Top News:
New York Times:
The New York Times agrees to license editorial content to Amazon for use in its AI platforms, marking NYT's first licensing deal with a focus on generative AI — In 2023, The Times sued OpenAI and Microsoft for copyright infringement. Now its editorial content will appear across Amazon platforms.
Discussion:
The Desk, The Decoder, @sallyshin, @sallyshin, Fortune, Editor and Publisher, Engadget, Deadline, @quinnypig.com, The Information, Lauren Felice on LinkedIn, Financial Times, Android Headlines, CNBC, @joemenn.bsky.social, @cameron.pfiffer.org, PYMNTS.com, Daily Voice, Cryptopolitan, TechCrunch, GeekWire, AV Club, Spyglass, Silicon UK, WinBuzzer, Reuters, @brianstelter, Bloomberg and The Verge, more at Techmeme »
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Memo: Business Insider is cutting staff by 21% to “endure extreme traffic drops outside of our control” and “exiting the majority of our Commerce business” — Business Insider is making significant layoffs — cutting 21% of staffers across the board …
Discussion:
Nieman Lab, Talking Biz News, @benmullin, Mediaite, Breitbart, ZeroHedge News, Reuters, @emilynussbaum.bsky.social, @reeltalker, Adweek, The Information, Tech in Asia, @nyguild, @stevekovach.bsky.social, Talking Biz News, @katebevan.com, The Wrap, Press Gazette, @maxwelltani, @jmrivera.bsky.social, @eduardosuarez.bsky.social, Talking Biz News, @polemicdigital.com, @la__cuen, @morqon, @benmullin.bsky.social, @simonowens.bsky.social, @dgreenbaum and Techstrong.ai
Wall Street Journal:
Sources: Paramount offers $15M to settle with President Trump, whose team wants $25M+, is seeking an apology from CBS News, and threatened another lawsuit — President's team threatened another lawsuit amid settlement talks — A month into negotiations between Paramount Global …
Discussion:
Media Matters for America, Fox News, Radio & Television …, Los Angeles Times, Deadline, New York Sun, The Ankler, Benzinga, Breitbart, New Jersey Online, C21Media, Media Play News, Variety, @timkarr.bsky.social, Off Message, Daily Kos, The Wrap, American Wire News, The Western Journal, @jameeljaffer.bsky.social, Law & Crime, @mattzeitlin, MarketWatch, The Hill, @jeffjarvis.bsky.social, Raw Story, Mediaite, @henrygrabar.bsky.social, Reuters, NewsMax.com, TVNewsCheck, IJR, @bgrueskin.bsky.social, Cord Cutters News and New York Post
Ben Johansen / Politico:
Sources: all 800 full-time VOA staff are expected to receive reduction-in-force notices this week, after ~600 VOA contractors were dismissed earlier in May — The move would add to the grueling battle between the network and Trump administration. — All remaining staff at Voice of America …
Thomas Buckley / Bloomberg:
Disney launches a new perks program for Disney+ US subscribers, offering discounts, free items, and more; Hulu plans to debut its own perks program on June 2 — Hulu customers can also win TV show and concert tickets — Walt Disney Co. is expanding a program of perks for subscribers …
Discussion:
The Streamable, Variety, Ars Technica, VentureBeat, @tvgrimreaper, Cord Cutters News, TVREV, Media Play News, 9to5Mac, Mediaweek, @aagave, Tom's Guide and Streaming Better
Deadline:
Sources: Lionsgate Motion Picture Group President Nathan Kahane is expected to leave his post by 2025's end and transition to a producing deal with the studio — Reps for Lionsgate declined to comment. Sources said that when the transition has been completed, Erin Westerman is expected …
Discussion:
The Wrap and The Hollywood Reporter
Sarah Scire / Nieman Lab:
Interview with Times Media Group's Steve Strickbine, who employs 60 journalists across 60+ local US papers and says papers are better off diminished than dead — “It's just kind of the way it is. Do we have the watchdog role? Can we do that now in all these areas? No. I think that's obvious."
Discussion:
@niemanlab.org, @sarahscire.com, @laurahazardowen.bsky.social and @jayrosen.bsky.social
Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:
Immediate Media's BBC History Magazine launches a Substack and a weekly podcast, and says it has 745,000 paying online subscribers, but print remains important — Immediate Media's BBC History has proved again that it is not living in the past when it comes to current publishing strategies …
Discussion:
Press Gazette
Anupriya Datta / Euractiv:
EU Tech Commissioner Henna Virkkunen says that far more online content is being removed in the EU under the T&Cs of US platforms than as a result of the DSA — “Often in the US, platforms have more strict rules with content,” Virkkunen said. — Based on facts, either observed …
Discussion:
Reclaim The Net, The Register and @noaasm.bsky.social, more at Techmeme »
Wall Street Journal:
Making a short AI film with tools from Google, Runway, Elevenlabs, and Midjourney shows the tech has improved but takes tedious work to attain scene consistency — We tried to direct an AI film with Veo and Runway. The tools are magic. The process is madness. — Welcome to the premiere of “My Robot & Me.”
Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:
PA Media journalists back a no confidence vote against EIC Jack Lefley, who has led the newsroom since the start of 2025, due to proposed newsroom cuts — Jack Lefley has led the PA Media newsroom since the start of the year. — Journalists at PA Media have voted in favour of a motion …
Discussion:
National Union of Journalists …
Lucas Shaw / Bloomberg:
A look at YouTube's changes to become viewers' preferred TV service and to appeal more to advertisers, and at creators' push into sitcoms, like Alan's Universe — Creators are making longer shows to meet viewers where they are: increasingly, in front of their TVs.
Discussion:
Aardvark, @business, @lucas_shaw, TVNewsCheck, Lucas Shaw on LinkedIn, AJ Vargas on LinkedIn, MediaPost, Android Police and Social Media Today
