'Hall of Shame'? White House launches website to attack 'media offenders'

The White House on Friday launched a new "Media Offender of the Week" page targeting outlets it accused of bias and inaccuracies, prompting warnings from analysts that the initiative is part of a broader effort to delegitimise the press, one of the pillars responsible for holding power to account. 

The White House named The Boston Globe – a finalist for three Pulitzer Prizes just this year – CBS News and The Independent as its inaugural "offenders of the week" for stories the White House says misrepresented US President Donald Trump’s positions. It also featured a "Hall of Shame" list of allegedly "misleading" articles, calling out TV stations CNN and MSNBC alongside The Washington Post (whose staff and affiliates have won more than 70 Pulitzers).

The official White House X account promoted the initiative, stating: "Tired of the Fake News? We've got the place for you. Get the FACTS. Track the worst offenders. See the Fake News EXPOSED."

The rollout came as tensions between the White House and the media continue to escalate, with Trump directing a series of personal insults at reporters and pursuing legal action against several major news organisations, most recently suing the BBC for $1 billion. US broadcasters ABC and CBS both agreed to pay up to $16 million to settle legal disputes filed by Trump.

On Air Force One, on November 14, Trump told a Bloomberg reporter "Quiet, piggy" after she asked a question he disliked. He later called an ABC correspondent "a terrible person and a terrible reporter", described a New York Times journalist as "a third-rate reporter who is ugly, both inside and out" and asked a CBS News reporter, “Are you stupid?”  

‘Fake news’

The White House page opens with the heading "Misleading. Biased. Exposed." before listing dozens of articles it accuses of slanted coverage. It also invites users to sign up for weekly updates on the "truth".

Speaking to FRANCE 24, David Lipson, an associate professor of American studies at the University of Strasbourg, said this initiative "is part of a generalised strategy to delegitimise traditional media – to gain control over the media narrative".

Lipson said the initiative effectively formalises one of Trump's favourite slogans – "Fake news" – which the president has repeatedly, and erroneously, claimed to have coined. "It's as if he said, 'I'm going to use executive power to make my catchphrase official'," according to Lipson, who added that the site's theatrical "Hall of Shame" category reflects Trump's "showbiz side".

Lipson suggested the timing of the site launch may have been influenced by a recent video featuring US veterans, including Senator Mark Kelly, and former US intelligence officials, reminding military personnel that they should refuse unlawful orders – a video showcased on the site’s front page.

The White House said some news outlets had "subversively implied that President Trump had issued illegal orders" before asserting that "every order President Trump has issued has been lawful".

The Pentagon has since announced an investigation into Senator Kelly shortly after Trump accused him of sedition, “punishable by DEATH” in a Truth Social post.  

"Given how close the timing is, we can imagine that this was the triggering event," Lipson said.

Kelly has dismissed the threat as the actions of “bullies”, adding that it would not stop him and his colleagues in Congress “from doing our jobs and holding this administration accountable”.

‘Unprecedented’

Shortly after the site’s launch, journalists identified several errors on the site, including an entry wrongly attributing a press briefing question to a Fox News reporter. The page was quietly taken down before reappearing without the Fox reference.

The tracker, which is once again live, currently lists as many as 31 "offenses", naming and shaming reporters from outlets around the world. Among the stories flagged are: "Coast Guard will no longer classify swastikas, nooses as hate symbols" by The Washington Post, "The View's Whoopi Goldberg Makes Up a Song to Slam Trump for Building White House Ballroom" from ABC News and "Trump's autocratic dreams come true as National Guard turns DC into a police state" from The Hill. 

Lipson warned that the initiative risks functioning as a way to pressure the press and could lead to self-censorship. "It is, after all, the official White House website," he said. "A civil servant might think: 'If they attack Senator Mark Kelly, maybe I shouldn't speak out too much.' That's where you get a chilling effect."

He noted that past presidents, notably Richard Nixon, also tried to intimidate the press. But he said the current administration’s approach was "really unprecedented".

"Trump doesn't hide any of his intimidation tactics," Lipson said.

Despite the attention surrounding the launch, Lipson questioned its long-term impact, saying many mainstream outlets appear to view it as a "gimmick". 

"It already feels forgotten," he said. "What we should really question is its effectiveness, especially at a moment when we're already seeing cracks within the Republican camp."

The White House did not respond to a request for comment.