ESPN hires six experienced journalists from The Washington Post amid industry reshuffle New recruits bolster ESPN’s investigative and long‑form sports coverage The move highlights the widening talent gap and strategic shifts after Post’s sports desk closure Five weeks after The Washington Post dismantled its sports desk, ESPN has hired six of the newspaper’s former reporters, a move that follows a similar mass hiring by The Athletic, which is part of The New York Times. The hires reflect a broader shift in sports journalism, as legacy newspapers shrink specialist desks while broadcasters and digital outlets invest in reporting capacity aimed at…

Indian newsrooms focus on deploying AI for operational efficiency and editorial integrity Practical case studies highlight automation of routine tasks and fact-checking tools Industry emphasises responsible AI use, governance and safeguarding against manipulated content Leaders from India’s newsrooms joined international experts in Bengaluru last week for WAN-IFRA’s AI in Media forum, outlining a business-led approach to artificial intelligence that pairs operational gains with tighter editorial controls. The gathering reflects a shift in tone. Indian publishers are moving beyond pilots and proofs of concept, seeking measurable returns from AI while putting governance frameworks in place to protect credibility and public trust.…

Apple is adding HLS-powered video support to treat video as a native podcast format The upgrade enables seamless switching between listening and watching, including offline viewing Dynamic video ads will open new monetisation opportunities for creators and advertisers Apple is embedding native video into Apple Podcasts, reshaping how publishers distribute and monetise shows inside one of the industry’s largest listening platforms. The update – now in beta across iOS 26.4, iPadOS 26.4 and visionOS 26.4 – treats video as a first-class format powered by HLS streaming rather than a bolt-on feature. Listeners will be able to switch between audio and…

Fake Facebook pages impersonate New Zealand news outlets, misleading the public with fabricated visuals Synthetic images linked to disasters and political campaigns raise legal and ethical concerns Experts warn about the increasing sophistication and reach of AI-generated misinformation across social media A growing network of Facebook pages masquerading as New Zealand news outlets is flooding social media with AI-generated images and videos that distort genuine reporting, according to an investigation. The accounts lift copy from established mastheads and attach computer-generated visuals or lightly rewritten text. While the examples uncovered are New Zealand-specific, researchers and fact-checkers say the same pattern is…

BBC plans to produce YouTube-exclusive content for younger audiences, starting around the Winter Olympics Up to 50 channels on YouTube to boost reach and revenue, with content also on iPlayer and Sounds Move marks a new phase in BBC’s digital expansion and monetisation efforts amid funding debates The BBC will this year begin producing content made expressly for YouTube, marking a significant shift in how Britain’s public service broadcaster approaches online audiences and younger viewers. The UK public broadcaster said the first output would be aimed at the younger BBC Three audience and is expected to roll out around the…

Sports Illustrated introduces SI TV, a free 24/7 streaming channel featuring original and archival sports content. The service aims to capitalise on rising video engagement and expand audience reach across multiple platforms. Industry analysts see SI TV as part of a broader shift by sports publishers into FAST distribution for monetisation and audience engagement. Sports Illustrated has expanded its video footprint with the launch of SI TV, a free ad-supported streaming channel offering round‑the‑clock programming drawn from the magazine’s journalism and decades of archived material. The 24/7 FAST (free ad‑supported streaming TV) service debuts with a mix of original series,…

VandeHei and Allen analyse how internet-driven trends transformed news consumption The rise of instant, personality-led journalism and the decline of traditional institutions Acknowledgement of the darker legacies: political entertainment and fractured truths Twenty years after leaving Washington Post and Time to start their own ventures, Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen say the bet they made on the internet has permanently dismantled the traditional news industry. In a retrospective column published on Tuesday, the founders of Axios and architects of Politico describe how the trends they embraced propelled them to the top of the media ecosystem – and helped usher in…

Penske Media alleges Google rigged ad auctions and suppressed publisher revenues The lawsuit builds on previous antitrust rulings and government challenges Industry peers echo concerns over Google’s market dominance and exclusionary tactics Penske Media Corporation has sued Google in federal court in Manhattan, alleging the company illegally monopolises the digital advertising market and has deprived publishers of billions of dollars in revenue. The case underscores mounting pressure on Google’s ad-tech business as publishers seek damages and structural remedies that could reshape how online advertising works. According to a report by TheWrap, the complaint alleges Google rigged ad auctions, suppressed prices…

Polymarket teams up with Dow Jones to integrate real-time market-implied probabilities into US financial titles The collaboration aims to enhance reader understanding while raising concerns over market integrity and transparency Industry considers the balance between innovation and vigilance in mainstreaming decentralised prediction data Polymarket has struck an exclusive data partnership with Dow Jones that will surface real-time market-implied probabilities across the publisher’s US financial properties, including The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, MarketWatch and Investor’s Business Daily. Under the agreement announced this week, Dow Jones will display Polymarket’s live prediction market feeds through dedicated modules on its digital platforms and in…

Yahoo launches a personalised afternoon audio news digest for US users The new briefing utilises AI technology from Artifact, acquired in 2024 The move highlights a shift towards multimodal, audio-centric news delivery Yahoo is widening its use of artificial intelligence in news delivery with the launch of an afternoon audio digest that personalises headlines for each listener. The move signals how major publishers are starting to treat AI-generated audio as a core distribution format rather than an experiment. The new briefing, called Your Daily Digest, is available on weekdays from noon to 5pm for users of the Yahoo News app…