Top News:
Isabella Simonetti / Wall Street Journal:
A profile of Fortune editor Nick Lichtenberg, who uses AI to research and write articles; AI-assisted stories made up ~20% of Fortune's web traffic in H2 2025 — A Fortune editor has cranked out more than 600 stories using the technology; 'this won't be seen as some people's idea of journalism'
Discussion:
@olgakhazan, @PeteTucker@mastodon.social, @marisakabas.bsky.social, @jfeej.bsky.social, @minakimes.bsky.social, Marisa Kabas on LinkedIn, @jeremymbarr, @michaelroston, @gwill2k.bsky.social, @grossdm, @marisakabas.bsky.social, Yahoo Finance, @joshsternberg.com, @meghanbobrowsky, @charlottealter and Fortune
RELATED:
Maxwell Zeff / Wired:
How some independent tech reporters are using AI, which they say allows them to do more reporting and recreate newsroom resources like editors and fact-checkers
How some independent tech reporters are using AI, which they say allows them to do more reporting and recreate newsroom resources like editors and fact-checkers
Discussion:
@lizzieohreally.bsky.social, @joshdaws, Jordan Mitchell on LinkedIn, @doog, @jasminewsun, @alexeheath, @zeffmax, @vcunningham, @harrymccracken@mastodon …, @knibbs.bsky.social, @karlbode.com, @geek4dogs, @joannastern, @kevinroose, @jasminewsun, Talking Biz News, Business Insider and r/Journalism
New York Times:
Sources: Versant is one of multiple suitors in talks to buy Vox Media's podcast network as it seeks to diversify its revenue; NBCU invested $200M in Vox in 2015 — Versant, the parent company of CNBC and MS NOW, is looking to continue expanding its business beyond cable TV.
Discussion:
Adweek, The Wrap, @mediaevan, Simon Owens's Media Newsletter, Awful Announcing, The A.V. Club and Mediaite
Matthew Keys / TheDesk.net:
A US judge grants DirecTV a temporary restraining order blocking the Nexstar-Tegna merger, finding DirecTV's position that it violates antitrust laws persuasive — A federal judge in California has granted DIRECTV a temporary restraining order in a legal challenge brought against Nexstar Media Group's $6.2 billion merger with TEGNA.
Discussion:
US District Court Eastern District of California, Deadline, Bloomberg, Reuters, @ddayen, @kyleclark and @pweiser
Indiegraf:
Indiegraf acquires Hearken, which was founded in 2015 by Jennifer Brandel to help newsrooms build trust by involving the public in the reporting process — We're excited to announce that Indiegraf has acquired Hearken, an organization that has spent over a decade leading the industry in the shift from reach to relationships.
Discussion:
Indiegraf and Jennifer Brandel on LinkedIn
John Ourand / Puck:
Sources: advertisers were generally unpersuaded by Netflix's pitch that Opening Night was a “big event”; some ads ran as make-goods for NFL Christmas guarantees — The streaming giant invested in a lightweight MLB package to see whether it could fully eventize the industry's most tonnage-friendly sport.
Reuters:
Sources: US DOJ has sent subpoenas in its Paramount WBD acquisition probe, seeking information on how the deal would affect studio output, theaters, and more — The U.S. Department of Justice has sent subpoenas in its investigation of Paramount Skydance's (PSKY.O) acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery …
Discussion:
@ericfinalfantasy.bsky.social, @karlbode.com, Deadline, Benzinga, Media Play News and MediaBrief
Gene Maddaus / Variety:
The Writers Guild Staff Union, on strike for almost six weeks, has offered a contract proposal to WGA West management, seeking a response by Monday at midnight — Tensions are starting to boil over between the Writers Guild of America West and its striking staffers, who have been without paychecks for going on six weeks.
Discussion:
Page Six, The Wrap and The Hollywood Reporter
Oliver Darcy / Status:
Internal figures show Business Insider's paid subscribers have consistently declined, from about 185K at the end of 2022 to 135K at the end of 2025, a 27% drop — Barbara Peng was elevated in November 2023 from president to chief executive, and she later tapped Jamie Heller in September 2024 …
Discussion:
@status.news, @passantino.bsky.social, The Wrap, Talking Biz News, Daring Fireball and @oliverdarcy.bsky.social
Kathryn Wilkens / Mediaite:
At CPAC, FCC Chair Brendan Carr boasted “Trump is winning”, citing PBS and NPR defunding and the departures of Joy Reid, Chuck Todd, Stephen Colbert, and others — During a Friday CPAC appearance, FCC Chair Brendan Carr bragged that he's remaking the media by pushing out left-leaning figures …
Discussion:
@mehdirhasan, @brendancarrfcc, Washington Examiner, RedState, @acyn and @mehdirhasan
Rob Waugh / Press Gazette:
A look at Clickout, which has bought hundreds of websites to harvest their reputations and pack them with casino links; in 2024, it had £40M in revenue — Parasitical SEO companies are buying respected online news outlets in order to harvest their reputations before leaving behind a ruined shell.
Pew Research Center:
Religious radio stations make up ~25% of the US' 17K stations; 98% of adults live in range of at least one; 45% say they ever listen to religious audio shows — 25% of all AM/FM radio stations in the U.S. have a faith focus — The Pew-Knight Initiative supports new research …
Discussion:
@pewresearch.org, Inside Radio, Poynter, @pewresearch.org and Catholic World Report
Michael Calderone / The Wrap:
A judge orders the US Defense Department and NYT back to court Monday after NYT said US officials “are contemptuously defying” a ruling restoring press access — The hearing follows the Times arguing that the Defense Department isn't complying with a judge's earlier ruling on access
Discussion:
MS NOW
