Media Turmoil

Journalists vs. AI

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Article in Columbia Journalism Review by Riddhi Setty

Headline:  “Fighting the Machine”

Subhead:  “Journalists across the United States are fighting for contracts that address AI use: ‘We don’t want it to be done in our name, literally.’ “

“On a chilly day in early April, outside the ProPublica offices in Lower Manhattan, dozens of union members staged a daylong strike—the first of its kind authorized at a major news organization to address, among other concerns, how AI would be used with its work. . .”

” ‘Now is the time to fight this fight,’ Hilke Schellmann, an AI expert and journalism professor at New York University, told me. ‘Because once it becomes standard in a union bargaining agreement across the journalism industry that journalists or employees have no say over AI tools, that quickly becomes a standard.’ ”

Read the full article at:

https://www.cjr.org/analysis/fighting-the-machine-contracts-artificial-intelligence-ai-use-bylines.php

Media Company on the Skids?

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Article in Daily Kos by Staff, 4/29/26

Headline:  “Trump Media joins the president’s long list of failures”

“Last week, Devin Nunes was fired from his role as CEO of Trump Media. The former congressman and dairy farmer lasted nearly three years at President Donald Trump’s media company, which is honestly impressive given how catastrophically it has performed.

“Under Nunes, the company’s stock collapsed 84% from its 2024 debut, falling from $58 to under $10. . .”

Reads the full article at:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/4/29/800030163/media-and-culture/trump-media-presidents-failures/

Grabbing Radio

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Article in the New York Times by Lauren Hirsch and Benjamin Mullin

Headline:  “SiriusXM Said to Be in Early Talks to Acquire iHeartMedia”

Subhead:  “A deal, which was described by two people familiar with the discussions, would unite two major providers of traditional and satellite radio.”

“SiriusXM is in early-stage discussions to acquire iHeartMedia, a deal that would create an audio giant with a foothold in traditional and satellite radio and podcasts, two people familiar with the discussions said Friday.

“Should a deal come to fruition, it would be the culmination of years of speculation about a tie-up. Liberty SiriusXM Group, once an affiliate of John Malone’s media empire, formerly held significant stakes in both companies. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/24/business/media/siriusxm-iheart-radio.html

More CBS Angst

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Article in Daily Beast by Annabella Rosciglione, 4/23/26

Headline:  “CBS Staffers Revolt After MAGA-Coded Anchor’s Wild Lecture”

“CBS News staffers have been fuming over the network’s top talent ever since he released a video complaining about the ‘legacy media.’

Before CBS Evening News anchor Tony Dokoupil took over the anchor chair, he posted a video in January accusing the ‘legacy media’ of having ‘missed the story’ by putting ‘too much weight in the analysis of academics or elites, and not enough on you.’. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.thedailybeast.com/cbs-staffers-revolt-after-maga-coded-anchor-tony-dokoupils-wild-lecture-on-legacy-media/

Food Fight at Correspondents’ Dinner?

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Article in Poynter by Amaris Castillo, Angela Fu, and Ren LaForme, 4/22/26

Headline:  “Opinion | The White House Correspondents’ Dinner guest list keeps raising eyebrows”

Subhead: “Brendan Carr’s planned appearance and Trump’s return complicate an event already fraught with press tensions”

“Federal Communications Chair Brendan Carr plans to attend this weekend’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner, Oliver Darcy reports in his Status newsletter, adding another controversial name to a guest list that already includes Pete Hegseth, Stephen Miller and Donald Trump. Carr confirmed his attendance in a text message to Status, though it’s unclear what table he’ll join. His presence raises eyebrows because he has used his role to target major broadcasters and float potential actions against journalists. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.poynter.org/commentary/2026/brendan-carr-fcc-chair-attending-whca-dinner/

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Article in Daily Beast by David Gardner, 4/22/26

Headline:  “Trump’s Plans for ‘Mic-Drop’ Media Confrontation Are Leaked”

Subhead:  “AFTER-DINNER SCREECH – The president is planning a rage-fueled moment at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.”

“Donald Trump will launch a ‘revenge’ attack on the White House media when he confronts them in person at a Washington dinner on Saturday night—then flee before there can be revenge.

“He is expected to target publications that he has accused of writing negatively about his administration and his war with Iran, in particular, according to sources.

“The Daily Beast is among the outlets the president and his aides have accused of ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome.’. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.thedailybeast.com/trumps-plans-for-mic-drop-media-confrontation-at-white-house-correspondents-association-dinner-are-leaked/

A Fragmenting Medium

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Article in Columbia Journalism Review by Riddhi Setty 4/22/26

Headline:  “The Post Tries to Regroup”

Subhead:  “After announcing major cuts, the paper is delaying layoffs and attempting to hire back former staffers.”

“When the Washington Post announced mass layoffs, in February, the company offered severance packages to the roughly three hundred and fifty staff members losing their jobs. To receive their severance, these employees would have to sign their packages by April 10; they would then begin receiving the payments after April 30. But after the terms were set, something strange happened. Editors who were overseeing the laid-off employees began contacting several of them, asking them to return—not as full-time staff, but to work under what their union called a ‘delayed layoff.’. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.cjr.org/analysis/washington-post-tries-regroup-after-major-cuts-layoffs-delayed-rehire-former-staff.php

Godful Media

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Article in Media Matters by Payton Armstrong, 4/15/26

Headline: “Right-wing Christian media double down on supporting Trump’s Iran war: ‘King David himself did this when he found himself dealing with a nation that was barbaric’ “

Subhead: “Trump and Pete Hegseth have framed the war in religious terms, including Hegseth claiming that military operations are being ‘carried out under the protection of divine providence’ “

“Some right-wing Christian media figures are continuing their support for President Donald Trump’s war with Iran even as some within the broader right-wing media ecosystem have split with the administration.

“These right-wing Christian media personalities — including several prophetic figures who claim to share prophecies, or messages from God, with their audiences — have celebrated that ‘God was brought in’ by Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth in public messaging of the war, and claimed that ‘we are on God’s side’ so ‘whatever we do would have His blessing.’. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.mediamatters.org/us-iran-relations/right-wing-christian-media-double-down-supporting-trumps-iran-war-king-david

Who Benefits from Erasing History?

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Article in Gadget Review by A1 Landes, 4/13/26

Headline:  “23 Major News Sites Have Blocked the Wayback Machine – Digital History In Danger”

Subhead:  “Major news organizations including New York Times and USA Today block Wayback Machine amid AI training concerns”

“Major news outlets block Wayback Machine, preventing public access to archived content

“Twenty-three sites including New York Times cite AI training fears as justification

“Journalists lose critical fact-checking tool that exposed editorial changes and accountability issues . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.gadgetreview.com/23-major-news-sites-have-blocked-the-wayback-machine-digital-history-in-danger

Against Mega Media Merger

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Article in Free Press by Staff, 4/15/26

Headline: “Free Press Flies Protest Banners Around Paramount Studios as a Struggling CBS Attempts to Woo Advertisers During ‘Upfront Week’ “

Subhead:  “Billboard trucks and a plane circle studio lot showing the dangers of media mega-mergers as CBS seeks to attract advertisers amid historic declines in ratings.”

“LOS ANGELES — On Wednesday evening, two mobile billboards and a plane banner exposing the dangers of the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger circled the Paramount Studio lot as the media giant attempts to woo advertisers to purchase spots on CBS’s fall primetime schedule. . .”

“The protest billboards and banner, produced by Free Press, warn advertisers about placing their products on CBS, as it remakes itself into a mouthpiece for the Trump regime. If the Paramount Skydance acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery goes through, it would put outlets including HBO and CNN under the control of David Ellison and his father Larry, one of the richest men in the world. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.freepress.net/news/free-press-flies-protest-banners-around-paramount-studios-struggling-cbs-attempts-woo

Anger at Media Supporters

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Article in Daily Kos by Oliver Willis, 4/15/26

Headline: “Why Trump turned his rage on these MAGA mainstays”

“Last week, President Donald Trump went to war against some of his most diehard supporters in the world of right-wing media.

“These figures—conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, pundit Megyn Kelly, former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, and conspiracy theorist and author Candace Owens—have bolstered Trump’s cause and attacked his political enemies without hesitation for years.

“But on April 9, Trump took a swing at them on Truth Social, calling them ‘nut jobs’ with ‘low IQs’ after they criticized his war in Iran. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/4/15/800019711/media-and-culture/why-trump-turned-his-rage-on-these-maga-mainstays/