 |
| John Stossel |
John Stossel sues Facebook, claiming he was defamed when the platform appended fact-checking labels to two videos he posted about climate change. The complaint also names Science Feedback and Climate Feedback, two fact-checking companies that Facebook uses to determine the accuracy of posts. In one of those video posts, Stossel “explored a scientific hypothesis” that “while climate change undoubtedly contributes to forest fires, it was not the primary cause of the 2020 California fires.” Facebook then flagged the content as “misleading” and “missing context.” According to the lawsuit, “Stossel was given no meaningful avenue to contest these unilateral decisions about the truth of his journalism.” Stossel’s lawsuit seeks “general, special and compensatory damages” of at least $1 million and exemplary and punitive damages of at least $1 million. In a statement to Variety, a Facebook spokesperson said, “We believe this case is without merit and we will defend ourselves vigorously against the allegations.”
 |
| Lee Hill |
GBH, Boston’s public radio platform, names Lee Hill the first executive editor for GBH News. Hill is currently the executive producer for WNYC’s daily national news program The Takeaway. Before WNYC, he was a founding editor of Inside Energy, a Colorado-based journalism collaboration between NPR and PBS stations. Upon joining the GBH News team in November, Hill will oversee news content and strategy across platforms and lead the newsroom's interaction with local communities. The position of executive editor was created as part of GBH News’ digital transformation. GBH was known as WGBH until August 2020, at which point the “W” was dropped from its name to reflect an increasing focus on digital platforms. GBH News general Pam Johnston said that Hill’s “outstanding journalism credentials will add to the success of GBH News and help us find innovative ways to reach and engage our expanding audience”
 |
Crain Communications has acquires Green Market Report, a digital media brand that covers financial news about the cannabis industry. The acquisition will be finalized on September 30. New York-based Green Market Report was launched in 2017 by Debra Borchardt, who was a vice president at Bear Stearns before working at TheStreet.com, Women’s Wear Daily and Forbes, and Cynthia Salarizadeh, a former managing partner at KCSA Strategic Communications. It includes a network of freelance journalists and garners 150,000 monthly page views. “They focus on the financial, business and economic side of the cannabis industry, so it's a natural fit with our other business brands," said Crain Communications president and CEO KC Crain. “The combination of Crain’s experience and Green Market Report’s expertise will turn us into a leader in the industry,” Borchardt said.
Trump Media and Technology Group Corp. has replaced CEO and former California Congressman Devin Nunes with Kevin McGurn, a seasoned media sales executive.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is being bought by the Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism, a nonprofit that is the parent organization of the Baltimore Banner... The British Broadcasting Corporation is axing approximately 2,000 jobs, about 10 percent of its work force... Snap, the company behind Snapchat, is also succumbing to layoff fever, announcing plans to lay off 16 percent of its employees, about 1,000 people.
CBS News Radio will go off the air on May 22, part of the axe-swinging managerial plan put into play by CBS editor-in-chief Bari Weiss... The Economist, which was first published in 1843, is changing hands. Canadian billionaire Stephen Smith has agreed to acquire a 26.9 percent stake in the publication from Lady Lynn Forester de Rothschild, her family and family foundation... Nexstar Media Group says it has closed its acquisition of TEGNA, the broadcast, digital media and marketing services company that was formed in 2015, when the Gannett Company split into two publicly traded companies.
USA TODAY brings on Jamie Stockwell as VP of news, effective March 30. Stockwell was most recently deputy managing editor of news for the Washington Post... YouTube expands its likeness detection capabilities to a pilot group of government officials, journalists and political candidates... The AP Fund for Journalism adds 50 news organizations to its local news program, bringing the total number of participating newsrooms to 100. 
Versant Media Group, the NBCUniversal cable TV spin-off, today reported its first financial results as 2025 revenues dipped 5.3 percent to $6.7B and standalone EBITDA dropped 9.1 percent to $2.2B.
