Ben Mullin

New: The Corporation for Public Broadcasting says it is shutting down

cpb.org/pressroom/Co...

News: legendary Washington Post sports columnist @sallyjenx.bsky.social is leaving The Post.

news: three Washington Post standouts — Mike Semel, Monica Norton and Ann Gerhart — are leaving the newspaper, per email from Matt Murray just now

news: per a note from Washington Post top editor Matt Murray, The Post will focus its news video efforts on short- and medium-length work. “We want video to be less separate, and to feature video everywhere.”

Some news: after the spinoff, the streaming and studios business at WBD will be called…THE WARNER BROS COMPANY, per remarks just now from Zaslav and Gunnar to execs. The TV networks business will be called…DISCOVERY GLOBAL MEDIA.

News: @GlennKesslerWP, better known as The Fact Checker for The Washington Post, is joining the ranks of journalists taking the buyout

Under Siege From Trump and Musk, a Top Liberal Group Falls Into Crisis

Between Musk & the Trump administration, Media Matters has been squeezed to the brink. In settlement discussions, lawyers for X demanded the organization hand over all its cash and shut down — all because MM reported ads appeared on X next to antisemitic content. www.nytimes.com/2025/07/25/u...

F.C.C. Approves Skydance’s Merger With Paramount

NEWS: The FCC said Thursday it would allow Paramount to merge with Skydance, clearing the way for one of the most highly scrutinized media deals in the last decade.

www.nytimes.com/2025/07/24/b...

Donations to NPR and PBS Stations Surge After Funding Cuts

scoop: donations to NPR and PBS stations have exploded, with donors across the country giving in unprecedented numbers since Congress cut federal funding

www.nytimes.com/2025/07/24/b...

scoop: Gannett is offering buyouts to its staff, per email just now from CEO Mike Reed. "...We need to adjust our organization to efficiently meet the needs of our business today...as we continue to use A.I. and leverage automation to realize efficiencies."

New: WP Ventures, the “third newsroom,” is changing — some of it will now report to biz side leader Suzi Watford, while the editorially related stuff will stay in the newsroom. “The next iteration of WP Ventures will be developed apart from The Post newsroom.”

NPR’s Top Editor Is Stepping Down

scoop: Edith Chapin is stepping down as NPR’s top editor and chief content officer. She handed in her notice before defunding went through, but this news comes at a difficult time for the public radio network.
www.nytimes.com/2025/07/22/b...

Washington Post executive editor Matt Murray says WP Ventures head Krissah Thompson is leaving The Washington Post

Can The Washington Post’s TikTok Guy Make It Without The Post?

scoop: @davejorgenson, one of the breakout stars of the Marty Baron era of The Post, is leaving to start his own company with two Post alums

www.nytimes.com/2025/07/22/b...

Where Congress’s Cuts Threaten Access to PBS and NPR The loss of federal funding threatens scores of public TV and radio stations across the United States.

Some 78 public radio organizations and 37 TV organizations are at risk of going dark as a result of the cuts Trump pushed through Congress, from major cities to far-flung towns like Unalakleet, Alaska, and Pendleton, Ore. @elenashao.bsky.social @benmullin.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

And, uh, some personal news: This is also my last column for The Post. I was offered and accepted a buyout.
To answer one possible next question, I'm not sure what's next save taking some time off. If you want, you can enter your email at pbump.net and I'll let you know when I figure it out!

NPR's chief executive, Katherine Maher, calls tonight's vote "unwarranted dismantling of beloved local civic institutions." Her statement:

Where Congress’s Cuts Threaten Access to PBS and NPR The loss of federal funding threatens scores of public TV and radio stations across the United States.

New: I teamed up with @elenashao.bsky.social
and nytgraphics to map more than 100 public TV and radio stations that are at risk of closing as a result of tonight's vote:

www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

This is a time bomb that will go off in the fall, when the last federal grants run out.

scoop: Jay Yarow and Dan Colarusso are leaving CNBC as part of an editorial shakeup ahead of the Comcast/Versant spin. David Cho, most recently the top editor of Barron's, is joining as editor-in-chief, according to a staff memo.

www.nytimes.com/2025/07/17/b...

scoop: Substack has raised $100 million, pushing its valuation to $1.1 billion. The founders are warming to advertising and plan to experiment with bundles. With @jtes

New: I spoke with Bill Siemering, who co-founded NPR a half-century ago, on what might be lost if public radio gets defunded
www.nytimes.com/2025/07/16/b...

.@nytimes CEO Meredith Kopit Levien being interviewed by @AcquiredFM at Radio City Music Hall, pushes back on a Q about newsroom bias against tech: “Many of the big tech companies that shape the information ecosystem have the power and influence to drive profound change in people’s lives.”

PBS and NPR’s Last-Ditch Fight to Save Funding

New: Inside the last-ditch fight to save funding for NPR and PBS, feat. Kerry Washington, Bill Nye, Ken Burns and a farmer's market bilateral with Sen. Lisa Murkowski

www.nytimes.com/2025/07/15/b...

Here’s the full memo:

"I know this represents a shift for many of you, and maybe even an unwelcome one for some, but simply being reconciled to these changes is not enough. We want those who stick with us to be genuinely enthusiastic about the new direction and focus."

"The changes we have planned are not marginal. They will be ambitious and thorough...we won't let sentimentality slow down much-needed reform."

"My top priority will be to significantly increase the reach and effect of our work."

"It won't be easy, but we have a real opportunity to build the most popular, vibrant and influential opinion section in the country..."

scoop: new Washington Post opinion editor Adam O'Neal introduces himself to staff, alluding to some significant changes afoot 🧵