Latest news with #SaraFischer
Axios
22-07-2025
- Business
- Axios
Jim VandeHei: Rise of Super Journalists
We write and talk a lot about the rise of AI superintelligence machines that'll be much smarter than humans — and the technology's impact on society and traditional journalism. In this column, we'll delve into the rise of what we call Super Journalists — reporters with sourcing, expertise, nuance and connections no machine can possibly match. Why it matters: We believe Super Journalists will dominate media in the AI era. These are journalists with true domain expertise, top-notch sourcing and historical depth to tell people things they don't know. They're not your average journalist doing a dutiful job chronicling unfolding events. Those, we believe, will be displaced by an AI agent summarizing things to match — with precision — the tastes of each individual user. No, these are the journalists with deep passion for a topic — be it politics, AI or a specific city — and deep sourcing, knowledge and credibility. They establish an authentic human connection, based on trust built over years. The big picture: This is great for you, the news consumer. In the future, we envision a world where discerning readers, viewers and listeners get the best of both worlds: higher quality human expertise on their favorite topics and quicker, better summaries of daily news or happenings via AI. We built Axios years ago for this very moment. We have a smaller newsroom than some older competitors. But we have true subject matter experts — including Sara Fischer on media, Dan Primack on deals, Ina Fried on tech, Hans Nichols on Congress, Neil Irwin and Courtenay Brown on economics and the Fed, Marc Caputo on the White House, Alex Thompson on national politics, Barak Ravid on the Middle East, Eleanor Hawkins on communications strategy, Joann Muller on transportation, and so many more. We're doing the same in Axios Local cities — now 34 and counting — where we hire the most wired reporters in a city to cover that city for a core local audience of smart professionals. We're not alone: Substack just raised $100 million to entice experts to go solo on its platform. New media companies, notably Puck, have adopted a similar Super Journalist ethos. AI will change journalism dramatically. We're updating the Axios Manifesto to make it clear we'll use AI as a tool for research, data collection and analysis, and compilation of data like concerts or events in cities — not to write stories. We'll soon start sharing some of the best use cases we've found. We believe AI will enable us to expand Axios Local to many more cities, much faster (more on this soon). But it won't replace Super Journalists. In fact, the spread of AI will make their work even more vital and valuable. Here's how we think about it: AI will help facilitate getting more high quality human-generated content to more humans. The distinctiveness of true Super Journalists' work will stand out amid the sameness of commodity news spit out by AI machines. We're betting you'll yearn for and reward: Authentic scoops by people you trust. Authentic context to see and think about topics in a more sophisticated way. Authentic nuance that flows not from the literal words and actions of people — but from their facial expressions, body language and true intent. The bottom line: Super Journalists + superintelligence = information nirvana if Axios can nail the mix and win your trust.
Axios
10-06-2025
- Business
- Axios
CNN owner Warner Bros. Discovery to split into two companies
Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company to Atlanta-based cable channels such as CNN, TBS and TNT, plans to split into two publicly traded companies, largely parting its television networks from its streaming business. Why it matters: The move announced Monday gives the company's businesses flexibility to compete while WBD manages its debt following Discovery's 2022 purchase of WarnerMedia, Axios' Sara Fischer reports. Yes, but: It's not clear how that will affect Warner Bros. Discovery's presence in metro Atlanta, where the family of companies created by local icon Ted Turner employ thousands of people. Despite mergers and the migration of most CNN operations to New York and Washington, D.C., the companies are well represented in Atlanta's civic, corporate and communities' scenes. Zoom in: WBD Streaming & Studios will comprise HBO, Warner Bros. Pictures and DC Studios; WBD Global Networks will include CNN, TNT Sports in the U.S. and Discovery. The company expects the separation will be completed by mid-2026. What they're saying: WBD said the decoupling would help both companies "be faster and more aggressive in pursuing opportunities that strengthen their competitive positions." "By operating as two distinct and optimized companies in the future, we are empowering these iconic brands with the sharper focus and strategic flexibility they need to compete most effectively in today's evolving media landscape," WBD chief executive David Zaslav said in a statement. Catch up quick: WBD has been exploring a spinoff for some time. Last December, it announced a new corporate structure that divided its linear television business from its streaming and studio businesses. The move, the company said at the time, would "enhance its strategic flexibility and create potential opportunities to unlock additional shareholder value." It had also explored mergers with cable companies like Paramount Global, but those talks never materialized. Zoom out: Amid cord-cutting, more entertainment giants are eyeing ways to offload their legacy TV assets to focus on streaming. Comcast said last year it planned to spin off NBCUniversal's cable networks into a separate, publicly traded company. That collection of assets — including USA Network, CNBC, MSNBC, Oxygen, E, SYFY and Golf Channel — will be part of a corporate parent called Versant. Disney CEO Bob Iger in 2023 teased the possible sale of the firm's linear TV assets, including its broadcast network ABC, but he later suggested interest in the idea had cooled.
Axios
26-05-2025
- Axios
Social media is the modern-day travel agent
Travelers are using social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram to plan their trips, ditching the traditional travel agent. The big picture: The travel agent industry expects to experience slow demand this year as travelers are booking independently with the help of online platforms, including social media. By the numbers: Hashtags like #TravelTikTok (13.3M posts) and #TikTokTravel (16.9M posts) feature millions of users showing viewers how, when and where to travel. TikTok saw a 410% increase in travel content views from 2021 to 2024, with 32% of users saying they booked stays discovered on the app, according to an Influencer marketing study. 35% of global travelers say they've turned to social media for ideas, with this number jumping to 53% for Gen Z alone, per the study. Between the lines: TikTok is currently expanding its local services business to the U.S., hiring people who will focus on partnering with creators in the lifestyle and travel spaces, Axios' Sara Fischer reports. 💭 My thought bubble: Planning a fall girls' trip to Chicago has never been easier. Treating TikTok, Instagram and Reddit as search engines helped me create an itinerary. Typing "places to go in..." in the search bars of TikTok and Instagram will bring you to thousands of videos with recommendations. On TikTok's mobile app, there are subheadings to click for a more specific search, like "birthday," "family" or "free." The comment sections of TikTok videos and Reddit threads are goldmines for travel hacks. Locals from the cities you want to visit often drop tips and tricks there. Getting insight from travel bloggers on YouTube and Pinterest can also help create a dream itinerary. Yes, but: Ditching a travel agent and creating an itinerary on your own might be more time-consuming.
Axios
02-05-2025
- Business
- Axios
Trump signs order to ax federal funding for NPR and PBS
President Trump signed an executive order on Thursday that's designed to cut funding to NPR and PBS. Why it matters: The order that calls the two biggest public broadcasters in the U.S. "biased" and directs the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to "cease direct funding" for them comes amid a broader push to target traditional media companies that the administration sees as biased against Republicans. The situation is already tense with the CPB, which allocates about $535 million in federal funding annually to NPR and PBS. The CPB filed a lawsuit against Trump and several administration officials on Monday for attempting to fire three members of its board. PBS and NPR had for decades enjoyed bipartisan support from lawmakers responsible for approving their government funds, per Axios' Sara Fischer and Natalie Daher. Zoom in: "The CPB Board shall cease direct funding to NPR and PBS, consistent with my Administration's policy to ensure that Federal funding does not support biased and partisan news coverage," states the order. "The CPB Board shall cancel existing direct funding to the maximum extent allowed by law and shall decline to provide future funding." Zoom out: The two public broadcasters are mostly funded by nongovernment sources, but PBS CEO Paula Kerger said during an an Axios News Shapers event in Washington, D.C., local member stations for PBS and NPR rely heavily on the government funding through the CPB. NPR previously defended its editorial integrity after Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) called on the CEOs of the two broadcasters to testify at a DOGE subcommittee hearing on what she described as "systemically biased content" from federally funded radio and TV organizations. What they're saying: "For more than 50 years, NPR has collaborated with local nonprofit public media organizations to fill critical needs for news and information in America's communities," a spokesperson for the outlet said in an emailed statement on Friday morning. "NPR's editorial practices and decision-making are independent and free from outside influence, inclusive of any individual or commercial interest or political party," he said. "Eliminating funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting would have a devastating impact on American communities across the nation that rely on public radio for trusted local and national news, culture, lifesaving emergency alerts, and public safety information. As a system, we serve the public interest," he added. "Public radio serves 99% of the population over the air, counters the growth of local news deserts across the country, and, in some cases, may be a community's only source of daily, local news from journalists who live in and know their communities."
Axios
08-04-2025
- Axios
Teens under 16 will need permission to livestream on Instagram: Meta
Teens under 16 will now be barred from livestreaming on Instagram without parental permission, Meta announced Tuesday. Why it matters: The new safety measure is an expansion of major changes that impacted millions of accounts starting last year as part of the company's push to better protect young users. Those policies, announced in September, meant all teenage users were automatically placed under teen accounts — and those under 16 needed a parent's permission to change their settings. Since making those changes, Meta said in a Tuesday release, 97% of teens aged 13 to 15 have kept the built-in restrictions. Driving the news: On top of the new automatic Instagram Live restrictions, teens under 16 will also have to get permission from a parent to turn off a feature that blurs images with suspected nudity in direct messages. These updates will be available "in the next couple of months," per Meta's announcement. Zoom out: Additionally, Meta announced it will begin introducing teen accounts to Facebook and Messenger beginning Tuesday. Those accounts will offer similar built-in protections against inappropriate content. By the numbers: There are at least 54 million users with teen accounts, Meta said. State of play: Meta's swath of changes announced last September included new verification methods to prevent users from lying about their age to circumvent protections, Axios' Sara Fischer reported. Teen accounts were automatically made private, and stricter message settings were implemented to filter out offensive content and unwanted contact from non-followers. The changes also gave parents more visibility over how their teens were using Instagram, such as through tools to see who their child had been messaging. The big picture: Researchers have identified substantial links between social media use and increased depression among teens.
