Who's behind the news?
Who's behind the news?
1.2.14
Newsjunkie.net is a resource guide for journalists. We show who's behind the news, and provide tools to help navigate the modern business of information.
Use of Data
Editor & Publisher. Wyoming news executives band together to save 8 of the states publications after News Media Corporation Announcement
Robb and Jen Hicks and Rob Mortimore announced an agreement with News Media Corporation to purchase all of its Wyoming newspapers. This effort has helped save countless jobs throughout the state and ensure Wyoming's news landscape remains strong and informed. -acs
CNBC. MSNB to change name to MS Now, abandoning association with legacy media NBC
After Versant and Comcast-NBCUniversal announced their split, it seemed that no major changes would be made. Now, MSNBC has announced a significant change: it will change its name and remove the iconic peacock logo to further differentiate itself from the parent network. The Versant CEO has stated that this won't alter the news organization's goals, noting that "MSNBC has been undergoing aggressive hiring for about 100 new positions to stand up its own newsroom independent from NBC News.” -acs
Editor & Publisher. Adapt or die: 54% of Americans go to social media for their news, reflecting a breaking point in consumption
According to a 2025 Reuters report, "54% of U.S. adults turned to social or video platforms for news in the previous week, compared to 50% who used TV and 48% who accessed news via websites or apps." While not a new trend, this represents a compounding effect. For publications that don't utilize social media, the question is: how do they capture readers' attention, or must they adapt? -acs
Axios. https://www.axios.com/2025/08/05/trump-murdoch-lawsuit-epstein-birthday-book-deposition
President Trump and media mogul Rupert Murdoch agreed on August 5, 2025, to pause Murdoch's deposition in Trump's $10 billion libel lawsuit over a Wall Street Journal report about an alleged "Epstein birthday book" until after the court rules on the defendants' motion to dismiss the case. The motion for expedited deposition cited Murdoch's advanced age and health, but discovery, including questioning and document exchange, is now on hold pending the dismissal decision. -acs
Mitchell Republic. News Media Corporation abruptly shuts down, effectively closing dozens of papers across several states
On August 6, 2025, the CEO of News Media Corporation sent out an email announcing the immediate closure of the company and its newspapers. This decision ended the employment of hundreds of staffers with no notice, leaving them without jobs or healthcare. NMC has been in operation since 1975, and owns small papers in Arizona, Illinois, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming. -acs
NPR. Corporation for Public Broadcasting to shut down by January
Following cuts to public broadcasting, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) announced it will lay off staff and close its doors around January of next year. This is the first time in 60 years the government has refused to fund CPB, citing liberal bias and a waste of tax dollars. The CPB shutdown will impact more than just staff, also meaning a large cut to small, community-serving stations funded by the non-profit, which offer services like weather reporting. -acs
Editor & Publisher. Fulda Free Press & Murray County News publish their final issues
Multiple Minnesota publications are closing after over a century of reporting. Despite its necessity, the news industry faces endless barriers to survival. Small newspapers, once the backbone of the nation, are disappearing daily. -acs
CJR. AI search threatens web traffic for online publishers
A decline in clicks can make our break an online publication’s visibility. The introduction of AI in Google searches has made getting customers to the right page an even bigger struggle as studies show traffic is being majorly diverted from info pages themselves, to AI generated summaries which can be rife with errors. A CJR report found that “in May 2024, the proportion of news searches in Google where people didn’t click on a single link rose from 56 percent to nearly 69,” over a year out, the results could be even higher. -acs
Poynter. Gannet reevaluates business plan amidst falling revenue
Despite business being up from 2024, the country’s biggest newspaper chain is looking to make $100 million in cuts. It’s no secret that newspapers just aren’t making as much as they used to, the result of this will “include closing two of the company’s largest print facilities, shifting some of its markets to mail delivery and automating and outsourcing certain parts of its business” to AI. -acs
NYT. NPR's Editor and Chief is stepping down
As NPR awaits with uncertainty, certain players within the company have plans of their own. Edith Chapin is also chief content officer, having greatly affected what changes were made after ex-staffer, Uri Berliner, published a piece criticizing NPR’s liberal bias. -acs
Editor & Publisher. The press should be for the people
News publications are facing a severe funding crisis, but there's much debate about the remedy. States like California are responding with bills, such as the Keep News Independent Act, which would require publications to inform their employees of a potential sale. -acs
Editor & Publisher. DallasNews Corporation refuses unsolicited buyout
DallasNews Corporation's Board has rejected an unsolicited, non-binding offer from Alden Global Capital affiliate MNG Enterprises that proposed $16.50 per share in cash. The Board opted instead to uphold its existing merger agreement with Hearst. This decision comes alongside a new shareholder rights plan designed to ensure shareholders will benefit from the Hearst deal (a move the Alden proposal attempted to block). -acs
Axios. Fox news licenses “Ruthless” podcast
In the first of many installments in the networks “new media plan,” Fox has licensed its first podcast. Hosted by “veteran republican staffers,” this show has been a favorite of conservatives since 2020. -acs
NYT. LA times plans to go public amidst money loss and layoffs
In an effort to transform the paper, owner Patrick Soon-Shiong said he would make the paper public, thus allowing Americans to have a stake in the news. No details have been released so far. -acs
Nieman Lab. Public media turns to its audience for financial aid
After the Trump Administration slashed funding for public broadcasting, major public resources like NPR and PBS have posted remarks online asking for continued support. The big names, however, are not in the most danger “local stations — from New York City to Indigenous communities — will be the most impacted by the rescission and will likely have to lay off staff, reduce programming, and more.” -acs
Editor & Publisher. Alden Global Capital puts in a bid for the Dallas Morning News
MediaNews Group, the newspaper operator owned by Alden, made an $88 million offer on the long-time locally owned paper on July 22. -acs
NPR. Senate approves $9 Billion recision from public broadcasting
This decision will have a greater impact than just closure of local stations, it will affect weather warnings and other emergency broadcasts in rural areas potentially putting these communities at high risk for tragedy. Republicans, like senator Ted Cruz, defend their votes by claiming public broadcasting '"has long been overtaken by partisan activists,”’ and our tax dollars should not be used to fund such networks. -acs
Axios. Chicago Tribune staff declines buyouts
According to the union, not a single Chicago Tribune staffer applied for a buyout. The publication’s owner, Alden Capital was using the buyouts as an attempt to avoid mass layoffs. -acb
Columbia Journalism Review. New York Newsday has been out of print for 30 years, its legacy is everlasting
“Truth, Justice and the Comics,” New York Newsday’s dedication to diverse young voices in the newsroom created a profit-giant that died before its time. Despite it all, news publications just cannot seem to take its place. -acb
Courthouse News. Consumer protection lawsuit against Denver Post/Alden tossed
Boulder judge dismisses entrepreneur's suit against Denver Post and Alden Global Capital on technical grounds. -gjw
Axel Springer. Press release says AI and clear values as the foundation for the future.
Company leaders talk three strategic pillars of Axel Springer’s future: “AI-based journalism, expanding media marketing platforms, and developing new growth areas.” -acs
Newsjunkie. Pulitzer website fail.
It came to our attention while attempting to verify a Public Service Pulitzer for Amarillo Globe News that the Pulitzer.org site was down. The Pulitzer awards are administered by Columbia University. Further investigation revealed a substantial outage across the spectrum of columbia.edu webpages. The error page that offers users the option to create a trouble ticket did not function. A review of pulitzer.org pages on Internet Archive's Wayback Machine revealed at least 11 substantial website outages in the calendar 2025 year. As of 9:45 PDT June 25th the site was back online. -gjw
Editor & Publisher. Digital out-of-home marketing is the next big thing for small businesses
A fast-growing form of marketing is expanding right under those noses of those who need it most. According to Editor & Publisher “DOOH is growing at 10%+ annually through at least 2027,” taking four primary forms: Digital Billboards, Transit DOOH, Street Furniture, and Retail/Place-Based advertisements. -acs
NiemanLab. DEVELOPING: White House launches Drudge-like “REAL NEWS” site
The linked coverage is uniformly Trump-friendly, and heavy on outlets such as Breitbart and Fox News. -acb
Nieman Lab. Silence and belt-tightening: Environmental Journalism under threat
Society of Environmental Journalists’ annual conference update: Gone are the major sponsors under the Biden Administration: the Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative, Deloitte, The Ocean Conservancy, and US government experts. - acb
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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
JSTOR. Can We Build a Better Facebook?
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
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
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
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
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, Gordon Whiting, and Alex Smythe