Top News:
Ben Dummett / Wall Street Journal:
Axel Springer agrees to buy the Telegraph for £575M, ending the proposed acquisition by the DMGT, and plans to “turbocharge” the Telegraph's presence in the US — The German publisher outbid an existing offer from the Daily Mail for the British newspaper
Discussion:
Press Gazette, Press Gazette Future …, The Irish Times, Pulse 2.0, Telegraph, The Times, Associated Press, The Guardian, Reuters, The National Pulse, New York Times, Axios, @jeffjarvis.bsky.social, The Independent, Variety, The New World, BBC, Bloomberg, Times of India, Courthouse News Service, The Wrap, GB News and Politico
Alex Weprin / The Hollywood Reporter:
SEC filing: Byron Allen buys a 10.7% stake in Starz for $25M from investment fund Liberty 77, led by former Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin — Allen's family office acquired the 10.7 percent stake from Mnuchin's Liberty 77 Fund. — Byron Allen is back in the media M&A business.
Discussion:
Canada NewsWire Group, Radio & Television …, Variety, The Wrap, Deadline and Media Play News
Max Tani / Semafor:
Sources: NOTUS founder Robert Allbritton has discussed taking advantage of WaPo's layoffs to significantly expand the outlet into a full-scale operation — The Scoop — One of Washington, DC's biggest media investors plans to revive one of the US capital's great historic rivalries …
Discussion:
Politico, @maxtani.bsky.social, @ckrewson.bsky.social and @semafor.com
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Mikeie Honda Reiland / Nashville Banner:
A reporter for Nashville Noticias, Estefany Rodríguez, has been detained and is being sent to an ICE center in Louisiana; she had reported on ICE previously — A reporter who faced death threats in her home country could now be sent back by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Discussion:
Reuters, @globalfreemedia.bsky.social, Columbia Journalism Review, Associated Press, Freedom of the Press …, Talking Points Memo, @kentuckylantern.com, Migrant Insider, Committee to Protect …, @thetnholler, WSMV-TV, The Tennessean, @iamstevenhale.bsky.social, Mediaite, @rebeccaaguilar.bsky.social, @radleybalko.bsky.social, WZTV, @anitawadhwani.bsky.social, @evansd.bsky.social, @jhollymc.bsky.social, @nashvillebanner.bsky.social and @tennesseelookout.com
Wall Street Journal:
Sources: a coalition of states including California, Colorado, and New York prepares to sue on antitrust grounds if the Nexstar-Tegna deal gets FCC approval — A group of states plans to sue over Nexstar's $6.2 billion acquisition of Tegna combination if it gets FCC approval
Discussion:
Seeking Alpha and Radio & Television …
Mark Mwachiro / Adweek:
Fox News, MS Now, and CNN all recorded double-digit growth in total viewers and among viewers in the 25-54 demo after US and Israeli attacks on Iran on Feb. 28 — All three networks had over a million total viewers during primetime — This is TVNewser's basic cable network ranker and cable news report for the week of Feb. 23, 2026.
Discussion:
@hshaban, @chriscillizza, @jeffstorobinsky, @benmullin, TV Insider and LateNighter
Bron Maher / A Media Operator:
USA Today's US digital-only paid subscriptions in Q4 fell 30% YoY but digital revenue in 2025 was flat at $1.1B; CEO Mike Reed expects more AI deals in 2026 — USA Today Co.'s push to get readers paying higher prices for journalism is working and despite a nearly one-third drop in its paid subscriptions …
Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:
In an interview, EIC Jeffrey Goldberg says the Atlantic added 50 journalists in 2025, for a total of 200+, and has ~1.5M paying subscribers, up from 1M in 2024 — The Atlantic is now in a “virtue cycle” of making a product people will pay for and putting the profit back into the business, according to editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg.
Discussion:
@pressgazette.co.uk and @edouardmachery.bsky.social
Edna Tarigan / Associated Press:
Indonesia says it will ban “high-risk” platforms, including YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, and Roblox, for children under 16 from March 28 — Indonesia will ban social media for children under 16, Communication and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid said Friday.
Tom Friend / Sports Business Journal:
Sources: the NBA may launch a streaming hub for local broadcasts next season, a year earlier than planned, due to the upcoming demise of Main Street Sports RSNs — The NBA has informed teams that it may launch a streaming hub for local broadcasts as soon as next season — a year earlier than expected …
Discussion:
Barrett Media, Cord Cutters News, The Streamable and Awful Announcing
Michael Kunzelman / Associated Press:
A US district court judge heard arguments over rules that limit journalists' access to the Pentagon, in a case brought by NYT, and vows to issue a prompt ruling — A Pentagon policy limiting journalists' access to the building is depriving Americans of vital information about U.S. military operations …
Ashley Carman / Bloomberg:
Some podcasters exclusive to Netflix see their YouTube channel growth slow; sources: Netflix limits how many clips podcasters can share on third-party platforms — Podcasters exclusive to Netflix are seeing their channel growth slow by as much as 50% compared to the year prior — Welcome back to Soundbite.
Discussion:
The Korea Times, Thurrott, Podnews, NextBigWhat and TechSpot
Alexandra Bruell / Wall Street Journal:
How AI is helping expand coverage; the Philadelphia Inquirer launched four AI-assisted newsletters in 2025, which have been a “massive subscription driver” — The Philadelphia Inquirer and other regional outlets turn to AI to automate elements of reporting and expand coverage
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