iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Craig Aaron @notaaroncraig.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Variety reports that a bunch of corporate lawyers are making "guilt donations" for working to seal the Paramount deal on Yom Kippur. I didn't work today. But I have a better idea: Gratitude donations to the groups that have been fighting so hard to #BlockTheMerger See the 🧵 below for links

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Jessica J. González @jgo4justice.bsky.social · 3h

@freepress.bsky.social and #BlocktheMerger allies have worked tirelessly to challenge the Ellison family takeover of Warner Bros. This week we lost, and I've been reflecting on the unfair advantage that billionaire oligarchs have in our media and our politics. pressingissues.org/tech-barons-...

pressingissues.org

Loss Leaders: Tech Barons Buy Up Media Outlets to Hide Grifts

Billionaires are amassing control of our information environment to manipulate and control politics

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Craig Aaron @notaaroncraig.bsky.social · 6h

"As millions of people struggle to feed their families, the billionaire class is flexing its grotesque wealth to buy up the means through which people access news and information." New Pressing Issues by @jgo4justice.bsky.social on the ParaBros fallout and the much bigger fight we have ahead.

pressingissues.org

Loss Leaders: Tech Barons Buy Up Media Outlets to Hide Grifts

Billionaires are amassing control of our information environment to manipulate and control politics

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Craig Aaron @notaaroncraig.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Congrats to @rebuildlocalnews.bsky.social team for all the work they did to make this happen.

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Daniel Miller @danielnmiller.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Aaron Sorkin on the Paramount-WBD merger: www.politico.com/news/2026/09...

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Ruth Livier, PhD @rlivier.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Our immigration system is unfair, despotic, racist. My @freepress.bsky.social Pressing Issues Q&A w/UCLA’s Dr.Hernández’s re her book, RACIST BY DESIGN, which unearths how we got here. pressingissues.org/us-immigrati... editors @juliorvarela.com @notaaroncraig.bsky.social @timkarr.bsky.social

pressingissues.org

The U.S. Immigration Regime Is ‘Racist by Design’

A conversation with historian Dr. Kelly Lytle Hernández about the historic whites-only system driving the U.S. immigration machine

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Rodger Sherman @rodger.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

the right's crippling lack of ball knowledge strikes again

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Christopher Mathias @letsgomathias.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

"Journalists may not have much. But we retain the right to call the frauds and bootlickers masquerading as the pillars of the media industry a bunch of scumbags. Truth, after all, comes free." remarkable @hamiltonnolan.bsky.social piece www.hamiltonnolan.com/p/the-free-a...

hamiltonnolan.com

The Free and Unfree Press

Journalism, and its adversaries.

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Freedom of the Press Foundation @freedom.press · 26/09/2026

Anyone heard from David Ellison about all of this? Isn't he trying to buy CNN? You'd think he'd want to stand up for the journalists he seeks to employ. Unless he prioritizes his relationship with Trump over both CNN's interests and press freedom. freedom.press/issues/journ...

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Freedom of the Press Foundation @freedom.press · 25/09/2026

It took a week for CNN to get White House access back. Other outlets boycotted in solidarity. But not David Ellison – he dined at the WH with Trump and Xi and ignored calls from 100+ reporters and advocates to stand up for the journalists he seeks to employ.

freedom.press

Journalists, advocates demand Ellison condemn White House ban, back lawsuit

The Paramount Skydance CEO may soon own CNN. He should be condemning the outlet’s ban

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Nora Benavidez @attorneynora.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Honestly, I loved writing this. First Amendment nerds, enjoy!

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Craig Aaron @notaaroncraig.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

ICYMI at 2:59 a.m. ET. The court can't say it wasn't warned about everything that's wrong with this settlement. "It’s full of weak and unenforceable behavioral conditions that will not protect workers, creatives or consumers." www.freepress.net/news/free-pr...

freepress.net

Free Press and Block the Merger Partners File Amicus Brief Blasting Pitiful Paramount Settlement

“The court should reject this deal outright," says Jessica J. González. "It doesn’t address the anti-competitive concerns that state attorneys general themselves identified in their initial lawsuit."

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Jessica J. González @jgo4justice.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

BREAKING: The #BlockTheMerger groups just won our motion!!! Our amicus briefs on why the court should not accept the weak and unenforceable consent decree are due at midnight tonight.

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Knight First Amendment Institute @knightcolumbia.org · 24/09/2026

What are the best ways to preserve quality journalism? @mattfieldwood.bsky.social of @freepress.bsky.social discusses finding, and funding, new models of journalism amid attacks on the press: knightcolumbia.org/blog/beyond-...

knightcolumbia.org

Beyond Fighting Mergers and Censorship, to Finding and Funding New Models

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Craig Aaron @notaaroncraig.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

"No matter how well-intentioned the members of these committees may be, if David Ellison wants to get around them, he will. It’s an artificial set of rules that a billionaire owner will inevitably circumvent. These 'independent' boards are PR gestures, not vehicles for editorial protection."

niemanlab.org

David Ellison will get control of CNN after all (and don’t pretend an “independent editorial board” will mean otherwise)

In exchange for dropping their lawsuit against Paramount's acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, state AGs have negotiated "independent" oversight of CNN. You shouldn't expect much oversight.

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Craig Aaron @notaaroncraig.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

New Pressing Issues: @jgo4justice.bsky.social breaks down the Paramount settlement: "a toothless set of unenforceable commitments, weak oversight and empty promises on movie production that amount to far less than what both companies were already doing on their own."

pressingissues.org

Attorneys General Cave to Paramount’s Extortion Threats

But the growing movement fighting the authoritarian takeover of the media won’t stop

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Craig Aaron @notaaroncraig.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Paramount priorities: "How many jobs will be axed and how soon. Ellison wrote ... he expects the Warner Bros. merger to close within two weeks. That doesn’t give the combined company much time to pull off its first round of layoffs before the holidays." variety.com/2026/tv/news...

variety.com

Paramount, Warner Bros. Insiders Were Stunned by the Settlement With State AGs. Now They’re Girding for Inevitable Mass Layoffs

Insiders at Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Skydance were surprised by the settlement with the state AGs. Now they're gearing up for layoffs.

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Gabriel Lezra @gabelezra.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

The work of justice is to plant trees under whose shade you may never sit; and the fight against organized oligarchy, against the immense power of concentrated money, is often a battle for a sunrise you may never see. But one day, someone, somewhere, will sit under a tree, watching the sun rise.

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Mark Ruffalo @markruffalo.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Don’t you dare @agrobbonta.oag.ca.gov, do not cave. 5670 film makers put their necks on the line for you to fight this merger. Another 75,000+ and counting have signed to tell you not to concede in just 3 weeks. Please sign to send a message to the AG’s and Paramount. noparamountconcessions.com

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Elizabeth Warren @warren.senate.gov · 19/09/2026

As Trump tries to ban CNN from the White House, it would be a massive mistake to cave on the Paramount merger. The last thing we need is another Trump-controlled media conglomerate abusing its power to stomp out competition. This is a dangerous merger. variety.com/2026/film/ne...

variety.com

Paramount and California AG Bonta Reportedly in ‘Advanced Talks’ to Settle Antitrust Suit

Paramount Skydance is in "advanced talks" with California Attorney General Rob Bonta to settle the 12-state antitrust suit that's holding up its takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, the WSJ reported.

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Free Press @freepress.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

🚨Press reports state AGs are negotiating to settle their suit against the Paramount-WBD merger.🚨 "Here’s what every politician negotiating in backrooms should understand: People won’t forget who stood up for them and who capitulated" @jgo4justice.bsky.social www.freepress.net/news/free-pr...

freepress.net

Free Press Calls on Attorney Generals Not to Cave to Ellison’s Extortion

The reported deal would abandon the thousands of creatives and workers who risked speaking out and the tens of millions of consumers the attorneys general should be fighting for.

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Alvaro M. Bedoya @bedoyausa.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

1/ Per Status, @agrobbonta.oag.ca.gov may soon bless a weak settlement with few or none of the divestments he's demanded for months.

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Jessica J. González @jgo4justice.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

News broke this afternoon that Bonta and Paramount are in settlement talks. All of the sources are anonymous. Which is really … something. The Wall Street Journal and Deadline have slightly conflicting reports on timing. If I were advising the state AGs, this is what I’d say:

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Jessica J. González @jgo4justice.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

This is desperate dictator behavior. Media outlets will self-censor to stay in the room. Critical stories will go untold. I sure hope these media outlets sue to defend their rights, because the people are the biggest losers when Trump censors them. www.cnbc.com/2026/09/18/t...

cnbc.com

Trump says he's banning MS NOW, CNN and Politico from White House

President Donald Trump said he is banning MS NOW, CNN and Politico from the White House over their coverage of him.

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Craig Aaron @notaaroncraig.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

“You don’t want to fight it out in court whether Verizon has a right to throttle firefighters. When fires are raging, you want Verizon to know they can’t do that, not sort that out a year from now."

calmatters.org

California is poised to get $1.4 billion for broadband. But there’s a huge catch

California is about to accept $1.4 billion in federal broadband funding. But it must give up net neutrality and other internet rules.

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Craig Aaron @notaaroncraig.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

“To be clear: These cases aren’t just about cracking down on immigration. They are about cutting off community access to vital coverage and scaring reporters from holding those in power accountable."

freepress.net

Press-Freedom Coalition Calls for the Immediate Release of ICE-Detained Journalist Luis Galeano

Luis Galeano is the latest in a long line of journalists who came to the United States to report on issues of the day and instead face deportation.

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The Privacy Center @georgetownprivacy.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Industry proposals for data centers get plenty of attention and the benefit of the doubt from the press and lawmakers. The futures communities imagine for themselves rarely get the same treatment.

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Nora Benavidez @attorneynora.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Trump is attempting to ban almost all major media outlets from the White House. Yes, an escalation of his already censorial treatment of the media. Also, invariably will be met with a set of legal challenges, as blatantly unconstitutional. www.cnbc.com/2026/09/18/t...

cnbc.com

Trump says he's banning MS NOW, CNN and Politico from White House

President Donald Trump said he is banning MS NOW, CNN and Politico from the White House over their coverage of him.

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Tim Karr @timkarr.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Local, independent media have become early-warning systems exposing for communities the many harms of data centers being built in their backyards. I spoke to @jmalewitz.bsky.social about the great work Wisconsin Watch is doing to shed light on Big Tech's efforts to keep these harms from public view

pressingissues.org

Watching Wisconsin’s Secretive Data Centers

How local independent news outlets are alerting communities to the threats posed by Big Tech

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Craig Aaron @notaaroncraig.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

"This is very much an astroturf project. I mean, there are no neighbors and there are no communities,” I told @theintercept.com about the very sketchy, pro-Flock and pro-Paramount activities of Neighbors for Strong Communities

theintercept.com

Facing Outraged Residents, Flock Got Help From Group That Uses AI to Rally Public Support

As Knoxville residents soured on Flock, the company got help from Neighbors for Strong Communities, a group accused of “astroturfing.”

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Jessica J. González @jgo4justice.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

The FCC waived massive foreign investment in the Paramount-WB deal. They didn’t have to. But Brendan Carr has made himself the laughingstock of the Communications Bar. So now he’s circling billionaire tables for scraps b/c nobody of principle will hire him to do honest work again. #BlocktheMerger

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Craig Aaron @notaaroncraig.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

The idea that allowing the Saudi regime — which has murdered journalists, don’t forget — and other foreign investors to up to 100% of CBS and CNN is somehow in the “public interest” twists the term beyond recognition. But FCC’s Brendan Carr only serves Trump and Larry Ellison, not the public.

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Craig Aaron @notaaroncraig.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Also if you’re publishing “leaks” parroting David Ellison’s temper-tantrum talking points about “leaving California” you might want to question the motivation of your sources. And why the fake tough guy is always like … “Hold me back …”

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Tim Karr @timkarr.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

"I don’t make any exceptions for AI," award-winning cartoonist @claytoonz.bsky.social tells @juliorvarela.com. "I don’t care how funny you might think it is. But wherever they use AI ... it shows why they’re not professional cartoonists, because the writing is terrible."

pressingissues.org

Saying No to AI Slop — and The Baltimore Sun

Certain journalistic lines just can’t be crossed

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Craig Aaron @notaaroncraig.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

“We are very much are at risk, but this isn't really a story about Skynet, it's a story about corruption and ordinary human greed … while a bumbling kakistocracy dismantles all remaining public interest guardrails.” — @karlbode.com

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Nora Benavidez @attorneynora.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

I just learned that reporter Luis Galeano has been detained in Miami by ICE. This is part of wider trend by the US govt to target immigrant reporters, violating core US press freedom principles. Galeano is from Nicaragua & is believed to have a pending asylum case in the US. I will report more ASAP.

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Emily M. Bender @emilymbender.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

So how about this for a "pause AI" proposal: "pause credulous AI reporting". No more media about "breakthroughs" or "rogue agent swarms" or ... UNLESS and UNTIL that media demands the actual empirical evidence and/or focuses on the motivations of & harms by these companies.

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Jessica J. González @jgo4justice.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Ellison to California: Give me what I want, or I’ll shutter a historic studio and take away your jobs. Anyone else tired of billionaire oligarchs breaking all the rules and holding our communities hostage to their selfish whims? F this. #BlocktheMerger #NoConcessions deadline.com/2026/09/para...

deadline.com

Huge Job Losses And Economic Pain If Paramount Exits L.A., Report Says

Nearly 60,000 L.A. jobs could be lost if David Ellison carries through on a threat to move Paramount out of California amid his antitrust battle.

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The Poynter Institute @poynterinstitute.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

McClatchy, whose titles include The Miami Herald and The Sacramento Bee, executed its most severe layoffs in years on Thursday, cutting newsroom staff at some papers by upwards of 40%. www.poynter.org/business-wor...

poynter.org

McClatchy cuts more than 90 staff in its most severe layoffs in years - Poynter

At least 13 papers — including The Miami Herald, The Sacramento Bee and The Kansas City Star — lost reporters

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