Musk and Trump Target Media Houses
[[Elon Musk]], head of the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and former US President [[Donald Trump]] have criticized legacy media outlets. They are using X.com and Truth Social to question these outlets.
Reuters Under Fire
Musk and Trump recently targeted the news agency [[Reuters]]. Musk shared a post alleging that Reuters received more money from US government organizations than previously disclosed, using subsidiaries and intermediaries. He had earlier claimed that Reuters received $9 million from the Biden administration for “large-scale social deception.” Reuters clarified that the contract was awarded to a separate division, Thomson Reuters Special Services (TRSS), for assessing the effectiveness of defensive tools, and the representation was inaccurate.
Government Spending on Media
Data from the US government website, www.usaspending.gov, reveals that various Reuters entities have received $140 million in funding since 2008. Musk’s DOGE team also investigated other media outlets.
Associated Press, Politico, and Others
The US government reportedly spent over half a million dollars on the Associated Press. These payments were terminated by the DOGE. DOGE also found that NASA spent $500,000 on Politico subscriptions, which were subsequently canceled. Other government departments reportedly spent $32 million on Politico. Musk also labeled The New York Times as “government-funded media.” Data shows that The New York Times received at least $2.6 million in government funding between 2008 and 2024.
International Media Funding
The BBC reportedly received $3.2 million from USAID. While the US government site suggests funding stopped in 2011, the BBC website currently lists USAID as a donor. Internews, which trains journalists and activists, has received $404 million since 2008 and claims to have reached 75,000 people in India.
This latest news raises important questions about government spending on media and its potential impact. Stay tuned for further updates.
