Top News:
Politico:
A US district court judge rules Kari Lake was not lawfully appointed CEO of USAGM, which oversees VOA, and her actions as CEO are void, including mass layoffs — “The Court finds that these expansive delegations were an unlawful effort to transform Lake into the CEO of U.S. Agency for Global Media in all but name," the judge wrote.
Discussion:
Columbia Journalism Review, Advanced Television, TV Tech, Washington Post, NPR, CNN, Associated Press, WTOP News, Townhall, @scottnover, UPI, The Wrap, MS NOW, Law Dork, @sarafischer, Law and Chaos, @mikeelgan, @jilldlawrence.bsky.social, Washington Examiner, FOX 10 Phoenix, @davidfolkenflik, @davidfolkenflik, The NewsGuild, Reporters Without Borders, Straight Arrow News, Salon, @hampdell.bsky.social, The Guardian, Axios, Washington Times, New York Times, @mickeykuhns.bsky.social, @brucedlittle.bsky.social, The Hill, @citizen-sharon.bsky.social, @anneapplebaum.bsky.social, @davidcorn.bsky.social, @anneapplebaum.bsky.social, Reuters, @flingjore.com, @spencergreen.bsky.social, @laurenmeidasa.bsky.social, @newsguy.bsky.social and Mediaite
Alanna Durkin Richer / Associated Press:
The DOJ reaches a settlement in its antitrust lawsuit against Ticketmaster and Live Nation in a case that alleged an illegal monopoly over live events in the US — Justice Department lawyers announced Monday that they'd reached a settlement in their antitrust lawsuit against Ticketmaster …
Discussion:
Politico, NBC News, TheDesk.net, Financial Times, Billboard, CNN, Bloomberg, The Wrap, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Variety, Engadget, The Guardian, CNBC, Washington Post, Gizmodo, NPR, Rolling Stone, Proactive, Sportico, Deadline, @agrobbonta, Business Insider, Digital Music News, FOX 10 Phoenix, Stereogum, Yahoo Finance, Sports Business Journal, Music Ally, @leehepner, WPXI-TV, Reuters, Randy Nichols on LinkedIn, Insurance Journal, Courthouse News Service, Fox Business, The Floridian, CBS News, The Verge, Bloomberg, RTÉ, Associated Press, @danprimack, @matthewstoller, @ryangrim, Deseret News, Docket updates …, @jeffjacksonnc, NewsMax.com, Hypebot, Paste, Music Business Worldwide and Billboard, more at Techmeme »
Alex Weprin / The Hollywood Reporter:
Piers Morgan's Uncensored names Rashida Jones, who left MSNBC in 2025, as CEO, and raises capital; the YouTube-based media company was reportedly seeking ~$30M — Morgan's company, Uncensored, also raised cash from Antenna Group, Raine Ventures, and Reuben Brothers.
Discussion:
The Wrap, Mediaite, Variety, @dylanbyers, Barrett Media, Deadline and @jtes
Joe DePaolo / Mediaite:
Fox News apologizes after facing criticism for airing old footage of a ceremony honoring fallen soldiers instead of a new event where Trump wore a baseball cap — Fox News apologized, Sunday, for airing a clip showing footage of an old dignified transfer ceremony — rather than the one that took place …
Discussion:
Poynter, The Guardian, Media Matters for America, The Hill, Deadline, New Republic, @badfoxgraphics, @atrupar, The Daily Beast, TV Insider, The Wrap, @badfoxgraphics, @acyn, The Independent, Raw Story, @acyn, Reality Tea, @govpressoffice, Letters from an American, @johnny_joey, @bsdtectr.bsky.social, @pamspaulding.bsky.social, @tarasetmayer.bsky.social, Washington Examiner, @atrupar.com, @markmeadows, The Daily Beast, PoliticusUSA, @jimacosta@threads.com, @markjacob.bsky.social, @newsjennifer.bsky.social, @nycsouthpaw.bsky.social, @newsjennifer.bsky.social, @aaronparnas.bsky.social, @dappergander.bsky.social, @atrupar.com, CNN and Just Jared
Vauhini Vara / Bloomberg:
How James Patterson, one of the world's bestselling authors, is trying to revive waning book sales by co-authoring novels with Viola Davis, MrBeast, and others — After decades atop the thriller game, James Patterson is fending off waning sales by doubling down on collaborations—and dabbling in romantasy too.
Bloomberg:
Sources: Tencent mulls rejoining Paramount's WBD deal as a passive investor with several hundred million; filing: Tencent withdrew a $1B commitment in December — Tencent Holdings Ltd. intends to invest several hundred million dollars in Paramount Skydance Corp.'s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. …
Discussion:
Media Play News, Tech in Asia, Blockonomi and TechNode
Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg / Wall Street Journal:
Simon & Schuster names ex-Amazon executive Greg Greeley as its new CEO, succeeding Jonathan Karp, who will launch a Simon & Schuster imprint called Simon Six — Publisher turns to industry outsider as expanded entertainment options squeeze the book business
Discussion:
Associated Press and The Bookseller
Brian Steinberg / Variety:
ESPN hires six sports journalists, including enterprise reporter Kent Babb, who were laid off from WaPo when the newspaper eliminated 300+ jobs in February — ESPN said it has hired six sports journalists who were cut from The Washington Post when it eliminated more than 300 jobs in early February …
Discussion:
ESPN Press Room U.S., Axios, Awful Announcing, The Wrap, Talking Biz News, Sports Business Journal, Deadline, @jbflint, Barrett Media, @sbj and Front Office Sports
Scott MacFarlane / Scott MacFarlane on LinkedIn:
CBS News correspondent Scott MacFarlane says he is leaving the network, and looking “forward to some independence and finding new spaces to share” his work — I just shared this note with my wonderful CBS News colleagues: — To my incredible colleagues at CBS:
Discussion:
Variety, The Wrap, Mediaite, TV Insider, @rvbdrm.com, @jeremymbarr, @jeremymbarr, @scottnover, @brianstelter, Deadline and DNYUZ
New York Times:
ICE detained Nashville journalist Estefany Maria Rodriguez Florez, who sought asylum and is married to an American, for allegedly overstaying her tourist visa — The detention of Estefany Maria Rodriguez Florez, who had sought asylum and is married to an American citizen, raised fears that she had been targeted for her reporting.
Ben Fritz / Wall Street Journal:
An interview with Pixar Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter, who wants the studio to return to universally relatable concepts after recent box office failures — The ‘Toy Story’ studio used to print money for Disney but hasn't made an original blockbuster in nearly a decade.
Discussion:
Variety, Gizmodo, The Guardian, Breitbart, them., PinkNews, FlatpanelsHD, LGBTQ Nation, Entertainment Weekly, Comic Book, @azalben.bsky.social, CinemaBlend, The Hollywood Reporter, The A.V. Club, The Wrap, The Movie Blog, Empire, Deadline, Animation Magazine, IndieWire, Just Jared, World of Reel, Screen Rant, Just Jared, Screen Rant, The Wrap, Cord Cutters News, Variety, Comic Book and El País
RELATED:
Ben Fritz / Wall Street Journal:
Pixar's Hoppers opened to an estimated $88M worldwide this weekend, the biggest debut for an original animated movie since 2017, as Disney tries to revive Pixar
Discussion:
Gizmodo, Animation Magazine, UK Press, Comic Book, Los Angeles Times, Entertainment Weekly, CinemaBlend, Media Play News, Deadline, Screen Rant, Bloomberg and Just Jared
Nick Harris / Sporting Intelligence:
Sports media figure Fabrizio Romano calls himself a journalist, but he takes pay for social media posts, including about the “humanitarian” role of Saudi Arabia — The Italian “influencer” who has never worked as a real journalist, has 100m+ followers on social media and leverages them for cash.
Laura Kelly / The Hill:
Ahmad Batebi, a journalist with VOA's Persian service, says he was fired over a clash about VOA limiting coverage of Iran's exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi — A journalist with Voice of America's (VOA) Persian service said he was fired this week over efforts to limit coverage of Iran's exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi.
Discussion:
The Independent, @davidfolkenflik, @radiojibi, NCRI and @newsguy.bsky.social
