The Atlantic
The publication broke perhaps the biggest scandal of Trump’s second term so far when editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg reported being accidentally included on a Signal group chat replete with top Pentagon brass discussing highly sensitive national security matters.
Whatever the eventual fallout in DC, the reporting was broadly praised as a win for public service journalism holding the powerful to account. A rare PR win these days for legacy media.
Disney
“Snow White”
Over three years of pre-release controversy enveloping the studio’s live action remake of the most treasured film in its vault culminated in withering reviews and feeble box office that some say qualify the movie as one of the all-time biggest flops. “Snow White,” which cost a staggering $270 million to produce, is expected to result in $250 to $300 million in losses for the Mouse House.
There’s plenty of blame going around for the misfire, but much of it in the Hollywood trades has focused on Bob Iger’s checkered second stint as CEO (his predecessor, Bob Chapek, has not been spared) and a perception of creative malaise at a studio once revered for its movie magic-making ingenuity.
AP
Dr. Phil
Barstool Sports
The Trump administration’s upending of White House press norms continued with its decisive break from the tradition of calling on the AP first for questions during press briefings. That honor instead went this month to a reporter from Dr. Phil’s news app.
Meanwhile, Trump came under rare fire from the massive Barstool Sports when its founder Dave Portnoy slammed the White House’s handling of Signalgate, landing that new media company plaudits from traditional outlets.
The White House Correspondent’s Association
The organization canceled a planned performance by comedien Amber Ruffin at its April 26 dinner. The event, among the biggest on the Washington social calendar, typically has the sitting president submit to a roasting.
The group, which plays a major hand in managing the White House press pool, said the decision was made out of an interest in focusing “not on the politics of division, but entirely on awarding our colleagues for their outstanding work and providing scholarship and mentorship to the next generation of journalists.”
Many scoffed at that explanation and saw the move as the latest instance of the press placating the current administration for fear of reprisal.
Gavin Newsom
Charlie Kirk
Steve Bannon
California Governor and potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidate Gavin Newsom launched a podcast this month, to scathing blowback from the party’s progressive flank. Among his first guests were Steve Bannon and the conservative influencer Charlie Kirk, with whom Newsom agreed on the unfairness of trans women competing in elite female sports.
Newsom, ever the shrewd operator, may be trying to win over mainstream Dems and independents by retrenching on more controversial social issues. Or scoring points by sitting down with the enemy. The question is if losing the support of so many outspoken party activists would undermine those strategies.
Hulu
Live entertainment is a major new frontier for streaming platforms, and none could have been encouraged by Hulu’s first-ever livestream of the Oscars. Many users couldn’t login until well into the show. More troublingly, the stream cut off for all viewers at the two-and-a-half-hour mark of a spectacle notorious for running long. That left audiences unable to see “Anora” and its star Mikey Madison win two of the night’s biggest prizes, for picture and actress.
Bloomberg
The financial news giant’s foray into AI-generated journalism has hit more than a few snags. The company has corrected at least three dozen such articles this year. One mistake came in a report onTrump’s auto tariffs, with the summary misstating the timing of broader tariff actions.
Bloomberg isn’t alone. The Los Angeles Times recently removed an AI tool after it inaccurately described the Ku Klux Klan.
Bloomberg says 99% of its AI summaries meet editorial standards and are designed to complement, not replace, human reporting.
