On the media beat, it’s all Trump all the time
Premium content: This is from our forthcoming subscriber-exclusive Media Miss newsletter, where we will take you inside the algorithms and agendas shaping what you see.
Welcome to the first-ever edition of the Media Miss column, where I dig into First Amendment controversies, the partisan stories you may have missed — and updates from the guy who helped President Donald Trump pay off a porn star.
Media Mechanics
It’s already proving to be a busy week on the media beat, with three emerging storylines about President Donald Trump’s influence over the press.
- We’re monitoring an unfolding situation at The New York Times, where five journalists were subpoenaed late last week and ordered to reveal the names of anonymous sources who tipped them off on security flaws with the new Air Force One. While the ordeal faced swift opposition from First Amendment advocates, Times White House correspondent Maggie Haberman said the subpoenas were filed with one goal in mind: intimidation.
- Trump ally David Ellison could soon take ownership of both CBS News and CNN — but not if these states have anything to say about it. State attorneys general from California, Arizona and 10 other Democratic-led states filed a lawsuit Monday to block Ellison-owned Paramount Skydance’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. The anti-competition lawsuit is the most formidable legal challenge to date to a $111 billion deal that could bring a major swath of the media and entertainment business under the same roof.
- Last but not least, President Donald Trump’s longtime former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen is out of prison, back in the public eye — and calling out his haters. Cohen has a new show on conservative talk radio. Cohen, who is perhaps best known for helping Trump pay off porn star Stormy Daniels, said he’s back on good terms with the president after several years of being a harsh critic. In his first episode Sunday evening on New York’s WABC, Cohen presented himself as the antidote to disinformation and political divisiveness. But is anyone listening?
Register now to receive a discount code for when our subscription launches to continue to receive content like this plus more!
Miss Spotlights
-
Left Media MissGrace Cary/Getty Images
West Virginia town denies police department’s claim that all officers were fired
0% left coverage45% right coverage
Powered by Ground News™
The attorney for Barrackville, West Virginia, issued a statement refuting the police department’s claims that it was fired by the mayor and city council. Instead, the statement said, two officers from the Barrackville Police Department were put on temporary inactive status while leaders reviewed department records and operations. This comes days after the Barrackville Police Department said on social media that the entire force was “relieved of duty.”
-
Right Media MissUSA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Faculty groups sue Texas Tech University System over restrictions on teaching about race, gender
66% left coverage20% right coverage
Powered by Ground News™
Faculty groups sued Texas Tech University System Chancellor Brandon Creighton and members of the Board of Regents over two memos that they say have a chilling effect on classroom speech. The memos implemented a Board of Regents review process for any materials covering race, sexual orientation or gender identity. The lawsuit called the process “an extraordinary system of censorship” that prohibits Texas Tech professors “from teaching the most basic scholarship.”
Unbalanced Headlines
What happened:
Kash Patel says the FBI will assist local authorities after Graham’s death, despite no foul play being suspected.
LEFT HEADLINE:
Kash Patel Gives MAGA Tinfoil Hat Fuel With WEIRD Post About Graham’s Death And The FBI — Reported July 13, 2026, by Crooks and Liars
RIGHT HEADLINE:
‘Every necessary resource’: FBI joins probe into ‘shocking’ death of Lindsey Graham — Reported July 12, 2026, by World Net Daily
Competing narratives
Left-leaning media portray Patel’s comments as unusual and politically motivated, arguing they fuel conspiracy theories and public suspicion.
Right-leaning media frame the FBI’s involvement as a legitimate investigation into whether Graham’s death could have involved a foreign adversary, such as Russia.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
