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** OPINION
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** What should journalists do when President Trump attacks them?
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President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters on Air Force One on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Donald Trump attacks the press on pretty much a daily basis, lashing out at reporters who ask questions he doesn’t like.

He told one reporter to be quiet while calling her “piggy.” He has called other reporters “nasty,” “stupid,” “ugly,” “obnoxious” and terrible at their jobs. Often, he focuses on women. (The Wrap’s Corbin Bolies writes, “Here Are All the Times Trump Attacked Female Reporters in the Last 30 Days.” ([link removed]) ) But no one is seemingly spared from his wrath when he gets a tough question.

The ramifications of this go far beyond the reporters Trump is childishly trying to insult.

In her latest piece, my Poynter colleague Kelly McBride writes, “When powerful people bully the press, they’re really trying to silence the public.” ([link removed])

Over the past several days, as I’ve written more and more about Trump’s constant individual attacks on media members, I’ve received many emails from readers asking why the reporters don’t fight back in real time. Why don’t they say something to Trump or stick up for colleagues who are being verbally attacked?

My theory is that the members of the media who cover Trump know that, at one point or another, everyone is going to be on the receiving end of one of his verbal darts. And giving it right back is likely to set him off even more or, worse, lead him to shut down access — at least for the day, if not longer. Reporters, whose skin is as tough as it gets, are better off ignoring Trump’s insults and focusing on the information that they are trying to get. We’re talking about important information, such as the economy, world peace and immigration — you know, things that really matter to everyday Americans.

As McBride notes, if a reporter fights back in the moment, that is likely to become the story instead of the actual news of the day. She wrote, “Responding at all is dicey. The power imbalance favors the source. A public figure can walk away, kick the reporter out of the venue, and inspire others to mount an online harassment campaign. Clap back and it’s likely that the conflict will escalate and even become the main story. Even if there’s a clever quip to be made, it will not accomplish anything journalistic.”

So what should reporters do?

Report on Trump’s insults. Write about it. Show it on TV. Put it on social media. Document it. Don’t make it the story, but don’t ignore it either.

McBride writes, “While no immediate response is a good strategy, documenting the moment for the public is important. It’s appropriate to be shocked by incivility. When journalists report on this behavior — calmly and factually — they show audiences what’s at stake when officials try to bully their way out of accountability.”

This isn’t all just about Trump. We’re seeing more and more public officials lash out at reporters. He is not the first politician or public official to treat the press with disdain.

However, Trump is the most famous public official in the country, and perhaps the world. Why wouldn’t others look at his behavior as an example of how to fight back at a press that asks tough questions?

And the general public, regardless of whether they support Trump or not, should care. As McBride explains, “When powerful people publicly belittle the press, they are telegraphing their disdain for anyone who asks questions. The way journalists respond — with composure, persistence and a record of the truth — helps the public see the role a free press plays in holding power to account.”

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Young adults aren’t just consuming news differently — they’re changing it. New Pew Research Center data from the Pew-Knight Initiative breaks down how 18- to 29-year-old U.S. adults consume news, interact with it and think about what it means to be a journalist in the digital age. For anyone trying to understand what drives young audiences and how media organizations should respond, this analysis provides a clear baseline.

Unlock insights ([link removed]) .


** The latest on Warner Bros. Discovery
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For a deal that likely won’t be settled for months, there’s still a lot to dig through when it comes to the sale of Warner Bros. Discovery.

Let’s start with this. The Washington Post’s Will Oremus and Scott Nover wrote, “MAGA influencers urge Trump to kill Netflix deal over streamer’s Obama ties.” ([link removed])

Late last week, Netflix reached a deal to buy WBD in a deal worth around $83 billion. But on Monday, Paramount Skydance, led by CEO David Ellison, launched a hostile takeover bid. Ellison has a close relationship with President Donald Trump, and one of the backers of the Paramount bid is Affinity Partners, the investment firm founded by Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

Many conservatives are rooting for Paramount to end up with WBD. And, as the Post pointed out in its latest story, MAGA influencers don’t want to see WBD end up under Netflix’s control.

Back in 2018, Netflix struck a deal with Higher Ground, the production company of former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle. In addition, Susan Rice, a key national security official in the Obama administration, is on Netflix’s board of directors.

Now, right-wing influencers such as Jack Posobiec, Benny Johnson and Laura Loomer are complaining about Netflix possibly ending up with WBD. One tweet from Johnson ([link removed]) — in which Johnson claimed the Obamas and other Democrats would “own a monopoly on children’s entertainment” and “push trans ideology, race guilt, and anti-family messaging straight into your living room” — was reshared nearly 10,000 times and had more than 23,000 likes.

Oremus and Nover wrote, “The commentariat’s push to paint Netflix as aligned with Democrats and a liberal agenda adds to a swirl of controversy and intrigue circling what would be one of the largest media mergers in recent history. It amounts to an online appeal from the right to a Trump administration that has the authority to review a deal of this size under antitrust laws and has shown itself willing to intervene in media deals — and to lend an ear to right-wing influencers.”


** Meanwhile …
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While the right is pacing the floors over Netflix possibly landing WBD, others are raising eyebrows about Paramount ending up with WBD. Part of that is due to Kushner’s involvement. But there’s more.

Paramount said its offer was “backstopped” by the Ellison family, but the bid includes billions of dollars in funding from other backers, including sovereign wealth funds from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Abu Dhabi. Think about that for a moment. Foreign governments are looking to invest in a company that owns a major news outlet: CNN. Paramount said in its offer that those parties “have agreed to forgo any governance rights – including board representation – associated with their non-voting equity investments.”

But still.

As Mediatie’s Colby Hall wrote ([link removed]) , “Imagine if Hunter Biden were helping assemble billions in Saudi and Qatari financing so a progressive media owner could take over Fox News while quietly assuring the White House that he planned to replace hosts and reshape the network’s direction. The national reaction would be immediate. Congressional hearings, emergency ethics panels, a weeklong media frenzy.”

Well, isn’t that sort of what’s happening here?

The Wall Street Journal’s Joe Flint, Brian Schwartz and Natalie Andrews wrote this week ([link removed]) , “During a visit to Washington in recent days, David Ellison offered assurances to Trump administration officials that if he bought Warner, he’d make sweeping changes to CNN, a common target of President Trump’s ire, people familiar with the matter said. Trump has told people close to him that he wants new ownership of CNN as well as changes to CNN programming.”

Hall goes on to write for Mediaite, “Many will argue that the American media has always had politically motivated owners — the Hearsts, the Sulzbergers, the Murdochs. But ideological owners are not the core issue. The qualitative change comes when political families with direct stakes in government decisions, foreign governments with geopolitical interests, and corporate bidders seeking regulatory favor operate inside the same deal structure. That is not media partisanship. It is the integration of political power and global capital into a democracy’s information architecture.”

Hall adds, “This is what it means for a newsroom to become an asset class. Not a civic institution with editorial independence, but a tradable commodity in a marketplace where sovereign wealth funds, political insiders, and corporate consolidators negotiate for influence. Anchors become leverage points. Programming strategies become bargaining chips. Public narratives become elements of a transaction rather than reflections of journalistic judgment.”

Be sure to check out the entirety of Hall’s perceptive column.


** So what about Paramount?
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Semafor’s Rohan Goswami reports ([link removed]) that Ellison spent part of Tuesday meeting with major shareholders of WBD, hoping to convince them to turn their shares over to him to help in his takeover bid.

Goswami wrote, “Three people involved in different meetings with Ellison said investors walked away reassured by what they saw from Ellison and his top team, according to those who met with him — and were ready to tender their shares in support of his upstart bid.”

For the shareholders, this is all about money. What’s the best deal financially?

Goswami added, “Investors walked away impressed — and are now waiting to see how Netflix and WBD each respond. WBD has 10 days from Paramount’s announcement to reply to it; shareholders have 20 business days to turn over their shares to Paramount, if they’re won over by Ellison’s arguments.”


** A deadly year
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It was a depressingly deadly year for journalists. In its 2025 report ([link removed]) , Reporters Without Borders — known as RSF — writes, “Journalists do not just die – they are killed. The number of murdered journalists has risen again, due to the criminal practices of military groups — both regular and paramilitary — and organised crime. At least 53 of the 67 media professionals killed over the past year are victims of war or criminal networks.”

RSF reports that nearly half (43%) of the journalists slain in the past 12 months were killed in Gaza by Israeli armed forces. They also write, “In Mexico, organized crime groups are responsible for the alarming spike in journalist murders seen in 2025. This year has been the deadliest of the past three years — at least — and Mexico is the second most dangerous country in the world for journalists, with nine killed.”

In addition, the report says 503 journalists are currently detained around the world, adding, “The world’s largest prison for journalists is still China (121), with Russia (48) now in second place, imprisoning more foreign journalists than any other state: 26 Ukrainians. Myanmar (47) comes in third.”

RSF director General Thibaut Bruttin said in a statement, “This is where the hatred of journalists leads! It led to the death of 67 journalists this year — not by accident, and they weren’t collateral victims. They were killed, targeted for their work. It is perfectly legitimate to criticise the media — criticism should serve as a catalyst for change that ensures the survival of the free press, a public good. But it must never descend into hatred of journalists, which is largely born out of — or deliberately stoked by — the tactics of armed forces and criminal organisations.”


** ABC extends Kimmel
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ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, shown here in October. (Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

Jimmy Kimmel isn’t going anywhere. ABC has signed the late-night host to a contract extension through May 2027.

These are delicate times for late-night hosts. CBS already announced that Stephen Colbert’s late-night show will shut down next May. And President Donald Trump has often lashed out at late-night hosts for their jokes about him and his administration.

Many wondered what might happen with Kimmel following the controversy earlier this year when he was briefly suspended for a monologue in which he mentioned the shooting of right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk.

The boycott by television affiliate owners Sinclair and Nexstar and suspension by Disney, ABC’s parent company, appeared to be influenced by FCC chair Brendan Carr, who said on a conservative podcast, “Look, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. These companies can find ways to change conduct, to take action, frankly, on Kimmel or, you know, there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”

Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw reported ([link removed]) that Disney and Kimmel actually struck a deal months ago, but held off announcing it out of respect for Colbert.


** Media tidbits
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* USA Today editor-in-chief Caren Bohan suddenly left the company on Tuesday. She will be replaced in the interim by Michael McCarter, who is vice president and group editor of the opinion sections. Bohan was named editor-in-chief in September 2024. No word on why she is departing. USA Today senior vice president Monica Richardson said in a statement, “Caren Bohan has been a valued colleague during her tenure at USA TODAY. We sincerely wish her well and thank her for her many contributions.”
* Trump sat down for an interview with Politico’s Dasha Burns ([link removed]) . And here’s the transcript ([link removed]) .
* The Hollywood Reporter’s Alex Weprin with “NBC Taps Sheinelle Jones to Co-Host ‘Today’ Show’s Fourth Hour Alongside Jenna Bush Hager.” ([link removed])
* Longtime Cleveland Plain Dealer baseball writer Paul Hoynes has been voted the BBWAA Career Excellence Award for meritorious contributions to baseball writing. Hoynes will be honored during the Baseball Hall of Fame’s induction weekend next summer in Cooperstown, New York. According to The Associated Press ([link removed]) , Hoynes, 74, has covered more than 6,000 games and holds the record for the most bylines ever in the Plain Dealer.
* Speaking of legendary sportswriters, in Esquire, it’s 95-year-old Jerry Izenberg with Esquire’s “What I Learned.” ([link removed])
* The Washington Post’s Tatum Hunter and Frances Vinall with “This country banned social media for young teens. Most don’t plan to comply.” ([link removed])


** Hot type
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* The Washington Post’s Lili Loofbourow with “The 10 best TV shows of 2025.” ([link removed])
* For The New York Times, Yussef Cole with “Top 10 Video Games of 2025.” ([link removed])


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Have feedback or a tip? Email Poynter senior media writer Tom Jones at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .

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