--- title: "The Briefing 10.15.2026" description: "The Briefing ☀️ Happy Thursday! The Briefing is your guide to the world of news and information. Sign up here! In today’s email: 🔥 Featured story Turkish police this week raided the headquarters of Halk TV, halting live broadcasts and appointing a new administrator to oversee one of the few Turkish news channels that airs […]" date: "2026-10-15" authors: - name: "jhaner" url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/newsletter/the-briefing/the-briefing-10-15-2026/" --- # The Briefing 10.15.2026 October 15, 2026 ## The Briefing --- **☀️ Happy Thursday!** *The Briefing is your guide to the world of news and information. [**Sign up here!**](https://www.pewresearch.org/sign-up-for-the-briefing/)* **In today's email:** - **Featured story:** Turkish police raid offices of major TV news channel - **New from Pew Research Center:** Online community and connection in America - **In other news:** Justice Department investigates TV networks after Trump pool coverage pause - **Looking ahead:** How ABC News is responding after acknowledging reporting errors - **Chart of the week:** Why some Americans don’t use AI chatbots ### 🔥 **Featured story** Turkish police this week [raided the headquarters of Halk TV](https://apnews.com/article/turkey-tv-raid-halk-erdogan-press-freedom-59176d1028ef288e959f06e123dd7009), halting live broadcasts and appointing a new administrator to oversee one of the few **Turkish news channels** that airs criticism of **President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.** While the government said it is investigating the network’s chairman for financial crimes, critics see it as another move by Erdoğan's administration to [silence dissent](https://amp.dw.com/en/turkey-government-raids-takes-over-top-news-channel/a-79662749). Our [2024 cross-national survey](https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2025/04/24/importance-of-press-freedom-free-speech-and-freedom-on-the-internet/#freedom-of-the-press) found that an overwhelming majority of Turkish adults (91%) say it’s very or somewhat important that the media can report the news without government censorship in their country. But about **half said the Turkish media are not very free (24%) or not at all free (25%)** [to report the news](https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2025/04/24/how-people-rate-press-speech-and-internet-freedoms-in-their-country/#freedom-of-the-press). Four-in-ten supporters of Erdoğan’s government said the Turkish media are completely free to report the news, compared with only 7% of nonsupporters. ### 🚨 **New from Pew Research Center** A new [Pew Research Center survey](https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2026/10/14/online-community-and-connection-in-america/) from the [Pew-Knight Initiative](https://www.pewresearch.org/collections/pew-knight-initiative/) finds that **nearly four-in-ten U.S. adults say they are part of an online community** – a share that rises to about half among young adults. These communities are found on social media, discussion forums, messaging apps and in online video games. For some, **online communities are deeply valuable parts of their lives.** They widely offer information, advice or experiences people say they can only get online. At the same time, **these benefits sit alongside doubts about making genuine connections over the internet.** About half of Americans question whether online relationships can be as meaningful as those formed in person. ### 📌 **In other news** - **Justice Department** launches [antitrust investigation into TV networks](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/10/business/media/trump-justice-department-tv-networks.html) after **Trump pool coverage** pause - New White House press secretary **Katie Zacharia** [faces questions](https://apnews.com/article/katie-zacharia-lawyer-bar-trump-press-secretary-b3b7b9747856bcd11df094f331195119) about legal credentials - **Trump** [cancels plan to livestream execution](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/15/us/trump-hasan-fort-hood-execution-livestream.html?) of **Fort Hood shooter** after bipartisan backlash - **Pentagon** [appoints Department of Defense public affairs official](https://thehill.com/policy/defense/6147373-pentagon-appoints-acting-stars-stripes-publisher/) as publisher of **Stars and Stripes** - **The New York Times,** **Agence** **⁠****France-Presse** **⁠**and **The Economist** [join over 40 publishers](https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/nyt-economist-among-publishers-joining-coalition-curb-unpaid-ai-use-2026-10-12/) in a coalition to combat **AI firms using content without permission** - The 10 largest owners [control 75% of local commercial TV newsrooms](https://www.axios.com/2026/10/13/local-news-television-newspapers) in the U.S., according to **Medill School of Journalism** **report** - [Japanese journalist arrested](https://apnews.com/article/russia-japan-sakhalin-island-journalist-arrested-spying-charges-9af00a424124dcbe398a97d90a7f40d9) in **Russia,** accused of spying - Journalists [raise press freedom concerns](https://apnews.com/article/india-cockroach-protests-voters-elections-294396c41a2df7d8a3912d09e4693c2a) in **India** over police actions at **youth-led protests** - **Taliban** government [suspends BBC radio broadcasts](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/14/world/asia/afghanistan-taliban-suspends-bbc.html) across **Afghanistan** - **Trump** allegedly [cancels deposition](https://www.politico.com/news/2026/10/13/Trump-deposition-BBC-lawsuit) in his lawsuit against **BBC** ### 📅 **Looking ahead** **ABC News **[removed and later republished an investigation](https://www.semafor.com/article/10/11/2026/abc-news-offers-contradictory-explanation-for-vanishing-anduril-story) into defense contractors' connections to President Donald Trump’s family after **the network acknowledged errors in the original report.** ABC initially said the story had been published prematurely, but its republished version cited errors related to company investments, government contracts and event timelines. A recent Pew Research Center study from the Pew-Knight Initiative asked Americans [what they think should happen](https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2026/09/15/where-americans-view-the-limits-of-press-freedom/#what-consequences-do-americans-think-news-organizations-should-face-for-publishing-false-information) if a U.S. news organization publishes false information. **Americans overwhelmingly expect news organizations to acknowledge inaccurate reporting:** 81% of U.S. adults say the news organization should issue a public correction in all, almost all or most cases. Smaller shares think that the U.S. government should require the story to be taken down (44%), that it should fine the organization (32%) or that the outlet should fire the journalist who reported the story (30%). ### 📊 **Chart of the week** About half of U.S. adults say they do not ever use **AI chatbots** like ChatGPT, Gemini or Copilot, according to a [Center survey](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/10/09/why-dont-some-people-use-chatbots/) conducted earlier this year. We asked people in this group about their **reasons for not using AI chatbots.** Most non-users cite a lack of interest, concerns about their personal information and **a lack of trust in chatbots to give accurate information** as reasons they don’t use these products. ### Lack of interest, concerns around privacy and accuracy are common reasons why people don’t use chatbots *Among U.S. adults who say they do not ever use AI chatbots, % who say the following is a reason why* | | Major reason | Minor reason | NET | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Not interested in using them | 60% | 23% | 83% | | Concerned about how their personal information will be used | 54% | 24% | 79% | | Don't trust them to give accurate information | 45% | 30% | 76% | | Don't know how to use them | 29% | 26% | 55% | | Think others will judge them for it | 3% | 11% | 14% | Note: Figures may not add up to NET value due to rounding. Those who did not answer or said “Not a reason” are not shown. Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Feb. 17-23, 2026.“Americans and AI 2026: Chatbots, Smart Devices and Views on Impact” *👋 That's all for this week.* The Briefing is compiled by Pew Research Center staff, including Naomi Forman-Katz, Christopher St. Aubin, Emily Tomasik, Joanne Haner and Sawyer Reed. It is edited by Michael Lipka and copy edited by Anna Jackson. *Do you like this newsletter? Email us at [journalism@pewresearch.org](mailto:journalism@pewresearch.org) or fill out this [two-question survey](https://us1.list-manage.com/survey?u=434f5d1199912232d416897e4&id=449f3c3d35&attribution=false) to tell us what you think*.