Biz Buzz
Updates on people and organizations in the news universe
The Week of March 24, 2025
Variety. Yahoo sells TechCrunch to investment firm Regent
TechCrunch publishes news, podcasts, newsletters and videos hosts events throughout the year, including the well-known Disrupt conference. -gjw
Press Gazette. British trade the Press Gazette launches industry job cuts tracker
Job cuts in the journalism industry in the UK and US slowed in February compared to January 2025. More than 900 jobs were cut in the journalism industry in the UK and US in January compared to about 210 in February. -gjw
TalkingBizNews. Dow Jones launches custom news feed for client
The Press Gazette reports “news and data from Dow Jones publications the Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, Market Watch and Investor’s Business Daily will appear in a customized dashboard, curated by company journalists.” More customized feeds are expected to follow. -gjw
The Week of March 10, 2025
NiemanLab. FiveThirtyEight is shutting down as part of broader cuts at ABC and Disney
Disney is shutting down FiveThirtyEight (a comprehensive public polling database), The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday night. - acb
NiemanLab. Aggregator for independent news has shut down
OptOut Media Foundation was unable to raise enough money to maintain the app and the organization, which also published its own investigative journalism. The app shut down on January 1 and has been removed from the Apple App Store. - gjw
The NewsGuild of New York. WALKOUT AVERTED: NewsGuild of NY-represented Gannett journalists win tentative two-year contract deals
Two unions, poised to walk off the job, achieve life-changing agreements that lift wages, provide job security and strengthen local news. Improvements in pay and job security helped avoid a walkout by journalists represented by NewGuild. Newsroom staff represented by APP-MCJ Guild also came to an agreement with employers as well. - dg
SEMAFOR. Reporters launch new TikTok-like news platform
Vereran journalists and publishers are launching a new site designed to bundle the work of top independent journalists. Noosphere is a platform for news that will charge less than $20 a month to users in exchange for unlimited access to content produced by independent journalists. - acb
NiemanLab. Remember Nuzzel? A similar news-aggregating tool now exists for Bluesky
Aggregates news shared by accounts you follow on Bluesky and Mastodon. - acb
NiemanLab. Dow Jones negotiates AI usage agreements with nearly 4,000 news publishers
Dow Jones (News Corp) sues Perplexity, an AI startup, for “a massive amount of illegal copying of publishers’ copyrighted work." In November Factiva, Dow Jones' AI tool, announced it had signed generative AI usage agreements with nearly 4,000 publishers around the world. Factiva targets professionals in finance, academia, government, and business. - acb
The Week of February 24, 2025
Politico. UC Berkeley backs out of Google's California news-use compromise
UC Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism will not host the News Transformation Fund, the arrangement between Google and California to compensate news organizations for use of their stories in Google News. The reason was lack of authority to direct the use of funds. This leaves California without a venue for the controversial program, which has been challenged for being monetarily insufficient and tilted toward AI. - acb
Editor & Publisher. Lenfest Institute and Knight Foundation launch Knight Communities Network to support local journalism funders
Eight local Press Forward chapters will benefit from peer-to-peer workshops to test and develop new funding mechanisms for local and regional news markets. Initial cities include Philadelphia, Lexington, Miami, Wichita, Charlotte, Gary, and State College, Pennsylvania. - acb
The Week of February 11, 2025
CJR. In a volatile landscape for AI vs. labor rights, journalists at ABC secure a win
ABC News journalists approve a contract with protections against AI-related job losses and management transparency requirements. - jy
E&P. Hearst Connecticut Media purchases Waterbury’s Republican-American
Hearst Connecticut Media Group has acquired the Republican-American and Citizens News to boost local journalism in the state. - jy
The Week of January 28, 2025
Cities Today. Abilene named as launchpad for $500-billion AI project
Abilene, Texas, has been announced as the site of the first AI development center under a new $500 billion artificial intelligence initiative. President Trump revealed this plan on January 22, 2025, during the Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure press conference. - jy
NiemanLab. The National Trust for Local News keeps buying local newspapers. Here’s what they’ve learned.
The National Trust for Local News has grown significantly under Ross McDuffie, now managing 65 newspapers across three states with $50 million in revenue and 100,000 paying subscribers. Focused on revitalizing community journalism, the Trust balances traditional print products with digital innovation to serve “news deserts.” - jy
The Week of January 7, 2025
NYT. Washington Post Lays Off 4% of Its Work Force
NYT. Inside Disney’s Decision to Settle a Trump Defamation Suit
The Atlantic. The End of News: Legacy media has a trust problem, but it’s not too late to solve it.
The Week of December 24, 2024
CJR. Spyware Is Spreading—And It’s Cheaper Than Ever
CJR. The Sentencing of Carlos Watson
Republican-American. Hearst Connecticut Media Group is negotiating to buy the Republican-American
CBC. Looming closure of Thompson newspaper 'a huge loss' for northern Manitoba: culture minister
The Week of December 17, 2024
JSTOR. Can We Build a Better Facebook?
The Week of December 10, 2024
Guardian. LA Times owner says AI meter will show article ‘bias’
HP. Taylor Lorenz Exits Washington Post to Launch ‘User Mag’ on Substack
AP. The Future of Data Journalism in Local News
The Walrus. Tech Titans Should Pay to Save Canada’s Newsrooms
Axios. Minnesota's Oldest Black Newspaper Turns 90
Guardian. Canadian media companies sue OpenAI in case potentially worth billions
HP. Los Angeles Times Owner Plans to Launch Tech-Driven “Bias Meter” On Articles Next Year
The Week of November 19, 2024
WP. Liberal media bias no longer helps Democrats. It’s hurting them
NYT. Meet David Hoffmann, the Florida Billionaire Buying Up Print Newspapers
PND. INN Index shows nonprofit news growth stable
WVXU. Cincinnati nonprofit online newsroom 'Signal' launching in 2025
CalMatters. A powerful next-stage journalism venture: CalMatters acquires The Markup
Nieman. Midwestern news nonprofit The Beacon shuts down its Wichita newsroom
Tennessee Lookout. ProPublica selects Tennessee Lookout for newsroom partnership
AP. AP to launch sister organization to fundraise for state, local news
AP. AP announces content collaborations with 5 nonprofit news outlets
Guardian. Guardian will no longer post on Elon Musk’s X from its official accounts
Guardian. Associated Press to cut 8% of staff through layoffs and buyouts
BBC. Trump defence pick paid accuser to save Fox News job, but denies claim
BBC. Trump names 'big tech' critic Brendan Carr to head US comms regulator
The Week of November 1, 2024
CNN. Polish radio station replaces journalists with AI ‘presenters’
Al Jazeera. What Joe Rogan, Washington Post dramas say about the US election and media
Guardian. New Jersey’s largest paper ends daily print editions but will continue online
The Week of October 21, 2024
St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Hoffmann has an eye on the Post-Dispatch after big spend in Augusta
Guardian. Olivia Nuzzi leaves New York magazine after revelation of RFK Jr relationship
The Week of October 14, 2024
Poynter. Crane slams into Tampa Bay Times building during Hurricane Milton
NPR. Taylor Lorenz leaves 'Washington Post' after rift with editors
Hollywood Reporter. Taylor Lorenz Exits Washington Post to Launch ‘User Mag’ on Substack
Guardian. Executive resigns at Trump Media, Truth Social’s parent company
Columbia Journalism Review. Sewell Chan named executive editor of Columbia Journalism Review
Portland Press Herald. Maine Trust for Local News names Carolyn Fox executive editor
Edited by Jenny Young, Damon Gitelman, AC Blaisdell and Gordon Whiting