CBS News appointed Kenneth Weinstein, a former Trump ambassador nominee and Hudson Institute conservative, as the network’s ombudsman following the Paramount-Skydance merger. The appointment came after Trump’s Justice Department and FCC applied regulatory pressure to the merger, and …
The Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) launched the inaugural Democracy Capture Index (DEMCAP), a comprehensive study revealing systemic vulnerabilities in African democratic institutions. The index analyzed 370 institutions across 10 countries, finding that 60% of agencies …
Ghana Centre for Democratic DevelopmentCDD-Ghana researchersAfrican presidentsGovernment agencies across 10 African countriesdemocracy-captureinstitutional-captureafricagovernancepolitical-parties+2 more
Amazon agreed to pay $40 million for a documentary and limited series about Melania Trump, directed by Brett Ratner. The deal, far above market rates for similar content, came after Jeff Bezos met with Trump and as Amazon faced multiple federal investigations. The documentary, with Melania as an …
AmazonJeff BezosMelania TrumpDonald TrumpBrett Ratneramazonjeff-bezosmelania-trumpbriberyquid-pro-quo+4 more
Joe Rogan endorsed Donald Trump for president through an interview with Elon Musk, representing a significant moment in media influence where a podcaster’s endorsement potentially swayed millions of young male voters. Rogan’s journey from supporting Bernie Sanders in 2020 to endorsing …
Joe RoganDonald TrumpElon MuskKamala HarrisThe Joe Rogan Experiencepodcast-influencepolitical-endorsementrogan-evolutiontrump-endorsementelection-eve+2 more
Joe Rogan gave Donald Trump an unchallenged 3-hour platform on October 25, 2024, just 11 days before the presidential election. The interview reached over 50 million views across YouTube, Spotify, and social media within days, and voters subsequently cited it as a “deciding factor” in …
Joe RoganDonald TrumpElon MuskJD Vancejoe-rogantrump-2024electoral-interferencemedia-captureelection-influence+2 more
Elon Musk established comprehensive political warfare operations through America PAC, combining financial, organizational, and information manipulation to support the Trump 2024 campaign. The PAC spent approximately $200 million, with Musk providing the vast majority of funds, to influence voter …
Computational research revealed systematic algorithmic manipulation on X platform, demonstrating a strategic modification enhancing visibility for Elon Musk and Republican-aligned accounts. Researchers from Queensland University of Technology and Monash University identified a precise ‘change …
Elon MuskDonald TrumpTimothy GrahamMark AndrejevicRepublican Party+1 moresocial-media-manipulationelection-interferenceplatform-biasalgorithmic-amplificationmedia-capture+1 more
More than 750 Washington Post journalists and staff members staged a one-day strike on December 7, 2023—the first work stoppage at the paper in nearly 50 years—to protest stalled contract negotiations, planned layoffs of 240 workers, and management’s refusal to bargain in good faith. The …
Washington Post GuildJeff BezosPatty StonesiferWashington Postmedia-capturelabor-suppressionbillionaire-controlworker-organizing
Under Musk’s control, Twitter was rebranded to X and underwent systematic dismantling of content moderation systems, transforming the platform from a “global town square” into an oligarchic-controlled information warfare infrastructure. The Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) …
Elon MuskTwitter/X PlatformCenter for Countering Digital HateEddie PerezFar-right Network Actorssocial-mediamedia-captureinformation-warfareplatform-manipulationcontent-moderation
Elon Musk completed a $44 billion acquisition of Twitter Inc. with significant funding from Saudi Arabia’s Prince Alwaleed bin Talal’s Kingdom Holding Company and Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund, raising critical questions about foreign influence over global communication …
Seattle’s City Council unanimously passed a “head tax” on large employers on May 14, 2018, taxing companies earning $20 million+ annually at $275 per full-time employee to fund affordable housing and homeless services. Amazon—with 45,000 Seattle employees and facing a $12 million …
AmazonJeff BezosWashington PostSeattle City CouncilJenny Durkanmedia-capturecorporate-welfaretax-avoidancelocal-politicseditorial-capture
The Washington Post introduced “Democracy Dies in Darkness” as its first official slogan in the newspaper’s 140-year history, launching it on the website on February 22, 2017 and adding it to print editions a week later. The slogan positioned the Bezos-owned newspaper as a defender …
Jeff BezosWashington PostBob Woodwardmedia-capturebillionaire-controlironybranding
Ben Shapiro and Jeremy Boreing launched The Daily Wire in September 2015.
Multiple outlets have reported that Texas billionaire Farris Wilks provided
significant seed funding (commonly cited at ~$4.7 million). The company has
not publicly released detailed ownership structure; public reporting …
Ben ShapiroJeremy BoreingFarris WilksThe Daily Wiremedia-captureconservative-mediabillionaire-funding
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos personally purchased The Washington Post and its affiliated publications for $250 million, ending the Graham family’s four-generation stewardship of one of America’s most influential newspapers. The sale marked a watershed moment in billionaire media capture, …
Jeff BezosDonald GrahamWashington Post Companymedia-capturebillionaire-controlcorporate-powersurveillance-capitalism
Political consultant Roger Ailes and Nixon aides develop plan to create TV network providing “pro-administration” coverage, with Nixon saying they need “our own news” for “brutal attack on opposition”. The plan involved creating Television News Incorporated (TVN), …
Roger AilesRichard NixonNixon AdministrationJoseph Coorsmedia-planningnixon-administrationconservative-mediapropaganda-infrastructuregop-tv+1 more
British media mogul and Labour MP Robert Maxwell secretly travels to Moscow to meet KGB head Yuri Andropov in 1968. This meeting occurs during Soviet planning for the invasion of Czechoslovakia, with Andropov as the main advocate for ’extreme measures’ against Prague Spring reforms. …
Robert MaxwellYuri AndropovKGBOleg GordievskyLabour Party+1 morekgbrobert-maxwellsoviet-intelligencemedia-captureczechoslovakia+2 more