Media News Daily: Top Stories for 10/04/2026

White House Defends Media Ban on “Professionalism” Grounds

The Trump administration is defending its effort to exclude CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from White House access by arguing that the outlets failed to meet standards of “professionalism and decorum.” Justice Department attorneys said President Donald Trump concluded the organizations violated those standards, including through publication of sensitive or classified information. The outlets are seeking a preliminary injunction, arguing the exclusions amount to unconstitutional retaliation for unfavorable coverage. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly previously ordered access temporarily restored and questioned both the administration’s national-security justification and the vagueness of its professionalism standard. The dispute has continued through press-pool restrictions even after that order. (Read More) (The Hill Rating)

Oregon Police Records Request Comes With $2.5 Million Price Tag

The Freedom of the Press Foundation is criticizing the city of Eugene, Oregon, after police estimated that fulfilling a local newsroom’s public-records request concerning officer Justin Peckels would require more than 44,000 staff hours and cost about $2.48 million. Double Sided Media sought records related to possible misconduct, while the city said it would need to search records across a broad range of current and former employees. The article argues that such fees can effectively block small newsrooms from obtaining public information and calls for stronger fee caps, public-interest waivers, and more efficient records systems. Double Sided Media is appealing the estimate. (Read More) (The Intercept Rating)

New Mexico Seeks Up to $40 Billion From Meta

New Mexico attorneys are asking a state judge to impose between $35 billion and $40 billion in civil penalties on Meta following a jury verdict finding more than 43 million violations of the state’s Unfair Practices Act. The case centered on allegedly deceptive statements about data privacy and policies involving harmful content. State attorneys argue that the penalty should be large enough to deter future misconduct, while Meta has called the proposed amount astronomical and urged the court to cap damages at roughly $3.45 billion. (Read More) (Reuters Rating)