Hundreds of Fake Pro-Trump Avatars Emerge on Social Media
In the run‑up to the 2026 midterm elections, hundreds of AI‑generated pro‑Trump influencer avatars flooded TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. The synthetic personas post identical, fervent captions praising God, America and Trump while commenting on hot‑button issues like the Iran war and abortion. President Trump’s verified account has reshared content from at least one of these fake accounts, giving them a veneer of legitimacy. The coordinated surge illustrates a new frontier in political persuasion using automated, visually appealing avatars.
The Economist Is Putting Names (and Faces) to Its Magazine
The Economist, long known for its anonymous bylines, is launching Economist Play, a new video component of its mobile app slated for summer 2026. The service will feature shows hosted by correspondents from studios in New York and London, along...
Pentagon Asks Court to Keep Its Restrictions on Journalists
The Pentagon has asked a federal judge to keep its journalist‑escort policy in place while it appeals a court ruling that struck down broader media restrictions. Judge Paul Friedman previously found the Pentagon’s credential rules unconstitutional after The New York Times sued....
TMZ Goes After Members of Congress Living It Up Amid DHS Shutdown
TMZ has turned its paparazzi lens on members of Congress amid the 41‑day Department of Homeland Security shutdown, publishing photos of lawmakers vacationing while federal employees remain unpaid. The outlet released images of Senator Lindsey Graham at Disney World, Representative...
Judge Orders Voice of America to Restart All News Operations
A U.S. District Court judge ordered more than 1,000 full‑time Voice of America journalists and support staff to resume work by March 23, overturning the Trump administration’s effort to shut down the broadcaster. The ruling excludes contracted employees and reaffirms Congress’s...
Oscars Viewership Slides 9%, Its First Drop Since 2021
Oscars viewership fell to 17.9 million, a 9 percent decline from last year, ending a four‑year ratings rise. The drop coincided with similar declines at the Grammys and Golden Globes, marking the first simultaneous fall for all three major award shows. Conan...
What Makes ‘Good TV’ on the Internet? Piers Morgan Has Thoughts.
Former Fox broadcaster Piers Morgan has turned his YouTube channel, Uncensored, into a growing media platform. The channel now boasts over 4.3 million subscribers and recently secured $30 million in funding to launch new shows and hire talent, including a former MSNBC...
A New Magazine? In This Media Environment?
Now Voyager, a premium long‑form magazine, debuted in Harlem with a $29 price tag and a striking art‑book aesthetic. Its first issue features a 22,000‑word investigation into a Veracruz drug‑cartel kidnapping and a piece on 60 Ukrainian orphans, alongside dispatches...
USA Today Names Jamie Stockwell as Next Top Editor
USA Today announced Jamie Stockwell as its new vice president of news, replacing the traditional editor‑in‑chief title. Stockwell, a former deputy managing editor at The Washington Post and former executive at The New York Times and Axios Local, will start on March 30. She...
An Amish Avatar and an A.I. Monk Are Pitching Supplements on Social Media
An AI‑generated Amish avatar named Melanskia, with over 300,000 Instagram followers, is promoting the dietary supplement Modern Antidote without disclosing her synthetic nature. The avatar is operated by entrepreneur Josemaria Silvestrini, who uses AI tools to create realistic video content...
Reporters Seek Comment. What Happens Next May Surprise You.
The New York Times insists on giving every story subject a chance to comment, even when sources are unresponsive or pre‑empt the narrative on social media. Deputy business editor Pui‑Wing Tam and tech reporters Sheera Frenkel and Mike Isaac stress that outreach...
40 Years and 10,000 Broadcasts In, They’re Still Live on Air
Rick Ardon and Susannah Carr have anchored 7News Perth together for 40 years, logging more than 10,000 nightly broadcasts and earning a Guinness World Record as the longest‑serving news‑anchor duo. Their partnership, which began in 1985, has become a trusted...
32.6 Million Watched Trump’s State of the Union Address, Nielsen Says
About 32.6 million people tuned into President Trump’s 107‑minute State of the Union address, according to Nielsen. The audience size is essentially identical to President Biden’s final 2024 address, which drew 32.2 million viewers, but it fell short of the 36.6 million that...
Trump Officials Seek to Break Editorial ‘Firewall’ at U.S.-Funded News Agencies
The Trump administration is pushing a draft funding agreement that would let its political appointees veto hires for editors‑in‑chief, CEOs, and board members at two U.S.-funded overseas broadcasters, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks. The proposal...
How The New York Times Covers the SOTU Under Intense Deadline Pressure
The New York Times deploys more than 50 journalists to cover each State of the Union, anticipating both scripted content and spontaneous incidents. Editor Elizabeth Kennedy, who heads the White House team, coordinates reporters, photographers, and digital staff to meet...