Corporate Media

Departing Reporters – On Wrong Tracks

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Article in The New Republic by Jason Linkins, 11/2/25

Headline:  “This Is the Media’s Worst Euphemism for Trump’s Tyrannical Abuses”

Subhead:  “Readers beware—and be on the lookout for the ‘departure.’ ”

“. . .Behold, the ‘departure.’ Back on September 10, The New York Times used the term in their report of the Trump administration’s extrajudicial killings on the high seas. Their sources, per the report, provided ‘new details about a military operation that was a startling departure. . .’ ”

“. . .More recently, a CNN report on Trump having collected a $130 million private donation to pay military service salaries—a highly impeachable offense for what is a comically paltry sum of money—explained that the move ‘marks a striking departure. . .’ ”

Read the full article at:

https://newrepublic.com/post/202475/media-euphemism-trump-sanewashing-departure

 

News in the Eye of the Beholder

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Article in Status by Natalie Korach, 10.29.25

Headline: “Paramount’s Eye Strain”

Subhead:  “It was a ‘traumatic’ day at CBS News, as David Ellison’s Paramount unleashed a fresh wave of layoffs across the company, hitting the news division hard.”

“On Wednesday morning, shortly after Paramount staffers received a memo from David Ellison outlining a ‘tough day’ of layoffs ahead, CBS News staffers joined the regular 9 a.m. editorial call where newly minted editor in chief Bari Weiss and president Tom Cibrowski addressed them on the forthcoming cuts. “\’This is just an enormously difficult day for so many people that have given years of their lives to this company,’ Weiss said.

“Indeed, it was another rough day inside CBS News, which has experienced no shortage of them in recent months. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.status.news/p/cbs-news-layoffs-paramount

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Article in The Guardian by Jeremy Barr, 10/29/25

Headline:  “CBS News staffers lose jobs in ‘bloodbath’ as part of sweeping cuts from Paramount”

Subhead:  “Paramount laying off about 1,000 staffers, including some in news, on Wednesday amid longer-term cost-cutting plan”

“For months, CBS News staffers have been on edge waiting for a long-expected round of layoffs as part of the $2bn in cost-cutting that had been promised after parent company Paramount’s successful merger with Skydance Media.

“Those cuts began on Wednesday morning and are expected to affect fewer than 100 people. The company declined to provide a specific number. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2025/oct/29/cbs-news-layoffs-paramount

Journalists – Not So Happy

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Article in Status by Oliver Darcy, 10/28/25

Headline:  “Comcast’s Ballroom Bash”

Subhead:  “NBC News and MSNBC journalists are appalled after learning their parent company, Comcast, helped bankroll Donald Trump’s ballroom—prompting behind-the-scenes venting and on-air rebukes of the corporate giant.”

“Last week, as NBC News and MSNBC staffers navigated the awkward mechanics of their impending corporate split, an unexpected development briefly united the two camps. The White House released a list of donors bankrolling Donald Trump’s ballroom project in which, buried among the corporate names, was Comcast. The revelation stunned staff inside both newsrooms. . .”

Read the cull article at:

https://www.status.news/p/comcast-ballroom-msnbc-nbc-news-outrage

 

Don’t do it CNN!

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Article in The Hill by Dominick Mastrangelo, 10/27/25

Headline:  “CNN boss told staff to scale back White House demolition coverage: Report”

“CNN is denying a recent report that its head Mark Thompson recently met with officials in President Trump’s administration and afterward urged staff at the network to ease up on its coverage of the White House renovation project, which has torn down the East Wing.”

The report, published in the media-news outlet Status, cited people familiar who said staffers at the Warner Bros. Discovery-owned cable channel were ‘taken aback,’ after Thompson, who they said generally does not weigh in on daily editorial matters, suggested CNN’s viewership ‘isn’t all that interested in the story’. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://thehill.com/homenews/media/5574665-cnn-white-house-east-wing-ballroom/

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Article in Daily Beast by Cameron Adams, 10/27/25

Headline:  “CNN Boss Ordered Teardown Censorship After West Wing Visit”

Subhead:  “CNN CEO said to be the latest media boss bending the knee before Donald Trump.”

“CNN chief Mark Thompson reportedly told the cable network’s reporters to ease up on coverage of the controversial demolition of the East Wing after a visit to the White House last week.

“Although denied by CNN, the report from the Status newsletter appears to be the latest example of media bosses bending the knee before the Trump administration.

“The historic White House East Wing was bulldozed last week to make way for President Donald Trump’s $300 million vanity project, a 90,000-square-foot ballroom that will be more than twice the size of the rest of the White House. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.thedailybeast.com/cnn-boss-mark-thompson-told-reporters-to-ease-up-on-teardown-coverage-after-white-house-visit/

CBS – Off to the Dump?

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Article in Mother Jones by David Corn, 10/28/25

Headline:  “Another Big Reason to Worry About Bari Weiss’ Tenure at CBS News”

Subhead: “Right now, a potential peril is at hand: the end of truth.”

“The appointment of Bari Weiss, the former New York Times opinion writer who started the heterodox Free Press website, to lead venerable CBS News set the media world in a tizzy. Since she had no experience in television broadcast news operations, David Ellison, the CEO of Paramount Skydance, must have selected her for ideological and editorial reasons. . .”

“Weiss’ first days at the network yielded worrisome signs. She asked senior staff at 60 Minutes, why does the country think you’re biased? This query suggested she buys the right-wing narrative Donald Trump propels about the media. . .”

Read the full article at:


https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/10/bari-weiss-cbs-news-david-ellison-larry-ellison-artificial-intelligence-ai-60-minutes/

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Article in The Guardian by Eric Berger & Jeremy Barr, 10/27/25

Headline:  “CBS News anchor John Dickerson becomes latest figure to exit network”

Subhead:  “Announcement comes amid concerns about network’s ownership and ability to maintain editorial independence”

“John Dickerson, a longtime CBS News journalist, has become the latest high-profile figure to resign from the network amid concerns about its ownership and ability to maintain editorial independence. . .”

“Bari Weiss, the new CBS News editor-in-chief, is expected to revamp the evening news and has been working to find a new anchor. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2025/oct/27/cbs-evening-news-anchor-john-dickerson-resigns

Don’t Look in the Media-Mirror!

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Article in Comic Sands by Amelia Mavis Christnot, 10/23/25

Headline:  “Fox News Host’s Gripe About The ‘Slobbering Media’ Is An Awkward Self-Own For The Ages”

Subhead:  “Greg Gutfeld called out the ‘allied slobbering media’ while criticizing former White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre’s new book—and the hypocrisy is off the charts. . .”

“Gutfeld, a well-documented media minion for MAGA Republican President Donald Trump, made the hypocrisy of his gripes evident by including effusive, over-the-top praise of Trump as part of his indictment of the media coverage of President Biden. . .”

“Gutfeld, apparently unaware of his own network’s programming or reality, claimed:

” ‘Who is the most successful politician this century? Donald Trump, with 98% of the media against him.’

” ‘Then you look at the KJPs, you look at the Joe Bidens, you look at the Kamala Harrises. They are all abject, pathetic figures. They’re failures, and they had the media on their side. They failed.’

” ‘What does that tell you? An allied slobbering media does you no favors. It leaves you as an incompetent, arrogant, entitled fool’. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.comicsands.com/greg-gutfeld-slobbering-media

CBS News Moving Right Along

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Article in Media Matters by Matt Gertz, 10/24/25

Headline:  “Bret Baier touts CBS News’ move toward ‘more balance’ and ‘coverage that’s fair’ ”

Subhead:  “In an interview with Sean Hannity, Baier denounced the ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome’ of mainstream reporters”

“Fox News chief political anchor Bret Baier — who is reportedly under consideration to take over CBS Evening News — spent part of Thursday afternoon praising CBS News’ rightward shift and his Trumpist colleague Sean Hannity’s coverage of ‘Russia, Russia, Russia,’ panning mainstream reporters for purportedly demonstrating ‘Trump derangement syndrome’ in an interview on Hannity’s radio show.

Oliver Darcy reported Thursday for his Status newsletter that Bari Weiss, the CBS News editor-in-chief recently installed to move the network to the right, ‘has spoken to associates about bringing Baier into the CBS News fold, potentially for the ‘CBS Evening News’ anchor chair.’. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.mediamatters.org/bret-baier/bret-baier-touts-cbs-news-move-toward-more-balance-and-coverage-thats-fair

Journalism by Order of Management

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Article in The Guardian by Jeremy Barr, 10/24/25

Headline:   “Ex-60 Minutes producer Bill Owens says bosses discouraged him from covering Gaza and Trump”

Subhead: “Show’s leader, who resigned in April, says he was also pressured to apologize for edit of Kamala Harris interview”

“The former executive producer of 60 Minutes, Bill Owens, said he faced intense internal pressure from his corporate bosses to avoid certain stories that had the potential to generate backlash for parent company Paramount, in his first public remarks since his sudden resignation in late April.. .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/24/60-minutes-bill-owens

Broken Post?

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Article in Status by Natalie Korach, 10/22/25

Headline:  “Pain at The Post”

Subhead: “As morale sinks and top talent exits, staffers at The Washington Post are bracing for more pain ahead of the holidays—raising questions about Will Lewis’ leadership, nearly two years into his tenure as chief executive.”

“Inside the Jeff Bezos-owned newspaper, ‘the mood is grim,’ one insider told Status. Of course, there is plenty of reason for the workforce to be demoralized. This year, The Post has endured an unprecedented talent exodus and seen longtime staffers accept buyouts. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.status.news/p/washington-post-layoffs-cuts-morale

Grabbing All the Media?

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Article in The Guardian by Laura Aratani, 10/21/25

Headline:  “Warner Bros Discovery considers sale as potential buyers show interest”

Subhead:  “Netflix, Comcast and Paramount Skydance are reportedly among possible bidders in sale that could shake up industry”

“Warner Bros Discovery is considering putting the entire company up for sale, a move that could see huge restructuring in an industry that has seen ripples of changes since Donald Trump took office. . .”

“Warner Bros Discovery is the parent company of several subsidiaries including CNN, HBO, DC Studios and the Harry Potter franchise. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/oct/21/warner-bros-discovery-considers-sale