Internet Media

Watching Who’s Watching You

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Article in Columbia Journalism Review by Luch Scholler, 3/18/26

Headline:  “Look Who’s Tracking”

Subhead:  “A growing number of reporters and researchers are covering immigration through the lens of surveillance.”

” ‘Look for the margarita machine,’ Francesca D’Annunzio’s source told her. D’Annunzio, an investigative reporting fellow at the Texas Observer, was delving into Operation Lone Star, Texas governor Greg Abbott’s more-than-eleven-billion-dollar anti-immigration crusade that the American Civil Liberties Union has flagged in a report for ‘unchecked cruelty’. .”

“That ‘so much can be learned about us and our patterns of life without a warrant,’ she said, ‘is something that should concern everybody, regardless of their political persuasion’. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.cjr.org/analysis/tracking-surveillance-immigration-coverage-cobwebs-trangles-penlink-ice-dhs.php

Internet Media in Trouble?

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Article in Status by Natalie Korach, 3/18/26

Headline:  “HuffPost’s Buzz Kill”

Subhead:  “As BuzzFeed teeters on the brink, HuffPost staffers tell Status that anxiety is rippling through the newsroom and raising uncomfortable questions about the progressive outlet’s uncertain future.”

“Last week, BuzzFeed sent another shockwave through media circles by disclosing that the company may not have enough liquidity to continue operating over the next year, raising speculation that what was once one of digital media’s crown jewels could be heading toward bankruptcy. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.status.news/p/buzzfeed-bankruptcy-huffpost-future

Rt. Wing Media Upset?

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Article in Media Matters by Noah Dowe, Alex Guiden & Ben Van Bloem, 3/18/26

Headline: “Some right-wing media figures are urging Trump to declare early victory and leave Iran”

Subhead:  “Newsmax host Michael Savage: ‘Is it possible we could just pack up and go home? Or must we kill half the population in the name of peace?’ “

“As President Donald Trump’s war with Iran continues, some right-wing commentators are urging the administration to ‘declare victory’ and ‘get out’ of Iran ‘before it gets much worse’. . .”

“Some right-wing figures are fearful of what a military quagmire in the Middle East would “do to us at the midterms,” and a number of right-wing media personalities are now urging the administration to save face by declaring victory. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.mediamatters.org/us-iran-relations/some-right-wing-media-figures-are-urging-trump-declare-early-victory-and-leave

Join or Fight AI?

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Article in Columbia Journalism Review by Stephen J. Adler, 3/13/26

Headline:  “How Journalists Can Make AI Work for Them”

Subhead:  “A framework for newsrooms to use AI in ways that don’t sacrifice quality or lessen oversight.”

“Ask a working journalist about AI, and you’re likely to hear a string of expletives, an indictment of tech companies, and—especially if the person is over fifty—a searing lament for times past.

“The use of AI in journalism has recently created controversy everywhere from the Cleveland Plain Dealer to the Associated Press, as many reporters have passionately disagreed with managers who have insisted on its value in reporting and drafting stories. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.cjr.org/analysis/how-journalists-can-make-ai-work-for-them.php

Gambling With the News

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Article i in Columbia Journalism Review by Ivan L. Nagy, 3/11/26

Headline:  “Are Prediction Markets Actually Good for Journalism?”

Subhead:  “Dustin Gouker, the author of a Substack about prediction markets, says the media could benefit from keeping an eye on Kalshi and Polymarket.”

“By the time the US attacked Iran, on February 28, half a billion dollars had been wagered on Polymarket, one of the world’s top prediction markets, predicting when the strikes would happen. . .”

“Not long after the war started, Polymarket added a note to its Middle East markets. ‘The promise of prediction markets is to harness the wisdom of the crowd to create accurate, unbiased forecasts for the most important events to society,’ the company wrote. . . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.cjr.org/the-interview/are-prediction-markets-actually-good-for-journalism-kalshi-polymarket-dow-jones-cnn.php

The Fall of the BBC?

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Article in The Guardian by Michael Savage, 3/5/26

Headline:  “BBC says ‘irreversible’ trends mean it will not survive without major overhaul”

Subhead: “In opening response to charter review, corporation points to ‘mismatch’ between TV licence rules and viewing habits”

“The BBC has said it is facing “permanent and irreversible” trends that mean it cannot survive without a major overhaul, as it revealed a stark divergence between the number of people consuming its content and those paying the licence fee. . .”

“It said the rise of streaming services and digital platforms such as YouTube had caused blurring and confusion around when the licence fee needed to be paid, suggesting there was “a mismatch” between TV licence rules – based on watching live TV – and the nation’s viewing habits. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/mar/05/bbc-charter-renewal-tv-licence-major-overhaul

Don’t Call Me Shirley!

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Article in Media Matters by John Knefel, 2/27/26

Headline:  “MAGA media provocateur Nick Shirley boosted an antisemitic video. It was only a matter of time.”

Subhead:  “Shirley, who helped spur the federal crackdown in Minneapolis, promoted and defended a video from Tyler Oliveira titled ‘I Exposed New Jersey’s Jewish Invasion…’ ”

“One of the most important developments in right-wing media in the last few years is the rise of a class of provocateurs who create on-the-ground, documentary-style videos targeting communities based on their religion, ethnicity, or political beliefs. . .”

“On February 25, Shirley promoted and defended an antisemitic video made by fellow YouTuber Tyler Oliveira titled ‘I Exposed New Jersey’s Jewish Invasion… .’ The video runs more than an hour long, and it seeks to transform pedestrian, local issues about land use into something sinister by relying on longstanding antisemitic tropes about Jews controlling the financial system. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.mediamatters.org/antisemitism/maga-media-provocateur-nick-shirley-boosted-antisemitic-video-it-was-only-matter-time

New Media Companies

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Article in The Guardian by Jeremy Barr, 12/23/26

Headline:  “A CBS News personality is starting his own media company – but keeping his day job”

Subhead:  “David Begnaud is launching an independent media company using the beehiiv platform while remaining a contributor at the network”

“As media jobs disappear and the industry shifts even further to a focus on individual personalities, rather than global brands, many journalists are choosing to leave stable jobs and strike out on their own by starting paid newsletters on platforms such as Substack and beehiiv. . .”

“On Monday morning, the longtime CBS News personality David Begnaud announced that he would be keeping his day job as a contributor while starting an independent media company called Do Good Crew . . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/feb/23/cbs-news-david-begnaud-beehiiv

More Media Targets!

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Article in Washington Post by Will Oremus, 2/13/26

Headline:  “Trump’s campaign against ‘left-wing’ media finds a new target: Apple News“

Subhead:  “Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson said in a letter to Apple that he’s “not the speech police” but warned the company that its choice of articles could violate the law.”

“Apple News, the popular newsreader app that comes installed on every iPhone, is the latest media property to be warned by a regulator appointed by President Donald Trump over charges of liberal bias.

“On Wednesday, Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson sent a letter to Apple chief executive Tim Cook expressing concern about ‘reports that Apple News has systematically promoted news articles from left-wing news outlets and suppressed news articles from more conservative publications.’. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2026/02/12/apple-news-bias-ftc-ferguson-letter/

Reporter – Obliteration or Obfuscation?

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Article in Mediaite by Karen Wilkens, 2/13/26

Headline:  “Reporter Corners Trump on What’s Left to Bomb If He ‘Totally Obliterated’ Iran’s Nuclear Sites”

“In a Friday appearance before reporters from the tarmac at Fort Bragg, President Donald Trump was questioned on what’s left to bomb in Iran if he truly ‘totally obliterated’ the country’s nuclear sites as he’s previously claimed.

“The off-camera reporter cited Trump’s speech after last June’s military strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities, in which he deemed the bombings a ‘spectacular’ success that had ‘completely and totally obliterated’ their targets.

“ ‘What’s left to go after?’ questioned the reporter. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/reporter-corners-trump-on-whats-left-to-bomb-if-he-totally-obliterated-irans-nuclear-sites/