Trump’s Second Term: A New Chapter in Media Relations

By 3Narratives

The Story: A Shift in the Media Landscape

It began not with a bang, but a briefing.

One rainy morning in February, cameras clicked in the newly remodeled James S. Brady Press Briefing Room—only this time, the chairs looked different. Not just in style, but in who occupied them. Gone were the familiar faces from Reuters and HuffPost. In their place sat correspondents from Newsmax, The Blaze, and One America News, notebooks open, eyes locked on the podium. President Donald J. Trump—confident, animated, and unmistakably in command—walked in to a standing ovation from a room that had, just years earlier, been filled with scorn.

He smiled. “It’s good to see some honest people here for a change.”

That moment captured what months of subtle recalibration had already hinted: Trump wasn’t just back—he was winning the war he’d waged for nearly a decade. The war against what he once called “fake news.” The once-mighty legacy media, long considered gatekeepers of public opinion, now appeared to be negotiating with the man they once tried to write off.Wikipedia

In a recent segment, CNN’s Fareed Zakaria—never one to mince words—described Trump’s decision to ease sanctions on Syria as “a nuanced, surprisingly statesmanlike move.” The Atlantic, once a fortress of anti-Trump sentiment, has begun publishing essays exploring the motivations of his supporters with something bordering on empathy. Meanwhile, the Washington Post struggles with staff resignations, internal morale issues, and a crisis of identity under billionaire ownership.

The tectonic plates have shifted.

In his second term, Donald Trump has not only reclaimed power—he’s redrawn the battlefield. And this time, the frontlines are not in Congress or in courtrooms, but in newsrooms, editorial meetings, and the pixels of public perception.

“They spent four years trying to destroy me. Now, they’re quoting me,” Trump quipped during a March 2025 rally in Tampa. “Maybe next year, they’ll be asking me for advice.”

Whatever one thinks of Trump, it is clear: The media landscape is not what it was. And for the man who once declared war on the press, the second act is beginning to look a lot like a victory lap.

Narrative One: Media Outlets Adapting Their Coverage

Some mainstream media organizations have adjusted their coverage strategies in response to the new political climate.

• The Washington Post: Under Jeff Bezos’s ownership, the Post has experienced internal shifts, including a directive to focus opinion pieces on “personal liberties and free markets.” This change has led to staff resignations and concerns about the paper’s editorial independence. Morale has reportedly reached historic lows, with some journalists fearing a departure from the Post’s traditional watchdog role. Newsweek+2The New Yorker+2The New Yorker+2
• CNN: Facing declining viewership, CNN has attempted to pivot towards a more digital-friendly format. The network’s new CEO, Mark Thompson, has acknowledged the need for change, stating, “The old model of a panel of people arguing with each other is not appealing to people anymore.” WSLS
• The Atlantic: Positioning itself as a platform for rigorous reporting rather than overt resistance, The Atlantic has expanded its political coverage team. Editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg emphasized the importance of balanced journalism, saying, “If Trump does something that shows his judgment is good or is effective, I want you to report that.” U.S. News+1WSLS+1

Narrative Two: Media Outlets Maintaining Critical Perspectives

Conversely, several outlets and commentators continue to scrutinize the administration:

• The Wall Street Journal: The Journal’s editorial board has criticized certain decisions, such as the pardoning of January 6 rioters and the introduction of Trump-branded cryptocurrency, describing these actions as “remarkably poor judgment.”
• Bruce Springsteen: The musician has remained an outspoken critic, using his platform to denounce what he perceives as authoritarian tendencies in the administration. During a concert in Manchester, U.K., Springsteen likened Trump to North Korea’s Kim Jong Il, prompting a social media response from the president. WSJ
• MSNBC: The network continues to deliver sharp anti-Trump commentary, though it faces critiques about its representational balance and lack of ideological diversity. An analysis of MSNBC’s programming revealed a network largely characterized by consensus rather than debate. The Washington Post

Narrative Three: Controlling the Narrative – A Reshaped Media Landscape

While some media voices soften or shift their tone, others argue that the change isn’t simply about Trump’s policies or persona — it’s about power over the press.

Since the early months of his second term, the Trump White House has implemented stricter media access policies. According to CNN, the administration has reduced the size of the White House press pool, granting preference to conservative-leaning outlets like Newsmax, OANN, and The Blaze, while restricting access to traditionally mainstream publications such as The Associated Press and Reuters.

These changes have raised alarms among journalism watchdogs.

“This isn’t just about bias or preference — it’s about control,” said Penelope Hart, a media ethics professor at Columbia University. “When an administration dictates which outlets get access, it directly shapes what version of reality reaches the public.”

From the administration’s point of view, however, the strategy is about fairness and balance.

“We’re no longer letting the old media gatekeepers distort the truth unchecked,” said White House Communications Director Daniel Fields, in an interview with Newsmax. “Americans deserve coverage that reflects their values.”

Critics argue that such selectivity not only undermines press freedom, but also creates information silos, where audiences are exposed only to narratives that align with the administration’s messaging.

Supporters contend that this rebalancing is long overdue — a disruption of a media ecosystem that had grown hostile and elitist.

As journalist and Substack author Matt Taibbi noted, “Trump isn’t controlling the media — he’s exposing that the media has long tried to control the narrative themselves.”

Whether it’s viewed as a power grab or a democratization of media access, the shift reflects a deeper transformation: the press is no longer a monolithic institution, but a battlefield where legitimacy is constantly contested.

Narrative Three: Access and Authority — The New Rules of the Media Game

While Trump’s second term has seen evolving media sentiments and surprising endorsements, a more tactical shift is unfolding behind the scenes — the restructuring of White House press access itself.

In February 2025, a CNN exclusive revealed a stunning development: the Trump administration officially took control of the White House press pool, sidelining the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA), a century-old institution long responsible for organizing media access.

Among the changes:

• HuffPost was replaced by Axios
• Reuters was cut entirely
• The Associated Press remains banned
• Conservative outlets like Newsmax and The Blaze were granted regular access
• CNN retained access — but under stricter scrutiny

This shift drew immediate comparisons to Kremlin-style media gatekeeping. Critics argued that it’s not merely about reshuffling seats — it’s about reshaping the narrative itself.

“This isn’t about transparency. It’s about curation of reality,” said María Rojas, senior media researcher at the Freedom of the Press Foundation. “When you silence Reuters and elevate The Blaze, you’re not just managing a press room — you’re managing public perception.”

For the Trump administration, the rationale is straightforward: restoring balance and credibility in a media landscape they argue has been rigged for decades.

“We’re ensuring that Americans hear from reporters who respect their intelligence, not those pushing a political agenda,” stated White House Press Secretary Carla Lunsford during a March 2025 briefing.

Supporters of the new policy see it as a long-overdue correction. They believe legacy media outlets have lost their impartiality and forfeited their place.

But others warn of dangerous precedents.

“Once governments begin choosing which truths get told, democracies become dimmer,” wrote Laurence Tribe, Harvard Law professor, in a guest essay for The Atlantic.

This quiet but consequential shift may be one of the most enduring marks of Trump’s second term: less about shouting down critics — and more about deciding who gets to speak at all.

Further Reading

For those interested in exploring this topic further, consider the following articles:

Key Citations

• A Decade Ago, Jeff Bezos Bought The Washington Post. Now He’s Paying Attention to It Again.
• Why Jeff Bezos Bought The Washington Post
• Is Jeff Bezos Selling Out the Washington Post? | The New Yorker
• Where Jeff Bezos Went Wrong With ‘The Washington Post’ – The Atlantic
• Jeff Bezos’ tenure as Washington Post owner in spotlight as paper grapples with low morale, staffer exodus
• CNN Will Cut 6% of Current Staff in Digital Pivot; New Products, TV Lineup in Works
• CNN is cutting hundreds of TV jobs in a digital pivot. Read the memo CEO Mark Thompson sent to staff.
• CNN finds itself at a digital crossroads after years of turmoil – Los Angeles Times
• CNN Cuts 6% of Workforce Amid Pivot to Digital News Strategy – Subscription Insider
• CNN lays off 6% of its workforce as CEO Mark Thompson announces $70 million digital transformation
• CNN Cuts Jobs and Shuffles TV Lineup as It Enters New Trump Era – The New York Times
• CNN To Cut 6% of Workforce as It Pivots to Digital – Adweek
• CNN is cutting hundreds of TV jobs in a digital pivot. Read the memo CEO Mark Thompson sent to staff.
• Can Mark Thompson work his magic at CNN? | Royal Television Society
• CNN’s Mark Thompson Outlines 5 Ways CNN Will Change in the Future – Adweek
• Jeffrey Goldberg, The Atlantic
• Jeffrey Goldberg – Wikipedia
• Jeffrey Goldberg: The Atlantic editor who exposed Trump admin’s Signal chat – Axios
• Who Is Jeffrey Goldberg, the Editor Mistakenly Added to the Signal Chat? – The New York Times
• Trump and The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg have gone back and forth for years – ABC News
• Trump administration is reviewing how it sent military plans to The Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg – NBC News
• ‘Nonsense’: Atlantic editor-in-chief blasts Trump administration ‘smokescreens’ on Signal chat – ABC News
• A Conversation With Jeffrey Goldberg About His Extraordinary Scoop – The Atlantic
• Exclusive: how the Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg got added to the White House Signal group chat | Signal group chat leak | The Guardian
• Who is Jeffrey Goldberg, the journalist who broke the Signal leak scandal? | Signal group chat leak | The Guardian
• White House Correspondents’ Pool Changes Under Trump Administration – CNN
• MSNBC Continues Anti-Trump Commentary Amid Criticism – The Washington Post
• The Wall Street Journal Criticizes Trump Actions – WSJ

• “Morale at the Washington Post Has ‘Never Been Lower'”The New Yorker
• “Legacy News on Its Heels as Second Trump Era Begins, but Not Abandoning Mission”The Washington Post+2WSLS+2U.S. News+2
• “Trump White House’s New Press Policy: Threats, Revenge and MAGA Media Favoritism”CNN
• “Springsteen, Undeterred by Trump, Keeps Up War of Words From Foreign Stage”WSJ
• “Remarkably Poor Judgment: Wall Street Journal Takes a Critical Eye to Start of Trump’s 2nd Term”WDIV+1WKMG+1

As the media landscape continues to evolve during President Trump’s second term, these narratives highlight the complexities and challenges faced by news organizations striving to balance journalistic integrity with changing public expectations.