Top News:
Michael M. Grynbaum / New York Times:
CBS News declines to renew the contract of 60 Minutes correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi, six months after her segment on a Salvadoran prison was pulled by Bari Weiss — Sharyn Alfonsi, whose segment on a brutal Salvadoran prison was pulled abruptly in December, said that CBS News and its top editor, Bari Weiss, had let her contract expire.
Discussion:
Status, Wall Street Journal, The Hollywood Reporter, The Hill, Adweek, @kylegriffin1, Jeff Jarvis on LinkedIn, Benjamin Mullin on LinkedIn, Staff Stories, HuffPost, Newsbusters, @sammyroth.bsky.social, @scottnover, New Republic, @grynbaum, @juliannemcshane.bsky.social, @benmullin, National Enquirer, @paulksmith.bsky.social, @abbeyarletto.bsky.social, Washington Times, Deadline, Newser, Fox News, Bloomberg, New York Post, @dave1agar.bsky.social, The Present Age, @hfgarcia.bsky.social, Raw Story, NBC News, @susanrinkunas.com, Washington Post, Barrett Media, U.S. Home, The Wrap, Mirror US, @cultexpert.freedomofmind.com, @carlquintanilla.bsky.social, Mediaite, @newsguyusa@flipboard.social, The A.V. Club, The Daily Beast, @ohgodwhatnow.bsky.social, @froomkin.bsky.social, Variety and TVNewsCheck
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David Folkenflik / NPR:
Sources: NPR lays off 10 journalists, including some veteran reporters, and gives buyouts to at least 18 news staffers to save $8M amid federal funding cuts — NPR has laid off 10 journalists, including some veteran reporters, in an attempt to save money and reorganize the newsroom.
Discussion:
@titonka.bsky.social, MPR News, @gbrumfiel.bsky.social, @gbrumfiel.bsky.social, @audiosand.bsky.social, @micahloewinger.bsky.social, @edeggans.bsky.social, @jimkanemedia.bsky.social, @evanlgeorge.bsky.social, @gbrumfiel.bsky.social, Cord Cutters News, @gbrumfiel.bsky.social, Current, @davidfolkenflik.bsky.social and @gbrumfiel.bsky.social
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Meta rolls out Plus plans for Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp globally, will test $7.99/mo. and $19.99/mo. Meta AI plans, a $49.99/mo. creator plan, and more — Meta is doubling down on its subscription offerings. On Wednesday, the social networking giant announced it's now rolling …
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Mashable, MediaPost, SammyGuru, Livemint, CNET, 9to5Mac, The Straits Times, Notebookcheck, Yahoo Finance, Tech Times, @warringtonruncorn.com, Nairametrics, Spyglass, CNBC, Barron's Online, Engadget, Dexerto, WeRSM, @schwindter.bsky.social, Motley Fool, Social Media Today, @papergreat.bsky.social, The Verge, Wall Street Journal, Agence France-Presse, Business Insider, @stinasdemons.com, Forbes, Android Authority, The Tech Portal, MacRumors, Firstpost, Thurrott, Sherwood News, GSMArena.com and PYMNTS, more at Techmeme »
Katie Kilkenny / The Hollywood Reporter:
Condé Nast and the NewsGuild of New York reach a settlement regarding the 2025 termination of four staffers after a confrontation with the Chief People Officer — The publishing giant is allowing workers to resign as active employees and paying a financial settlement.
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Amazon MGM Studios announces the GenAI Creators' Fund, greenlights three AI animated series for Prime Video, and launches an AI production platform with AWS — Amazon MGM Studios is touting the power of AI to help create “cinematic” entertainment in a big new initiative …
Patrick Maks / The Associated Press:
The AP agrees to provide OpenAI with AP's vote count data for use in ChatGPT and other services through the 2028 general election — The Associated Press today announced that it will provide its U.S. election results to OpenAI, reinforcing AP's vote count as the undisputed standard …
Discussion:
CyberScoop, @maxwelltani, Associated Press, Crypto Briefing, Variety, Election Law Blog and OpenAI, more at Techmeme »
Mariella Moon / Engadget:
Last.fm announces it is an independent company again, 19 years after being acquired by CBS; it plans to keep its current team and continue the service as normal — Don't worry: It will keep your profiles and scrobbles. — Last.fm is an independent company again, it has announced on its forum …
Discussion:
Last.fm Support Community and Pixel Envy, more at Techmeme »
Amanda Meade / The Guardian:
Sources: Reuters news executive Simon Robinson is expected to be appointed news director of Australia's ABC, replacing Justin Stevens, who resigned on Wednesday — Hugh Marks refuses to confirm or deny to Senate estimates that he threatened to terminate Stevens if he didn't resign
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Andrew Deck / Nieman Lab:
The Economist launches The Economist - Graphs, the first native ChatGPT app from a major news outlet, to visualize data from its Trump approval rating tracker — The app retrieves and visualizes polling data from The Economist's Trump approval rating tracker.
Discussion:
Seoul Economic Daily, Talking Biz News and @pressgazette.co.uk
Pamela McClintock / The Hollywood Reporter:
Advaya Capital acquires Comscore Movies, which collects box office data, for $70M in cash; it will be renamed Rentrak, and Chris Aronson will join the board — Longtime Hollywood studio distribution chief Chris Aronson has been part of the team working behind the scenes to make the deal happen.
Discussion:
The Wrap, Deadline and Media Play News
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Byron Allen formally closes on a majority stake in BuzzFeed, buying 40M shares at $3/share, with $20M in cash and a $100M note due in five years — Media entrepreneur and stand-up comedian Byron Allen now is the majority owner of BuzzFeed — the struggling digital media player that Allen plans …
Discussion:
Business Wire, Deadline and TheGrio
Bloomberg:
Bolloré, UMG's largest shareholder, says Bill Ackman's UMG offer undervalues UMG and it should reject the bid; the deal needs two-thirds shareholder approval — Bolloré SE's chief executive officer said billionaire Bill Ackman's offer for Universal Music Group NV undervalues the record label.
Todd Spangler / Variety:
YouTube makes its AI content labels more prominent on desktop and mobile, and will apply them automatically if it detects “significant photorealistic AI use” — Is that YouTube video clip you're watching real or was it made with AI? — YouTube wants to make it easier for viewers …
Discussion:
YouTube Official Blog, The Wrap, TechCrunch, Ars Technica, Korea Joongang Daily, PhoneArena, Social Media Today, CNET, @oligilpin, The American Bazaar, Search Engine Journal, Tubefilter, The Independent, @andrewcurran_, @updatesfromyt, Mashable, @alexweprin, @kevinbankston, MacRumors, Tech Times, CBS News, Digital Music News, Moneycontrol, 9to5Google, Decrypt, MakeUseOf, Engadget, Cord Cutters News, The Decoder, Boing Boing, PC Gamer, The Economic Times, Dexerto, KTFT, PCMag, Lifehacker, Music Business Worldwide, How-To Geek, Android Authority, Digit, Deadline, The Next Web, Thurrott, GMA News Online, IGN, Digital Trends, WeRSM, Barrett Media, Crypto Briefing, MobileSyrup, The Hollywood Reporter, The Verge, GSMArena.com and KYMA-TV, more at Techmeme »
Liz Hoffman / Semafor:
Sources: US DOJ antitrust regulators appear ready to approve Paramount's $110B WBD takeover after a two-hour meeting Tuesday; DOJ staff grilled David Ellison — The Scoop — US antitrust regulators appear ready to approve Paramount's $110 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery …
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Oliver Darcy / Status:
Nearly 200 journalists, academics, and advocates sign a letter against the Paramount-WBD merger, saying it would enable political meddling in editorial choices
Discussion:
The Hollywood Reporter, Freedom of the Press …, @jayrosen.bsky.social, New York Sun, @freedom.press, Freedom of the Press Foundation, HuffPost, @jfallows.bsky.social, @passantino.bsky.social, @jayrosen.bsky.social, Barrett Media, @oliverdarcy.bsky.social, @oliverdarcy.bsky.social and New York Post
