Corporate media didn’t need any more help debasing itself, but the agreement reached between Disney and a government oversight body in Florida proved once again that modern day media is made up of fools. Their predictions of a swift and definitive victory for Disney continued up until the day that Disney lost.
In a surprising turn of events, the legal battle between the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD) and Disney has seemingly come to an end, with a settlement being reached that appears to favor Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. This conclusion is a stark contrast to the predictions made by many mainstream media outlets, which had previously sided with Disney and predicted DeSantis’ downfall.
The dispute began in 2022 after Disney publicly criticized Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Act, prompting DeSantis to revoke Disney’s special tax district, which had given the entertainment company autonomy over its theme parks in the region. As a result, the media quickly took Disney’s side, with many outlets calling DeSantis’ actions “authoritarian” and mocking his attempt to challenge the billion-dollar corporation.
Throughout 2022 and 2023, numerous media personalities, including those from MSNBC, ABC’s “The View,” and NBC News, expressed their support for Disney and their belief that DeSantis would ultimately lose the battle. Headlines from various publications echoed this sentiment, claiming that Disney had outmaneuvered DeSantis and would eventually emerge victorious.
However, the recent settlement has shown that the media’s predictions were incorrect. The CFTOD board, appointed by DeSantis, voted to approve a settlement deal with Disney, effectively invalidating Disney’s previous attempts to retain governing control over the district and ending all pending litigation in Florida state court.
In response to the settlement, both Disney and the DeSantis team expressed optimism about the future. Disney’s Walt Disney World President Jeff Vahle stated that the agreement opens a new chapter of constructive engagement with the new leadership of the district, while DeSantis’ communications director, Bryan Griffin, emphasized that no corporation should be its own government and that they are ready to work with Disney to promote economic growth and accountable government in Central Florida.
Despite this apparent resolution, a federal lawsuit filed by Disney against DeSantis alleging unfair retaliation for political reasons is still ongoing. However, a federal judge dismissed the case in January, and Disney has agreed to hold off on an appeal until after a new development agreement with the district is established.
Article generated from corporate media reports.
Independent Journalism Is Dying
Ever since President Trump’s miraculous victory, we’ve heard an incessant drumbeat about how legacy media is dying. This is true. The people have awakened to the reality that they’re being lied to by the self-proclaimed “Arbiters of Truth” for the sake of political expediency, corporate self-protection, and globalist ambitions.
But even as independent journalism rises to fill the void left by legacy media, there is still a huge challenge. Those at the top of independent media like Joe Rogan, Dan Bongino, and Tucker Carlson are thriving and rightly so. They have earned their audience and the financial rewards that come from it. They’ve taken risks and worked hard to get to where they are.
For “the rest of us,” legacy media and their proxies are making it exceptionally difficult to survive, let alone thrive. They still have a stranglehold over the “fact checkers” who have a dramatic impact on readership and viewership. YouTube, Facebook, and Google still stifle us. The freer speech platforms like Rumble and 𝕏 can only reward so many of their popular content creators. For independent journalists on the outside looking in, our only recourse is to rely on affiliates and sponsors.
But even as it seems nearly impossible to make a living, there are blessings that should not be disregarded. By highlighting strong sponsors who share our America First worldview, we have been able to make lifelong connections and even a bit of revenue to help us along. This is why we enjoy symbiotic relationships with companies like MyPillow, Jase Medical, and Promised Grounds. We help them with our recommendations and they reward us with money when our audience buys from them.
The same can be said about our preparedness sponsor, Prepper All-Naturals. Their long-term storage beef has a 25-year shelf life and is made with one ingredient: All-American Beef.
Even our faith-driven precious metals sponsor helps us tremendously while also helping Americans protect their life’s savings. We are blessed to work with them.
Independent media is the future. In many ways, that future is already here. While the phrase, “the more the merrier,” does not apply to this business because there are still some bad actors in the independent media field, there are many great ones that do not get nearly enough attention. We hope to change that one content creator at a time.
Thank you and God Bless,
JD Rucker
