Top News:
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Byron Allen is taking a majority stake in BuzzFeed, investing $120M, and will become CEO; Jonah Peretti will move to a new role as president of BuzzFeed AI — BuzzFeed announced it has entered into a transaction agreement with Allen Family Digital, an affiliate of Byron Allen's family office …
Discussion:
New York Times, Axios, BuzzFeed, The Guardian, Benzinga, Newser, Business Insider, The Wrap, TheGrio, @matthewkeyslive, The Information, Reuters, Los Angeles Times, Baller Alert, Wall Street Journal, @alexweprin, @pkafka, @matthewkeyslive, @dylanbyers, @benmullin, Dow Jones Newswires, Mumbrella, Deadline, Just Jared, Bloomberg and The Hollywood Reporter
Wall Street Journal:
Sources: Trump privately complained to acting AG Todd Blanche about media leaks tied to the Iran war; the WSJ has received subpoenas for records of reporters — President Trump privately complained to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche about media leaks in the wake of the Iran war last month …
Discussion:
CNN, The Wrap, New York Times, Raw Story, @emptywheel.bsky.social, Mediaite, NewsMax.com and @froomkin.bsky.social
Scott Nover / Washington Post:
President Trump nominates Kari Lake, whom he tasked with dismantling USAGM and VOA, as US ambassador to Jamaica; a judge ruled in March she illegally ran USAGM — Lake was tasked with dismantling the U.S. Agency for Global Media and Voice of America, and became embroiled in contentious legal battles.
New York Times:
A look at Israel's efforts to influence Eurovision, as some broadcasters pushed to ban Israel from the music competition and threatened to boycott the event — Israel's efforts to influence Eurovision's vote were broader and started years earlier than previously known. — TIMES INVESTIGATION
Discussion:
Al Jazeera, Daily Star, HuffPost, Associated Press, Radio Times, RTÉ, GB News, New York Sun, The Sun, The Forward, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, nltimes.nl, Forbes, TV Tech, Reuters, Politico, Breitbart, Mirror, @ralphjanik.com, @bengoggin.bsky.social, @NiceBastard@social.tchncs.de and PinkNews
theRighting:
Similarweb data: Truth Social's traffic rose 45% YoY in April to 48.8M visits, while Outkick was down 62%, The Federalist fell 51%, and The Blaze dropped 48% — Trump-Controlled Platform Vaults to #2 in Traffic for First Time Ever — Year-over-year (YOY) visits in April …
Discussion:
@justinbaragona.bsky.social, @justinbaragona.bsky.social and @markfsu.bsky.social
Eliot Chen / The Wire China:
Six years after a US-China tit-for-tat cycle of journalist expulsions, the number of US journalists in China is dwindling, making it harder to cover the country — When President Donald Trump travels to China next week for his summit with Xi Jinping, a swarm of reporters will accompany his entourage.
Discussion:
Talking Biz News
Ruth Fowler / Wired:
A Hollywood writer recounts working as an “AI trainer” for companies like Mercor, as AI gig work becomes the “new waiting tables” for entertainment workers — For screenwriters like me—and job seekers all over—AI gig work is the new waiting tables.
Amanda Silberling / TechCrunch:
Peacock launches two unscripted microdramas made by Bravo, the first time that a major US streaming platform has added microdramas — It's about time that the microdrama trend has gone mainstream. — As microdrama apps like ReelShort and DramaBox quietly rake in billions …
Discussion:
AdExchanger, The Wrap, CinemaBlend, MediaBrief, Variety, Deadline and MediaNews4U
Jonathan Stempel / Reuters:
Texas AG Ken Paxton sues Netflix for allegedly spying on consumers by collecting their data without consent, and designing its platform to be addictive — Netflix (NFLX.O) was sued on Monday by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who accused the streaming company of spying on consumers …
Discussion:
Digit, Texas Attorney General, NBC News, Jerusalem Post, CNET, The Guardian, @eriqgardner, Tech Times, Tech in Asia, Courthouse News Service, Media Play News, FOX 7 Austin, BMI, @carnage4life.bsky.social, NZ Herald, Newser, Macau Business, The Record, The Independent, Mediaite, Cord Cutters News, The National Law Review, The Wrap, New York Post, Bloomberg Law, How-To Geek, Variety, Forbes, MediaPost, Dallas Express, CBS News, Washington Examiner, KEYE, Politico, Just The News, Reuters, KVIA-TV, Sherwood News, Lyrie Research and The Verge, more at Techmeme »
Max Tani / Semafor:
Julie K. Brown's special Pulitzer citation after a previous snub shows how the awards are struggling to keep up with public sentiment and shifting media habits — The Pulitzers this year revived an old internal disagreement among the guardians of journalism's top award over reporting on Jeffrey Epstein …
David Folkenflik / NPR:
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution CEO Andrew Morse steps down after a three-and-a-half-year tenure, to be succeeded by Cox Media executive Paul Curran — Andrew Morse had helped usher ABC, Bloomberg and CNN into the digital age. In January 2023, he turned his sights on Atlanta …
Daniel Thomas / Financial Times:
Sony Music Group, via its JV with Singapore's wealth fund GIC, agrees to buy Recognition Music Group's catalogue of 45K+ songs from Blackstone in a ~$4B deal — Acquiring Recognition Music Group catalogue hands Sony collection of 45,000 songs including Leonard Cohen's ‘Hallelujah’
