Media industry

Media industry

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

Early on in my own career, I was lucky enough to spend some time with Nick Kendall when he was head of planning at BBH and running the IPA Excellence Diploma. He gave some very simple advice that I didn't fully appreciate at the time. He said, 'no matter what, keep going.' Only all these years later do I realize how good his advice was, so I'm passing it on.

By positioning UBS as a curator of wealth, T Brand Studio's campaign emphasized the deliberate expertise behind tailored solutions rather than abstract banking promises. The program met its audience of high-net-worth individuals and senior leads in trusted editorial environments, embedding stories within New York Times ad units, podcasts and custom experiences aligned to readers' interests. Other elements included three short films and custom crosswords in print and digital formats.

Global media and entertainment revenues reached $1.1 trillion in 2025, up from $1.03 trillion in 2024, representing $70 billion in annual growth, according to Omdia. Of that increase, $64 billion came from online video, with $42 billion driven by advertising. Omdia forecasts the market will expand further in 2026, reaching $1.2 trillion.

The WBD Board continues to support and unanimously recommend our transaction, and we are confident that it will deliver the best outcome for stockholders, consumers, creators, and the broader entertainment community,

Anna talks to Jonathan Goldstein, host of the Pushkin podcast Heavyweight, about the show getting a second chance after a long period of uncertainty, and how that time helped some of the stories they had been working on find a proper conclusion. Then we share one of our favorite episodes of Heavyweight, their recent season finale titled " Deborah." At 101 years old, Deborah discovered a box she'd stashed away a lifetime ago.

I don't think so. I really don't. I've loved it, but I'm getting on a bit. It's a younger man's job, but you can get other actors in and it will work just as well, because it's all about the bear.

Weiss originally postponed the segment because she believed, at present, we do not present the administration's argument for why it sent 252 Venezuelans to CECOT. Correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi, who reported on the story, was furious slamming the move as a political decision and arguing that Weiss's reasoning was flawed. Their refusal to be interviewed is a tactical maneuver designed to kill the story, Alfonsi wrote, in an internal memo of her own.

Launched in 2015 by Dave Nemetz, who previously co-founded Bleacher Report, Inverse began life primarily as a tech and science website before later pivoting to entertainment and gaming. It will seemingly now only cover movies and TV as the gaming side of its masthead has been wiped out. Several staff, including Liao, shared the news on Bluesky. "After flying back from Vegas last week, I was just laid off from Inverse today," she wrote.

We are redefining our content strategy from a largely linear-first to a linear and digital approach that delivers seamless consumer experience across platforms,

A relatively unknown startup, Symbolic.ai, wants to change that, and it just signed a major deal with News Corp, the media conglomerate owned by Rupert Murdoch. News Corp, the major assets of which include MarketWatch, the New York Post, and the WSJ, is set to begin using Symbolic's AI platform with its financial news hub Dow Jones Newswires.

I did see him, I was reversing into a parking spot and talking to someone from the Late Late Show, handsfree, and I then did a swear word and said: 'I've almost killed David McCullagh'.

iHeartMedia has released the host and nominees for the 2026 iHeartPodcast Awards, which this year is co-produced with South by Southwest (SXSW). As last year, the ceremony will be staged at the Moody Theater in Austin, TX. The date of this evening event is Monday, March 16. Actress, comedian and host of the "Thanks Dad" podcast, Ego Nwodim, will emcee this year's

The Onion doesn't do brand safety. In fact, the less brand safe, the better. Working for The Onion is like "leaning into all of my worst habits," quips CMO Leila Brillson on this week's episode of AdExchanger Talks. There aren't many topics that The Onion shies away from, instead embracing jokes about Jeffrey Epstein and proposing deeply unappetizing RFK Jr.-approved alternatives to Halloween candy.

We are still at the early stages of another big shift in technology (Generative AI) which threatens to upend the news industry by offering more efficient ways of accessing and distilling information at scale. At the same time, creators and influencers (humans) are driving a shift towards personality-led news, at the expense of media institutions that can often feel less relevant, less interesting, and less authentic. In 2026 the news media are likely to be further squeezed by these two powerful forces.

Eight strikes and Paramount's out. Wait-isn't it supposed to be three strikes? Paramount CEO David Ellison apparently did not get the memo. Ellison received official word last week that his company's takeover bid for Warner Bros. Discovery had been rejected for the eighth time. It is becoming difficult not to wonder whether Ellison really should have called it quits after the third offer back in October-his last unsolicited, bungled bid before Warner CEO David Zaslav launched a bidding process for the storied studio company.

Ami steps into the role at a pivotal moment for both TPA and the podcast industry - bringing a deep commitment to creators, a sharp understanding of the business of audio, and a clear vision for how the Academy can continue to grow as the home for excellence in podcasting,

The feeling you get the first time you vibe-code something is similar to what you probably felt the first time you asked ChatGPT to write an essay. You feel incredibly empowered, and maybe even a bit fooled. "It can't be that easy," is a common thought. And you'd be right: Vibe-coded experiences are visually and technically impressive, but they are almost always one-offs: Turning them into stable tools you can use on an ongoing basis typically requires a wider set of software and developer skills.

Donald Trump wants CNN sold. He has said so repeatedly and publicly, demanding it should be sold in any deal involving Warner Bros Discovery. Now one of America's largest media companies is racing to oblige him, while another looks to consolidate its power. Wednesday's House judiciary hearing on streaming competition where lawmakers voiced concern over the Trump administration's influence and a potential merger's toll on consumers made clear just how dangerous both options are for free speech, audiences and democracy itself.