Top News:
New York Times:
James Murdoch's Lupa Systems acquires around 50% of Vox Media, including its podcast network, New York magazine, and Vox.com, sources say for $300M+ — James Murdoch is acquiring roughly half of Vox Media, a dramatic expansion in American media for the younger son of the media mogul Rupert Murdoch.
Discussion:
MediaPost, Vox Media, Poynter, Sydney Morning Herald, Forbes, The Free Press, The Information, Mumbrella, Capital Brief, @sarafischer, Awful Announcing, Inside Radio, @jeremymbarr, Mediaweek, @benmullin, @pkafka, @benmullin, @jtes, @sherman4949, UPI, Associated Press, Wall Street Journal, Inc.com, Australian Financial Review, Telegraph, The Hill, Los Angeles Times, Washington …, CNN, The Daily Wire, Front Office Sports, NewsMax.com, Aftermath, The Guardian, Showbiz411, TVNewsCheck, The Business of Fashion, Washington Post, @ncrabbithole.com, Axios, Newser, Business Insider, Press Gazette, Mediaite, @tcarmody.bsky.social, The Wrap, @newsguyusa@flipboard.social, @seanokane.bsky.social, The A.V. Club, Gothamist, Politico, Bloomberg, The Hollywood Reporter, r/Journalism and r/Journalism
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Mark Stenberg / Adweek:
Sources: Penske Media is likely to acquire one or more unsold Vox Media brands, internally called Remain Co., which include The Verge, SB Nation, and Eater — As the portfolio is parceled up, a key revenue leader plots his exit … Following the Wednesday sale of New York Magazine …
Discussion:
@adweek and The Streamable
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Media properties not included in the Lupa-Vox deal, including The Verge and Eater, will operate under a new independent company led by Vox president Ryan Pauley — Murdoch's company has agreed to acquire New York Magazine, the Vox Media Podcast Network and Vox.com. Terms of the deal weren't disclosed.
Peter Kafka / Business Insider:
Q&A with Vox CEO Jim Bankoff on the sale of Vox Media's podcast network, why buyers were interested in that network, and how remaining sites are in “good shape”
Discussion:
Reuters, Puck, @pkafka, Fast Company, CNN, Al Jazeera, Times of India, Barrett Media, Forbes, New York Post, The Information and Adweek
Fox News:
Jeff Bezos defends WaPo layoffs, saying the outlet needs to be a profitable enterprise as “a measure of its relevance”, and noted it won a Pulitzer in 2026 — Billionaire Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos on Wednesday responded to criticism of the brutal round of layoffs …
Discussion:
CNBC, CNBC, New York Times, Mediaite, The Daily Wire, Drezner's World, @stevemistler, @nick_field90, @douthatnyt, @nick_field90, @maxwelltani, @lawprofblawg, @pitdesi, Status, @reedgalen, @briannaatucker, @jeremymbarr, @extremearturo, @primarycinema, NewsMax.com, @richarddeitsch, @greg_travis, @blowryontv, @kainazamaria, @childpleez007, @marquardta, @grantstern, @atrupar, Breitbart, Staff Stories, @joshuaholland.bsky.social, twitchy.com, @jackjenkins.me, The Wrap, @gillianbrockell.com, @genebensinger.bsky.social, Barrett Media, @douglasmack.bsky.social, @gillianbrockell.com, @bgrueskin.bsky.social, @bgrueskin.bsky.social, Cele|bitchy, Diane Ravitch's blog and TheGrio, more at Techmeme »
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Todd Spangler / Variety:
Jeff Bezos says Amazon MGM Studios' decision to acquire and release Melania “was a good business decision”, denying that it was “a way of buying influence” — Jeff Bezos insists that Amazon MGM Studios' decision to acquire and release “Melania,” a documentary about the First Lady …
Discussion:
CNBC, Reality Tea, RADAR, Fast Company, The A.V. Club, @JohnSullivan@mastodonapp.uk, Deadline, New York Magazine, U.S. Home, @fangsbites.bsky.social, The Guardian, Consequence, HuffPost, @storyslug.bsky.social, New Republic, @luckyadams.bsky.social, The Hill, The Hollywood Reporter, @justinbaragona.bsky.social and Mediaite
Nieman Lab:
Analysis: 382 news sites, including 342 local outlets, are blocking Internet Archive's crawlers amid AI concerns, an increase from 241 sites in January 2026 — McClatchy, Advance Local, Tribune Publishing and other major newspaper chains are restricting the nonprofit's archiving bots.
Discussion:
@josemurilo@mato.social and @annaleen.bsky.social
Todd Spangler / Variety:
S&P Global says it plans to cut Paramount Skydance's credit rating from BB+ to BB after the WBD merger, indicating company debt securities are speculative grade — S&P Global Ratings already has placed Paramount Skydance's credit rating in junk-status territory — indicating …
Patrick Brzeski / The Hollywood Reporter:
The Hollywood Reporter launches an Australia edition headed by EIC Sean Sennett, in partnership with Raine Media — Veteran journalist Sean Sennett joins as editor-in-chief of the Sydney-based title, which will cover Australia's booming screen sector across digital, print and video.
Discussion:
Talking Biz News and Mediaweek
Barbara Peng / Business Insider:
Business Insider CEO Barbara Peng says she is leaving the company on June 30; Christian Baesler will become interim lead of the outlet — Today I am announcing that I will be leaving Business Insider. — This was not an easy decision for me. I love Business Insider.
Discussion:
@dylanbyers, @corbinbolies, Reuters and The Wrap
Anne Steele / Wall Street Journal:
Netflix and iHeartMedia say Charlamagne tha God's The Breakfast Club will stream live on Netflix on weekdays from June 1, the service's first daily live show — Charlamagne tha God's morning radio show has been a standout success among the streamer's video podcast efforts
Discussion:
Inside Radio, Reuters, The Breakfast Club, CNN, Variety, Deadline, Rolling Stone, The Hollywood Reporter, What's on Netflix, Barrett Media, Media Play News, CNET and Business Wire
Anu Adegbola / Search Engine Land:
Google says it is testing new ad formats in search results and AI Mode, including Conversational Discovery ads, Highlighted Answers, and AI-powered Shopping ads — Table of Contents — Google is rolling out Gemini-powered conversational ad formats across AI Mode and Search as it looks to make ads more contextual,
Discussion:
Engadget, MediaPost, Search Engine Roundtable, Axios, Thurrott, BMI, Livemint, Mumbrella, Crypto Briefing, Bangkok Post, Lifehacker, Gizmodo, Android Authority, Business A.M, PCMag, PYMNTS, Mashable, @damon.kiesow.net, Wall Street Journal, Search Engine Journal, The Verge, PPC and The Information, more at Techmeme »
Eoin Higgins / The Flashpoint:
Eoin Higgins and Hachette file an anti-SLAPP request with a NY court to obtain attorney's fees from Matt Taibbi, after Taibbi's defamation suit was dismissed — I'm seeking attorney's fees from the conservative pundit over his spurious defamation suit—and I'm doing it to protect free speech.
Discussion:
@joestar020 and @jaredlholt
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