Top News:

Similarweb: Google's AI tools are significantly cutting organic search traffic to news publishers; traffic to BI, HuffPost, and WaPo is down ~50% in three years — Chatbots are replacing Google's traditional search, devastating traffic for some publishers — The AI armageddon is here for online news publishers.
Discussion:
Adweek, The Rebooting, Barron's Online, TipRanks Financial, @ianb@mastodon.well.com, Melissa Korn on LinkedIn, Richard Tofel on LinkedIn, New York Post, @sjvn@mastodon.social, Quartz, Beyond Search, One Man & His Blog, @wavesblog.bsky.social, @dylanbyers, TechCrunch, @jtoonkel, @bgurley, @lonseidman, @mcwm@threads.com, @carlquintanilla.bsky.social, Newsbusters, @rustybrick, TVNewsCheck, @carnage4life@mas.to, @lisadrewradio, @gzuckerman, @thespaceshipper.com, @simonowens and PhoneArena, more at Techmeme »

Internal memo: Paramount Global is cutting its US-based staff by 3.5% and may also reduce its workforce outside of the US over time — Paramount Global is cutting its U.S.-based staff by 3.5%, the latest round of layoffs at the media company as it contends with the decline of the traditional pay-TV bundle and macroeconomic headwinds.

Pew tracker: Democrats use and trust a wider range of news sources, and Joe Rogan was the most-cited news source for Republicans that wasn't a broadcast network — Republicans and Democrats live in “nearly inverse news media environments,” a Pew Research Center report found five years ago.
Discussion:
Pew Research Center, Associated Press, Poynter and Pew Research Center

SmartLess podcast hosts create SmartLess Mobile, a phone company that will run on T-Mobile's network and target customers who can save money by taking less data — Samsung's Galaxy S25 Edge Shows the Limits of Impressively Thin Phones … Explainers

Vanity Fair names Vogue creative editorial director Mark Guiducci as its global editorial director, replacing Radhika Jones and starting at the end of June — Mark Guiducci will be the first “global editorial director” at Vanity Fair.Amir Hamja for The New York Times — Vanity Fair has found its next editor.

MLB acquires a minority stake in Jomboy Media and partners with the baseball-centered media company to collaborate on content activations, IP growth, and more — Jimmy “Jomboy” O'Brien has made it to the big leagues. — O'Brien's Jomboy Media has inked a strategic pact with Major League Baseball …
Discussion:
MLB.com, Awful Announcing, @kennysmith.bsky.social, More Jomboy on YouTube, TVNewsCheck, @sportsrapport, Barrett Media, @maxmannis, @jomboymedia, @jomboymedia, Deadline, @mazznyc, The Hollywood Reporter, Sports Business Journal, @brownsonjacob2, Sportico, @brappy55, @simmy_cohen, Front Office Sports, MLB.com and Associated Press

CPB CEO Patricia Harrison says three board members that President Trump tried to fire in April remain directors, after a US judge recognizes CPB's independence — Correction: A previous version of this article gave incorrect names of the fired CPB board members. They are Laura Ross, Diane Kaplan and Thomas Rothman.
Discussion:
Current, CPB, Inside Radio, TV Tech, Reuters, Radio Ink, Deadline, Radio & Television …, Diane Ravitch's blog and RADIO ONLINE

The Orlando Sentinel got a cease-and-desist from Florida's DCF that claims its reporter coerced families for a story on a foundation tied to Gov. DeSantis' wife — Florida's child welfare agency sent a letter to a Florida newspaper telling it to “cease and desist” its reporting on foster families …
Discussion:
Naples Daily News, Orlando Sentinel, Orlando Sentinel, @raymondnorman.bsky.social, @bgrueskin.bsky.social, @jonzoidberg.xyz, @tyleraking.com, @bgrueskin.bsky.social, @zuma888.bsky.social, @nytpitchbot.bsky.social, @joekrulder.bsky.social, OutsideTheBeltway, @dangillmor@mastodon.social, Florida Politics, @michaelsderby.bsky.social, @willbunch.bsky.social, @jestastrophy.bsky.social, @skippyoz.bsky.social, @anthonylfisher.bsky.social, @SteveThompson@mastodon.social, @mmasnick.bsky.social, Mediaite, Alternet.org and Raw Story

Tencent Music agrees to buy podcasting startup Ximalaya for $1.3B in cash, plus some stock, in a bid to become China's Spotify; Ximalaya had 303M MAUs in 2023 — The company, a unit of WeChat-operator Tencent Holdings Ltd., will issue shares to its founders and other backers to help fund the acquisition, it said in a statement.
Discussion:
Yahoo Finance, Reuters, Billboard, Benzinga, Digital Music News, Music Business Worldwide and South China Morning Post

SAG-AFTRA reaches a tentative deal with Activision, EA, Epic, Take-Two, and other game companies on the Interactive Media Contract, after months of strikes — The video game actors' strike may soon come to an end. — The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists …
Discussion:
The Wrap, The Verge, The Decoder, TheGamer, Game Informer, Push Square, PocketGamer.biz, Kotaku, Rock, Paper, Shotgun, Aftermath, TVNewsCheck, GamesIndustry.biz, Polygon, Los Angeles Times, Reuters, Deadline, VentureBeat, The Hollywood Reporter, PC Gamer, PC Games Insider and Blue's News, more at Techmeme »

Warner Bros Discovery plans to launch HBO Max in 12 countries in July, mostly in Europe and some in Asia, bringing it to around 90 territories in total — Europe has been the fastest-growing international region for the streaming service, which is getting ready to accelerate its global growth strategy with the latest market debuts.

Apple adds a 3x playback option for podcasts in iOS26, an Enhance Dialogue tool to hear speech more clearly, and a puzzle game for Apple News Plus subscribers — You'll be able to listen to podcasts at 3x speed. … Apple's next major software updates are getting a huge new feature …
Discussion:
Cult of Mac and Apple