Top News:
Isabella Simonetti / Wall Street Journal:
A profile of Fortune editor Nick Lichtenberg, who uses AI to research and write articles; AI-assisted stories made up ~20% of Fortune's web traffic in H2 2025 — A Fortune editor has cranked out more than 600 stories using the technology; 'this won't be seen as some people's idea of journalism'
Discussion:
@jeremymbarr, @olgakhazan, @meghanbobrowsky, @PeteTucker@mastodon.social, @charlottealter, Yahoo Finance, @marisakabas.bsky.social, @joshsternberg.com, @jfeej.bsky.social, @minakimes.bsky.social, Fortune, Marisa Kabas on LinkedIn, @michaelroston, @gwill2k.bsky.social, @grossdm and @marisakabas.bsky.social, more at Techmeme »
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Maxwell Zeff / Wired:
How some independent tech reporters are using AI, which they say allows them to do more reporting and recreate newsroom resources like editors and fact-checkers — Independent writers are using AI agents all throughout their reporting process. What's the value of a human journalist, anyway?
Discussion:
@vcunningham, @jasminewsun, @harrymccracken@mastodon …, @alexeheath, @knibbs.bsky.social, @karlbode.com, Jordan Mitchell on LinkedIn, @zeffmax, @doog, @lizzieohreally.bsky.social, @joshdaws, @geek4dogs, @joannastern, @kevinroose, @jasminewsun, Talking Biz News, Business Insider and r/Journalism
New York Times:
Sources: Versant is one of multiple suitors in talks to buy Vox Media's podcast network as it seeks to diversify its revenue; NBCU invested $200M in Vox in 2015 — Versant, the parent company of CNBC and MS NOW, is looking to continue expanding its business beyond cable TV.
Discussion:
Awful Announcing, The Wrap, Mediaite and @mediaevan
Michael Calderone / The Wrap:
A judge orders the US Defense Department and NYT back to court Monday after NYT said US officials “are contemptuously defying” a ruling restoring press access — The hearing follows the Times arguing that the Defense Department isn't complying with a judge's earlier ruling on access
Discussion:
MS NOW
Pew Research Center:
Religious radio stations make up ~25% of the US' 17K stations; 98% of adults live in range of at least one; 45% say they ever listen to religious audio shows — 25% of all AM/FM radio stations in the U.S. have a faith focus — The Pew-Knight Initiative supports new research …
Discussion:
Inside Radio, Poynter, @pewresearch.org and Catholic World Report
Rob Waugh / Press Gazette:
A look at Clickout, which has bought hundreds of websites to harvest their reputations and pack them with casino links; in 2024, it had £40M in revenue — Parasitical SEO companies are buying respected online news outlets in order to harvest their reputations before leaving behind a ruined shell.
Discussion:
@bostonjerry.bsky.social, CryptoNinjas, Search Engine Land, Convince & Convert and Blockonomi
Reuters:
Sources: US DOJ has sent subpoenas in its Paramount WBD acquisition probe, seeking information on how the deal would affect studio output, theaters, and more — The U.S. Department of Justice has sent subpoenas in its investigation of Paramount Skydance's (PSKY.O) acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery …
Discussion:
Deadline, Benzinga and Media Play News
Andrew Deck / Nieman Lab:
Meta's Oversight Board says Community Notes aren't a proper substitute for fact checking, and warns expanding them beyond the US could pose human rights risks — On Thursday, Meta's Oversight Board, a quasi-independent body that reviews the social media giant's moderation practices …
Discussion:
CNET, Just Security, The Decoder, Oversight Board, Poynter, MLex, Tech Policy Press and The Indian Express, more at Techmeme »
Rohan Goswami / Semafor:
FCC Chair Brendan Carr says that if the NFL puts too many games behind streaming services' paywalls, the league could risk losing its antitrust exemptions — The Scoop — If the National Football League puts too many games behind a paywall, it could risk losing its antitrust exemptions, FCC Chair Brendan Carr told Semafor.
Emily Goodin / New York Post:
The Trump administration launches the White House app, promising news “straight from the source, no filter”, with news, live, social, and gallery sections — The Trump administration announced the launch of the White House app on Friday, promising news “straight from the source, no filter.”
Discussion:
Newsweek, CNBC, The Verge, @whitehouse, The Hill and The Post Millennial, more at Techmeme »
Anu Adegbola / Search Engine Land:
Google rolls out its Veo video model globally within Google Ads, allowing advertisers to create 10-second videos for YouTube from up to three static images — Table of Contents — Veo lets advertisers turn up to three static images into 10-second videos ready to serve on YouTube — no video production required.
Discussion:
MediaPost, Search Engine Journal and Ameet Khabra on LinkedIn
Sophie Shulman / CTech:
Unity confirms plans to shut down its ironSource advertising network on April 30; the two merged in 2022 in a $4.4B all-stock deal — The moves leave little of the Israeli ad-tech firm within Unity, marking a quiet unwind of one of the sector's most high-profile mergers.
Discussion:
PocketGamer.biz, Proactive, Barron's Online, Benzinga, Game World Observer, Game Developer and Mobilegamer.biz, more at Techmeme »
Cecilia Kang / New York Times:
As US lawmakers struggle to pass online safety laws, LA and New Mexico juries take the lead, holding social media companies accountable for harming young users — A pair of verdicts held social media companies accountable for harming young users, highlighting a growing backlash as Congress struggles to pass legislation.
Discussion:
American Greatness, UPI, The Week, JURIST, The Indian Express, Spyglass, Yahoo Finance, @juliaangwin, @meghanncuniff, @meghanncuniff, @outfrontcnn, Kelly Stonelake on LinkedIn, Baptist Press, Fox Business, @digiphile.bsky.social, Reuters, Politico, CBS News, Miriam Buiten on LinkedIn, @datasociety.bsky.social, @michaeljstern.bsky.social, The Guardian, Town & Country, The Guardian, Implicator.ai, Associated Press, Irish Examiner, MediaNama, The American Bazaar and New York Times
RELATED:
Wall Street Journal:
The $6M LA social media verdict is a win for the plaintiffs bar, not kids or society; parenting helps mitigate the harms and most kids don't face severe issues
Discussion:
Harvard University Gazette, Forbes, Yahoo Finance, Bloomberg Law, Semafor, Dow Jones Newswires, Ukrainian National News, Newsbusters, @matthewstoller, Associated Press, @hannahgais, @taylorlorenz, Western Massachusetts News, @reemamiribrahim, 동아일 …, Breitbart, @astupple, @astupple, @astupple, @ennuiboy420, @eckhartsladder, @sachalouise, @venturetwins, @taylorlorenz, @michaelmcgough3, @moonchilerose, @chinatowndjake, @punishedhoots, @taylorlorenz, @nnnnnnxox, @meghanncuniff, @taylorlorenz, @tomfitton, @taylorlorenz, @taylorlorenz, @wsjopinion, @matthewstoller, eMarketer, WRDW-TV, @jstewgie.bsky.social, New York Post, The Irish Times, Biometric Update, Lawfare, International Business Times, Reason, @Downes@mastodon.social, @jeffjarvis@mastodon.social, The Wrap and Wall Street Journal
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