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The White House has launched a new section on its official website dedicated to flagging what it terms “media bias,” publicly listing news organizations and journalists it considers “repeat offenders.” The initiative marks a significant escalation in the Trump administration's long-standing conflict with mainstream news outlets.
The new webpage serves as a public ledger of corrections and clarifications the administration has demanded from media organizations, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and CNN. A White House fact sheet frames the effort as a way to safeguard taxpayer dollars from subsidizing what it calls “biased, partisan content.” The stated goal is to ensure accuracy and hold reporters accountable for their coverage of the administration.
This move is part of a wider strategy to reshape the administration's relationship with the press. An analysis of recent press briefings revealed a significant shift, with White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt directing a high percentage of questions to right-wing media outlets. According to a study by Media Matters, reporters from these outlets were called upon 41% of the time during a reviewed period, suggesting a deliberate effort to amplify more favorable voices while marginalizing traditional news organizations. The administration also previously launched the "White House Wire," a pro-Trump news aggregator designed to bypass mainstream media channels.
Press freedom advocates and journalism organizations have widely condemned the new tracker, labeling it an intimidation tactic. They argue that using an official government platform to target specific journalists and news outlets is an abuse of power that could lead to harassment and create a chilling effect on critical reporting. Critics point to this initiative as the latest in a series of actions intended to punish unfavorable reporting, citing the recent move to cut federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting as another example. The administration maintains its actions are necessary to counter a persistently hostile and inaccurate media landscape, as detailed in an official White House statement on media subsidies.
