Following his re-election, President Donald Trump has initiated a significant shift in the media landscape, favoring right-wing outlets and marginalizing traditional news organizations.
In a series of moves, the Trump administration has sought to replace legacy media outlets with those aligned with its political stance. The White House Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, announced a new policy prioritizing "new media" outlets at press briefings, giving prominence to Breitbart News, Turning Point USA, and Tucker Carlson's Daily Caller.
The Pentagon, meanwhile, has implemented a "new annual media rotation" that saw The New York Times, NBC News, NPR, and Politico removed from their long-held workspaces, replaced by Breitbart News, the New York Post, and One America News Network.
Trump and Elon Musk have also personally targeted journalists, calling for the dismissal of Eugene Robinson of The Washington Post and Katherine Long of The Wall Street Journal, both of whom have written critically about the administration.
These changes have been accompanied by internal shifts within legacy news organizations. CNN correspondent Jim Acosta, known for his sharp questioning of Trump, was moved to a midnight time slot, while Nobel and Pulitzer Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman, a columnist for The New York Times, reported increased editorial interference in his work.
The absence of a "Trump bump" in readership and ratings for some legacy outlets has further fueled concerns about their future. While Fox News has reported strong ratings, other cable networks and The Washington Post have experienced audience dips.
The impact of these developments on the long-term media landscape remains to be seen. The rise of new media outlets, while popular with Trump's base, has yet to be proven in terms of providing reliable news and information to a wider audience.