Spin, Hype, and Professional Bullshit

For cable-news drama, clickbait panic, bad-faith framing, fake experts, and the polished nonsense machine that keeps trying to pass itself off as serious information.

Recent Stories

License Renewal Pressure Cooker

ABC stations called the FCC license review unconstitutional, because apparently renewals now come with a mood ring

May 29, 2026

AP says ABC-owned local TV stations objected to an early FCC license review, calling it unlawful, arbitrary and unconstitutional.

AI Copy Machine Lawsuit

CNN sued Perplexity over AI answers, because apparently the internet needed a plagiarism blender with citations

May 28, 2026

Reuters says CNN sued Perplexity in New York federal court, accusing the AI search company of copying thousands of CNN stories, videos and images.

FCC Pressure Warning

The FCC sole Democrat warned media companies not to fold, because apparently press freedom now needs a buddy system

May 27, 2026

AP says Anna Gomez, the FCC sole Democrat, warned big media companies against yielding to pressure while Trump allies target broadcasters and networks.

Daytime TV Paperwork Tribunal

The FCC opened comment on whether The View is news, because daytime television apparently needed a federal paperwork tribunal

May 26, 2026

The FCC says Disney ABC is asking the agency to declare The View exempt from statutory equal-opportunities requirements as a bona fide news interview program.

Active Listening Ad-Tech Faceplant

The FTC says Cox sold fake AI eavesdropping ads, because apparently surveillance theater needed a markup

May 23, 2026

The FTC says the companies claimed an AI ad service used smart-device conversations and opt-in consent, but it was really marked-up email lists.

Preemptive Lawsuit Boomerang

A judge tossed Michael Wolff's Melania lawsuit, because apparently you cannot sue first and call it a legal umbrella

May 23, 2026

AP says a Manhattan judge called Wolff's filing "contorted" and said federal court would not oversee an abusively presented spat.

Equal-Time Soap Opera

ABC told the FCC to quit treating The View like campaign airtime, because apparently daytime TV needed a constitutional helmet

May 20, 2026

AP says ABC argued the FCC dispute over The View threatens decades of settled law and could chill protected political speech.

Subpoena Chill Machine

The FTC backed off Media Matters, but the pressure campaign still did its job, because apparently losing later is fine if everyone panics now

May 17, 2026

The Guardian says the FTC settled with Media Matters after a fight over records tied to reporting on X, while earlier Reuters coverage described the agency's document demand.

Crypto Byline Puppet Show

Press Gazette found crypto writers who may not exist, because apparently the future of finance journalism is a stock photo with coin opinions

May 14, 2026

Press Gazette says four prolific crypto-focused writers ignored requests to verify who they are, while Futurism says their bylines appeared across outlets including Forbes, HuffPost, CoinTelegraph, VentureBeat, and TheStreet.

Mouse House Pressure Cooker

An FCC commissioner says Trump is running a censorship campaign against Disney, because apparently ABC needed a federal hall monitor

May 11, 2026

Reuters says FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez accused the Trump administration of a coordinated pressure campaign against Disney and ABC through license reviews and equal-time investigations.

Conspiracy Hangover Lawsuit

A judge tossed Ray Epps' Fox News defamation suit again, because conspiracy sludge is apparently hard to mop up in court

May 10, 2026

AP says a federal judge dismissed Raymond Epps' defamation case against Fox News for a second time, finding he had not shown enough evidence that Fox knew its statements were false.

Equal-Time Talk Show Trap

ABC told the FCC that probing The View could chill campaign coverage, because apparently daytime TV now needs a constitutional helmet

May 8, 2026

The Guardian says ABC's Houston station accused the FCC of creating First Amendment uncertainty over whether The View remains exempt from equal-time rules as bona fide news programming.

Lawsuit Lawn Sprinkler

Trump keeps losing media cases but winning the pressure game, because apparently the lawsuit is the product now

May 4, 2026

Reuters says Trump has filed at least nine media lawsuits since 2020, losing repeatedly while appeals, settlements, and regulatory pressure keep the chill alive.

Broadcast License Pressure Cooker

The FCC is reviewing ABC licenses after a Kimmel joke, because apparently late-night monologues now come with regulatory airbags

May 1, 2026

The FCC says the ABC license review is tied to Disney DEI issues, but the timing after a Trump-Kimmel blowup is doing enough screaming for the whole room.

First Amendment Whack-A-Mole

Reuters says Trump keeps losing media fights in court but still keeps swinging, because apparently the lawsuit is the message

April 29, 2026

Reuters says Trump has faced repeated court setbacks in media cases, but appeals, regulatory threats, and access fights keep the pressure campaign alive.

Broadcast License Punchline Police

The FCC ordered early ABC license reviews after a Jimmy Kimmel joke, because apparently the public airwaves now have hurt feelings

April 28, 2026

The Guardian reports the FCC accelerated license reviews for eight ABC-owned stations after White House anger over Jimmy Kimmel's Melania Trump joke.

Black Tie Security Audit

The White House press dinner became a security review after a shooting, because apparently even Washington's tuxedo night needs an incident report

April 27, 2026

Reuters reports law enforcement officials are reassessing security after a gunman opened fire near the WHCA dinner and a Secret Service agent was shot.

Enemy Of The Buffet

Trump went back to the White House press dinner after years of boycotts, because apparently the fake news is fine if there is assigned seating

April 26, 2026

Reuters reports Trump attended the White House Correspondents' Association dinner as president for the first time, turning press freedom into another spectacle loop.

Forum Shopping Network

A judge sent Newsmax's Fox lawsuit back to Florida after calling out forum shopping, because the media war apparently needed venue cosplay

April 26, 2026

Reuters reports a judge said Newsmax appeared to be forum shopping after refiling a Fox antitrust case in Wisconsin with no real connection to the fight.

Paparazzi Government Era

TMZ is roaming Washington without congressional credentials and still getting Hill content, because apparently politics finally admitted it was celebrity gossip with worse lighting

April 25, 2026

Politico reports TMZ DC is working Capitol-adjacent hallways and sidewalks despite lacking traditional Hill credentials, and the media bubble is reacting exactly how you think.

Media Tantrum Theater

FBI Director Kash Patel is suing The Atlantic for $250 million over a story about alleged drinking and absences, because apparently every uncomfortable headline now has to become a prestige litigation event

April 21, 2026

Reuters and AP report Patel denies the allegations, The Atlantic stands by the story, and the entire dispute has already been converted into expensive procedural content.

Brand Safety Theater

Three ad giants settled an FTC case over political-content boycotts, because even banner ads now need a congressional hearing vibe

April 19, 2026

Reuters reports Dentsu, Publicis, and WPP settled allegations that shared brand-safety rules were used to steer ad dollars away from politically disfavored platforms.

Brand Safety Theater

Three ad giants settled an FTC probe over "brand safety," which is a very polished way to say politics started steering the ad market again

April 18, 2026

Dentsu, Publicis, and WPP settled allegations that shared standards steered ad dollars away from politically disfavored platforms. Even banner ads have a culture war now.

Clickbait Headlines

CNN ran a headline "Is Your Kitchen Making You Fat?" and the story was just "um, maybe eat less"

April 6, 2026

Not new research. Just "bigger plate = eat more food" dressed up with a giant scary headline and three segments of talking heads debating kitchen layout.

Panic Marketing

Fox News ran "Is coffee bad for you?" as a breaking alert, then the article said "coffee is fine, drink it"

April 5, 2026

The headline was designed to panic. The article said coffee is good. The push alert went out. The clarification never got the same reach.

Journalistic Malpractice

"Some say" is the journalistic equivalent of throwing a match and leaving the room

April 4, 2026

When you see "some are saying," the outlet does not want to own the claim. They just want the juice. Gossip laundered into news.