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| Chris Cuomo |
Chris Cuomo, who was fired in December by CNN, is heading back to prime time. NewsNation, which is owned by Nexstar Media Inc., and bills itself as "America's source for unbiased news," is bringing back former NY governor Andrew Cuomo's little brother to host a program set to launch this fall. Chris Cuomo was let go by CNN for counseling his brother as he dealt with the sexual harassment claims that brought his administration down. He subsequently sued CNN for $125 million in damages, claiming that the network used him as a "scapegoat." In Nexstar's announcement of Cuomo's hire, president of networks Sean Compton said that he "will further our efforts to continue to ensure fairness and transparency in our news reporting and talk shows."
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Vox Media is laying off 39 employees, according to a company memo obtained by Axios. In the memo, Vox Media CEO Jim Bankoff said that number accounts for "under 2% of the company." Vox is also slowing down hiring and reducing non-essential expenses. The layoffs affect employees in sales, marketing, recruiting and certain editorial teams. The cuts will not affect New York magazine, which is owned by Vox. Other Vox properties include Eater, Recode, Thrillist and SB Nation. Earlier this year, Vox acquired Group Nine Media, adding several hundred employees to the company.
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The nonprofit news sector is steadily growing. The Institute for Nonprofit News reports that 135 nonprofit news outlets launched between 2017 and 2021, up from 69 between 2012 and 2016. The 2022 INN Index Report finds that smaller, local news organizations are driving much of that growth. While two out of 10 nonprofit news organizations were local in 2017, that percentage rose to four out of 10 by 2021. The Report estimates that by 2024, local outlets will make up the majority of nonprofit news organizations. In addition, two-thirds of nonprofit news organizations reported that their revenue increased from 2017 to 2021, with a median growth rate of 25 percent. Foundations accounted for the majority (53 percent) of the 2021 revenue brought in, with individual giving making up 30 percent and 15 percent coming from earned revenue. Almost a fifth (18 percent) generated total revenue of $2 million or more. INN says that the major challenges facing nonprofit news platforms in the near future include attracting and retaining diverse staffs, access to philanthropic support for smaller and emerging newsrooms, and the cultivation of market-based revenue.
The Walt Disney Company and OpenAI reach an agreement that will make a set of more than 200 animated, masked and creature characters from Disney, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars available for use by Sora, OpenAI’s short-form generative AI video platform... CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss has moved Tony Dokoupil, a co-host at “CBS Mornings” since 2019, into the anchor’s chair for the “CBS Evening News,” following the departure of John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois... USA Today editor-in-chief Caren Bohan has left the paper.
Michael Kaminer, who was responsible for the Observer’s “Power List” for the past 13 years, has cut ties with the publication... The New York Times Company continues the march toward its goal of 15 million subscribers by the end of 2027... The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is providing more than $6 million in funding to eight organizations working to address the challenges local news and information environments face along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Conservative outlets Fox News, Newsmax and the Daily Caller are holding back from signing Pete Hegseth’s edict restricting press access in the Pentagon... CBS News sees the first executive departure of the Bari Weiss era as head of standards and practices Claudia Milne exits... Indiana University shuts down the print version of The Indiana Daily Student.
Rothschild family plans to unload 26.7 percent stake in The Economist... STAT, a digital media company that focuses the life sciences, brings back Damian Garde, who anchored its biotech newsletter and podcast from 2016 to 2024... High Times officially resumes print publication (following its 2024 shutdown) with the release of a limited-edition, collectible 50th anniversary issue. 
CBS News is set to hand over its reins to The Free Press co-founder Bari Weiss as Paramount acquires her site for $155M... C-SPAN comes on board as an official media partner of the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission, which is charged by Congress to lead the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence... A new Gallup survey says that the level of trust that US audiences have in the media has hit a new low.
