The Justice Dept. might revamp its policy on subpoenaing news outlets as part of the Trump Administration's war on leaks, according to Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
The former Alabama Senator told a news conference today that Justice has tripled the number of active leak investigations since the new regime was installed in January. The FBI also has established a counterintelligence unit to go after leakers.
The AG claims he's reviewing media subpoenas practices at the suggestion of prosecutors, FBI agents and investigators.
“We respect the important role that the press plays, and we'll give them respect, but it is not unlimited,” warned Sessions. “They cannot place lives at risk with impunity. We must balance the press’s role with protecting our national security and the lives of those who serve in the intelligence community, the armed forces and all law-abiding Americans.”
President Trump criticized Sessions last month for being "very weak" in pursuing government leads
"I strongly agree with the president and condemn in the strongest terms the staggering number of leaks undermining the ability of our government to protect this country," Sessions said. "No one is entitled to surreptitiously fight to advance battles in the media by revealing sensitive government information." "No government can be effective when its leaders cannot discuss sensitive matters in confidence, or talk freely in confidence with foreign leaders."
Sessions spoke the day after the Washington Post published leaked transcripts of Trump's January phone conversations with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
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.
Trump Media & Technology Group is discussing a spin-off of the Truth Social platform following the expected closing of its $6B merger deal with TAE Technologies... Condé Nast sells off Them, the digital LGBTQ-focused platform it launched in 2017, to Equalpride, publisher of Out, The Advocate, Out Traveler, Health PLUS Wellness and Pride.com... CBS News has parted ways with longevity influencer Peter Attia, one of the 19 contributors that editor-in-chief Bari Weiss brought on as part of her plan to present a wider variety of voices on the platform. 
