Top News:
Oliver Darcy / Status:
Sources: Tony Dokoupil's CBS Evening News debut left some staffers embarrassed and alarmed over the chaotic on-air rollout and MAGA-friendly editorial choices — On Tuesday evening, newly installed “CBS Evening News” anchor Tony Dokoupil closed out just his second official broadcast with a surreal segment …
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Daniel D'Addario / Variety:
After promising to be “more accountable” than Walter Cronkite, Tony Dokoupil didn't challenge Pete Hegseth in an interview or cite sources in another segment
After promising to be “more accountable” than Walter Cronkite, Tony Dokoupil didn't challenge Pete Hegseth in an interview or cite sources in another segment
Discussion:
Associated Press, Poynter, The Independent, The Daily Beast, People, @passantino.bsky.social, The Wrap, Barrett Media, @nick_field90, @jillfilipovic, @oelayat, @nick_field90, @pabloreports, Raw Story, Arizona Republic, @wickdchiq.bsky.social, HuffPost, @jayrosen.bsky.social, @jackmirkinson.bsky.social, Entertainment Weekly, RADAR, New Jersey Online, New York Daily News, CBS News, Fox News, New York Post, @kenbazinet.bsky.social, @chicagopublicsquare.com, @whetmoser.com, @chrisgeidner.bsky.social, Los Angeles Times, @taylorlorenz.bsky.social, Deadline, The Guardian and The A.V. Club
Isabella Simonetti / Wall Street Journal:
Semafor raised $30M at a $330M valuation after generating $2M in EBITDA in 2025, its first profitable year, and plans to expand its annual CEO gathering in DC — The digital media outlet, which aims to inform the ‘global leadership class,’ plans to expand its events business and add journalists
Discussion:
Axios, Semafor, @emily_sundberg, Justin B. Smith on LinkedIn and @parryravi
Lucas Manfredi / The Wrap:
WBD's board unanimously rejects Paramount's amended $108.4B acquisition offer, saying the bid still has “significant” risks compared to Netflix's $83B offer — The board says the revised $108.4 billion bid continues to offer “significant costs, risks and uncertainties” compared to its $83 billion deal with Netflix
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Business Insider, Warner Bros. Discovery, Advanced Television, Los Angeles Times, New York Post, The Guardian, New York Times, Mediaite, Variety, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, CNN, Engadget, Fortune, BBC, Dow Jones Newswires, Türkiye Today, NBC News, Barron's Online, @danprimack, CBS News, Barrett Media, Forbes, Netflix, Inc., Screen, Bloomberg, Axios, @luiz_fernando_j, @lwsresearch, @pkafka, The Hollywood Reporter, @brianstelter, Deadline, CNBC, TTV News, @sarafischer, @brianstelter, @brianstelter, @brianstelter, @sarafischer, Capital Brief, Broadband TV News, Telecompaper and Cynopsis, more at Techmeme »
Jazz Tangcay / Variety:
NLRB: DreamWorks remote workers, Netflix animation production workers, and “Ted” production workers vote to unionize with the Animation Guild and Editors Guild — DreamWorks Animation (DWA) remote workers across the United States, feature production workers at Netflix Animation Studios …
Discussion:
The Wrap, The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline
Elizabeth Hernandez / Denver Post:
After its domain registration expired, the student news outlet at the University of Colorado Boulder was plagued by a copycat site using AI to create content — Copycat websites increasingly common amid rise of artificial intelligence, CU Independent's attorney says
Sibylla Brodzinsky / The Guardian:
Venezuela's union representing press workers said at least 14 were detained on January 5, including 13 from international media organizations; one was deported — Thirteen of those detained were released according to the country's National Union of Press Workers
Discussion:
NPR, @karyncaplan, @kenroth, @penamerica.bsky.social, National Press Club, BBC, New York Times, Committee to Protect …, UPI, @inlayterms.bsky.social, @laurenmeidasa.bsky.social, @vetsfighfascist.bsky.social, @newsguy.bsky.social, @msignorile.bsky.social, Fox News, Semafor and Payday Report
Etan Vlessing / The Hollywood Reporter:
Imax reports $1.28B in 2025 global box office, a company record, driven by a global theater network expansion and films like Ne Zha 2 and Avatar: Fire and Ash — The latest global ticket receipt haul surpassed the $1.1 billion year-end box office posted in 2019, as exhibitors saw their domestic box office end 2025 at $8.87 billion.
Ted Johnson / Deadline:
The White House debuts a website to revise the history of January 6, with false claims blaming police for fomenting the attack and calling Mike Pence a coward — The website appeared to be a way to counter what has been a daylong commemoration at the Capitol, featuring primarily Democrats …
Discussion:
The White House, Washington Post, @barbmcquade.bsky.social, Cele|bitchy, Metro.co.uk, NewsMax.com, LateNighter, @lifesafeast.bsky.social, @CStamp@mastodon.social, MS NOW, @localnotail.bsky.social, Deseret News, @democratswin.bsky.social, CBS News, People, One America News Network, Rolling Stone, The Parnas Perspective, Mediaite, New York Post, al.com, The Wrap, Human Events, Axios, Raw Story and The Rambling Panda
Wayne Friedman / MediaPost:
NBCU partners with RPA and Newton Research to connect buy-side and sell-side agentic AI, automating real-time cross-platform video ad deals starting in Q1 2026 — Joining the agentic AI race from a live sports TV network/seller perspective, NBCUniversal has struck a deal …
Discussion:
Inside Radio, Mumbrella, TVNewsCheck, AdExchanger, Radio & Television … and FinAi News
Washington Post:
The new Pentagon press corps, comprising many right-wing influencers, had no scoops about the Venezuela raid, choosing to praise the event instead of probing it — Newfound access hasn't provided more information to the largely right-wing press corps that signed the Defense Department's media rules.
Eva Baron / Publishers Weekly:
HarperCollins France says it is testing using AI-assisted translation, citing declining sales and following in the footsteps of Taylor & Francis and others — Loading the Elevenlabs Text to Speech AudioNative Player... After a press release issued by the French Literary Translators Association …
Discussion:
404 Media and Moneycontrol
Naman Ramachandran / Variety:
Asian streaming giant Viu launches Viu Shorts, a new vertical video section for microdramas on its app, featuring episodes that are one to three minutes long — Asian streaming giant Viu has expanded its content offerings with the debut of Viu Shorts, a new vertical video section featuring bite-sized dramas …
