Top News:
Variety:
Patrick Soon-Shiong says the LA Times will go public “over the next year” and it is now “working through with an organization” to put a plan together — The Los Angeles Times will become a publicly traded company, its billionaire owner Patrick Soon-Shiong announced on “The Daily Show.”
Financial Times:
Sources: Bari Weiss is seeking a valuation of between $200M and $250M for The Free Press amid talks with Skydance CEO David Ellison over a potential sale — ‘Anti-woke’ journalist holds talks with incoming CBS owner David Ellison over sale of new media venture
Discussion:
@jeffjarvis, @mckinneykelsey, @tvgrimreaper, @arashmassoudi and @jfk_america
Benjamin Mullin / New York Times:
Sources: Edith Chapin, NPR's top editor and acting chief content officer, will leave the organization later this year — Edith Chapin, who is also acting chief content officer, has been editor in chief of the public radio network since 2023. — Edith Chapin, the top editor …
Discussion:
NPR, The Wrap, Axios and @benmullin.bsky.social
New York Times:
Dave Jorgenson, who leads WaPo's TikTok and YouTube presence, plans to leave next month to start a company based on his YouTube channel Local News International — Dave Jorgenson is leaving The Post next month to start an online video company based on his personal YouTube channel, Local News International.
Meg James / Los Angeles Times:
Sources: Paramount will pay $300M a year for five years to bring global streaming rights for South Park to Paramount+, including US rights for the first time — The creators of Comedy Central's “South Park” reached a breakthrough Monday in the tense negotiations over the streaming rights of the long-running satirical cartoon.
Bloomberg:
Sources: Google is seeking to recruit news organizations for a new licensing project related to AI, and plans to launch a pilot initially with ~20 US outlets — The company has ramped up its overtures to news organizations in recent months — Google is seeking to recruit news organizations …
Politico:
The White House removes the WSJ from the pool of reporters covering Trump's trip to Scotland, saying it is due to the WSJ's “fake and defamatory conduct” — But the White House, which earlier this year took over control of pool rotations from the White House Correspondents' Association …
Discussion:
The Guardian, The Hill, CNN, NBC News, Axios, Deadline, IJR, @mattgertz, The Bulwark, Poynter, Washington Examiner, @peterbakernyt, @chucktodd, The Indian Express, @brettbruen, @gregdoucette.bsky.social, @eddieperez.bsky.social, Washington Post, @nytimespr, @asfleischman, @fig8wife, @johnmbennett, @mattgertz, @seancolarossi, Al Jazeera, @hadas_gold, @elistokols, Raw Story, Newser, New Republic, RTÉ, @vanhollen.senate.gov, @bgrueskin.bsky.social, CBS News, NewsMax.com, The Left Hook with Wajahat Ali, New York Daily News, Bloomberg, Mediaite, The Wrap, New York Times, NOTUS, @pamspaulding.bsky.social, @cbarbermd@med-mastodon.com, Daily Kos, @adammacqueen.bsky.social, @mxscottkernest.bsky.social, The Independent, @michaelsavage.bsky.social, @amysiskind.com, @paulbernal.bsky.social, @rayminehane.bsky.social, @kylegriffin1.bsky.social, @justinbaragona.bsky.social, @ericmgarcia.bsky.social, @GottaLaff@mstdn.social, The Post Millennial, Business Insider and Talking Biz News
Anthony Hughes / Bloomberg:
Amsterdam-listed firm Universal Music Group files confidentially for a US listing, which would fulfill the terms of a deal with Bill Ackman's Pershing Square — Universal Music Group NV has filed confidentially for a US listing, which would fulfill the terms of a deal with billionaire Bill Ackman's hedge fund Pershing Square.
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, Investopedia, New York Times, Euronews, Benzinga, Universal Music Group N.V., Reuters, Billboard and Reuters
Lautaro Grinspan / Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
An interview with Mario Guevara, who faces deportation to El Salvador and says ICE detained him as direct retaliation for his coverage of the agency's raids — In an exclusive interview from an ICE detention facility, Mario Guevara talks about his month behind bars and his once positive feelings toward Donald Trump.
Discussion:
@freedom.press, @alexip718.com, Los Angeles Times, The Atlantic, The Hill and The Parnas Perspective
Nate Silver / Silver Bulletin:
Economics and politics may have contributed to the cancelation of Colbert's show, but mainstream liberal comedy shows are fading amid the death of mass culture — Economics played a role. Politics might have, too. But mainstream liberal comedy has struggled between the death of mass culture and the rise of Trump.
Discussion:
The Hill, Washington Post, New Republic, House of Strauss, Breitbart, New Jersey Online, Louder With Crowder, Consequence, CNN, TMZ.com, @gerardalexander.bsky.social, Rolling Stone, WWL-TV, NBC News, The Overspill, Fox News, @mattdpearce.com, People, @natesilver538, Variety, Newser, The Wrap, Entertainment Weekly, @robkhenderson, Business Insider, Deadline, New York Times, TVLine, New York Post, Mediaite, Just Jared, Blaze Media and TV Insider
Samuel Stolton / Bloomberg:
The EU opens a full-scale investigation into UMG's $775M acquisition of Downtown Music over concerns the deal could negatively impact competition in the market — Universal Music Group's $775 million bid for Downtown Music Holdings faces a full-scale investigation by European Union watchdogs …
Discussion:
Reuters and Wall Street Journal
Brian Steinberg / Variety:
TelevisaUnivision reports Q2 revenue down 4% YoY to $1.21B, ad revenue down 5%, operating expenses down 9%, and 10M+ ViX subscribers, up from ~7M at 2023's end — Spanish-language giant TelevisaUnivision said it had to rely on trimming expenses to boost second-quarter profit as the company faces …
Discussion:
The Wrap, TVNewsCheck, The Hollywood Reporter, TelevisaUnivision and Streaming Better
