What a great platform to publicly deny promising Trump a CNN overhaul or $20 million in free advertising in exchange for merger approvals. Or to speak out against his bullying of journalists you employ or want to employ. Weird that you didn’t do any of that.

Opinion | David Ellison: In Defense of the Paramount-Warner Deal

The issue is whether I can be trusted as a steward of CNN

nytimes.com

David, if you want this charm offensive to work, your dad should sit for an interview. Maybe with an unemployed ex-60 Minutes reporter. He can make the case for giving CBS, CNN and TikTok to a guy building an AI surveillance dystopia. What could go wrong?

Opinion | What to know about David Ellison’s embattled bid to acquire Warner Bros.

David Ellison’s embattled bid to acquire Warner Bros. doesn’t make much financial sense. It might still be a win for the Ellison empire and its bigger global plans.

ms.now

Freedom of the Press Foundation@freedom.press · yesterday

What a great platform to publicly deny promising Trump a CNN overhaul or $20 million in free advertising in exchange for merger approvals. Or to speak out against his bullying of journalists you employ or want to employ. Weird that you didn’t do any of that.

“In acknowledging that not all languages can or should be rescued, we do not love the dying languages less. In a world where resources are scarce and values conflict, it may be the only way to love them wisely.”

Sometimes It’s O.K. to Let a Language Die

When cultural preservation comes at the expense of speakers’ decisions, sometimes it's O.K. to let a language die.

newyorker.com

We've been pushing for a federal reporter's privilege law for years, but the Trump administration is making the case better than we ever could. The next Congress needs to pass the PRESS Act so FBI agents stop showing up at freelance journalists' doors with subpoenas.

Justice Dept. Subpoenas Times Freelancer in Effort to Identify Sources (Gift Article)

A previously undisclosed subpoena, involving reporting on a failed SEAL Team 6 mission in North Korea, reflects the government’s expanding campaign to investigate leaks of secrets.

nytimes.com

Like documentaries? Then you probably don’t want the two largest privately held news archives — the lifeblood of documentary film — under the same ownership. Especially when that ownership kisses up to politicians by censoring their critics.

Film producers warn Paramount-Warner merger could restrict access to news archives

By Dawn Chmielewski and Paul Sandle LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, July 30 (Reuters) - A group of film producers has urged the British culture minister to intervene in the proposed merger of Paramount Skyda...

whbl.com

The Trump administration isn't just investigating alleged crimes. It’s aggressively pursuing the sources behind the stories, using the legal system as a blunt instrument to stop the flow of information. Find the full story in our monthly newsletter: pressfreedomtracker.us/newsletter

This admin will not stop at anything in its relentless targeting of anyone it disagrees with using every tool in the shed. DOJ charges U.S. activist for using ‘duress’ passcode to wipe phone during border stop

Protester targeted by DOJ over phone-wiping ‘duress’ passcode

A security-focused mobile operating system, GrapheneOS, allows users to wipe their device with a “duress” passcode

freedom.press

📥 New prize rewards making public records truly public

New prize rewards making public records truly public

Dear Friend of Press Freedom:One of the most important press freedom cases in the country deserves far more attention: Journalist Catherine Herridge has paid at least $4,000 in fines for refusing to r...

freedom.press

Trump allies in Congress subpoena The People’s Forum. Help this important New York institution fight back!

Trump Allies in Congress Subpoena The People’s Forum. Help us fight back!

The Trump Administration and its allies in Congress are on the march against left-wing, socialist and progressive forces. Our basic First Amendment rights are under attack. The stakes of this battle c

peoplesforum.org

This outlet deserves your support. If you're based in NYC or around it, go subscribe now!

Max Rivlin-Nadler@maxrn.bsky.social · 2w ago

Four years ago, we launched Hell Gate. Today, if we sell just a few more subscriptions, we'll pass a REALLY important and totally crazy milestone. Great news if you want us to hit that milestone—subscriptions are just 99 cents...and you get a shirt. Sign up! hellgatenyc.com/99-cent-t-sh...

Now that the subpoenas are out of the way, let's talk about how Trump and his hangers-on knowingly put journalists (and others) accompanying Trump on an unsafe plane because the president couldn’t bear to fly on an aircraft without golden light fixtures or whatever.

Freedom of the Press Foundation@freedom.press · 2w ago

It's past time for everyone to get over their fear of fighting back against Trump administration censorship. Take these bozos to court. They lose regularly.

“When you have the president of the United States standing inside the White House delivering an important speech, I think that’s something that broadcasters should be carrying,” Carr said. Here’s the thing, Brendan. Under the First Amendment, what you think is totally irrelevant.

FCC Chair Says ABC’s Decision to Not Broadcast Trump Speech Live Will Be Part of Agency’s Review of Station Licenses

Brendan Carr, the Trump-appointed chairman of the FCC, said the agency will consider ABC's decision to not carry a live broadcast President Donald Trump's July 16 speech about U.S. election security a...

variety.com

Are you a journalist who uses the Freedom of Information Act in your reporting? Well, you can now win $25,000. FPF is proud to announce the launch of the Penlight Prize for excellence in paywall-free public records reporting. Watch @trevortimm.bsky.social to learn more, and apply today.

Durango is the third journalist to be killed in Colombia this year. Their murders are a chilling reminder of the dangers Colombia’s local journalists continue to face, and the need for authorities to strengthen protections for journalists at risk. buff.ly/iIUfPgX

Colombia: IPI condemns killing of journalist and press freedom defender Cristian Herrera, calls for urgent protections for journalists

The International Press Institute (IPI) strongly condemns the killing of Colombian journalist and press freedom defender Cristian Herrera, and calls on Colombian authorities to conduct a prompt…

ipi.media

The Trump administration issued subpoenas seeking phone records of not just journalists but also their relatives. It’s disgraceful. Even the Mafia considers family members off limits. The court should quash the subpoenas and consider sanctions on the DOJ. @trevortimm.bsky.social explains.

This is a great way to respond to a SLAPP suit. Well done.

WIRED@wired.com · 3w ago

Yesterday, WIRED learned that Madison Square Garden was suing us for our accurate reporting. We stand by our work. That’s why we’re removing the paywall from two of the MSG stories they don’t want you to read, making them free for everyone.

Large language models used in chatbots and elsewhere are vulnerable to malicious prompts. New research shows they may be easily “confused” into taking user input as their own ideas. That’s right, they can be “incepted.” Read our newsletter for more.

The ‘s’ in LLM stands for ‘security’

Researchers bypass guardrails on open source LLMs with slight role-based language changes

freedom.press

Yesterday, WIRED learned that Madison Square Garden was suing us for our accurate reporting. We stand by our work. That’s why we’re removing the paywall from two of the MSG stories they don’t want you to read, making them free for everyone.

Trump’s targeting of NYT journalists is so egregious, his DOJ didn’t even follow its own watered-down rules for subpoenaing journalists. He’s once again claiming “national security” because of an embarrassing story. Watch @trevortimm.bsky.social explain:

Health Secretary Kennedy "is in no position to question brainworm-free scholars’ judgment, let alone censor them." We're pretty sure Americans prefer medical literature "not be subject to the whims of a guy who used to cut off roadkill raccoon penises when he wasn’t snorting coke off toilet seats."

Censorship of medical journals infects journalism too

Why are government quacks like RFK Jr. grading doctors’ homework?

freedom.press

The lawsuit we filed with @publicintegritylaw.bsky.social on behalf of a Paramount shareholder alleges that “The Ellisons [won] the bidding war for Warner Bros. by promising sweeping changes at CNN and other personal benefits to President Trump.” Read more from @megjames.bsky.social

Paramount shareholder lawsuit accuses Ellisons of 'corruption'

The Delaware suit alleges Paramount won the bidding war for Warner Bros. by assuring President Trump there would be sweeping changes at CNN.

latimes.com

If I hear someone say “meeting in Bronx” I will kick them in nuts

The look on Thierry Henry’s when Lalas started comparing the English team to music stars was just priceless. What does it even mean that Kane is McCartney and Bellingham is Lennon? Such a pointless analogy.

Exposure to Risk: Freelance photographers vs. the Wall Street Journal.

Exposure to Risk: Freelance photographers vs. the Wall Street Journal.

Freelance photographers are organizing against a new contract at the Wall Street Journal that they say opens their work up to AI training.

cjr.org

The Trump administration issued subpoenas to New York Times journalists who wrote about the new Air Force One, an escalation of pressure on the media.

Times Journalists Subpoenaed as Trump Escalates Pressure on Media

The Justice Department is seeking to compel testimony from reporters who wrote about the new Air Force One. The Times called the move a “brazen act.”

nyti.ms

"FIFA was always difficult to cover—it’s an organization that seems to be based on secrecy. Their Swiss headquarters is essentially a subterranean bunker with no signal getting in and out. And it’s representative of their view that they don’t feel beholden to anybody."

No More Aha Moments: Ken Bensinger on why corruption doesn’t move audiences anymore—especially not when it comes to FIFA.

Ken Bensinger on why corruption doesn’t move audiences anymore—especially not when it comes to FIFA.

cjr.org

DHS investigated a New York woman for the supposed offense of reposting the news. The government shouldn't get to decide what journalism is too dangerous to share.

The government wants to scare Americans out of sharing the news

The Department of Homeland Security has a new tactic to suppress reporting: silence people who repost information from news stories

freedom.press

Journalists covering Delaney Hall immigration detention hunger strike in New Jersey met with targeted force, reporting from sports championships across the U.S. and more in our monthly newsletter from Tracker Managing Editor @kamccudden.bsky.social (and subscribe):

Press targeted at New Jersey immigration detention protests

In a span of three weeks in late May and June, we documented more than 60 assaults of journalists and …

pressfreedomtracker.us

FCC censorship czar Brendan Carr wants control over daytime talk shows. Today's your last chance to use our action center to file a public comment with the FCC telling him to follow the First Amendment and back off.

📣 Take Action: Tell the FCC to stop retaliating against ABC

Make an impact with guided actions from Freedom of The Press Foundation.

freedom.press

A new bill could change how everyone accesses the internet by pushing age verification across the web. That puts online anonymity at risk, which is especially troubling for journalists and whistleblowers. Watch @trevortimm.bsky.social explain, and tell the Senate to vote “No” on the KIDS Act.