lost on me that the only profession mentioned in the Constitution (the press) is a constant target by those who profess their love for the founding document, who loudly say that we can only have a society based on rules set 250 yrs ago.

Ah yes the Authorized Pentagon Papers www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

“In the Pentagon press room, there’s a wall of photographs under metal lettering that reads ‘Pentagon Correspondents’ with the faces of the men and women who cover the Defense Department for major news outlets. “On Friday, all 30 slots for photographs were empty.”

NEW: The Pentagon told journalists 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. @washingtonpost.com

Unions representing employees at U.S. Agency for Global Media and Voice of America filed a new lawsuit against the government for allegedly violating their collective bargaining rights. www.afge.org/publication/...

From @scottnover.bsky.social, @willoremus.com and Jeremy Barr | Trump’s media enforcer is relishing his Jimmy Kimmel moment wapo.st/4pxe2t0

A federal judge in Tampa, Fl. threw out Donald Trump's 85-page defamation suit against the @nytimes.com in a scathing order. Steven Merryday (GHWB appointee) said a complaint is not the forum for "vituperation and invective." Read more in @washingtonpost.com: www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

Thirty-one journalists and media workers were killed in Israeli airstrikes on a newspaper complex in Yemen last week, according to a report released Friday by the Committee to Protect Journalists. www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...

Brendan Carr, Donald Trump's media enforcer at the FCC, is relishing his Jimmy Kimmel moment. In the @washingtonpost.com today with @willoremus.com and Jeremy Barr: www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

"Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension raises fears of a new censorship era" Read our comprehensive piece on a monumental day in American media and politics. www.washingtonpost.com/entertainmen...

"the decision to target Kimmel appears to have very little to do with the public interest and quite a bit to do with the private interests of the parties concerned." www.washingtonpost.com/entertainmen...

I've got a lot of nice readers sending in their thoughts about my coverage from their iPads. I do love to hear from readers.

“So let’s see, [Trump] didn’t end the Ukraine war or solve Gaza within his first week, but he did end freedom of speech within his first year,” Wanda Sykes said. Here's how Hollywood responded to Kimmel being yanked off air. w/ @jadabird.bsky.social + Annabelle Timsit

Seeing no shortage of old Brendan Carr tweets resurface on my feed tonight.

I regret to inform you that in order to understand the Jimmy Kimmel situation you may have to familiarize yourself with very boring things like a broadcast station megamerger and FCC ownership rules. I wrote about the Nextar-Tegna deal last month www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

The WGA weighs in: “The right to speak our minds and to disagree with each other – to disturb, even – is at the very heart of what it means to be a free people. It is not to be denied. Not by violence, not by the abuse of governmental power, nor by acts of corporate cowardice.”

"This is beyond McCarthyism. Trump officials are repeatedly abusing their power to stop ideas they don’t like, deciding who can speak, write and even joke. Free speech could not be in greater danger" www.washingtonpost.com/business/202... @scottnover.bsky.social

“This is beyond McCarthyism,” said the @aclu.org's Christopher Anders. “Trump officials are repeatedly abusing their power to stop ideas they don’t like, deciding who can speak, write and even joke. Free speech could not be in greater danger.” www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

Disney's ABC has taken "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" off the air following the host's comments about Charlie Kirk's shooter. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr criticized Kimmel earlier Wednesday, suggesting he could take away station licenses. www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

NPR plans to make trims totaling more than $5 million over the course of the coming fiscal year to bring its annual budget into balance. Meanwhile, local stations are asking for more help.

People are getting the Charlie Kirk shooter completely wrong. He wasn't a far-right groyper or a radical organized leftist. And his memes weren't a coded message, they were - to him, in his nihilistic, irony-drenched, incomprehensible way - one big internet joke www.instagram.com/p/DOtkdAqEZE7/

Trump Files Defamation And Libel Lawsuit Against New York Times @nihamasih.bsky.social @leo-sands.bsky.social and @scottnover.bsky.social report for @washingtonpost.com wapo.st/4plAKnT

“The complaint is full of bluster but short on any allegations of specific false statements of fact that would meet the rigorous standards for defamation claims brought by public figures,” @knightcolumbia.org's deputy litigation director @katiefallow.bsky.social says. More in @washingtonpost.com.

Donald Trump sued the New York Times for defamation last night. Legal experts said his suit lacks merit and the president faces an uphill battle to succeed against the Times. Latest in @washingtonpost.com: www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

Good @glennkessler.bsky.social joint, fact-checking viral Charlie Kirk quotes. glennkessler.substack.com/p/did-charli...

New from 404 Media: airlines are selling *5 billion* ticketing records to the government for warrantless searching, per new docs we obtained. ARC is a data broker owned by United, American, Delta, etc. Then sells peoples' travel info to ICE, Secret Service, FBI etc www.404media.co/airlines-sel...

Two Utah men were arrested for planting an incendiary device under a Fox 13 news vehicle. Annabelle Timsit has the report for @washingtonpost.com: www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

Emmys crowd booed Trump’s defunding of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which will shut down as a result. www.washingtonpost.com/entertainmen...

"We can mourn Kirk. We can send prayers to his friends and family. We can take stock of the gravity of this event. We can — and should — do all of this and more without pretending he was something, as a public figure, that he was not." www.nytimes.com/2025/09/13/o...