Media Turmoil

CBS in the Crystal Ball

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Article in Poynter by Tom Jones, 6/29/26

Headline:  “Opinion | What’s next for CBS News, CNN and ‘60 Minutes?’ “

Subhead: “Wall Street Journal reporter Isabella Simonetti breaks down the upheaval at CBS News and what the Paramount merger could mean for CNN”

“Has there been a bigger media story in 2026 than the upheaval at CBS News?

“CBS has a new owner who has a cozy relationship with President Donald Trump. The news division is being run by someone who had no meaningful TV news experience before she was hired. The evening news has a new anchor whose tenure is off to an uneven start. And even the network’s most dependable and respected product — the venerable ’60 Minutes’ — has been besieged by controversy, massive changes and unpopular firings. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.poynter.org/commentary/2026/whats-next-cbs-news-cnn-60-minutes-paramount-bari-weiss/

Media Turmoil – Newspaper Stands Out

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Article in The New Republic by Perry Bacon, 6/29/26

Headline:  “The British Paper That Americans Are Rushing to Read”

Subhead:  “Guardian US managing director Steve Sachs says the paper’s audience has grown vastly in the United States because it is free, independent, and global.”

“The news about the news has been terrible over the last year: CBS News taken over by Bari Weiss; Jeff Bezos pushing The Washington Post opinion section to the right; CNN, The New York Times, and other outlets often choosing to downplay the radicalism of President Trump so they can portray themselves as neutral and objective; numerous local and national outlets laying off reporters. But The Guardian US is the rare positive news media story. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://newrepublic.com/article/212480/british-paper-americans-rushing-read

Not Bari Happy!

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Article updated in Daily Beast by Julia Ornedo, 6/28/26

Headline: “CNN Star Issues Bombshell Warning to MAGA-Curious Boss”

“Anderson Cooper has made it clear how he feels about working with Bari Weiss.

“The star anchor, 59, has told colleagues at CNN that he does not want to work for the beleaguered CBS News chief, two sources told The New York Times. His comments came amid reports that Weiss is being considered for a top role at the network, which is slated to soon come under the control of Trump-friendly CEO David Ellison. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://archive.ph/XEmxZ#selection-1641.0-1649.178

Mega-Media Manipulation

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Article in UPI by Joe Fisher, 6/29/26

Headline: “Comcast, NBCUniversal splitting into separate companies”

“. . .Comcast announced Monday that it is planning to split into separate media and technology companies over the coming year.

“Comcast will split into two independent publicly traded companies in what it said is a “tax-free spin-off” of NBCUniversal and Sky. The companies will be NBCUniversal and Comcast. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2026/06/29/comcast-nbcuniversal-publicly-traded-spin-off/6931782742823/

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Article in Status by Oliver Darcy, 6/29/26

Headline: “Carving Up Comcast“

“Brian Roberts insisted the seismic breakup of Comcast’s media and broadband business is about creating two stronger companies – but no one in the industry is buying it, with insiders telling Status they believe Roberts has other intentions in mind. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.status.news/p/comcast-nbcuniversal-spin-off-plan-brian-roberts

Reporters too Close to Sources?

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Article in Poynter by Tom Jones, 6/25/26

Headline: “Opinion | The Dianna Russini story isn’t over — and neither are the ethics questions”

Subhead:  “A New York Times deep dive revisits the former Athletic reporter’s relationship with sources and a revealing dispute over what’s ‘off the record’ “

“Not that long ago, Dianna Russini was at the top of her profession as an NFL insider for The Athletic. She was reportedly making nearly $800,000 and was considered one of the faces of the company, which is owned by The New York Times.

That all came crashing down with a series of photos that appeared in the New York Post in early “April. The photos showed Russini hanging out at an Arizona resort with Mike Vrabel, head coach of the New England Patriots. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.poynter.org/commentary/2026/the-athletic-new-york-times-dianna-russini-story-off-record/

Sometimes, Media Admit Error

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Article in Daily Kos by Staff, 6/23/26

Headline:  “Conservative writer learns the hard truth about Trump”

” ‘CNN was right about the war, and I was wrong,’ reads The Hill headline of a column by Becket Adams.

“When it comes to President [Donald] Trump’s disastrous attempt this year at playing war chief, a whole lot of conservatives got it wrong, this author included,” Adams writes. . .”

“In fact, Adams deserves more credit than most conservatives simply for acknowledging the mistake instead of pretending it never happened or screaming, ‘Fake news!’. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/6/23/800059611/media-and-culture/conservative-writer-learns-hard-truth-about-trump/

Quitting Media Work?

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Article in Poynter by Megan Griffith-Greene & Tony Atkins, 6/17/26

Headline: “Should I stay or should I go? How to decide whether it’s time to leave your journalism job”

Subhead:  “The news about the news is looking grim. Here are a few things to consider if you’re thinking about making a major career change”

“The media industry has been messy lately. Consolidation, layoffs, ownership priorities and public disputes seem to be making as much news as the actual news. The instability — and all the spilled media tea — leaves a bad taste.

“If you’re working through that instability, how do you evaluate whether it’s worth it to stay, or whether it’s time to move on?. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.poynter.org/business-work/2026/should-i-leave-my-journalism-job/

CNN Moving Closer to the Edge

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Article in Status by Oliver Darcy, 6/16/26

Headline:  “The CBS-CNN Courtship”

Subhead:  “Behind the scenes, Status has learned that top executives at CNN and CBS News have quietly convened for meetings as Paramount moves closer to acquiring Warner Bros. Discovery, uniting the two news operations.”

“A few weeks ago, as CBS News and   inched closer to a corporate marriage, top executives from the two news organizations and their parent companies convened for an introductory meeting. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.status.news/p/cbs-news-cnn-merger-bari-weiss-mark-thompson-paramount

Paramount Acquisitions

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Article in The Hill by Sophie Brams, 6/112/26

Headline:  “Justice Department approves Paramount bid to acquire Warner Bros.”

“The Department of Justice (DOJ) has approved Paramount’s $110 billion bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, according to the DOJ’s Antitrust Division, clearing a key regulatory hurdle for the merger between the two global entertainment giants.. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://thehill.com/media/5922500-doj-clears-paramount-warner-deal/

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Article in Common Dreams by Brett Wilkins, 6/12/26

Headline: ” ‘This Fight Isn’t Over’: Opponents Turn to State AGs After DOJ Approves Paramount-Warner Merger”

“Now that the federal government has abandoned antitrust enforcement in favor of cronyism and runaway consolidation, state attorneys general must step in to block this deal,” said one critic. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.commondreams.org/news/doj-approves-paramount-warner-merger

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Article in The Wrap by Lucas Manfredi, 6/12/26

Headline:  “Justice Department Clears Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger”

“The regulator determined that the $110 billion deal is “not likely to result in harm to competition or American consumers. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.thewrap.com/industry-news/business/paramount-warner-bros-merger-cleared-department-of-justice/

Media Propaganda and Elections

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Article in Columbia Journalism Review by Maddy Crowell, 6/1/26

Headline:  “The Battle for the American Mind”

Subhead:  “Lauren Chen, a right-wing influencer, ran an alleged Russian-backed media company until the DOJ shut it down. Now she’s back—with a new podcast.”

“. . .During the 2020 elections, according to a declassified intelligence briefing, there was strong evidence that Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, had interfered in favor of Trump. But the goal was essentially less about advancing the fortunes of any one candidate and more about fragmenting and polarizing the American electorate.. . .”

“To the extent that Russia’s 2016 operation was successful, that can be attributed in large part to its exploitation of a media landscape that had, increasingly, become a Wild West of alt-news sites such as the Daily Caller, Breitbart, Project Veritas, Newsmax, and Blaze TV. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.cjr.org/feature/the-battle-for-the-american-mind-lauren-chen-liam-donovan-tenet-media-fbi-raid-biden-merrick-garland-tim-pool-benny-johnson-lauren-southern-dave-rubin-russia-disinformation-putin.php