| DOUBLEMEANING | Play on words or play on media bungle (6-7) |
| PUN | A play on words or Dryden's "lowest form of wit" that, although central to wordplay, has a somewhat recent and debated origin (3) |
| PLAY | ---- on words or ---along (4) |
| RIFTVALLEY | Geographical feature demonstrated by tree-climbing on media channel (4,6) |
| PRESS | Hand-out on media freedom? (5,7) |
| RELEASE | Hand-out on media freedom? (5,7) |
| CLOONEY | Barrister appointed special envoy on media freedom by Britain's Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 2019 (4,7) |
| AMAL | Lebanese British barrister appointed special envoy on media freedom by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 2019 (4,7) |
| OPPRESS | Work on media, harass (7) |
| PRESSURING | Using plenty force on media you finally call |
| AIMED | Having set one's sights on media properties |
| PRESSUPS | Exercises carried out on media raises (5-3) |
| PRESSURED | Exerted force on media with a rude display |
| MONITORED | Kept an eye on media boss chasing a reptile (9) |
| PLAYLIST | It can be shuffled on media player (8) |
| THELISTENINGPOST | "Al Jazeera" show on media |
| REPRESS | Curb on media |
| SWEETNOTHINGS | Loving words, or what's found in this puzzle's circles |
| VOLLEY | From "to fly", a flight of arrows, bullets or other missiles; a flying shot in soccer or tennis; or, a salvo of barks, curses, questions, words or the like (6) |
| BARRAGE | Type of gated river dam; an outburst of criticisms, questions or words; or, a tiebreaker bout or fight-off in fencing (7) |
