The Associated Press says it will offer buyouts to an unspecified number of its U.S.-based journalists as part of an acceleration away from the focus on newspapers and their print journalism that sustained the company for more than 1½ centuries. The news organization is becoming more focused on visual journalism and developing new revenue sources, particularly through companies investing in artificial intelligence. That's to cope with the economic collapse of many legacy news outlets. Once the lion's share of AP's revenue, big newspaper companies now account for 10% of its income. Julie Pace, AP's executive editor, says that "we're not a newspaper company and we haven't been for quite some time.
President Donald Trump and his team are increasing the pressure on journalists to cover the war in the Middle East the way the administration wants. The Republican president has complained on social media about stories he doesn't like and berated a reporter on Air Force One over the weekend. The government's top media regulator warned broadcasters risk losing their licenses to operate if they don't stay away from "fake news." Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have questioned the patriotism of some news outlets because of their reports. Antagonism between presidential administrations and the press isn't unusual, but Trump's team has shown a hostility toward the very idea of being questioned.
President Donald Trump's White House has established a hall of shame for journalists it finds guilty of media bias as it looks for new avenues of attack against legacy news outlets. The Republican president has been criticizing "fake news" since his first term. Some of Trump's attacks have turned personal in the past month. Yet despite it all, the news outlet Axios pointed out this week that mainstream news sources are as dominant as ever in setting the agenda for Washington and — somewhat ironically — capturing the president's attention. The Washington Post says it will "continue to report rigorously and accurately in service to all of America."
