Silicon Investor - Media Industries: Newspapers, TV, Radio, Movies, Online

[Ron] Netanyahu does an extensive 60 Minutes interview with CBS White House Correspond...

Ron — 5/10/2026 8:53:13 PM

Netanyahu does an extensive 60 Minutes interview with CBS White House Correspondent Major Garrett.
When's the last time Garrett was on 60 Minutes? I'm thinking this is another shift for the news division,
using Garrett instead of a regular 60 Minutes correspondent...such as Pelley...

[Ron] Weekend movie box office: boxofficemojo.com

Ron — 5/10/2026 6:51:52 PM

[Ron] The Problems with Prediction Markets and Polling: undark.org

Ron — 5/9/2026 5:21:22 PM

[Ron] Two press freedom groups that hold Paramount shares are demanding internal recor...

Ron — 5/9/2026 10:56:09 AM

Two press freedom groups that hold Paramount shares are demanding internal records over concerns the Ellisons have agreed to compromise the editorial integrity of CNN to secure approval for the Warner Brothers takeover.

Early on Thursday afternoon, Paramount’s chief legal officer, Makan Delrahim, received a letter from lawyers representing Freedom of the Press Foundation and Reporters Without Borders—both organizations of which are shareholders in the David Ellison-owned media conglomerate.

The letter, provided exclusively to Status, cited news reports about Paramount’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery—the parent company of CNN, HBO, Warner Bros. Pictures, and more—contending that Paramount leadership “has promised, if not outright provided, high-level executive branch officials an array of favors to bolster” the company’s chances of obtaining regulatory approval for the controversial deal. Specifically, the letter pointed to reporting that Larry Ellison discussed the WBD deal with Donald Trump’s White House and indicated Paramount would “implement the CBS playbook” at CNN, “transforming CNN’s programming and firing anchors and commentators Trump dislikes.”

“This reporting creates a credible basis to believe that Ellison, other board members, and other Paramount executives may have breached their fiduciary duties or otherwise committed misconduct,” wrote the lawyers from the Public Integrity Project, which is representing the two prominent press advocacy groups.

- more
archive.ph

mediaite.com

[Ron] How Ben Shapiro’s Daily Wire lost its grip on the conservative internet Once a...

Ron — 5/9/2026 7:33:50 AM

How Ben Shapiro’s Daily Wire lost its grip on the conservative internet
Once ascendant in right-wing media, the “anti-woke” company now faces contentious layoffs, ideological battles and dwindling relevance online.

washingtonpost.com

archive.ph

[Ron] [bluesky] Book Excerpt: Project Maven- meet the gods of AI warfare archive.ph/z...

Ron — 5/8/2026 8:47:06 PM

[bluesky]

Book Excerpt: Project Maven- meet the gods of AI warfare archive.ph/zQVSX
— James Aura (@jamesaura.bsky.social) 2026-05-08T21:44:06.536Z

[/bluesky]

[Ron] DJT (Truth Social) reported $0.9 million in revenue against a net loss of $405.9...

Ron — 5/8/2026 5:51:43 PM

DJT (Truth Social) reported $0.9 million in revenue against a net loss of $405.9 million, raising concerns about its financial viability.

Trump Media & Technology Group (DJT) faces significant challenges, reporting a net loss of $405.9 million for Q1 2026 despite total assets of $2.2 billion. A leadership shake-up with the appointment of interim CEO Kevin J. McGurn raises questions about future strategies amid ongoing financial struggles and a 75.9% stock decline since its peak.

finance.yahoo.com

[S. maltophilia] Among today's WTFs: Utah first state to hold websites liable for users who mas...

S. maltophilia — 5/8/2026 3:26:12 PM

Among today's WTFs:

Utah first state to hold websites liable for users who mask their location with VPNs — law goes into effect, designed to prevent bypassing age checks

tomshardware.com

techdirt.com
:

Other lowlights:

techdirt.com

[Ron] ‘60 Minutes’ star Sharyn Alfonsi lawyers up for Bari Weiss battle as she faces t...

Ron — 5/8/2026 2:29:05 PM

‘60 Minutes’ star Sharyn Alfonsi lawyers up for Bari Weiss battle as she faces the chop from CBS at end of the month
pagesix.com

[S. maltophilia] Complaining about the FCC to the FCC. Seems like a waste of time and legal fees....

S. maltophilia — 5/8/2026 2:20:14 PM

Complaining about the FCC to the FCC. Seems like a waste of time and legal fees.

....34. Texas primary candidate for Senate Jasmine Crockett appeared on The View on
January 6, 2026.
35. Texas primary candidate for Senate James Talarico appeared on The View on
February 2, 2026.
36. After Ms. Crockett’s appearance on the program, The View co-hosts Farah Griffin
and Goldberg suggested to me that Mr. Talarico should be a potential interview guest.
37. In deciding whether to invite Mr. Talarico to appear on The View, I considered the
facts that, at that time, Talarico’s campaign had been receiving national attention and that Talarico
had gained a significant following on social media. These factors, along with the newsworthinessDoc ID: c947f0279c4a8eec6f858d7b31b59413d3bd3917
6
of the Texas senate primary elections and potential audience interest in Mr. Talarico, informed my

judgment that Mr. Talarico was a newsworthy subject. My decision to invite Mr. Talarico to appear....

fcc.gov

[Ron] Nexstar Media Group worked to impress Wall Street by pointing to the prowess o...

Ron — 5/8/2026 2:03:19 PM

Nexstar Media Group worked to impress Wall Street by pointing to the prowess of its $6.2 billion merger with TEGNA during the company’s first quarter (Q1) earnings report on Thursday, even as the nation’s largest broadcaster continues to square off against a bipartisan group of state attorneys general and pay TV platform DIRECTV to maintain the integrity of that deal.

On the financial side, Nexstar grew its overall revenue to $1.396 billion during Q1, an increase of 13 percent, while the company’s profit climbed nearly 65 percent to $160 million. Those financial figures include TEGNA’s businesses from the time the deal closed in mid-March through the end of that month, executives confirmed.

thedesk.net

[Ron] Have they really? We'll see: ABC Learns from Past Mistakes, Takes Stronger S...

Ron — 5/8/2026 1:40:31 PM

Have they really? We'll see: ABC Learns from Past Mistakes, Takes Stronger Stance Against Carr and Trump's Censorship Campaign
freepress.net

[S. maltophilia] The expanded version: [graphic] [graphic] [graphic] Jeffrey Go...

S. maltophilia — 5/8/2026 12:24:53 AM

The expanded version:

Jeffrey Goldberg
Editor In Chief

Three weeks ago, The Atlantic reported that FBI personnel are alarmed by what they say is erratic behavior and excessive drinking by the FBI’s director, Kash Patel. The story was based on information provided by 25 separate sources. Patel denied the allegations and filed a defamation suit against The Atlantic and the article’s author, Sarah Fitzpatrick, one of our many outstanding staff writers.

If Patel thought that he could intimidate The Atlantic by suing us, he was very, very wrong. We will fight this lawsuit aggressively—we have the truth, and very capable lawyers, on our side—and we are continuing to report on his leadership of the FBI. Just yesterday, hours after MS NOW reported that Fitzpatrick is the focus of a criminal leak investigation launched by the FBI, we posted her latest story on Patel. In it, she reported that it is not unusual for Patel to travel with a supply of personalized branded bourbon. The bottles bear the imprint of the Kentucky distillery Woodford Reserve and are engraved with the words “Kash Patel FBI Director,” as well as a rendering of an FBI shield. Surrounding the shield is a band of text featuring Patel’s director title and his favored spelling of his first name: Ka$h. An eagle holds the shield in its talons, along with the number 9, a reference to Patel’s place in the history of FBI directors. Being the thorough, deeply reported magazine that we are, we obtained one such bottle. Here it is:

A personalized bottle of Woodford Reserve bourbon engraved with the words “Kash Patel FBI Director,” as well as a rendering of an FBI shield, obtained by The Atlantic (The Atlantic)

The report that an Atlantic journalist is the focus of a criminal leak investigation, if confirmed to be true, is very disturbing. As Fitzpatrick’s colleagues Matt Viser and Shane Harris report, investigators rarely subpoena a reporter’s records, to avoid encroaching on journalism that is protected by the First Amendment. But MS NOW’s reporting suggests a reversal of the normal process, with investigators possibly beginning their work with Fitzpatrick.

This isn’t our first rodeo. We’ve faced extraordinary government pressure, and Trump-administration calumny, before. We live in a period in which some media organizations buckle under government pressure. I promise you that we will never give in. If a story is true, we will publish it.

And we will defend The Atlantic and its staff vigorously; we will not be intimidated by illegitimate investigations or other acts of politically motivated retaliation; we will continue to cover the FBI professionally, fairly, and thoroughly; and we will continue to practice journalism in the public interest.

The Atlantic has demonstrated for 169 years that it is committed to the values of democracy, accountability, and transparency, and we will stay true to this commitment. Nothing will deter us from our work.

The story in question,if not posted elsewhere:

theatlantic.com

[Ron] Elon Musk Summoned to France to Face Criminal Charges Over Abusive Images on X ...

Ron — 5/7/2026 6:27:13 PM

Elon Musk Summoned to France to Face Criminal Charges Over Abusive Images on X
theguardian.com

[Ron] [bluesky] Bravo @jeffreygoldberg.bsky.social This is how it's done, for the re...

Ron — 5/7/2026 5:08:39 PM

[bluesky]

Bravo @jeffreygoldberg.bsky.social This is how it's done, for the rest of you in the mediasphere
— Michael E. Mann (@michaelemann.bsky.social) 2026-05-07T20:59:55.885Z

[/bluesky]

[Ron] I remember when we called CNN Chicken Noodle News- but Ted Turner changed televi...

Ron — 5/7/2026 12:04:59 PM

I remember when we called CNN Chicken Noodle News- but Ted Turner changed television in many ways
thedesk.net

[Ron] Warner Bros. Discovery books $2.9 billion net loss tied to Paramount deal, restr...

Ron — 5/6/2026 8:27:18 PM

Warner Bros. Discovery books $2.9 billion net loss tied to Paramount deal, restructuring costs

cnbc.com

[S. maltophilia] Hey, we're way better than North Korea and Eritrea: Congrats Eve...

S. maltophilia — 5/6/2026 6:02:18 PM

Hey, we're way better than North Korea and Eritrea:

Congrats Everyone: U.S. Now Ranked 64th In Global Press Freedom
Failures

from the look-mom,-we're-stupid! dept
Tue, May 5th 2026 05:30am - Karl Bode
Good news if you really enjoy corporatism, autocracy, propaganda and a violently misinformed electorate!

The U.S. has fallen to sixty-fourth place (now below Ukraine) in the annual Reporters Without Borders (RSF) World Press Freedom Index. As corrupt, oligarch-coddled authoritarians the world over continue to enjoy their moment in the sun, journalism (aka the “enemy of the people”) continues to be violently disassembled by a lazy coalition of fascist ideology and corporatism.

From the latest report (see the full interactive index):...

techdirt.com

[Ron] Indigenous actor sues James Cameron for ‘stealing’ her facial features for Avata...

Ron — 5/6/2026 5:37:58 PM

Indigenous actor sues James Cameron for ‘stealing’ her facial features for Avatar character
Suit says director used Q’orianka Kilcher’s features without permission after seeing her in advert for The New World

theguardian.com

Sounds like he kind of admitted it...

[Ron] Veteran CNN journalist Christiane Amanpour pointed to the “ideological realignme...

Ron — 5/6/2026 2:04:12 PM

Veteran CNN journalist Christiane Amanpour pointed to the “ideological realignment” at CBS News on Wednesday as she expressed her “concern” at what her own network might look like under the oversight of incoming owner David Ellison.
mediaite.com

[Ron] With TV News In Free Fall, Anchors Try Breaking Away As cost cuts roil the netwo...

Ron — 5/6/2026 12:26:25 PM

With TV News In Free Fall, Anchors Try Breaking Away
As cost cuts roil the networks, A-list talent (and their agents) are mulling ways to go indie to make up for slashed salaries — a move that's not only risky but expensive.
hollywoodreporter.com

Mehdi Hasan realized that he survived the jump from linear to digital after an encounter in a men’s room. “Another man came out and started talking to me,” Hasan recalled. “He pointed at me and said, ‘You’re …’ — and I thought he was going to say, ‘You’re Mehdi Hasan from MSNBC, you’re the guy from Piers Morgan, you’re the guy from Jubilee or the Oxford Union’ — he said, ‘You’re that guy from Zeteo, right?’ And I said, ‘Yes, that is me. The Zeteo guy.’

“When the brand is being used to identify you in public restrooms, that is when you know you have made it,” Hasan quipped, speaking to a crowd of well-wishers that included comedian Hasan Minhaj, chef José Andrés and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani in a midtown Manhattan Lebanese restaurant in April.

[Ron] Second time he's expressed the desire to buy CNN: Barry Diller Wants To Buy CN...

Ron — 5/6/2026 12:14:44 PM

Second time he's expressed the desire to buy CNN:
Barry Diller Wants To Buy CNN “Before They Ruin It Any Further”: “Hopefully Before It’s Extinct”
deadline.com

[Ron] The New York Times Company now has 13.1 million subscribers, the company said o...

Ron — 5/6/2026 10:51:05 AM

The New York Times Company now has 13.1 million subscribers, the company said on Wednesday, after adding about 310,000 digital-only subscribers in the first quarter of the year.

The company has set a goal of 15 million subscribers by the end of next year and appears to be on a pace to meet it. The Times has added an average of 330,000 total subscribers a quarter, including print, since the start of last year.
Total revenue for the quarter was $712.2 million, up 12 percent from a year earlier. Adjusted operating profit hit $117.9 million, up 27.2 percent. Adjusted operating costs increased 9.4 percent year over year to $594.3 million.

Digital-only average revenue per user, a metric used to measure the health of the subscription business, rose 2.4 percent, to $9.77, from the same quarter last year. Digital advertising revenue increased 31.6 percent.

Digital-only subscription revenue grew to $389 million, an increase of 16.1 percent year over year. Print subscription revenue continued its years long slide, down 1.1 percent for the quarter to $127.8 million.

There were 560,000 print subscribers to The Times in the first quarter, down from 600,000 a year earlier.

Revenue from artificial intelligence licensing deals, Wirecutter affiliate referrals and other sources increased 7.8 percent for the quarter to $68.5 million.

nytimes.com

[Ron] Ted Turner, founder of CNN, who revolutionized cable news, dead at 87 cnn.com (...

Ron — 5/6/2026 10:42:24 AM

Ted Turner, founder of CNN, who revolutionized cable news, dead at 87
cnn.com

(then Fox came along and it became FUBAR)

although I still go to the website for breaking international news... but not the pundits.

---NO IDEA how that repeated post happened...

[Ron] Ted Turner, founder of CNN, who revolutionized cable news, dead at 87 cnn.com (...

Ron — 5/6/2026 10:41:41 AM

Ted Turner, founder of CNN, who revolutionized cable news, dead at 87
cnn.com

(then Fox came along and it became FUBAR)

[Ron] Disney rises on earnings beat finance.yahoo.com

Ron — 5/6/2026 9:32:36 AM

[Ron] [bluesky] AI been pwned. This is very similar to how "Internet addiction" as a ...

Ron — 5/6/2026 8:25:05 AM

[bluesky]

AI been pwned. This is very similar to how "Internet addiction" as a condition began as an academic joke (a story I tell in The Web We Weave; see next post). Scientists invented a fake disease. AI told people it was real www.nature.com/articles/d41...
— Jeff (Gutenberg Parenthesis) Jarvis (@jeffjarvis.bsky.social) 2026-05-06T12:22:25.626Z

[/bluesky]

[Ron] The New York Times was sued on Tuesday by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity ...

Ron — 5/5/2026 5:46:32 PM

The New York Times was sued on Tuesday by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which accused the newspaper of passing over a white man for a top editorial role because of his race and gender, in order to meet what the agency viewed as illegal diversity goals.

reuters.com

"The New York Times categorically rejects the politically motivated allegations brought by the Trump administration’s EEOC," Times spokesperson Danielle Rhoades Ha said in a statement. "Our employment practices are merit-based and focused on recruiting and promoting the best talent in the world. We will defend ourselves vigorously.

Trump is also suing the Times, opens new tab in a $15 billion defamation lawsuit, accusing it of trying to sabotage his 2024 election campaign and disparage his reputation as a successful businessman.

[Ron] AMC Theaters loses less money, thanks to blockbusters during the quarter ho...

Ron — 5/5/2026 5:05:56 PM

AMC Theaters loses less money, thanks to blockbusters during the quarter

hollywoodreporter.com

[Ron] Murdoch's Younger Son, James, said to be interested in buying New York Magazine ...

Ron — 5/5/2026 5:00:57 PM

Murdoch's Younger Son, James, said to be interested in buying New York Magazine

Murdoch the beneficiary of an extra $1.1 billion thanks to a settlement that extricated himself from his older brother and father’s News Corp and Fox empires, may getting back in to the media game in a big way.

hollywoodreporter.com

[Ron] Five Publishers and Scott Turow Sue Meta and Mark Zuckerberg The class-action la...

Ron — 5/5/2026 10:30:15 AM

Five Publishers and Scott Turow Sue Meta and Mark Zuckerberg
The class-action lawsuit accuses the tech giant and its founder and chief executive of infringing on authors’ copyrights.

nytimes.com

[Ron] Cord Cutters continue to cut into Paramount-Skydance linear TV viewing, but stre...

Ron — 5/4/2026 8:36:28 PM

Cord Cutters continue to cut into Paramount-Skydance linear TV viewing, but streaming gained considerably:
earnings report:
thedesk.net

[Ron] The Post won a couple: [bluesky] Today's Pulitzer Prize winners: www.poynter...

Ron — 5/4/2026 3:55:25 PM

The Post won a couple:

[bluesky]

Today's Pulitzer Prize winners: www.poynter.org/reporting-ed...
— James Aura (@jamesaura.bsky.social) 2026-05-04T19:54:12.616Z

[/bluesky]

[Ron] Report: Paramount/Warner Brothers merger would level the broadband playing field...

Ron — 5/4/2026 3:40:49 PM

Report: Paramount/Warner Brothers merger would level the broadband playing field
thedesk.net

Paramount earnings today after the close

[S. maltophilia] [graphic] axios.com In this case Kalshi is trying to deal with the problem wit...

S. maltophilia — 5/4/2026 2:30:39 PM

axios.com

In this case Kalshi is trying to deal with the problem without imposing on anyone else's rights or privacy.

But the kids can try to outsmart them.

[S. maltophilia] Thanks. E's picture looked enough like the other one yo fool me.

S. maltophilia — 5/4/2026 1:34:46 PM

[Ron] Alexandra Petri vs Alexandra E. Petri... two different people...

Ron — 5/4/2026 1:28:11 PM

[S. maltophilia] They're only offering me a renewal @ $29, but I wouldn't for 29 cents, Dan Diamo...

S. maltophilia — 5/4/2026 12:35:57 PM

They're only offering me a renewal @ $29, but I wouldn't for 29 cents, Dan Diamond or not.

I noticed one unexpected byline this morning

nytimes.com

I guess Atlantic isn't enough to keep her busy or make ends meet.

[Sam] Someone should send her Katherine Graham's memoir.

Sam — 5/4/2026 10:21:40 AM

[Ron] Good idea. Do you have her email address?????? but I'm afraid the oligarch want...

Ron — 5/4/2026 9:59:30 AM

Good idea. Do you have her email address??????

but I'm afraid the oligarch wants an opinion outlet in his grip.... we'll see.

[Sam] CALLING MACKENZIE SCOTT!!! PLEASE TELL YOUR EX TO SELL YOU HIS TOY FOR HALF A BI...

Sam — 5/4/2026 9:57:47 AM

CALLING MACKENZIE SCOTT!!! PLEASE TELL YOUR EX TO SELL YOU HIS TOY FOR HALF A BILLION DOLLARS. A VERY GOOD ROI! AND YOU CAN AFFORD IT AND DO THE COUNTRY AND THE WORLD A HUGE FAVOR!!!

[Ron] Indeed they are still doing some good work, but a lot less. And the opinion colu...

Ron — 5/4/2026 9:54:49 AM

Indeed they are still doing some good work, but a lot less. And the opinion columns are veering into
full-blown Bezos opinion territory now. I'm not renewing, and when I discontinued, they immediately
offered another year for $25. The Times and Guardian are my preferences now.

[Sam] But WaPo is still there. I wish Jeff would sell it to MacKenzie for the $250k t...

Sam — 5/4/2026 9:31:05 AM

But WaPo is still there. I wish Jeff would sell it to MacKenzie for the $250k that he bought it for. Or even $500k, double his "investment". Dan Diamond is still a great reporter.

The Washington Post is still here.
It's been a hard time. But judge us on the work.

Dan Diamond

May 4

I ran into a friend in Florida this weekend, a great reporter from another outlet, who peppered me with questions about The Washington Post.

Is it as bad as the stories make it sound, my well-meaning friend asked.

If you work at The Post these days, you’ve probably had this conversation¹ too — for understandable reasons.

Three months ago today, the paper suffered gutting cuts. Writers, editors, designers, business staff — hundreds of people losing their jobs in a morning. It was a horrible day, bracketed by the voluntary departures of some exceptional talents² in the past year, too.

So yes. It’s been a hard time — and I still have my job. Many great journalists have been forced to find new ones.

But the media coverage of The Post has often obscured the reality of The Post. Every snafu this past year and especially these recent months — some embarrassing, clearly — has been refracted into a larger story about the paper, its output and its fate. The very real business concerns are frequently intermingled with pronouncements about The Post’s journalism.

“It’s hard to see how it regains relevance and competes for talent, subscribers, and ad dollars after being all but left for dead,” one puckish media writer concluded last week, part of a relentless drumbeat that prompted me to write this.³

I’m clear-eyed about The Post’s financial challenges; the depth and speed of cuts astounded me, but the need to right-size made sense. No journalist dreams of working for a billionaire’s charity operation.

I try to be just as frank when people, including my friend this weekend, ask me about the newsroom. Yes, The Post is diminished; how could it not be after losing so much talent? But every day I still see tremendous journalism from colleagues — the kind of reporting that some insist The Post doesn’t do anymore.

My colleague Monica Hesse last week wrote this haunting piece on Cheryl Hines after an attempted shooter attempted to breach the White House Correspondents Dinner. Other reporters, like this four person team-up, broke news about the correspondents’ dinner itself and why the security protocols seemed so lackluster. Another team obtained a key video of the incident.

The Post’s national security reporters continue to penetrate the Pentagon; my White House and politics colleagues have drawn on their sourcing to scrutinize the president.

And Rick Maese, a guy I can’t say enough good things about, just had a series of scoops about the Trump team’s efforts to redevelop one of Washington’s historic golf courses.

We’re still home to tremendous talents behind the bylines, too, such as Aaron Schaffer, a gifted researcher who makes so many stories better.

Of course, I wish we were doing more of all these stories — and with more talent to support us. There are astounding pieces still regularly appearing in the paper, written by colleagues whose jobs were eliminated but spent weeks working to finish their articles anyway. It’s a real-time reminder of what they brought and what’s been lost.

Meanwhile, there are other outlets, like Notus, seeking to seize turf long held by The Post. Their ambitions may make my job harder, but their growth is good for holding leaders accountable and good for informing readers, so I’m all for it.

So yes, the challenges are immense and real. There’s a list of unwritten stories that gets longer by the day.

But those of us here at The Post are still working. We’re still reporting. And I still hope you’ll come with us and support the paper as we do it — so we can do more of it.

Thanks for reading Dan Diamond's newsletter. Subscribe for free to stay up-to-date on my work.

[Ron] Google is expanding the capabilities of its Google TV platform with a slate of...

Ron — 5/4/2026 8:01:11 AM

Google is expanding the capabilities of its Google TV platform with a slate of new features that emphasize generative artificial intelligence, personalized content discovery and enhanced photo integration as the company looks to deepen engagement on connected television devices.

thedesk.net

reality will, no doubt, be even harder to find on the web...

[Ron] Just in case you were wondering: Ask.com closed on May 1st ask.com

Ron — 5/4/2026 7:39:26 AM

[Ron] With the Advent of Digital, Your TV Already Knows too Much About You, and it's g...

Ron — 5/3/2026 1:28:09 PM

With the Advent of Digital, Your TV Already Knows too Much About You, and it's going to get Worse
slate.com

[Ron] Google's AI Overviews Pump Out Millions Of Wrong Answers Each Hour Despite 90% '...

Ron — 5/3/2026 12:04:01 PM

Google's AI Overviews Pump Out Millions Of Wrong Answers Each Hour Despite 90% 'Accuracy' Rate, Study Finds
ibtimes.com

among the reasons I usually bypass it...

[Ron] Even when the White House Correspondents’ Dinner goes smoothly, it’s a huge emba...

Ron — 5/2/2026 5:37:23 PM

Even when the White House Correspondents’ Dinner goes smoothly, it’s a huge embarrassment to journalists. And in the wake of Saturday’s shooting that interrupted the event, the spectacle of journalists cozying up to politicians is likely to get even worse.

“We’ll do it again within the next 30 days,” Donald Trump said, “and we’ll make it bigger and better and even nicer.”
Notice that Trump said “we.” He’s not supposed to be in charge of the event – he was a guest of the press – but he will surely use security concerns to big-foot the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) and dictate the terms of his return appearance, unless someone has the sense to call the whole thing off.

stopthepresses.news

[S. maltophilia] Karl Bode, again, on Carr vs ABC: ...The actual process of yanking a broadcast...

S. maltophilia — 5/2/2026 3:17:17 PM

Karl Bode, again, on Carr vs ABC:

...The actual process of yanking a broadcast license is also a complicated, difficult, and extremely time consuming affair. Were Carr to actually do this (beyond sending Disney a stern letter to put on a show for the press), you're talking about potentially years of legal wrangling. A fight Carr would very likely lose, because, again, his entire underpinning argument is baseless and stupid.

Carr doesn't actually want a legal showdown with deep-pocketed Disney over this turd of a case. They're just hoping to make life so costly and annoying for ABC/Disney that the company not only fires Kimmel, but thinks twice about supporting any journalist, satirist, or comedian who dares challenge the administration. It's also a message to other networks that host voices critical of the unpopular president.

This is, if the pathetic U.S. press coverage of this FCC inquiry is any indication, already...

techdirt.com

[Ron] Meta is threatening to take its ball and go home after a New Mexico jury found t...

Ron — 5/2/2026 11:38:21 AM

Meta is threatening to take its ball and go home after a New Mexico jury found the company liable for harms against children facilitated via its social media platforms.
ms.now