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David Folkenflik

@davidfolkenflik.bsky.social

NPR media guy Author, Murdoch’s World

53,851 Followers  |  899 Following  |  421 Posts  |  Joined: 11.11.2024
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Posts by David Folkenflik (@davidfolkenflik.bsky.social)

Paragraph five sets the table

"The Ellisons have staged what appears to be a lightning-swift ascent through social and legacy media relying heavily on their connection to the Oval Office."

02.03.2026 03:36 — 👍 5    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

Journalists at CNN are fearful for what's ahead if Paramount takes over - but want to just do the job

My conversation with @ailsachang on NPR's All Things Considered, coming up at 4.35/6.35p

27.02.2026 21:34 — 👍 43    🔁 6    💬 5    📌 1
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Paramount and Warner Bros' deal is about merging studios, and a whole lot more The nearly $111 billion marriage would unite Paramount and Warner film studios, streamers and television properties — including CNN — under the control of the wealthy Ellison family.

Paramount, Warner Bros deal would unite film, news and social media forces in the age of Trump

My analysis for NPR:

www.npr.org/2026/02/27/n...

27.02.2026 18:02 — 👍 39    🔁 16    💬 4    📌 1
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RFK Jr. made promises to get his job as health secretary. He's broken many of them In his confirmation hearings, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told U.S. senators that he would not cut funding for vaccine research or change the nation's official vaccine recommendations. He did both.

In his confirmation hearings, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told U.S. senators that he would not cut funding for vaccine research or change the nation's official vaccine recommendations. He did both. n.pr/46QDn9p

13.02.2026 14:20 — 👍 4985    🔁 2241    💬 581    📌 388
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Hogsett hasn’t delivered a ‘Disclose Indy’ ethics portal. So we built one. We also obtained records not previously made public as promised.

In 2015, Indianapolis’ mayor promised a public portal for ethics filings, campaign finance records and city contracts. It never launched.

So, AJP-supported @mirrorindy.org, with the IndyStar built it — putting critical public records in one searchable place.

13.02.2026 20:38 — 👍 18    🔁 9    💬 0    📌 1
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New Knight Institute Initiative to Focus on “Reconstructing Free Expression” After Trump

Very excited about this new @knightcolumbia.org project, both because it gives us the chance to look beyond the current democratic crisis and because so many super people have already agreed to participate. knightcolumbia.org/content/new-...

11.02.2026 17:25 — 👍 217    🔁 70    💬 11    📌 16
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WNYC | New York Public Radio, Podcasts, Live Streaming Radio, News WNYC is America's most listened-to public radio station and the producer of award-winning programs and podcasts like Radiolab, On the Media, and The Brian Lehrer Show.

Friends in NYC and beyond!

I'll break down the state of play at the Washington Post with WNYC's Alison Stewart & @AllOfItWNYC

12.06-12.35 on 93.9 FM or wnyc.org

Tune in!

10.02.2026 17:04 — 👍 18    🔁 4    💬 0    📌 1
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'Washington Post' CEO resigns after going AWOL during massive job cuts Washington Post chief executive and publisher Will Lewis has resigned just days after the newspaper announced massive layoffs.

'Washington Post’ CEO Will Lewis out after going AWOL during mass layoffs

My story for NPR:

www.npr.org/2026/02/07/n...

08.02.2026 03:56 — 👍 119    🔁 40    💬 6    📌 2
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Spotlighting The World Factbook as We Bid a Fond Farewell Somewhat devastating news today from the CIA: One of CIA’s oldest and most recognizable intelligence publications, The World Factbook, has sunset. There's not even a hint as to why they …

The CIA just stopped publishing their World Factbook and took every page, including the archived copies of previous versions!

This sucks. It was public domain, so I recovered the 2020 edition (the last one published as a zip file) and shared it to GitHub simonwillison.net/2026/Feb/5/t...

05.02.2026 00:25 — 👍 6058    🔁 2184    💬 177    📌 196
Post image

"CIA shuts down compilation of facts" feels a little on the nose.
www.cia.gov/stories/stor...

04.02.2026 22:09 — 👍 207    🔁 40    💬 6    📌 5

I don't see how Will Lewis can effectively lead WaPo.

Lewis did not save Bezos from himself on opinion pages. (375K+ cancelations) His innovations did not stem enough red ink.

And he has not taken any ownership of the devastating ensuing cuts. He's making Murray own it alone.

04.02.2026 23:07 — 👍 402    🔁 77    💬 15    📌 16
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Kirkland & Ellis lawyer sought use of Epstein helicopter after securing plea Jay Lefkowitz also invited sex offender to son’s bar mitzvah two years after his prison release, emails say

"A Kirkland & Ellis lawyer who helped Jeffrey Epstein avoid federal child sex crime charges in 2007 later invited him to his son’s bar mitzvah..." WTAF?!

05.02.2026 01:35 — 👍 46    🔁 19    💬 2    📌 0
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Washington Post Sports Department Was Among Last of Its Kind

NEW: A eulogy for The Post's sports department, which transformed the press box forever and created some of the best sportswriters in America

www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/b...

04.02.2026 21:41 — 👍 251    🔁 61    💬 11    📌 5

Trump says he will stay out of the Netflix-Paramount battle over WBD, a reversal from his December statement that he would be involved in the approval process (Allie Canal/NBC News)

Main Link | Mediagazer Permalink

05.02.2026 00:25 — 👍 6    🔁 4    💬 8    📌 1

I don't see how Will Lewis can effectively lead WaPo.

Lewis did not save Bezos from himself on opinion pages. (375K+ cancelations) His innovations did not stem enough red ink.

And he has not taken any ownership of the devastating ensuing cuts. He's making Murray own it alone.

04.02.2026 23:07 — 👍 402    🔁 77    💬 15    📌 16

Sportswriters at WaPo say they spent the last two years seeking guidance for reinvention from top editors, but never saw leaders support visionary ideas (Bryan Curtis/The Ringer)

Main Link | Mediagazer Permalink

04.02.2026 23:05 — 👍 18    🔁 5    💬 0    📌 1

Friends:

I'll join NPR's Morning Edition at 7.45 PT/ 10.45 ET to talk about the profound cuts at the Washington Post:

Tune in stream kcrw.org, scpr.org or any other fine NPR west coast station

My story:
Bezos orders layoffs at 'Washington Post'

www.npr.org/2026/02/04/n...

04.02.2026 15:44 — 👍 57    🔁 21    💬 2    📌 2
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'Washington Post' journalists plea to Bezos: Don't gut our newsroom Members of the newspaper's union say they have been warned the company could cut as many as 300 jobs, although no announcement has been made.

On cusp of widespread layoffs, 'Washington Post' staffers to Bezos: don't gut our newsroom

My story for NPR

www.npr.org/2026/01/30/n...

30.01.2026 17:17 — 👍 109    🔁 38    💬 12    📌 4

We did

30.01.2026 15:13 — 👍 4    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

Don Lemon arrested by federal authorities in LA over covering the anti-ICE protest at a Minneapolis church

I'll join Morning Edition live at 6.45a PT/7.45a MT

Tune in!

30.01.2026 14:43 — 👍 57    🔁 13    💬 3    📌 0
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Kari Lake promotes Trump on Voice of America. Does that break the law? Critics say U.S. Agency for Global Media's Kari Lake risks making Voice of America sound like a propaganda outlet in her remarks on the air praising President Trump.

Kari Lake promotes Trump on Voice of America. Does that break the law?

My story:

www.npr.org/2026/01/30/n...

30.01.2026 12:29 — 👍 54    🔁 13    💬 1    📌 0
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Conservative news outlets start to break from government's narrative on ICE incidents Conservative news outlets and commentators have been, until now, resolutely defending the use of lethal force by ICE and Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis and elsewhere. That's starting to change.

Conservative news outlets start to break from government's narrative on ICE incidents

My chat w ⁦‪Michel Martin‬⁩ from Morning Edition

www.npr.org/2026/01/27/n...

27.01.2026 18:21 — 👍 54    🔁 15    💬 0    📌 1

Note: While Weiss plans cuts at CBS, she does not intend to announce them at staff meeting. I've updated my story.

27.01.2026 13:34 — 👍 142    🔁 35    💬 14    📌 4
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After rocky start, Bari Weiss to cut staff, add commentators at CBS News CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss came in with a mandate to reshape coverage. She is set to announce plans for newsroom cuts and the hiring of many new commentators.

NEWS: After a rocky start, Bari Weiss plans to announce staff cuts and the addition of a lot of new paid commentators at CBS News.

My story on Weiss's efforts to remake CBS News

www.npr.org/2026/01/27/n...

27.01.2026 12:57 — 👍 89    🔁 34    💬 38    📌 37
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How President Trump has challenged a constitutional foundation In his first year back in the White House, President Trump has presided over a sweeping expansion of executive power while eroding democratic norms.

NPR: How Trump has challenged a constitutional foundation

www.npr.org/2026/01/23/g...

23.01.2026 16:13 — 👍 21    🔁 5    💬 4    📌 2

I think it is more common than you think.... (as a former higher ed reporter)

17.01.2026 15:36 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

The FBI searches Wash Post reporter's home and seized her devices - my chat with @Amartinezla.bsky.social on what happened and the implications for the press

From NPR's Up First & Morning Edition

15.01.2026 14:19 — 👍 50    🔁 10    💬 3    📌 0
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Opinion | The Post and the First Amendment An FBI raid won’t stop reporters from continuing their important work.

The Post editorializes:

"The decision to send FBI agents to raid a Post reporter’s home was an aggressive attack on the press freedom of all journalists. Yet anyone who believes the raid will deter reporters from doing their jobs is sorely mistaken."

www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...

15.01.2026 00:41 — 👍 65    🔁 15    💬 7    📌 2
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Inside the Company Helping America’s Biggest Health Insurers Deny Coverage for Treatments When companies like Aetna or UnitedHealthcare want to rein in costs, they turn to EviCore, whose business model depends on turning down payments for care recommended by doctors for their patients.

When companies like Aetna or UnitedHealthcare want to rein in costs, they turn to EviCore, whose business model depends on turning down payments for care recommended by doctors for their patients.

(Published Oct. 2024 with @capitolforum.bsky.social)

14.01.2026 04:00 — 👍 513    🔁 251    💬 37    📌 20
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🔊 Listen Now: Media shows restraint on breaking news of Venezuela raid All Things Considered on NPR One | 3:47

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth loves slamming the press.

Major news outlets acted with restraint in the early hours of the raid in Caracas.

My chat with @jmsummers.bsky.social on NPR's All Things Considered

Media shows restraint on breaking news of Venezuela raid one.npr.org/i/nx-s1-5667...

05.01.2026 23:59 — 👍 35    🔁 5    💬 1    📌 0