Brian Stelter

Today's delay to the Paramount-WBD deal means that, as a practical matter, Paramount will not take control of CNN before the midterm election in the U.S. >>>

▶

"The appearance of federal law enforcement agents on the doorstep of news reporters should shock the conscience of any American who believes in the Constitution and the press freedom it protects." www.nytimes.com/2026/07/11/b...

Times Journalists Subpoenaed as Trump Escalates Pressure on Media

The Justice Department is seeking to compel testimony from reporters who wrote about the new Air Force One. The Times called the move a “brazen act.”

Bulletin: Twelve states have sued to block Paramount's takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, kicking off a high-stakes antitrust battle that could impede the media mega-merger involving CNN's parent company. Full story: www.cnn.com/2026/07/13/m...

States sue to block Paramount’s Warner Bros. Discovery takeover | CNN Business

Twelve states have sued to block Paramount’s takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, kicking off a high-stakes antitrust battle that could impede the media mega-merger.

CNN opted not to take Trump's speech live, "given the president has a well-documented history of saying blatantly false things about elections..." www.cnn.com/2026/07/16/m...

Here’s how the TV networks handled Trump’s highly unusual prime-time address | CNN Business

Some major TV networks showed President Donald Trump’s prime-time address live on Thursday night while others pointedly did not — a divide that highlighted Trump’s long record of lying and renewed dis...

Another one of President Trump's lawsuits against a news organization has fizzled out. This time, it is a defamation suit that the Trump Media and Technology Group brought against The Washington Post in 2023... www.cnn.com/2026/07/07/m...

Judge tosses Trump Media’s $3.8 billion defamation suit against The Washington Post | CNN Business

Another one of President Donald Trump’s lawsuits against a news organization has fizzled out.

Breaking: Lawyers for several states are finalizing an antitrust lawsuit challenging Paramount’s pending acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, including CNN, according to people involved in the legal process. The multistate suit will likely be filed next week. www.cnn.com/2026/07/08/m...

Breaking: Paramount says that its takeover of CNN’s parent, Warner Bros. Discovery, will be delayed for many months, and potentially well into 2027. This is a major setback for Paramount that adds to the cloud of doubt hovering over the controversial deal. My full story: www.cnn.com/2026/07/24/m...

▶

My report on The Source tonight: State AGs are finalizing an antitrust lawsuit over the Paramount–Warner Bros. Discovery merger www.cnn.com/2026/07/08/m...

▶

Trump’s low energy last night led more than one TV executive to muse that the president had stumbled upon a new technique against the media: Tank the ratings with a snoozefest of a speech. www.cnn.com/2026/07/25/m...

Trump bombed at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner — and proved its point | CNN Business

President Donald Trump bombed at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner Friday night. He knew he was bombing, too, and he even tried to meta-joke his way out of it.

In this case, Trump said one thing, trustworthy sources said another, and newsrooms recognized that the dispute was newsworthy.

When the government's official account is contradicted by officials inside the government, it really highlights the dishonesty of the official line...

▶

NYT editor Joe Kahn: "We're going to continue to report — both about Air Force One, and on the circumstances around the government use of prosecutorial power to intimidate the independent news media." www.cnn.com/2026/07/15/m...

New York Times fights Trump administration subpoenas for reporters’ testimony | CNN Business

The New York Times has taken legal action to challenge unusual subpoenas issued to several of its reporters last week.

Some of Trump's remarks were "vicious," as press secretary Karoline Leavitt promised. But more than anything, his speech was just… boring.

And boring is one thing Trump never, ever wants to be.

My analysis for CNN:

www.cnn.com/2026/07/25/m...

Trump bombed at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner — and proved its point | CNN Business

President Donald Trump bombed at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner Friday night. He knew he was bombing, too, and he even tried to meta-joke his way out of it.

Homepage headlines this morning:

CNN: "US troop deaths raise fears of a wider war with Iran"

NYT: "U.S. and Iran edge closer to wider war after U.S. troops are killed"

AP: "The US and Iran have blown past red lines as they lurch back toward all-out war"

When Trump claimed that he was sending the new Qatari-gifted Air Force One to England so that US service members could “tour the Aircraft,” everyone knew there was more to the story. Now there's a leak hunt and a quartet of subpoenas to the NYT... www.cnn.com/2026/07/11/p...

▶

Trump bombed at the WHCA dinner.

He knew he was bombing, too, and he even tried to meta-joke his way out of it.

But even his jokes about his bad jokes fell flat, and he was widely ridiculed for the comedy routine. Thank the First Amendment.

www.cnn.com/2026/07/25/m...

Trump bombed at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner — and proved its point | CNN Business

President Donald Trump bombed at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner Friday night. He knew he was bombing, too, and he even tried to meta-joke his way out of it.

July 4 selfie down the shore 🇺🇸

Trump’s latest leak hunt against The New York Times is deeply personal. My analysis: www.cnn.com/business/med...

Past administrations claimed that they only subpoenaed journalists as a last resort. And even THAT was highly controversial. For the Trump administration, this year, subpoenas seem more like a first step – taken at the very start of a leak investigation with no regard for the First Amendment:

▶

Breaking news edition of Reliable Sources just landed:

State attorneys general from across the US are filing a high-stakes antitrust lawsuit opposing Paramount's takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery later today.

Details here: www.cnn.com/newsletters/...

We’re beginning today with big breaking news about Paramount. Scroll down for the latest on the subpoenas to The New York Times and why Floyd Abrams says “the president himself is so personally involved…”

Many questions, very few answers about the deaths of two U.S. servicemembers in Jordan. The Pentagon is clearly trying to keep a tight lid on what happened — reflective of a larger effort to control information, limit access and avoid questions about the war

▶

New: A judge has unsealed the NYT's request for the court to quash the subpoenas against its journalists. NYT says the subpoenas are "an instrument to chill criticism of the administration" and they "conflict both with the law and fundamental First Amendment principles."

British culture minister Lisa Nandy clearly intends to intervene in the Paramount-WBD deal. If she moves forward, the probe will be a significant hurdle for Paramount to overcome. www.cnn.com/2026/06/30/m...

▶

State attorneys general have been probing Paramount's lobbying of the Trump administration, among many other matters

▶

Yesterday I wrote about the Pentagon trying to control information and avoid questions about the Iran war, and I asked the public affairs office about its press briefing drought. After publishing, I received a revealing statement from Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell... 🧵

The Pentagon avoids questions as the US war with Iran escalates | CNN Business

The public deserves transparency about the US war in Iran. But that’s not what we’re getting — not even close.