Media News Daily: Top Stories for 07/07/2026

Media Companies Unite Against First Amendment Threats

Major media organizations are increasingly joining forces as legal and political pressure on the press intensifies. DOJ subpoenas targeting reporters at The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal recently came to light, while President Trump has threatened new lawsuits against ABC over its coverage of the Reflecting Pool controversy and is pursuing a $15 billion defamation lawsuit. In response, The Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune, ABC, CBS, and the American Newspaper Publishers Association have formally backed The New York Times, reflecting growing concern across the media industry over press freedom and legal threats. (Read More) (Mediapost Rating)

Trump Libel Lawsuit Against New York Times Can Proceed in Florida

U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday ruled President Trump’s libel lawsuit against The New York Times, Penguin Random House, and several authors can proceed in the Middle District of Florida rather than being transferred to New York. The lawsuit concerns statements about Trump’s early life and business career, including articles and a book researched and edited largely in New York but distributed nationwide. The court found that venue in Florida was proper because the allegedly defamatory material was published there and Trump alleged reputational and business harm in the district, including harm tied to Trump Media & Technology Group. Judge Merryday also declined to transfer the case, finding that the defendants had not shown sufficient inconvenience to outweigh Trump’s choice of forum. (Read More) (Reason Rating)

Fox News Leads News Brands in YouTube Views

Fox News Media led all news publishers on YouTube and social media during the second quarter of 2026, according to data from Emplifi. Fox News Media generated 1.4 billion YouTube views across its portfolio, with Fox News accounting for 1.1 billion views. MS NOW ranked second with 763 million views, followed by CNN with 511 million, ABC News with 337 million, NBC News with 310 million, and CBS News with 136 million. Fox News Media also reported 269 million social media interactions across Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok during the quarter. Fox Business led business news outlets on YouTube in June with 43 million views, marking its 56th consecutive month as the top business news brand on the platform. (Read More) (The Desk Rating)