Search & Navigate                    Glossary                    Congress                    Resources & Videos                    About                    
(2025-Feb-01)
(2019-Nov-05)
(2019-Jun-21)
(2019-Jun-03)
(2019-Jan-22)
(2018-Nov-26)
(2018-Nov-22)
(2018-Nov-16)
(2016-May-10)
(2012-Jul-16)
DID YOU JUST LEARN SOMETHING?
Is it worth a dollar?
News in FiVe is free to read, but it takes time and money to publish.
If you find what we do valuable, please help us continue with a small donation every so often. Even a dollar or three makes a difference.
In return, we'll keep providing you the most relevant, understandable, and accessible news and information.
It's secure and takes only about a minute.
Thanks!
2025-Feb-01 | By: Barry Shatzman |
The Trump administration has changed which news organizations will have dedicated office space in the Pentagon.
NBC News, National Public Radio (NPR), The New York Times, and Politico all have been ordered to vacate their permanent desks by Feb. 14.
The administration will give that space to the New York Post, Breitbart News, One America News, and the Huffington Post.
The Defense Department internal memo called the the change an "annual media rotation program."
The memo states that the organizations told to give up their physical workspaces "will continue to enjoy the same media access to the Pentagon and will be able to attend and cover briefings and be considered for travel with civilian and military leaders in the Department as they have previously," CNN reported.
Overall, the changes represent a rightward shift in terms of media bias.
A statement by the National Press Club said "Any action that restricts the ability of journalists to report on the operations of the U.S. government should alarm all who value transparency and press freedom"
For more, read The Guardian article.
Click here to read the full National Press Club statement.
2019-Nov-05 | By: (External links) |
A library wanted a New York Times subscription. Officials refused, citing Trump and 'fake news.'
2019-Jun-21 | By: (External links) |
2019-Jun-03 | By: (External links) |
Trump urges customers to drop AT&T to punish CNN over its coverage of him
2019-Jan-22 | By: (External links) |
Trump: I told Sanders to stop briefings because press covers her 'rudely'
2018-Nov-26  (Updated: 2018-Nov-27) | By: Barry Shatzman |
President Trump has said the United States should launch a government-run media organization to compete with private news organizations such as CNN.
Trump has a history of criticizing media. He often labels news critical of him as "FAKE" (in upper-case letters), even when it simply states verifiable facts.
He previously had called much of the media the enemy of the people. He later expressed a similar view, saying that 80 percent of the media could be characterized that way.
As with many of Trump's posts on Twitter, these came with little context or indication of any actions that could implement it.
The government already supports foreign broadcasts such as Voice of America.
A government-run news outlet also was proposed by Congress in 2016, as a means to counter disinformation from countries such as Russia and China, and to provide "fact-based narratives that support United States allies and interests."
For more, read the Washington Post story.
2018-Nov-22  (Updated: 2018-Nov-24) | By: Barry Shatzman |
The White House has issued rules that reporters covering presidential press conferences will need to follow - or risk losing their access.
The new rules stem from a Nov. 6 incident in which the White House revoked CNN correspondent Jim Acosta's hard pass. A federal judge ordered the White House to temporarily reinstate the pass until a final decision comes from the courts.
Rules limit reporters to single question - with no followup
Reporters will be limited to a single question - with followup questions prohibited unless the reporter is given permission. Reporters attempting to ask a followup question without permission risk losing their access.
The White House Correspondents' Association - which assigns reporters to White House press conferences - said followup questions are vital to getting to the truth and reporters would continue to ask them.
Followup questioning, for example, prevents the person being interviewed from evading a question, or saying something false without being questioned about why they consider it to be true.
The rules also may aggravate the problem they ostensibly were created to fix. In a letter to Acosta explaining the rules, the White House said they are needed because Acosta demanded them to prevent discretionary treatment. But, while adding explicit limits, enforcement remains arbitrary - thus codifying discriminatory treatment of different reporters.
For more, read the Vox story.
Click here to read the letter from the White House outlining the new rules for press conferences.
2018-Nov-16 | By: Barry Shatzman |
The White House has been ordered by a federal judge to allow a reporter it banished from the White House back in.
The events leading up to the judge's order started at a press conference with President Trump the day after the Nov. 6 midterm elections.
When CNN correspondent Jim Acosta asked Trump a followup question to one he had just asked, a White House employee attempted to take the microphone. Acosta refused to immediately relinquish it and continued to ask his question.
Making the call using instant replay
The White House reaction was to revoke Acosta's hard pass - which allows reporters quick entry to the White House grounds. Press Secretary Sarah Sanders justified the action with a video of the incident - doctored in a way that could create a perception of Acosta being aggressive.
Who covers White House press conferences?
The White House normally does not decide which media members attend press conferences. Rather, it is the White House Correspondents' Association that assigns seating in the press room. The independence helps prevent presidents from selecting media likely to be more favorable toward them.
CNN sued in federal court, claiming that banning Acosta was arbitrary - therefore violating his Fifth Amendment right to due process. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly issued a temporary injunction - requiring the White House to restore Acosta's access until the issue is resolved by the courts.
2016-May-10 | By: Barry Shatzman |
A bill introduced in Congress would create a government-run media agency to fight disinformation from countries such as Russia and China.
The new agency - the Center for Information Analysis and Response - would alter narratives put forth by other countries, creating new "fact-based narratives that support United States allies and interests."
The bill also provides for grants to private media organizations that demonstrate "their compatibility with United States interests and objectives."
Click here for more information on the Countering Foreign Propaganda and Disinformation Act.
2012-Jul-16 | By: Barry Shatzman |
Microsoft and NBC News have dissolved their 16-year joint venture in MSNBC.com. To effect the deal, Comcast - majority owner of NBC - is buying out Microsoft's 50% share of the MSNBC web site.
This is a summary of how the announced changes will directly affect users...