Top News:
Axios:
Sources: Paramount seeks a business-side counterpart to Bari Weiss, implying she would oversee editorial across CBS News and CNN if Paramount's WBD deal closes — Paramount has held preliminary conversations with several candidates for a business-side counterpart to CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss …
Discussion:
Variety, The Wrap, RADAR, Talking Points Memo, Washington Times, @solomonrmissouri.com, @solomonrmissouri.com, Reuters, @robertscotthorton.bsky.social, @dylanbyers, @dannygroner.bsky.social, Newser, @atrupar.com, New York Post, @newsjennifer.bsky.social, Raw Story, twitchy.com, The A.V. Club, @carlquintanilla.bsky.social, Ace of Spades HQ and CNN
RELATED:
New York Times:
Lesley Stahl says David Ellison called her and promised to respect editorial independence at 60 Minutes, a sign he is taking steps to calm turmoil at the show — David Ellison told Lesley Stahl, one of three remaining correspondents for the news program, that he would respect the show's editorial decisions after a tumultuous stretch.
Max Tani / Semafor:
Bari Weiss and her CBS News team find themselves under siege from both sides as Trump appears uninterested in a modest rightward shift, amid a rolling civil war — If CBS News' new owners are trying to pull the network away from what they see as liberal politics and reflexive hostility to Donald Trump …
Discussion:
Variety, @joshkraushaar, Mediaweek, Inc.com, Unfogged and Letters from an American
Scott Nover / Washington Post:
Email: the WH press corps won't be allowed on White House grounds Sunday due to the UFC fight; only press poolers will be allowed unless UFC gives credentials — The White House is ceding control of who gets into the fight event on the South Lawn, in a break with tradition. — Summary
Sara Guaglione / Digiday:
Reuters and Time started blocking all AI bots by default and created whitelists of approved bots, following the default disallow strategy of People and others — Reuters and Time are taking a new approach to bot blocking. Both publishers have recently started blocking all AI bots by default …
Discussion:
Search Engine Journal and Phil Andraos on LinkedIn
Lucas Manfredi / The Wrap:
NY passes legislation requiring news orgs to provide disclosures on content substantially or wholly produced by AI; the bill awaits the governor's signature — Backed by the Writers Guild of America, the NY FAIR News Act now heads to Gov. Kathy Hochul's desk for signature
Discussion:
@wgaeast.bsky.social, @1gregtodd.bsky.social, The A.V. Club, Pluribus News and NewsGuild of New York
Peter Chapman / Bloomberg:
The UK CMA launches a probe into Paramount's $110B acquisition of WBD, and sets an initial ruling deadline on August 7; the EU has already set a July 7 deadline — Britain's merger watchdog has opened a probe into Paramount Skydance Corp.'s $110 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery Inc.
Discussion:
Deadline, Reuters, The Guardian, Media Play News, The Wrap, Telegraph, GOV.UK and The Movie Blog
Ellise Shafer / Variety:
The BBC appoints Rhodri Talfan Davies as deputy director general, following his tenure as interim chief of the broadcaster before Matt Brittin was hired — The BBC has appointed Rhodri Talfan Davies as deputy director general, following his tenure as interim chief of the broadcaster before Matt Brittin was hired.
Discussion:
Advanced Television, Deadline, The Irish News and Telecompaper
Kaitlan Collins / Interview Magazine:
CNN's Kaitlan Collins talks with NYT White House correspondent Shawn McCreesh about Kennedy Center drama, the redecorating of DC, press pool changes, and more — As a New York Times White House correspondent, Shawn McCreesh has been in the room for everything—the spectacle, the absurdity …
Liam Scott / Washington Post:
DC-area weather site Capital Weather, formerly the Capital Weather Gang, relaunches as an independent operation, after a partnership with WaPo from 2008 to 2026 — In the Washington region, the local weather crew has developed a cult following. Now, it will be going by Capital Weather again as an independent organization.
Discussion:
Capital Weather, @capitalweather, @bennollweather, @capitalweather and @jigarshahdc
Calum Jaspan / Sydney Morning Herald:
Australia's ABC MD Hugh Marks says Justin Stevens' exit was “inevitable” after disputes over newsroom direction, and Stevens was unaware he was being replaced — ABC boss Hugh Marks says news chief Justin Stevens wasn't aware the public broadcaster was in the process of replacing …
Discussion:
Mediaweek, ABC, The Saturday Paper, The Guardian and Sky News Australia
Washington Post:
A reconstruction of Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil's final hours shows that she bled to death, sources say after the IDF denied access to rescuers — A Post reconstruction of Amal Khalil's final hours in Lebanon found that Israel's military denied rescuers access to her during a key period when she was still alive.
