Top News:
Sophie Culpepper / Nieman Lab:
State of Local News report: in the past four years, monthly pageviews at the 100 largest newspapers fell by 45%+, and only 11 experienced any readership growth — “Digital news sites don't come close to replacing the number of newspapers and journalism jobs being lost.
Discussion:
@niemanlab.org, @jayrosen_nyu and Straight Arrow News
Hannah Murphy / Financial Times:
Sources: X's advertising chief John Nitti, who joined in January, has left; X's CFO Mahmoud Reza Banki left in early October after less than a year in the role — John Nitti was considered a contender for CEO of the social media platform after Linda Yaccarino quit in July
Discussion:
WinBuzzer, TechCrunch, Benzinga and @passantino.bsky.social
Aisha Malik / TechCrunch:
YouTube says it paid out $8B+ to the music industry in the 12 months to June 2025, up from $6B+ in 2022 and $4B+ in 2021 — YouTube has paid more than $8 billion to the music industry in the 12 months between July 2024 and July 2025, the company announced on Thursday.
Andrew Byrd / AdMonsters:
A look at Search.com, which is building an AI chatbot to be integrated into publisher websites, giving 60% of ad revenue back to its publisher partners — With the integration of its new AI tool, Search.com proposes to pay publishers for their content. — AI search is getting crowded.
Discussion:
PocketGamer.biz
Charles Gasparino / New York Post:
Sources: Trump administration prefers that Paramount Skydance buy Warner Bros. Discovery; a source says “who owns WBD is very important to the administration” — The Trump administration favors Paramount Skydance to buy Warner Bros. Discovery - and a number of rival bidders …
Discussion:
Breitbart, MSNBC, Wall Street Journal, Benzinga, New York Sun, @HeavenlyPossum@kolektiva …, @paultassi, @stanveuger, @sherman4949, @rodazurmendi, @miguelangeltoro, @sodutw, @jonathanmb32, @adamjohnsonchi, @saikatc, @therickwilson, @jordanzakarin, @dilanesper, @bjbetheltweets, @helaineolen, @mattgertz, @jnthngss, @mehdirhasan, @christinafaith, @ryangrim, @obsoletedogma, @cgasparino, @mpolymer, The Wrap, @notjessewalker, @jeremymbarr, @matthewstoller, @rotopat, @mattyglesias, @franklinleonard, @rubengallego, @edeggans.bsky.social, @haroldfeld.bsky.social, @amykristinsanders.bsky.social, TVNewsCheck, CNN, Raw Story, @saikatforcongress.bsky.social, Semafor, @karlbode.com, iDrop News, The Independent and The Information
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Hannah Miller / Bloomberg:
The WGA says a deal combining Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery would be “a disaster” and that it will press regulators to block any such deal
Discussion:
The Wrap, Cord Cutters News, The A.V. Club, Advanced Television, Deadline, Variety, Reuters, TVNewsCheck, The Wrap, The Hollywood Reporter, Screen Rant, The Verge and Screen
Andrew Deck / Nieman Lab:
The American Journalism Project, known mostly for providing grants to US local news outlets, is offering a “field guide” to AI tools for local reporting — For many newsrooms, figuring out whether or not they want to bring generative AI tools into their editorial work is only the beginning of a conversation.
Discussion:
TVNewsCheck and MediaPost
Mark Stenberg / Adweek:
The Daily Beast COO Keith Bonnici says the publisher has been profitable through the first nine months of 2025 and expects its first full year of profitability — For the first time since its 2008 founding, The Daily Beast is on track to close its fiscal year in the black.
Discussion:
Devin Rogerino on LinkedIn, @aerocles, @markstenberg3 and Mark Stenberg on LinkedIn
Harper's:
Jelani Cobb, Taylor Lorenz, Jack Shafer, and Max Tani discuss why trust in media has hit a record low, press freedom, AI, journalists on social media, and more — Anatomy of a credibility crisis … Trust in the press is at a record low, with only a quarter of Americans aged eighteen …
Discussion:
@chuckrossdc, @alexanderrusso, @harpers, @scottnover and HotAir
Jessica DiNapoli / Reuters:
Oreo maker Mondelez has spent $40M+ on an AI tool, developed with Publicis and Accenture, to cut costs for the production of marketing content by 30% to 50% — - AI tool cuts ad production costs by 30% to 50%, exec says — Mondelez has invested $40 million in AI tool, exec says
Drew Lerner / Awful Announcing:
The Athletic plans to launch The Athletic Show, a weekly 30-minute show, on Oct. 25, available first on Amazon Fire TV before appearing on Athletic platforms — The Athletic and Amazon are set to collaborate on a new sports show. — On Thursday, The Athletic announced the launch of The Athletic Show …
Brian Steinberg / Variety:
A look at CBS News in the first weeks of Bari Weiss as EIC: weak 60 Minutes ratings, union members' concerns, outreach for potential new anchors, and more — Analysis: New editor in chief has landed good interviews, but needs to learn to make stories ‘sizzle’ and lure bigger audiences
Discussion:
TVNewsCheck, @bristei.bsky.social, Columbia Journalism Review, MediaPost and Breaker
Kerry Flynn / Axios:
Tubefilter: sponsored videos on YouTube rose 54% YoY in H1 2025, with Ground News as the biggest sponsor, followed by Squarespace, BetterHelp, and DraftKings — Sponsored videos on YouTube jumped 54% year-over-year in the first half of 2025, according to new data from Tubefilter's Gospel Stats.
Discussion:
@philthepill.online, Drew Baldwin on LinkedIn, Tubefilter, VideoWeek, Tubefilter and GreenBot
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