Top News:
Washington Post:
The DOD fires the Stars and Stripes ombudsman after calling the paper “woke”; the ombudsman says she believes she was fired for defending editorial independence — Stars and Stripes ombudsman Jacqueline Smith said the Defense Department dismissed her without giving a reason, according to an email reviewed by The Post.
Discussion:
Stars & Stripes, The Hill, @sdkstl.bsky.social, @murderedbybluesky.bsky.social, Letters from an American, New York Times, Kevin Baron on LinkedIn, @gdeweese.bsky.social, @freedom.press, @bgrueskin.bsky.social, @kimmasters.bsky.social, @washingtonpost.com, @rickf@indieweb.social, Newser, Joe.My.God. and @scottnover.bsky.social
Jeremy Barr / The Guardian:
President Trump attended a private dinner hosted by David Ellison in DC hours after the WBD shareholder vote; Rep. Jamie Raskin and others protested nearby — Paramount Skydance CEO fetes administration as it weighs $110bn merger with CNN parent WarnerBros Discovery
Discussion:
@garygrumbach, Jewish Insider, @gtconway3d, @grynbaum, @ourrevolution, @gtconway3d, The Wrap, People, Deadline, @jayapal.house.gov, @davidcorn.bsky.social, NPR and MediaPost
RELATED:
Todd Spangler / Variety:
WBD shareholders vote to approve Paramount Skydance's deal to acquire the company; in a non-binding vote, they reject compensation packages for David Zaslav — But investors weren't OK with the lavish golden parachutes that CEO David Zaslav and other WBD top brass are set to receive through the merger.
Discussion:
Puck, The Wrap, New York Times, NBC News, The Hollywood Reporter, New Republic, The Guardian, Techdirt, Cele|bitchy, @tedstew, @tedstew, @tedstew, Deadline, Forbes, @nycmayor, Mediaweek, @ewarren, @brianstelter, @jbflint, @rbreich.bsky.social, The Wrap, @wgaeast.bsky.social, Deutsche Welle, Capital Brief, Awful Announcing, Türkiye Today, Wrestling Inc., Broadband TV News, HuffPost, Business Insider, Instapundit, Front Office Sports, The American Bazaar, Financial Times, Common Dreams, Barron's Online, New York Post, StreamTV Insider, @rwmead.bsky.social, Screen, UPI, TV Tech, Al Jazeera, Dow Jones Newswires, @kevdgrussing.bsky.social, @angryalgonquin.bsky.social, Cord Cutters News, Yahoo Finance, Wall Street Journal, Axios, CNN, The Hill, @froomkin.bsky.social, @karlbode.com, Deadline, @mayor.nyc.gov, Media Play News, Mediaite, Washington Examiner, The A.V. Club, CNBC and WPXI-TV
Wall Street Journal:
Former Disney CEO Bob Iger rejoins Joshua Kushner's Thrive Capital in an advisory role; he served as a venture partner at Thrive in 2022 — The former Disney CEO has dabbled in tech and media investing — Bob Iger is returning to venture capital as he charts his next act after running Disney.
Discussion:
@joshuakushner, The Ankler, The Wrap, New York Times, TechCrunch, Disney News, Deadline, Reuters, The Hollywood Reporter and Variety
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Front Office Sports plans to launch a syndicated daily TV news show, Front Office Sports Tonight, on September 14, airing on Fox and Nexstar stations and more — Front Office Sports is getting into the daily TV sports news game. — The company, the online outlet known for its aggressive coverage …
Sean Keeley / Awful Announcing:
After Cleveland.com faced backlash for posting AI-generated videos to promote its podcasts, an editor said “we don't have resources to do it any other way” — On Wednesday, Cleveland.com wanted to highlight its Cleveland Cavaliers podcast, Wine & Gold Talk, as it discusses the team's NBA Playoffs run.
Discussion:
Poynter, Podnews, @howthingsworkoh, @andrew_osu, @spencersays, @clevelanddotcom, @lindseywasson, @genepark, @the_ruhoff, @scenesallard, @scenesallard and @corbinbolies
Reuters:
Argentina blocks journalists' entry to government house Casa Rosada, citing “illegal espionage” after local TV aired footage recorded with smart glasses — The government of Argentina's President Javier Milei blocked the entry of accredited journalists to government house Casa Rosada …
Discussion:
Al Jazeera
Alexandra Bruell / Wall Street Journal:
A profile of Robert Allbritton, who is transforming his news startup Notus into the Star; he plans to invest $10M this year and expects to break even by 2029 — Robert Allbritton, a co-founder of Politico, is betting big on the Star — Robert Allbritton was on a ski lift in Aspen, Colo. …
Discussion:
@alexbruell and @dankennedy.net
Ben Jiang / South China Morning Post:
China's top market regulator says it is launching a six-month crackdown on the country's online ad sector, targeting malpractices including the misuse of AI — Market watchdog flags AI abuse and traffic-driven tactics as it launches first campaign to overhaul online advertising
Discussion:
Search Engine Journal
András Pethő / Nieman Reports:
How the authoritarian government of Viktor Orban, intent on controlling media, failed to take into account the resilience of Hungarian independent journalists — Investigative journalists helped keep democracy's flame alive in dark times — In the days following Viktor Orbán's crushing defeat …
Discussion:
Poynter
Yoni Greenbaum / Backstory & Strategy:
A nonprofit's acquisition of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is good news, but other options like systemic investment in the local ecosystem might have been better — The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette rescue is good news. It is not a model, and it is not the whole story.
Alex Weprin / The Hollywood Reporter:
Filing: TKO Group CEO Ari Emanuel's pay package in 2025 was $67.3M, up from $18.1M in 2024, and President Mark Shapiro's compensation hit $42.6M, up from $31.9M — The owner of UFC and WWE released its annual proxy filing Thursday, with Dwayne Johnson also receiving $900,000 for the use of his ‘Rock’ IP.
Discussion:
@informedalarmist.bsky.social, Deadline, The Wrap, Variety and Wrestling Inc.
