Bari Weiss and the Israel narrative in the US | The Listening Post

Summary

Podcast Summary: Bari Weiss and the Israel Narrative in the US

The Listening Post – Al Jazeera | October 11, 2025

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Overview

This episode of The Listening Post examines how billionaire influence is reshaping pivotal US media outlets, focusing on the Ellison family's acquisitions of major brands like Paramount, CBS News, and The Free Press. The show zeroes in on Bari Weiss’s elevation to CBS News editor-in-chief, her pro-Israel stance, and what this means for media narratives in the US—particularly amidst steeply declining public support for Israel’s actions in Gaza. The podcast situates these shifts within wider conversations about media power, propaganda, foreign policy, and the weaponization of digital platforms like TikTok. Secondary segments analyze the mainstreaming of Portugal’s far-right, and end with a viral media moment exposing callousness toward Palestinian suffering.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Ellison Family's Media Expansion and Timing (00:30–03:55)

• Major Acquisitions: The Ellisons have bought Paramount and, most recently, The Free Press, an online news outlet led by Bari Weiss. They're in talks to buy TikTok US and Warner, CNN’s parent company.
• Strategic Timing: Announcement of Bari Weiss at CBS News and the Free Press acquisition came on October 6th, a date loaded with historical context lost or ignored in media narratives around Israel (04:13–04:33).
• Quote:

  "They actively chose to announce it on October 6th... There is a sort of stomping on history implied in [that]."
  — Investigative Journalist (04:13)

2. Bari Weiss’s Role and Israel Advocacy (03:55–07:16)

• Editorial Direction: Bari Weiss, now overseeing CBS News, has long used her platforms to champion Israel and attack critics—including those denouncing the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
• Controversial Legacy:

  "She has come after those who say that a genocide is underway in Gaza...[and] has labeled anyone who criticizes the state of Israel as an anti-Semite."
  — Human Rights Advocate/Commentator (04:33–05:06)

• Editorial Concerns: Pieces under Weiss's leadership at The Free Press have downplayed or denied Israeli war crimes, refuting famine reports with dubious arguments.
• Quote:

  "Barry's North Star is and has been... Israel and being Israel's strongest soldier in the American media discourse."
  — Media Critic/Expert (05:06)

3. Media, Lobbying, and Editorial Capture (06:04–07:16)

• Pro-Israel Networks: Many US journalists have backgrounds in pro-Israel lobbying or direct government/military ties.
• Media Gatekeeping:

  "At the outlet Weiss now leads... articles like these would never clear the bar. They would fail most of CBS News editorial standards. And yet Weiss has been installed and seems untouchable..."
  — Narrator/Host (07:16)

4. The Ellison Family’s Deep Involvement With Israel (08:00–09:13)

• Larry Ellison’s Political Ties: The Oracle founder is a major donor to the Israeli military and was directly involved in vetting US politicians for their support of Israel (08:00–08:49).
• Political Strategy:

  "[We] discovered through recent reporting... Larry Ellison has in the past played a vetting role for the Israeli government."
  — Investigative Journalist (08:28)

5. Battle for Social Media—TikTok’s Place in the Narrative (09:13–10:47)

• TikTok and Public Perception: TikTok is identified as a key vector of pro-Palestinian sentiment among US youth; Ellison's possible acquisition is seen as an effort to recalibrate the algorithm toward pro-Israel content.
• Quote:

  "...I certainly understand why Netanyahu and his supporters in the United States might see this as an opportunity to change TikTok's algorithm to, let's say, favor more pro Israel propaganda."
  — Media Critic/Expert (09:24)

• Geo-Strategic Manipulation: Reporting suggests Israeli strategy aims to focus Western anger on “the Muslim other” and reframe comparisons to favor Israel (09:52–10:47).

6. Can Billionaire-Driven Media Actually Shift US Public Opinion? (10:47–12:12)

• Support Declining: Despite massive media efforts, American public, including older generations, are turning sharply against Israel due to relentless coverage of atrocities.
• Quote:

  "I don't care how many media companies the Ellison family want to buy up, it is not going to change public opinion."
  — Human Rights Advocate/Commentator (11:29)

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7. Political Theater: Trump and the Gaza Ceasefire (12:12–14:43)

• Self-Promotion: Trump’s pursuit of the Nobel Prize for the Gaza ceasefire is critiqued as opportunistic; his administration is depicted as pro-Israel and headline-chasing even as atrocities occurred.
• Political Spin:

  "During that time, Donald Trump stood by Israel as it expanded its genocide, decimating large parts the Gaza Strip...At least part of the motivation seemed to be Trump’s own desire to be hailed as a peacemaker."
  — Political Analyst/Commentator (13:18)

• AI-generated Propaganda: The podcast highlights sycophantic media coverage and Israeli propaganda supporting Trump.

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8. Portugal’s Far Right and Media Amplification (14:43–24:22)

• Rise of Chega and Andre Ventura: Portugal's far-right party, led by Ventura, used extensive media appearances to move from fringe to mainstream, mirroring broader trends in how media platforms can nurture extremism.
• Media Logic:

  "It is well known that talking about Andreventura guarantees large audiences and high click rates... He already had a lot of media practice."
  — Portuguese Media Correspondent (18:45)

• Commentators Over Journalists: Shrinking newsroom budgets have elevated “commentators” at the expense of seasoned reporters, facilitating the spread of populism (21:59–22:18).
• Populist Tactics:

  “They are very much responsive to what the populist chatter is in the street...offering a very simple, oversimplified, usually with an outsider to blame solution for problems that are very complex and hard to solve.”
  — Media Studies Expert (17:03)

• Political Impact: Chega's media-driven momentum is reshaping Portugal’s political map; studies show media coverage directly increased Ventura’s support (23:24).

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9. Viral Clip: The Gaza Children Punchline (24:22–end)

• CNN’s Van Jones Controversy (24:22–24:53):
  A now-viral moment where Van Jones, appearing on CNN, reduced Palestinian child deaths to a media meme, followed by studio laughter from high-profile pundits. Jones later apologized, but investigation revealed his mentorship in a pro-Israel media fellowship.
• Quote:

  "If you are a young person, you open up your phone and all you see is dead Gaza baby. Dead Gaza baby..."
  — Political Analyst/Commentator (24:46)

• Media Complicity:
  The segment exposes the role of US media personalities in trivializing atrocities while actively supporting efforts to reshape Israel’s image.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|---------|-------| | 04:33 | Human Rights Advocate | "This was a message and a signal to mainstream media and American audiences about the direction in which corporate media in the US is heading..." | | 05:06 | Media Critic/Expert | "Barry's North Star is...Israel and being Israel's strongest soldier in the American media discourse." | | 06:51 | Human Rights Advocate | "I don't know how you produce a story about the so-called myth of famine when we are literally seeing it with our own eyes..." | | 09:24 | Media Critic/Expert | "...change TikTok's algorithm to, let's say, favor more pro Israel propaganda." | | 11:29 | Human Rights Advocate | "I don't care how many media companies the Ellison family want to buy up, it is not going to change public opinion." | | 13:18 | Political Analyst/Commentator | "...Trump stood by Israel as it expanded its genocide, decimating large parts of the Gaza Strip." | | 17:03 | Media Studies Expert | "They are very much responsive to what the populist chatter is in the street...offering a very simple, oversimplified, usually with an outsider to blame solution for problems..." |

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Ellison Media Expansion & Weiss's Appointment: 00:30–05:42
• Weiss's Record & Editorial Vision: 05:42–07:16
• Ellison Family’s Political Engagement: 08:00–09:13
• TikTok as Propaganda Battleground: 09:13–10:47
• Can Media Sway Public Opinion?: 10:47–12:12
• Trump’s Ceasefire Spin: 12:12–14:43
• Portugal’s Far-Right Surge & Media: 14:43–24:22
• CNN/Van Jones Segment: 24:22–end

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Analysis and Tone

The episode is incisive and unflinching, blending investigative analysis with critical commentary. It classically exposes more than it editorializes, letting incisive quotes and documentation drive the narrative. The tone balances urgency (regarding media capture and the humanitarian crisis) with sober media analysis. The show steers clear of hyperbole, letting evidence and expert voices do the work.

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Conclusion

The Listening Post delivers a pointed critique of how billionaires like the Ellisons are leveraging media power to shape US public opinion—particularly around Israel and Palestine—in ways that echo far wider trends of editorial capture and the dangers of unchecked populism and propaganda. The episode closes by pointing out that, even as elite media actors mobilize, new channels and a more skeptical public may be shifting the balance of information power.

Transcript

[Narrator/Host]

This week on True crime reports. In 2023, a young woman killed a complete stranger in South Korea because of her obsession with true crime. Is the media responsible? Does true crime harm more than it helps? Hear the full story on True Crime Reports. Subscribe and listen wherever you get your podcasts. This week on the Take, we're marking one year since a pair of devastating earthquakes hit Turkey and Syria with a new digital interactive Listen and watch stories of survival, recovery and coping with the grief@al jazeera.com earthquakes again, that's al jazeera.com earthquakes another year of genocide, another ceasefire agreement full of unknowns. For President Donald Trump, this deal was less about peace in Gaza and more about the peace prize he never got. Can Israel's billionaire backers shift the narrative on the genocide in the US The Ellison family is certainly trying. Portuguese media couldn't resist the allure of the far right. And now what was on the fringe is ever more mainstream. This past week was packed with breaking news, the agreement on the first phase of the latest Gaza peace deal and major developments in the US Media space. We'll return to the peace deal later. We start with the big news in the US Media landscape. For the past couple of months, the billionaire father son duo of Larry and David Ellison have been making deals involving major media brands. Last month, they bought out Paramount, the TV and film production company that also owns CBS News. This week, they made a smaller acquisition, an online news outlet called the Free Press. It led, however, to a bigger headline. Its editor, Barry Weiss, who once said she would be happy to claim the title of a Zionist fanatic, is now also editor in chief of CBS News. The Ellisons are not done. They're in Talks to buy TikTok's U.S. operations and are eyeing another media giant, Wall Warner, the parent company of cnn. These moves aren't just about the Ellisons growing media empire. They connect directly to another major story in the US the steep decline in public support for Israel. The Ellisons have made clear they see a role for themselves in shoring up that support. And it's evident they view the media as a key battleground. This is a story about the United States, a story about its media. Today I'm doing something different. It's an announcement and one that I'm.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

So excited to be making.

[Narrator/Host]

It's a story about U.S. foreign policy and war, about capitalism, billionaires, the power of the presidency and the relentless drive to control the narrative.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

I'll get right to it.

[Narrator/Host]

This morning, the Free Press is joining Paramount. The purchase of The Free Press, an online media company founded and fronted by Barry Weiss, a polarizing columnist turned podcaster and media entrepreneur, was more than just a startup being bought out by a media giant like Paramount. It also triggered a shakeup in the editorial leadership at one of the United States most recognizable news organizations. I'm now editor in chief of CBS News, working with new colleagues on the programs that have impacted American culture for generations. This announcement could have come at any point during the past month as the deal was being finalized. But the timing seemed deliberate, coinciding with the foreign policy issue currently dominating US politics, Israel, the two year genocide that has just eased in Gaza, and Washington's active role in that genocide.

[Investigative Journalist]

So Paramount and CBS had a lot of different days that they could have chosen. They actively chose to announce it on October 6th. And while a lot of the world understands that October 7th has a certain, certain symbolic significance to it, ports Israelis.

[Political Analyst/Commentator]

Today remember the more than 1,000 who.

[Media Critic/Expert]

Died in the Hamas attack.

[Investigative Journalist]

So does the day, October 6th, because it stands in for history context. It stands in for understanding how we got to where we are. And so I think there is a sort of stomping on history implied in the choice of making October 6th the day.

[Human Rights Advocate/Commentator]

This was a message and a signal to mainstream media and American audiences about the direction in which corporate media in the US is heading. Bari Weiss has been a very controversial figure in the media landscape and now she's sitting in the editor's chair at CBS News. For the last several years she has targeted, quote, unquote, woke individuals. She has come after those who say that a genocide is underway in Gaza. She has been part of a right wing ensemble that has labeled anyone who criticizes the state of Israel as an anti Semite.

[Media Critic/Expert]

Barry's North Star is and has been for at least 20 years and probably her entire life, Israel and being Israel's strongest soldier in the American media discourse.

[Narrator/Host]

Now you have it on the left too where Israel comes to replace Jew as the sort of diabolical controller of all the world's immigration.

[Media Critic/Expert]

I think if there is one issue that she is completely sincere in her fixation on and that she will certainly want to shape the coverage of in a more right leaning direction at cbs. It is Israel and the way that Israel's war on the Palestinians is covered here.

[Narrator/Host]

Bari Weiss's avowed support of Israel does not make her an outlier in the US media landscape. To the contrary, she is in the company of a plethora of journalists and commentators who share similar views.

[Political Analyst/Commentator]

Israel had me at hello in times of crisis, you know, I know where I will be when the Jewish state is under threat.

[Narrator/Host]

Across US Newsrooms, a striking number of journalists have backgrounds in pro Israel lobbying or direct ties to the Israeli government and military. Weiss herself worked in one of those newsrooms, the New York Times, but she resigned in 2020, claiming a, quote, illiberal environment. The following year, she launched the Free Press as a substack newsletter, which quickly grew into the platform's top revenue earner. It was there that Weiss, as CEO and editor in chief, oversaw coverage that repeatedly downplayed or denied evidence of Israeli war crimes in Gaza, including articles refuting the famine there. The argument in one of those pieces was that images of starving children were disinformation because those children had pre existing health conditions.

[Human Rights Advocate/Commentator]

I don't know how you produce a story about the so called myth of famine when we are literally seeing it with our own eyes. When we have international aid organizations laying out the facts and telling us there is a man made famine in Gaza where other countries are trying to send aid and they're being met with blockades. And in the face of all of that, you want to create this idea that a famine is made up.

[Narrator/Host]

At the outlet Weiss now leads as editor in chief, articles like these would never clear the bar. They would fail most of CBS News editorial standards. And yet Weiss has been installed and seems untouchable, not least because of the man backing her. David Ellison. The son of Larry Ellison, one of the many tech oligarchs in the United States. David is the chairman and CEO CEO of Paramount Skydance Corporation. And together with his father, he has driven an ambitious push into the U.S. media and information space. With their vast wealth and considerable political influence, the Ellisons have become central figures in the fight back by American supporters of Israel against soaring negative sentiment.

[Investigative Journalist]

Larry Ellison, who's the founder of Oracle, is on and off the richest man in the world. Looks fantastic, as many billionaires do. Several years ago, he became the largest donor ever to Friends of the idf, which is an American charity that directly supports the IDF militarily. He has said the greatest honor in his life is being able to do that sort of thing. You know, I feel a deep emotional.

[Media Critic/Expert]

Connection to the state of Israel and the Israeli people.

[Investigative Journalist]

You know, we discovered through recent reporting at Dropsite that Larry Ellison has in the past played a vetting role for the Israeli government. We have obtained emails where they're discussing Marco Rubio, where the Israeli ambassador to the United nations says, did you get a chance to meet him yet? Did you Talk about Israel. Larry Ellison writes back. He will be a great friend to Israel.

[Narrator/Host]

Among Ellison's many acts of friendship towards Israel, there is his leading role in the probable acquisition of TikTok's US operations. It's a deal that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described like this when he met with social media influencers in the U.S. but we have to fight with the.

[Political Analyst/Commentator]

Weapons that apply to the battlefields in which we're engaged.

[Narrator/Host]

And the most important ones are on social media.

[Political Analyst/Commentator]

And the most important purchase that is.

[Portuguese Media Correspondent]

Going on right now is Classworks.

[Portuguese Political Analyst]

TikTok.

[Political Analyst/Commentator]

TikTok number one.

[Media Critic/Expert]

TikTok has been one of the most important disseminators of essentially the pro Palestinian perspective, perspective in the United States. There are plausible arguments to be made that TikTok has driven the major opinion realignment among younger Americans who are the ones most likely to use it. And so I certainly understand why Netanyahu and his supporters in the United States might see this as an opportunity to change TikTok's algorithm to, let's say, favor more pro Israel propaganda.

[Investigative Journalist]

It doesn't even have to be, you know, pro Israel content in order for it to be beneficial to what Israel says is its geostrategic goal. I did a piece at Dropsite where we obtained kind of internal survey and focus group data that the Israeli Ministry of Foreign affairs had paid for trying to figure out how they could turn Israel's image around. And their conclusion was, when we are compared to basically anything else, people don't like us. But if people compare us to Iran or Hamas specifically, they prefer us to those two. And also they believe, particularly in Europe, that there are too many Muslims running around. So what they need to do is get people angrier at Muslims. And now you will have TikTok, CBS News with the ability to go out and just highlight every crime committed by anybody who even looks like a Muslim anywhere in the world.

[Narrator/Host]

With phase one of a ceasefire deal now agreed upon, the question isn't just what happens next, but how it will be reported. Public support for Israel has plunged in the US Making the media narrative more important than ever. With a major film and TV studio like Paramount, now owned by the Ellisons, CBS News under the editorial direction of Bari Weiss, whose output has sanitized Israel's genocide and TikTok, and possibly even a media company like Warner and CNN on the tape labor, it's worth asking what version of events will reach the public and how likely is it that Israel, with the help of its American backers, can reclaim the support it has Lost.

[Human Rights Advocate/Commentator]

I don't think that Israel is going to be able to regain legitimacy in the eyes of Americans. Look, we have been scrolling through a genocide for the last two years. We see is images come across our feeds, come across our televisions. And for the first time in the time that I have been in politics, you're seeing poll numbers come out with people that are over the age of 50 who have absolutely shifted their opinion of the state of Israel. There is no changing opinions around that. So I don't care how many media companies the Ellison family want to buy up, it is not going to change public opinion.

[Narrator/Host]

This past week, Israel and Hamas agreed to the first phase of a ceasefire deal in Gaza, bringing an end to two years of genocide. There was elation in the region and beyond. For Donald Trump, it was an opportunity for self congratulation, with both he and his allies emphasizing how pivotal he was in making things happen. Tariq Nafar has been following the story for two years.

[Political Analyst/Commentator]

Palestinians had been waiting for this moment. For Donald Trump, it was also a moment for a renewed round of self promotion. As news emerged that an agreement was close, his team ensured he'd be the first to make the announcement. A photographer got a shot of this note handed to Trump during a televised meeting. It said, we need you to approve a truth social post so you can be the first to announce the deal.

[Narrator/Host]

Yeah, I was just given a note.

[Investigative Journalist]

By the Secretary of State saying that.

[Narrator/Host]

We'Re very close to a deal in the Middle East.

[Political Analyst/Commentator]

Trump then took to Fox News for a victory lap.

[Narrator/Host]

Congratulations, sir.

[Political Analyst/Commentator]

Can you give us more of the details? Well, thank you very much, John.

[Investigative Journalist]

It's a great honor to be involved.

[Political Analyst/Commentator]

This is, of course, a deal that could have happened at any point after Trump took office, preventing the loss of many, many lives. During that time, Donald Trump stood by Israel as it expanded its genocide, decimating large parts the Gaza Strip. A number of factors are behind why the deal has come together now. But at least part of the motivation seemed to be Trump's own desire to be hailed as a peacemaker, one worthy of being awarded a Nobel Prize. And Trump's allies and lieutenants like Secretary of State Marco Rubio seem to have understood exactly what the President was looking for.

[Portuguese Political Analyst]

One day, perhaps the entire story will be told about the events of yesterday.

[Political Analyst/Commentator]

But I suffice it to say it's.

[Narrator/Host]

Not an exaggeration that none of it.

[Media Critic/Expert]

Would have been possible without the President.

[Portuguese Political Analyst]

Of the United States.

[Political Analyst/Commentator]

There was also this bizarrely sycophantic AI generated image put out by the Israeli prime minister's office. In the end, however, Donald Trump didn't get the Nobel Peace Prize. The fawning messages kept on coming, though, with Israeli opposition leader Benny Gantz saying, no gold medal will ever truly do justice or or reward you adequately for the lives you have saved. All eyes are now on Gaza and on whether Israel will honour the ceasefire agreement. If past experience is any indication, Trump will have to follow through to make sure it holds.

[Narrator/Host]

Thanks, Tariq Portugal heads to the polls this weekend for local elections that could reshape the country's political map. Chega, a far right party once on the fringes, is leading the race, and its leader, Andre Ventura, has become one of the country's most recognizable political figures. Portugal hasn't witnessed the mainstreaming of extremist rhetoric like Ventura's in 50 years, not since the country rose up and overthrew the far right dictatorship of Antonio de Oliveira Salazar. Ventura's rise didn't happen solely in Parliament, but through television as well. Years of carefully crafted TV appearances and viral soundbites, from his early days as a football pundit to his current role as a political showman, built his profile. Portuguese media amplified him, prioritising ratings over accountability. As voters head to the polls, one question remains Has Chega turned airtime into growing political power? The Listening Post's Ryan Coles now on how Portugal's media built the far right's momentum.

[Portuguese Media Correspondent]

We see him daily. He hops from channel to channel. It feels like he has reserved a room on every television channel because he's always there. He doesn't leave.

[Portuguese Political Analyst]

Andre Ventura, the man dominating the airwaves in Portugal, is the leader of Chegga, a far right party whose name translates to Enough. Since entering national politics in 2019, Ventura has built his profile on a solid foundation of far right nationalism, Islamophobia, pushing shock policies. For decades, Portugal appeared to be insulated from Europe's far right surge. Its stable two party system and the legacy of a revolution that toppled Europe's longest dictatorship had staved off political extremism, or so it seemed. In last May's snap election, Chega's message resonated with 22.8% of the voters, making Ventura the leader of the opposition.

[Media Studies Expert]

They are clearly a populist party with some conservative ideas, but very often they also have ideas that are very much against the right wing position towards economy, for example. So it seems that they're very much responsive to what the populist chatter is in the street concerns are offering a very simple, oversimplified, usually with an outsider to blame as a solution for these problems that are of course very complex and hard to solve.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

It could trust audiences, and this attracts audiences. There was a recent study by the Universidade Nova showing that between 2019 and 2024, Andreventura gave more interviews than the then leader of the opposition. I was the parliamentary correspondent in 2019, when he was the only Chega MP with 1.7% of the votes. And already back then, there was media pressure for Ventura to be part of parliamentary coverage. He was seen as an asset by the media, especially by the TV channels. And the radio stations also succumbed to this phenomenon.

[Portuguese Media Correspondent]

It is well known that talking about Andreventura guarantees large audiences and high click rates. Journalists thought he would be an easy voice to have on, but they forgot one detail. He already had a lot of media practice and was very familiar with the playing field.

[Portuguese Political Analyst]

Long before he got into politics, Andre Ventura was a football pundit. Football is the most watched programming on Portuguese television. In 2024, some football matches drew in more than 5 million viewers. And with those large audiences came the post match analysis shows like Pam Riste or Mercado Infotainment, built entirely around the game. Ventura cut his teeth on these shows. His theatrical, sometimes aggressive style embodied the channel that hosted him, cmtv, a network built on the coverage of sexual scandals, crime and football, the same topics that sell Headlines and its sister outlet, Correo da Mana, Portugal's leading tabloids. Ventura was a columnist there too. These were his training grounds, outlets where controversy and spectacle were rewarded.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

The fact that he started off as a sports commentator makes sense. Here in Portugal, we have very lively debates on these shows. Ventura used to throw violent, aggressive, personal attacks against opponents of other football clubs. And he took this style over to the political arena, breaking away from a certain tradition of dialogue in Portuguese politics. The word liar is not used in Portuguese politics, and Ventura used it last year against Prime Minister Luis Montenegro quite shamelessly in Parliament.

[Portuguese Media Correspondent]

When this man entered politics and eventually landed in Parliament, he bought a media know how that very few others possessed. That came as a surprise for news audiences, especially for what I call the sofa generation. They supposedly do not know Ventura's politics, but they know him as the man who yells at the elites like they have never experienced before. And they sit on their sofas satisfied with that.

[Portuguese Political Analyst]

But Ventura isn't just yelling at fellow politicians. He's attacking journalists too, a profession already under strain. According to a recent survey, almost half of the country's journalists are burnt out. 40% work on low paid, fixed term contracts. And between 2017 and 2024, hundreds have left the profession altogether. That exodus has given populism more space to spread. Underpaid and overstretched, the journalists who remain struggle to deliver fact based reporting and.

[Narrator/Host]

Counter misinformation exposte fundamentalism.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Newsrooms have huge financial constraints and a real shortage of resources. The entire environment is geared towards the decline of journalism. In this climate, there is one group of people who have gained prominence even though they often create further polarization. These are the so called commentators.

[Media Studies Expert]

It's much cheaper to get people into a table and talk about something that they didn't really study and they're not an expert on, but they have some ideas about. And that's easier and faster to do than actually doing an investigation or presenting the facts. Very much of what the recipe of success of Chege and the is is exactly getting people to argue with them on the topics and the narratives that they want to keep in the agenda.

[Portuguese Political Analyst]

Chega initially agreed to speak with us, then pulled out. Like every political party, it has its eyes on Sunday's municipal elections. For the first time, Chega tops the polls. If it wins, voters will get a taste of what Chega governance looks like. But regardless of the result, Andre Ventura has already secured a major victory. The media attention that propelled him to this point.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Just after the last elections, studies showed that the news coverage had a quantifiable political impact. Andre Ventura was polling about 19 to 20% and he ended up reaching 23%. If Chega now managed to win some 30 city halls, that would represent an earthquake in Portuguese politics as it would need. That Ventura would have reached governance by proxy, that is by governing through local municipalities. This could represent a significant reconfiguration of the Portuguese political system.

[Media Studies Expert]

The media has pushed and amplified this image that he is an alternative, giving him that much relevance and importance. Journalism didn't took that step back of thinking that journalism is also about public service. It is not always about just getting the public what they want.

[Narrator/Host]

And finally, if you haven't seen the viral clip of CNN analyst Van Jones turning the deaths of Palestinian children into a punchline, we're showing it here. Not just for what that moment revealed, but for what's come to light since.

[Political Analyst/Commentator]

Iran and Qatar have come up with a disinformation campaign that that they are running through TikTok and Instagram that is massive.

[Narrator/Host]

If you are a young person, you open up your phone and all you.

[Political Analyst/Commentator]

See is dead Gaza baby. Dead Gaza baby. Dead Gaza baby Diddy Dead Gaza baby. Dead Gaza baby.

[Narrator/Host]

As telling as Jones callous humor was the laughter in the studio from host Bill Maher, New York Times Pulitzer winning columnist Tom Friedman and the audience online. Jones was torn apart, so much so that he apologized twice, saying his point was about foreign influence campaigns like the ones he attributed, without evidence, to Iran and Qatar. Less than a week later, reporting from Dropsite News, has made clear why Jones purports to know so much about propaganda drives in the United States. He's been hired as a mentor on a new journalism fellowship whose founder says it was created to help Israel win the information war. Turns out when Van Jones talks about foreign propaganda, he's speaking from experience.