In a stunning move, Disney’s ABC announced on Wednesday night that it would be indefinitely pausing late-night host Jimmy Kimmel's program after his comments related to the Charlie Kirk shooting were criticized by the Federal Communications Commission chair. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump’s personal legal battle against America’s media industry is also escalating. On Monday the president filed a whopping 85-page defamation lawsuit against The New York Times seeking $15 billion, plus punitive damages, which exceeds the market cap of the entire company.
The lawsuit refers to the Times’ historic reputation as the “newspaper of record,” and that’s important for understanding the stakes of the case. The moniker speaks to the Times’ massive readership and prestige but also to an authoritative role — often setting the standards in terms of fact-checking, objectivity and independence that produce a definitive accounting of events for the record books. They’re the standards to which other newspapers are held.
A capitulation would be devastating. Instead, the Times has an opportunity, and an obligation, to rise to its historic role by categorically rejecting the lawsuit — and putting a stop to a particularly insidious legal idea that provides support for Trump’s media war. Today, that obligation feels particularly urgent.
This is a preview of Tyler Tone's latest column. Read the full column here.
