Tim Karr
@timkarr.bsky.social
A crash-scene investigation at the crossroads of new media & public policy. Against media concentration; for robust local journalism & digital democracy. Still attempting to master the cold take.
www.freepress.net - This Free Press is not for sale.
www.freepress.net - This Free Press is not for sale.
Trump's censor in chief at the FCC, Brendan Carr, just sent a letter to the heads of BBC, NPR and PBS informing them he's launching a "news distortion" probe into the BBC's editing of a documentary on Trump's Jan. 6 activities.
Here it is:
Here it is:
November 19, 2025 at 9:34 PM
Trump's censor in chief at the FCC, Brendan Carr, just sent a letter to the heads of BBC, NPR and PBS informing them he's launching a "news distortion" probe into the BBC's editing of a documentary on Trump's Jan. 6 activities.
Here it is:
Here it is:
... Failing that, Carr must step down. "Your constitutional transgression cannot be adequately remedied simply with an apology. You should resign immediately," more than 40 pro-democracy and press freedom groups wrote in September.
It's long overdue.
//ends
www.citizen.org/article/fcc-...
It's long overdue.
//ends
www.citizen.org/article/fcc-...
November 18, 2025 at 2:31 PM
... Failing that, Carr must step down. "Your constitutional transgression cannot be adequately remedied simply with an apology. You should resign immediately," more than 40 pro-democracy and press freedom groups wrote in September.
It's long overdue.
//ends
www.citizen.org/article/fcc-...
It's long overdue.
//ends
www.citizen.org/article/fcc-...
... Carr will go before a Senate oversight hearing on Dec. 17.
Free Press's Gonzalez has urged the committee to "insist that Carr retake his oath to uphold the U.S. Constitution" — including the pledge "to support and defend the Constitution of the United States."
Free Press's Gonzalez has urged the committee to "insist that Carr retake his oath to uphold the U.S. Constitution" — including the pledge "to support and defend the Constitution of the United States."
November 18, 2025 at 2:22 PM
... Carr will go before a Senate oversight hearing on Dec. 17.
Free Press's Gonzalez has urged the committee to "insist that Carr retake his oath to uphold the U.S. Constitution" — including the pledge "to support and defend the Constitution of the United States."
Free Press's Gonzalez has urged the committee to "insist that Carr retake his oath to uphold the U.S. Constitution" — including the pledge "to support and defend the Constitution of the United States."
... And Edelman claims without sufficient challenge that this illusory bias motivates Carr's actions.
November 18, 2025 at 2:18 PM
... And Edelman claims without sufficient challenge that this illusory bias motivates Carr's actions.
Trump's censorship czar Brendan Carr often says his decisions to go the "hard way" against broadcasters that don't appease Trump are motivated by their "unique obligation to operate in the public interest."
But a vast majority of the actual public disagrees. 🧵
www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-...
But a vast majority of the actual public disagrees. 🧵
www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-...
November 18, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Trump's censorship czar Brendan Carr often says his decisions to go the "hard way" against broadcasters that don't appease Trump are motivated by their "unique obligation to operate in the public interest."
But a vast majority of the actual public disagrees. 🧵
www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-...
But a vast majority of the actual public disagrees. 🧵
www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-...
... and now she's gone. Huge loss:
November 15, 2025 at 6:39 PM
... and now she's gone. Huge loss:
Variety reports that those targeted for layoffs appear not only to be people of color like Sherman, but also women in top positions.
variety.com/2025/film/fe...
variety.com/2025/film/fe...
November 7, 2025 at 3:24 PM
Variety reports that those targeted for layoffs appear not only to be people of color like Sherman, but also women in top positions.
variety.com/2025/film/fe...
variety.com/2025/film/fe...
... In an Oct. 6 email to CBS staff, Weiss promised to champion journalism that "embraces a wide spectrum of views and voices."
It's hard to do that with an increasingly white and male newsroom ...
It's hard to do that with an increasingly white and male newsroom ...
November 7, 2025 at 3:22 PM
... In an Oct. 6 email to CBS staff, Weiss promised to champion journalism that "embraces a wide spectrum of views and voices."
It's hard to do that with an increasingly white and male newsroom ...
It's hard to do that with an increasingly white and male newsroom ...
... @gregsargent.bsky.social blasts to bits the notion—championed by some in legacy media—of an *either/or* approach to campaign against the GOP:
Their misguided thinking is that you can't focus on both Trump's authoritarianism & kitchen-table issues, preferring the latter.
It's a both/and ...
Their misguided thinking is that you can't focus on both Trump's authoritarianism & kitchen-table issues, preferring the latter.
It's a both/and ...
November 6, 2025 at 3:37 PM
... @gregsargent.bsky.social blasts to bits the notion—championed by some in legacy media—of an *either/or* approach to campaign against the GOP:
Their misguided thinking is that you can't focus on both Trump's authoritarianism & kitchen-table issues, preferring the latter.
It's a both/and ...
Their misguided thinking is that you can't focus on both Trump's authoritarianism & kitchen-table issues, preferring the latter.
It's a both/and ...
Meta annually earns $16 billion (with a "b") on ads built to defraud people.
It's so bad that Meta itself admits that its advertising tools and platforms have made it a pillar of the global scam economy.
Reporting by Reuters.
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
It's so bad that Meta itself admits that its advertising tools and platforms have made it a pillar of the global scam economy.
Reporting by Reuters.
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
November 6, 2025 at 12:34 PM
Meta annually earns $16 billion (with a "b") on ads built to defraud people.
It's so bad that Meta itself admits that its advertising tools and platforms have made it a pillar of the global scam economy.
Reporting by Reuters.
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
It's so bad that Meta itself admits that its advertising tools and platforms have made it a pillar of the global scam economy.
Reporting by Reuters.
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
At CJR, @hamiltonnolan.bsky.social speaks to legacy media's (in this case NYT & WSJ) disdain for any politician who upsets the cozy status quo enjoyed by their top editors & owners.
Essentially, how can you "afflict the comfortable" — to quote F.P. Dunne — when you're swaddled in media power?
Essentially, how can you "afflict the comfortable" — to quote F.P. Dunne — when you're swaddled in media power?
November 5, 2025 at 1:43 PM
At CJR, @hamiltonnolan.bsky.social speaks to legacy media's (in this case NYT & WSJ) disdain for any politician who upsets the cozy status quo enjoyed by their top editors & owners.
Essentially, how can you "afflict the comfortable" — to quote F.P. Dunne — when you're swaddled in media power?
Essentially, how can you "afflict the comfortable" — to quote F.P. Dunne — when you're swaddled in media power?
The breathless Post goes full McCarthy.
November 5, 2025 at 12:33 PM
The breathless Post goes full McCarthy.
This seems to be one next-day narrative that many legacy news outlets are coalescing around (These examples from lead stories in today's NYT and at CNN).
It comes off as horserace-y, but the media pundocracy's gotta stick to the playbook, even after election day.
It comes off as horserace-y, but the media pundocracy's gotta stick to the playbook, even after election day.
November 5, 2025 at 12:08 PM
This seems to be one next-day narrative that many legacy news outlets are coalescing around (These examples from lead stories in today's NYT and at CNN).
It comes off as horserace-y, but the media pundocracy's gotta stick to the playbook, even after election day.
It comes off as horserace-y, but the media pundocracy's gotta stick to the playbook, even after election day.
The numbers 6 and 7 have just endorsed Andrew Cuomo to be NYC's next mayor.
November 4, 2025 at 7:45 PM
The numbers 6 and 7 have just endorsed Andrew Cuomo to be NYC's next mayor.
NYT's choses revealing pic to lead its Cheney obit—seated next to former Sec. of State Colin Powell, who lied to the world about the supposed existence of Iraqi WMDs, paving the path for a war that unnecessarily cost hundreds of thousands of lives & set a region on its ongoing & deadly trajectory.
November 4, 2025 at 1:15 PM
NYT's choses revealing pic to lead its Cheney obit—seated next to former Sec. of State Colin Powell, who lied to the world about the supposed existence of Iraqi WMDs, paving the path for a war that unnecessarily cost hundreds of thousands of lives & set a region on its ongoing & deadly trajectory.
Every now and then I dip back into the Xitter to see what's trending in hell (I maintain a tombstoned account there for such rare moments), and was surprised to find a new follower from the Trump 45 era:
November 4, 2025 at 11:37 AM
Every now and then I dip back into the Xitter to see what's trending in hell (I maintain a tombstoned account there for such rare moments), and was surprised to find a new follower from the Trump 45 era:
November 2, 2025 at 11:48 AM
A news outlet that prides itself on scooping all others is embarrassingly late to this story. Two questions of my own
1. Is this still even a question?
2. How does the Times explain its reluctance to ask this question in 2024, when doing so might have mattered?
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
1. Is this still even a question?
2. How does the Times explain its reluctance to ask this question in 2024, when doing so might have mattered?
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
October 31, 2025 at 3:52 PM
A news outlet that prides itself on scooping all others is embarrassingly late to this story. Two questions of my own
1. Is this still even a question?
2. How does the Times explain its reluctance to ask this question in 2024, when doing so might have mattered?
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
1. Is this still even a question?
2. How does the Times explain its reluctance to ask this question in 2024, when doing so might have mattered?
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
At Status_, @oliverdarcy.bsky.social indicates that Comcast may also be in the running to bid for Warner Bros.
WBD's Zaslav, no doubt, would be happy to have competitive bidders, but Trump's contempt for Comcast Chairman David Roberts may get in the way:
www.status.news/p/comcast-wa...
1/4
WBD's Zaslav, no doubt, would be happy to have competitive bidders, but Trump's contempt for Comcast Chairman David Roberts may get in the way:
www.status.news/p/comcast-wa...
1/4
October 31, 2025 at 1:24 PM
At Status_, @oliverdarcy.bsky.social indicates that Comcast may also be in the running to bid for Warner Bros.
WBD's Zaslav, no doubt, would be happy to have competitive bidders, but Trump's contempt for Comcast Chairman David Roberts may get in the way:
www.status.news/p/comcast-wa...
1/4
WBD's Zaslav, no doubt, would be happy to have competitive bidders, but Trump's contempt for Comcast Chairman David Roberts may get in the way:
www.status.news/p/comcast-wa...
1/4
Trump and his lackeys promote the mythology of a popular mandate to justify this administration's most extreme and unconstitutional actions.
The media enable this myth by refusing to confront White House claims of public approval with actual numbers showing the complete opposite:
The media enable this myth by refusing to confront White House claims of public approval with actual numbers showing the complete opposite:
October 29, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Trump and his lackeys promote the mythology of a popular mandate to justify this administration's most extreme and unconstitutional actions.
The media enable this myth by refusing to confront White House claims of public approval with actual numbers showing the complete opposite:
The media enable this myth by refusing to confront White House claims of public approval with actual numbers showing the complete opposite:
...that list of companies maps to the cowards row of billionaires who displayed their fealty to Dear Leader during his inauguration. (Sans Musk)
//ends
//ends
October 24, 2025 at 3:50 PM
...that list of companies maps to the cowards row of billionaires who displayed their fealty to Dear Leader during his inauguration. (Sans Musk)
//ends
//ends
"Potential ethical complaints" is textbook Timespeak.
As one of my colleagues said: "It's like they're trying to put the pitch bot out of work."
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/21/u...
As one of my colleagues said: "It's like they're trying to put the pitch bot out of work."
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/21/u...
October 21, 2025 at 7:11 PM
"Potential ethical complaints" is textbook Timespeak.
As one of my colleagues said: "It's like they're trying to put the pitch bot out of work."
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/21/u...
As one of my colleagues said: "It's like they're trying to put the pitch bot out of work."
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/21/u...
October 20, 2025 at 1:25 PM
Your Monday reminder that the nation's largest public protest *ever* happened over the weekend.
(Necessary as the nation's largest newspapers have already moved on from their #NoKings reporting, which was fairly paltry to begin with).
Today's headlines:
(Necessary as the nation's largest newspapers have already moved on from their #NoKings reporting, which was fairly paltry to begin with).
Today's headlines:
October 20, 2025 at 12:56 PM
Your Monday reminder that the nation's largest public protest *ever* happened over the weekend.
(Necessary as the nation's largest newspapers have already moved on from their #NoKings reporting, which was fairly paltry to begin with).
Today's headlines:
(Necessary as the nation's largest newspapers have already moved on from their #NoKings reporting, which was fairly paltry to begin with).
Today's headlines:
... and at the same time the Times has to explain why it doesn't focus on the count when it clearly does (inaccurately)
October 19, 2025 at 11:24 AM
... and at the same time the Times has to explain why it doesn't focus on the count when it clearly does (inaccurately)