If leaders of media companies would like to see their deals sail through the approval process under Donald Trump's administration, they may find themselves under pressure to curtail critical news coverage of him.
Over the course of the last 18 months, most of the guardrails that technology and news organizations erected in the aftermath of Trump's 2020 defeat were willfully lowered.
Disinformation and propaganda, the two primary tools that Trump and his allies wield, are potent weapons that can have enormous effect when deployed on a vulnerable populace.
Even before Amazon's Election Night special with Brian Williams kicks off, it has already found itself in hot water with the Trump campaign.
Over the past year, these people have played consequential roles, helping to shape public perception and discourse.
The company's announcement could lead to a major shake up that would impact everything from NBC News and MSNBC to Bravo and the Golf Channel.
Potential suitors for The Washington Post are eagerly positioning themselves, waiting for the day in which Jeff Bezos might choose — or be convinced — to sell the prized outlet.
Brian Williams will have to anchor hours of high-stakes programming in a polarizing environment, ideally without alienating Amazon's customer base.
If Jeff Bezos was hoping his Monday opinion essay would win over critics, or simply restore tranquility within the halls of The Washington Post, he was mistaken.
"We’re seeing a lot of premature surrender by businessmen and politicians alike. And that’s because they’re all taking Trump’s threats both seriously and literally. The fear is palpable."
Jeff Bezos and Patrick Soon-Shiong have chosen to preemptively bend the knee to an autocratic wannabe, throwing their newspapers into turmoil and abdicating their responsibilities as media owners.
Amid the current upheaval, the Los Angeles Times has notably refrained from publishing any coverage of the chaos enveloping its own newsroom
