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A source says “most” Voice of America journalists were put on administrative leave, a day after President Trump signed an EO aimed at eliminating the USAGM — Journalists at Voice of America (VOA) were put on administrative leave on Saturday, a day after President Trump signed …
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The USAGM has severed contracts for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia, and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks, in addition to the VOA cuts — Lake had big plans to transform the outlet into a powerful “weapon” to fight an “information war.” Instead, the president has essentially shut it down.
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BBC, Politico, Reuters, CNN, @malinowski, @brianstelter, Radio Ink, @brianstelter, @atrupar, @malinowski, @chriso_wiki, @rferlpress, Broadband TV News, The Gateway Pundit, Reuters, Washington …, Vanity Fair, Al Jazeera, Radio Free Europe/Radio …, @chrisgreenwayuk, New York Daily News, @thomasvlinge, @brianstelter, Politico, @brianstelter, @repdonbacon, Associated Press, @ewong, @pressfreedom, @stevecapus, Reason, Raw Story, Hong Kong Free Press HKFP, Digital Journal, Lawyer Monthly, The Independent, The Japan Times, The National Pulse and Committee to Protect …

Trump signs an EO seeking to dismantle seven federal agencies, including VOA parent USAGM, which is congressionally chartered as an independent agency — The order targeting the agencies, largely obscure entities that address issues like labor mediation and homelessness prevention, appeared to test the bounds of the president's power.
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Reporters Without Borders, Axios, Fox News, @jonathancohn.bsky.social, Washington Post, USAGM, @theanthonydavis.bsky.social, @julieroginsky.bsky.social, The Independent, The Desk, USA Today, @kallekn@mastodonsweden.se, @whodat35.bsky.social, Radio Free Europe/Radio …, Associated Press, @katzish.bsky.social and @mediaevan.bsky.social

A look at the growing battle over how to define a podcast, as YouTube pushes deeper into podcasting and Spotify pursues video — As YouTube pushes deeper into podcasting and Spotify pursues video, once-distinct business lines are getting increasingly blurry — Hello, hello. Welcome back to Soundbite.
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Ashley Carman on LinkedIn, Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, The Daily Wire, Spotify, E! Online, Mirror, Forbes and TechRadar, more at Techmeme »

Ofcom will enforce rules under the UK's Online Safety Act, designed to protect internet users from illegal content and harmful activity online, from March 17 — Regulator Ofcom will begin assessing tech groups' compliance with new obligations under Online Safety Act

In 2024, Spotify slashed nearly €500M in marketing, R&D spending, and general administrative expenses, which helped the company swing to a €1.1B net income — The Swedish music streaming service's size now gives it a durable advantage over rivals — Spotify has found its groove.

How Looney Tunes' first original animated feature got released, as WBD's legacy franchise is at a crossroads, all but abandoned by the studio it helped define — Warner Bros. has put its legacy cartoon at a crossroads. We spoke to those looking towards Looney Tunes' future. — FILM FEATURES LOONEY TUNES
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Vulture, @jessehawken.bsky.social, Comic Book, @taradbennett, @charliepgavin, New York Times, Inverse, Gizmodo, The Verge, Screen Rant, The Hollywood Reporter, IndieWire, Polygon, @ericblewis.bsky.social, @jacoboller.bsky.social, @joshuacourtade.bsky.social, @tarabennett.bsky.social and @talkinghenry.bsky.social

How The Dallas Express scooped the DC press corps on a congresswoman's dementia, highlighting the importance of local outlets in DC even as their numbers fall — Here's the story behind how the media missed the story. — In 2023, a small website called The Dallas Express picked up a startling allegation …
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@paulinepark, @swaneeparrish, @politico, Kevin D. Grant on LinkedIn, @4nsmiley, @ddiamond, @politicomag, @marklisheron, @oliviaolanderr, @t_timeforce, @joshtpm.bsky.social, @theycallmegary.bsky.social, @chasingray.bsky.social, @paulinepark.bsky.social, @ndhapple.bsky.social, @dabeard.bsky.social, @beijingpalmer.bsky.social, @beijingpalmer.bsky.social, @mayamedia.bsky.social, @4nsmiley.bsky.social and r/Journalism

A look at Cynthia, a small new independent bilingual print magazine focusing on música Mexicana, which has exploded in popularity particularly among Gen Z — It was a highly stylized photo of DannyLux looking like a space matador that caught my attention.

Former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick sues G/O Media over March 2024 Gizmodo and Kotaku articles accusing him of workplace harassment and discrimination — Robert Kotick accused the media company of knowingly lying about since-dismissed workplace sex harassment and discrimination charges.
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Aftermath, Talking Biz News, @goblin-goon.bsky.social and @adelaidejewel.bsky.social

A look at Japan's first media nonprofit dedicated to investigative journalism, Tokyo Investigative Newsroom Tansa, started eight years ago by Makoto Watanabe — Makoto Watanabe quit a major newspaper after it retracted a scoop. Now he runs an investigative nonprofit that does not shy away from challenging authority.
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@sapporodaskapital.bsky.social, @imad.bsky.social and r/Journalism

An investigation into the unsolved 1977 murder of The Sunday Times foreign correspondent David Holden in Egypt suggests he doubled as a KGB spy and had CIA ties — Experienced and road-worn, with slicked-back brown hair and china-blue eyes, David Holden was 53 when he landed in Cairo on a warm night not long before Christmas, 1977.