The White House under President Donald J. Trump has unveiled an official “Media Offenders” tracker — a publicly available page designed to identify and call out news organisations and reporters whose coverage the administration argues is misleading, biased or false.

The launch marks a major shift in how the administration engages with and attempts to control public narrative.

The new webpage, emblazoned with the slogan “Misleading.

Biased.

Exposed.,” lists a first “batch” of media outlets including CBS News, The Boston Globe and The Independent — accusing them of misrepresenting a recently released video in which six Democratic lawmakers urged U.S. service members to oppose what they deemed “illegal orders.” The White House says the outlets exaggerated or distorted the remarks, claiming that coverage implied President Trump had issued unlawful commands.

According to the site, every order issued by the president has been lawful and such reporting undermines public trust in the military.

Carried in a searchable “Offender Hall of Shame,” the tracker also identifies individual journalists by name, associates them with flagged articles and categorises alleged offenses — from “misrepresentation” and “omission” to “bias” and “left-wing lunacy.” A publicly visible leaderboard ranks repeat offenders, underscoring the administration’s push to hold media outlets accountable.

Supporters of the initiative view it as a necessary instrument to counter persistent media bias and ensure accuracy in high-stakes political and security reporting.

They argue the tracker empowers the public with an alternative source of accountability for newsrooms perceived to distort facts.

However, press-freedom groups and media analysts warn that the new site risks undermining independent journalism by transforming legitimate editorial judgment into a government-assigned morality test.

They argue it blurs the line between free press and political messaging, raising concerns about state-backed pressure on journalists and news organisations.

As the tracker goes live, the broader press community and civil-liberties advocates are waging a debate over whether this new tool represents a welcome dose of accountability — or a dangerous precedent in government control of information and public discourse.