The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s transition to new ownership began Thursday night with sweeping newsroom layoffs that could affect up to half of its staff. Journalists reported a fragmented process, with some receiving offers while others heard nothing as cuts moved across multiple departments. The Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh alleges the reductions disproportionately target striking workers, a claim not yet addressed by new ownership. The cuts come just as the Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism prepares to take control, following public calls from elected officials to preserve staffing and stability. more

In a blunt, emotionally charged email sent to supporters this morning, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette union leaders warned that the newsroom is facing sweeping layoffs — with as many as half of its journalists expected to lose their jobs — while accusing the paper’s new ownership of targeting union members and dismantling core coverage areas, setting off a new phase in one of the industry’s most closely watched labor battles. more

When the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette publishes its first edition under new ownership on Monday, it will be doing so with a significantly reduced staff. more

Meta is raising the prospect of shutting down its social media services in New Mexico in response to a push by state prosecutors for fundamental changes to the company’s platforms, including Instagram, to protect the mental health and safety of children. more

Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Vermont have teamed with eight other states in an antitrust suit aimed at blocking the Nexstar-Tegna deal. more

The story was solid. The reporting was done. The facts were there. But it never ran. Across the country, newsrooms are increasingly making quiet editorial decisions not based on what they know — but on what they fear. Welcome to journalism’s new reality: the chilling effect of legal threats that stop stories before they ever reach the public. more

As first reported in Bloomberg, the News/Media Alliance (NMA), representing a collection of leading news publishers, has submitted a letter to Common Crawl demanding the archive site stop its unauthorized scraping and storage of content, and establish additional protocols to prevent publisher content in its database from being used by AI companies.  more

SCS has announced a strategic partnership with AMR for merchant services in the Community Advertising System. AMR’s patented Cash Discount/Dual Pricing program allows media companies to eliminate the cost of accepting payments entirely. more

The Onion’s plan to take over the Infowars platforms that Alex Jones built into a bullhorn of conspiracy theories and turn them into parody sites was in limbo again Thursday, after a court paused a proposed deal involving the satirical news outlet. more

Yahoo Media Group, which operates Yahoo Sports and Yahoo Finance, is bringing together the worlds of sports and finance through a new destination for sports business coverage. more

News fatigue isn’t just a trend — it’s reshaping how, and whether, audiences engage with journalism at all. As fewer Americans follow the news consistently, newsroom leaders are confronting a hard truth: the relentless cycle of negative, high-volume coverage may be driving readers away, while more localized, solutions-focused reporting offers a path to bring them back. more

Artificial intelligence may be changing how audiences discover information, but the bigger challenge for publishers could be preserving trust, creativity and visibility in an AI-driven media ecosystem. After attending both SXSW and the Game Developers Conference, E&P Columnist Chad Davis argues that journalism organizations must rethink how stories are created, discovered and optimized for a future increasingly shaped by AI search and digital platforms. more

Federal and local officials sent an open welcome letter to leadership of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s incoming ownership on Wednesday afternoon, urging the Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism to maintain a robust staff as well as a good-faith bargaining relationship with members of the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh. more

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr on Thursday said the decision to order an early license review for Disney’s ABC television stations isn’t related to President Trump’s skirmish with late-night host Jimmy Kimmel. more

An attorney for the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press is representing the editor of the West Baton Rouge Independent, a small news outlet in Louisiana, to help the journalist fend off a government lawsuit aimed at silencing his reporting.  more

CNN Style has announced its first newsletter offering, Big Style, authored by CNN Senior Style Reporter Rachel Tashjian. A seasoned fashion expert with nearly two decades of experience reporting across every aspect of the industry, she previously created Opulent Tips, a widely respected fashion newsletter known for its cult following. more

The Danish weekly and “The Gray Lady” win the Society for News Design’s highest honor for publications in print and digital respectively at the 47th edition of its Creative Competition. more

The National Association of Broadcasters announced that Ben Arden has been named senior vice president and deputy general counsel. Arden will report to Rick Kaplan, chief legal officer and executive vice president of Legal and Regulatory Affairs. more

Bridget Sibthorp-Moecker, director of audience at BLOX Digital, announced on LinkedIn that she is expanding her commitment to the future of local media.  She wrote that she is stepping into a new chapter as interim head of audience growth and development for Lee Enterprises, while maintaining her role at BLOX Digital. more