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** OPINION
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** Amy Coney Barrett’s answers about a third-term presidency spark media scrutiny
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Supreme Court Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett poses for a photo during an interview with The Associated Press last week. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

As Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett continues her promotional tour for her new book — “Listening to the Law: Reflections on the Court and Constitution,” which came out Tuesday — a new topic has emerged:

The 22nd Amendment.

That’s the one that sets term limits for the president of the United States. Whether he is being serious or simply trolling his critics, President Donald Trump has floated the idea of running for a third term — which, to be clear, is forbidden by the 22nd Amendment. There’s every reason to believe Trump is being serious when he talks about a third term. He told NBC News’ Kristen Welker back in March, “I’m not joking,” and that “there are methods which you could do it.”

Again, let’s stop and point out that there are no methods. The 22nd Amendment specifically says, “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once.”

Trump has been elected twice, which bars him from seeking a third term.

Yet, because he has spoken out loud about a possible third term, Barrett has been asked about it during her book tour.

On Monday, Fox News’ Bret Baier asked her if the 22nd Amendment was “cut and dry.”

Barrett said, “Well, that’s, you know, that’s what the amendment says, right? After FDR had four terms, that’s what that amendment says.”

Many saw that answer as not strong enough. California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom tweeted ([link removed]) his answer to the question of whether the amendment was cut and dry, writing, “The answer is: YES.”

The New Republic’s Robert McCoy wrote a story with the headline, “Amy Coney Barrett Gives Least Reassuring Answer on Trump Third Term.” ([link removed])

McCoy, however, did point out that Barrett was a little stronger when asked about it by CBS News’ Norah O’Donnell in an interview that aired on “CBS News Sunday Morning.” O’Donnell referenced Barrett’s book, in which Barrett wrote that the Constitution “leaves no room for second guessing when it comes to term limits.”

Barrett told O’Donnell, “The 22nd Amendment sets a two-term limit. … So really, I can’t say anything else but just point to the 22nd Amendment. If you ask the question how many terms a president can serve, I would point to the 22nd Amendment.”

A MESSAGE FROM POYNTER
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** Poynter’s 2025 Bowtie Ball: Join us Nov. 15
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Celebrate Poynter’s 50th anniversary at the 2025 Bowtie Ball, honoring Jane Pauley alongside Dean Baquet and G.B. “Garry” Trudeau. This signature evening brings together civic leaders, journalists and supporters to champion a free press. Secure your spot now for an unforgettable night of recognition and community in Tampa.

Get tickets ([link removed])


** A deep dive into Gamergate
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Do you remember Gamergate?

The year was 2014. And, as Poynter managing editor Ren LaForme described it to me, “Gamergate turned a niche feud over video game reporting into a culturewide firestorm — and a blueprint for undermining the press. Mainstream journalists were caught flat-footed, and the tactics pioneered then — swarming critics, spreading conspiracies, reframing harassment as ‘ethics’ — have since fueled movements from QAnon to MAGA. A decade later, many newsrooms are still struggling to cover these online movements with the depth and urgency they demand.”

It was one of the more significant moments in media over the past 50 years. Which is why it has been selected as the latest entry in The Poynter 50 ([link removed]) — a series reflecting on 50 moments and people that shaped journalism over the past half-century, and continue to influence its future.

And Gamergate is the subject of the latest episode of “The Poynter Report Podcast.” ([link removed]) The episode is hosted by LaForme and Poynter’s Alex Mahadevan, the director of MediaWise and a member of Poynter’s faculty.

LaForme says on the podcast that Gamergate “pioneered a playbook for online movements that can cloak harassment and misinformation under the banner of a higher purpose.”

Think of dangerous movements such as PizzaGate, QAnon and Stop the Steal, and many of the conspiracies embraced by members of MAGA.

As LaForme and Mahadevan write for Poynter, “The movement was disorganized and leaderless. There was no definitive Gamergate website, no set mission statement, no agreed-upon demands. Instead, it was a swarm: thousands of loosely connected participants using social media, forums and comment sections to coordinate and amplify. Most adherents didn’t even use their real names. Many of their claims were unverified or outright false.”

As LaForme and Mahadevan noted, journalists covering this found it challenging at best. They wrote, “Reporters accustomed to reaching out to spokespeople and conducting in-person or phone interviews struggled to report on a movement led by anonymous Twitter users with characters like Kirby and Sonic the Hedgehog as avatars.”

They added, “For journalists, Gamergate was a trial by fire in covering online movements that didn’t follow the usual rules. The techniques used by its adherents — tactics that included swarming critics, reframing harassment as defense and invoking ‘ethics’ as a rallying cry — would soon surface in bigger and more consequential arenas.”

So read the story ([link removed]) and be sure to check out the podcast. Aside from watching on YouTube ([link removed]) , you can also find the show on Apple ([link removed]) , Spotify ([link removed]) , and most other places where you find podcasts.


** Who is Lachlan Murdoch?
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One day after the announcement that Lachlan Murdoch had survived the battle to take over his father Rupert’s media empire, The New York Times’ Katie Robertson and Michael M. Grynbaum are out with “Lachlan Murdoch, the Media Prince Who Would Be King.” ([link removed])

Four of Rupert’s six children have had a “Succession”-like battle for decades to see who would eventually lead the company, and that all came to a conclusion this week. Thanks to a deal that will pay out $3.3 billion to three of Lachlan’s siblings, Lachlan now becomes one of the most powerful men in media and, really, all the world.

Robertson and Grynbaum add, “And it means that his companies — which own Fox News, The New York Post and The Wall Street Journal, among other properties — are likely to maintain their firm conservative tilt. Keeping that ideological bent has been a top priority for his father, who has preferred his elder son as his permanent successor over the three less politically conservative siblings.”

Lachlan, 54, has essentially run the business for the past couple of years, but this new agreement means he will be in charge through at least 2050.

Media Matters’ Matt Gertz tweeted ([link removed]) , “The lie factory will continue manufacturing lies for another generation, deliberately deceiving audiences in service of authoritarian politics on three continents.”


** Another printing plant goes down
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The Minnesota Star Tribune announced this week that it will close its printing facility on Dec. 27 — a move, it says, will “affect” about 125 employees. The printing facility in Minneapolis that is being closed has printed the paper for nearly 40 years.

After it closes, the paper will be printed by Gannett’s printing plant in Des Moines, Iowa. That, of course, will impact deadlines. Deadlines will be 5:15 p.m. for weekday papers, and 4 p.m. for Sunday papers. Stories that can’t make the paper will appear immediately on the Star Tribune’s website and mobile app.

According to the paper, the move will save “several million dollars” in expenses.

Steve Grove, CEO and publisher of The Minnesota Star Tribune, said in a written statement, “This is a difficult but necessary decision to position the Minnesota Star Tribune for future growth.”

Grove told the Star Tribune’s Brooks Johnson ([link removed]) , “Nothing about this is easy. But we’re not deserting print. We’re just changing how we produce that paper.”


** There will be no interruption
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ESPN co-host Michael Wilbon, shown here in 2021. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

ESPN’s “Pardon the Interruption” — the gold standard of sports studio shows — continues to roll along. Puck’s John Ourand reports ([link removed]) that ESPN has signed the show’s hosts, Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon, to three-year extensions. Considering the show debuted in 2001, this is a remarkable television run. And Kornheiser, 77, and Wilbon, 66, remain as good as ever on the daily debate show.

There was talk for a moment or two there that “PTI” could be expanded from 30 minutes to an hour as ESPN continues to search for a replacement for “Around the Horn.” That half-hour show, which aired at 5 p.m. and led into “PTI,” was canceled earlier this year after nearly 23 years on the air. However, it appears the thought to expand “PTI” has fizzled out. Just as well. “PTI” is perfect as a half-hour show.


** Media tidbits
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* My colleague Rick Edmonds, Poynter’s media business analyst, with “On its 10th anniversary, health care site STAT is flourishing.” ([link removed])
* For LateNighter, Bill Carter with “After Five Weeks Away, Jon Stewart Goes Straight for Trump’s Jugular.” ([link removed])
* Exchange of the day as chronicled by Mediaite’s Tommy Christopher: “Maggie Haberman Confronts Leavitt Over Trump Denial On Bombshell Epstein Letter.” ([link removed])
* Variety’s Brian Steinberg with “Wendy McMahon Once Ran CBS News. Now She’s Turning to Indie Journalists.” ([link removed])
* For Nieman Lab, Neel Dhanesha with “With Local News International, Dave Jorgenson becomes his own TikTok guy.” ([link removed])
* People’s Tommy McArdle with “Reporter Speaks Out After Backlash to Viral Ayo Edebiri Interview with Julia Roberts and Andrew Garfield.” ([link removed])
* Axios’ Sara Fischer with “TelevisaUnivision wages war with YouTube.” ([link removed])
* CBS News’ Scott MacFarlane and Jennifer Jacobs with “Florida radio station borrows Trump to be its face and name.” ([link removed])
* Awful Announcing’s Matt Yoder with a fun list: “The 25 most influential sports media personalities of the 2000s.” ([link removed])
* Chris Fusco has been named executive editor of The Sacramento Bee and regional editor overseeing McClatchy Media’s California newsrooms. Here’s more ([link removed]) from the Bee.
* Meanwhile, at The Kansas City Star, Andale Gross has been promoted from managing editor to executive editor. Gross replaces Greg Farmer, who recently was named executive vice president at McClatchy Media. Gross becomes the first Black executive editor in the Star’s 145-year history. Here’s more ([link removed]) from The Kansas City Star.


** Hot type
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* The Washington Post’s Sonia Rao with “Paula Deen isn’t here to ‘convince y’all’ that she’s not a racist.” ([link removed])
* What are the 50 best restaurants in the U.S. right now? Check out The New York Times with “The Restaurant List 2025.” ([link removed])


** More resources for journalists
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* Get training to track federal climate policy rollbacks and their local impacts. Enroll now ([link removed]) .
* Deepen your coverage of incarcerated women and women with incarcerated family members and get the chance to apply for one of five $10,000 reporting grants. Enroll now ([link removed]) .
* Deadline Monday: Time running out to join the prestigious program that's advanced the careers of 200+ journalists of color. Apply today ([link removed]) .
* Journalists of color: Join a free four-day workshop at Poynter's waterfront campus, where accepted applicants develop the skills needed to become powerful writers. Apply now ([link removed]) .
* Master the tools to connect Washington decisions to local stories — essential coverage as the 2026 elections approach. Enroll now ([link removed]) .
* Turn your life story into a memoir in this pioneering virtual workshop led by Poynter's Director of Craft Kristen Hare, featuring accomplished authors as guest instructors. Enroll now ([link removed]) .
* Join a five-day, in-person workshop that gives new managers the skills they need to help forge successful paths to leadership in journalism, media and technology. Apply today ([link removed]) .

Have feedback or a tip? Email Poynter senior media writer Tom Jones at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .

The Poynter Report is your daily dive into the world of media, packed with the latest news and insights. Get it delivered to your inbox Monday through Friday by signing up here ([link removed]) . And don’t forget to tune into our biweekly podcast ([link removed]) for even more.
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