Mediagazer: Letter: Freedom of the Press Foundation and RSF seek Paramount's records over reports the Ellisons allegedly agreed to compromise CNN to secure the WBD deal (Oliver Darcy/Status)

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Oliver Darcy / Status:

Letter: Freedom of the Press Foundation and RSF seek Paramount's records over reports the Ellisons allegedly agreed to compromise CNN to secure the WBD deal — Two press freedom groups that hold Paramount shares are demanding internal records over concerns the Ellisons have agreed to compromise …

Discussion: The Guardian, The Hill, Telegraph and Financial Times

Corbin Bolies / The Wrap:

News Corp reports Q3 revenue up 9% YoY to $2.19B, vs. $2.11B est., WSJ subscriptions up 8% to 4.7M, and News Media circulation and subscription revenue up 7% — The company saw its revenue grow 9% during its third fiscal quarter boosted by its Dow Jones, real estate services and book publishing divisions

Discussion: Mumbrella, New York Post, Yahoo Finance, A Media Operator, News Corp, Dow Jones Newswires and Capital Brief

Etan Vlessing / The Hollywood Reporter:

Starz reports a Q1 net loss of $164.9M on revenue of $306.9M, compared with $330.6M in Q1 2025, and forecasts positive YoY streaming revenue growth in FY 2026 — No longer disclosing subscriber counts, the now-solo Starz marked a year from separating from Lionsgate as it looks to grow its streaming TV platform.

Discussion: Starz Entertainment LLC, Decider, The Wrap, Media Play News and Deadline

Vaishnavi Mishra / ndtvprofit.com:

Axios Middle East correspondent Barak Ravid rejected allegations that his outlet coordinated with oil market insiders ahead of his story on a US-Iran peace deal — Reports cited Iranian political analyst Mohammad Marandi as claiming that Trump, his envoy Steve Witkoff, and son-in-law Jared Kushner …

Discussion: @laurnorman, @deitaone, @alexbward, @barakravid, @barakravid, @luismorenolg, @caronpolymarket, VINnews, @barakravid and @jakewilkns

Bloomberg:

Sources: Elliott Management selected Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase to lead a combined London IPO of book retailers Barnes & Noble and Waterstones Booksellers — Elliott Management Corp. has selected banks to lead a combined initial public offering of book retailers Barnes & Noble Inc …

Katie Campione / Deadline:

A crew of 22 workers on the YouTube series CoComelon: The Melon Patch launched a strike over working conditions and management's refusal to bargain with IATSE — “Rather than provide fair wages and benefits to the crew the producer is trying to hire scabs for the production that's shooting in Sun Valley …

Discussion: The Wrap, Los Angeles Times, Variety and The Hollywood Reporter

Severin Carrell / The Guardian:

About 120 journalists and broadcast staff are expected to participate in a strike at Scotland's STV over pay on Friday, as election results are counted — About 120 journalists and broadcast staff expected to protest about pay freeze as STV invests in new radio station — UK politics live - latest updates

Discussion: @kathrynsamsonc4, BBC and National Union of Journalists …

Daniel Thomas / Financial Times:

A look at the career of wildlife filmmaker and TV innovator David Attenborough, who first appeared on British TV screens in the 1950s and turns 100 on Friday — Career of wildlife filmmaking pioneer has mirrored the evolution of TV itself — For more than seven decades …

Discussion: Paula A. Cordeiro on LinkedIn, Mirror, Time, ABC, Deccan Chronicle and LiveScience

Lucia Moses / Business Insider:

Microdrama actors say their images were used to create misleading, sexual promos, pushing them to include contract clauses requiring consent for AI manipulation — - Actors say micro drama apps manipulated their images to create misleading, sexual promos. — The AI-generated ads showed …

Brian O'Keefe / New York Times:

A profile of economist Justin Wolfers, who has teamed up with TPG-backed Initial Digital to launch his independent media startup Platypus Economics — With his crisp breakdowns of President Trump's trade moves and distinctive Aussie accent, Mr. Wolfers has become a TV constant.

Discussion: Neal Carruth on LinkedIn, Platypus Economics, @justinwolfers and @justinwolfers

Gene Maddaus / Variety:

Most of California's Democratic congressional delegation sent a letter to state AG Rob Bonta urging him to “closely scrutinize” the Paramount-WBD deal — Most of California's Democratic congressional delegation sent a letter to Attorney General Rob Bonta on Thursday urging him to …

Discussion: New York Times, The Wrap, @friedman.house.gov, @notaaroncraig.bsky.social, Vulture, New York Post, @ericfinalfantasy.bsky.social, Los Angeles Times, @karlbode.com, @warren.senate.gov, The Wrap, @freepress.bsky.social, San Francisco Chronicle and Deadline

Joshua Benton / Nieman Lab:

Australia's NBI incentivizes Google, Meta, and TikTok to bargain with news outlets, but should just distribute money levied from the platforms — Its proposed replacement for the News Media Bargaining Code retains its original sin: pretending that a public policy decision is actually just a little nudge to help the free market.

Discussion: eMarketer, Silicon UK, @dankennedy.net and @joshuabenton.com