Poynter is reporting that The Washington Post prevailed in a $3.8 billion defamation lawsuit filed by Trump Media and Technology Group. A federal judge in Tampa, Florida, dismissed the suit Wednesday, ruling that Trump Media failed to present clear and convincing evidence that the Post published allegedly defamatory statements with actual malice. The Post's Scott Nover explained the complaint alleged a "years-long crusade" culminating in an "egregious hit piece" about Trump Media's financing efforts. The Post issued a correction in May 2026 regarding a loan referral fee, which Trump's team called a major victory. This marks another defeat for Donald Trump in lawsuits against media outlets, following dismissals against The Wall Street Journal and The Guardian earlier this year.
Poynter also reported on President Donald Trump's comments during the NATO summit in Turkey, where he declared himself "No. 1 on Tic Tac," presumably referring to TikTok. He claimed to have "4 billion views or something like that." Mediaite's Tom Durante noted this was the second time this week Trump made the "Tic Tac" claim, adding that recent rankings do not place Trump in TikTok's top 10.
The New York Times is launching a local newsletter called "The Local" in Minnesota's Twin Cities, Poynter said. The Times stated the newsletter aims to serve and engage communities and could expand to other cities if successful. It emphasized that the project is not meant to compete with local news outlets but to support and collaborate with them.
New York Times executive editor Joe Kahn discussed the paper's next major transformation on the "Channels" podcast, Poynter reported. Kahn stated that video is the most important transformation underway in the newsroom, emphasizing the need for quality journalism to compete in various forms as viewing habits shift.
Poynter is reporting that "60 Minutes" is seeking to fill correspondent roles ahead of its new season. Lesley Stahl, Bill Whitaker, and Jon Wertheim are currently the only official correspondents. The Los Angeles Times' Stephen Battaglio reported that CBS News journalists Seth Doane and Jim Axelrod are under consideration, with "CBS Evening News" anchor Tony Dokoupil expected to contribute up to four pieces annually. Trevor Phillips and Major Garrett will also have roles on the program, and Matt Gutman, Holly Williams, and Mariana van Zeller are other potential contributors.
In other media news, Poynter highlighted The Atlantic's Rose Horowitch's article, "The End of Reading Is Here." Horowitch argued that while Americans read more words than ever, they are losing the ability to think deeply about longer written works, leading to a "postliterate" society. Poynter also noted the Emmy Award nominations, with HBO Max's "The Pitt" leading with 25 nominations, followed by "Hacks" with 24. Mariska Hargitay will host the awards on Sept. 14 on NBC. Additional media tidbits included a judge ordering Donald Trump to pay E. Jean Carroll $5 million, an appeals court denying Trump's bid to pause the Kennedy Center name removal, CNN staff concerns about a potential Bari Weiss takeover, and ESPN's continued commitment to investigative journalism.