The article discussed the conversations around the White House's decision to cancel its subscriptions to news outlet Politico amid larger conversations around government spending.
- On X (formerly Twitter), users began to claim that Politico was receiving government subsidies, a claim repeated by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
- Conversely, Politico clarified that they do not receive government subsidies and that federal agencies use established procurement processes to subscribe to Politico Pro.
- Online, the discussion around government subscriptions to news outlets rapidly devolved into anti-media conspiracy theories and claims that the government pays outlets to run positive stories about political figures.
Professor Darnall said: "Gaining access to knowledge networks, electronic news, and print media is not — in any way — a form of assistance. Rather, it involves a contractual arrangement for the purchase of the good or service."
Read the article here.