Media News Daily: Top Stories for 11/01/2026

Judge Dismisses Trump’s Wall Street Journal Defamation Lawsuit

A federal judge has dismissed President Donald Trump’s defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal with prejudice, preventing him from refiling the case in its current form. Trump sued over the newspaper’s reporting about an alleged 2003 birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein that Trump denied writing or signing. U.S. District Judge Darrin Gayles ruled that Trump’s amended complaint still failed to plausibly establish “actual malice,” the heightened standard required in defamation cases involving public figures. Trump’s legal team indicated it plans to appeal, while Dow Jones welcomed the ruling. (Read More) (Mediaite Rating)

CNN, MS NOW and Politico Expand White House Access Lawsuit

CNN, MS NOW, and Politico have expanded their lawsuit against the Trump administration, alleging that the White House continues to restrict their journalists from Oval Office and Air Force One press-pool assignments despite court orders restoring broader White House access. The outlets are asking U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly to prohibit further exclusions, arguing they amount to retaliation for their reporting and violate First Amendment protections. The White House maintains that news organizations do not have an automatic right to specific pool positions or access to particular presidential spaces. (Read More) (Reuters Rating)

South Korea Fines Google and Apple Over App Store Practices

South Korea’s media and telecommunications regulator has fined Google and Apple a combined 63.7 billion won, approximately $47.6 million, after concluding that the companies improperly pushed app developers toward their own payment systems and unfairly delayed some app reviews. Google was fined about $32 million and Apple roughly $15.5 million. Both companies were ordered to allow external payment links and improve their review procedures. Apple disputes the decision and says its practices comply with South Korean law, while regulators say they will monitor compliance. (Read More) (MediaPost Rating)