CBS News vs The Independent

CNN, CBS News Heads Join Skydance Leadership Team

Skydance, the incoming owner of the combined Paramount/Warner Bros. Discovery entity, announced its CEO Leadership Team (CLT) on Monday. CNN's Mark Thompson and CBS News' Bari Weiss will join the leadership team, continuing in their current roles as chairman/editor-in-chief of CNN Worldwide and editor-in-chief of CBS News, respectively. The merger is expected to close on October 6, after which Thompson and Weiss will report to David Ellison and Ynon Kreiz. Thompson assured staff in a memo that CNN's independence will be maintained under the new ownership. The announcement also includes other executive appointments for content, TV, film, and DC Studios. The new leadership structure aims to integrate news with entertainment as a strategic opportunity.

• Skydance announced its CEO Leadership Team (CLT) on Monday, including CNN's Mark Thompson and CBS News' Bari Weiss.
• Thompson will continue as chairman and editor-in-chief of CNN Worldwide; Weiss remains editor-in-chief of CBS News.
• The Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery merger is expected to close on Tuesday, October 6.

Shira Lazar's What's Trending Scales to Seven-Figure Revenue

Shira Lazar built the creator-driven digital media brand What's Trending, which now generates up to seven figures in annual revenue through platform advertising, brand partnerships, licensing, distribution, and events. Despite a setback with CBS News, she scaled the brand across YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok. What's Trending has 4 million followers and distribution deals with MSN, Spotify, and Screenvision. Lazar also advocates for creator rights, launching the Creator Bill of Rights with Rep. Ro Khanna and founding Creators for Mental Health. The article highlights her journey and the growing importance of creator-driven media, as noted by NowThis CEO Sharon Mussalli.

• What's Trending generates annual revenue ranging from mid-six figures to low seven figures.
• The brand has 4 million followers across social platforms, with nearly 2 million on TikTok.
• What's Trending has distribution relationships with MSN, Spotify, and Screenvision.

Paramount In Talks to Settle Multistate Lawsuit for Warner Deal

Paramount has cleared the final legal obstacle to its $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery after a federal judge dissolved the court order blocking the deal and settled antitrust lawsuits with 12 state attorneys general. The settlement mandates an additional $300 million annual investment in U.S. film production over five years, maintaining California operations, and releasing at least 30 films annually in theaters for the first two years (32 for the following three), with a 45-day theatrical window and 90-day holdback from streaming. An all-journalist News Editorial Independence Board will oversee CNN and CBS News, with penalties including asset divestiture. The Writers Guild will drop its lawsuit after a $17.5 million health fund payment. The deal, approved by the DOJ and EU, is expected to close within days, avoiding a $7 million daily ticking fee after October 1.

• Paramount's acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery was cleared after a federal judge dissolved the blocking order and antitrust lawsuits with 12 state attorneys general were settled.
• The consent decree requires the combined company to release at least 30 theatrical films per year for the first two years and 32 for the following three, with a 45-day theatrical window and 90-day holdback from streaming.
• The settlement mandates an additional $300 million annual investment in U.S. production and maintains California operations.

The Independent's social commerce revenue surpasses SEO

The Independent's social-commerce revenue surpassed its SEO-based revenue for the first time in September, indicating a shift toward social platforms and away from search traffic, which has declined partly due to AI. CEO Christian Broughton declared the old search-and-social model 'dead' and outlined four growth areas: AI, creator-led studio work, e-commerce, and membership, expected to contribute nearly half of 2026 revenue. The company reported £55.1 million in 2025 revenue, up 4%, with profit before tax rising 9% to £3.5 million. Broughton also highlighted AI productivity gains, including the 'Bulletin' news app with 12 million monthly users, the 'Eva' AI feature that reduced bounce rate, and a live news team six times more productive. Meanwhile, Meta's upcoming terms update on October 30 extends AI training scraping rights to all linked websites, criticized as a data grab that may override robots.txt and bypass licensing. In parallel, e-commerce platforms are navigating AI agent integration, with Amazon blocking third-party agents while Walmart and Target partner with OpenAI, and Zillow licensing data to Google for Gemini.

• The Independent's social-commerce revenue surpassed SEO-based revenue for the first time in September.
• CEO Christian Broughton declared the old search-and-social business model 'dead'.
• Meta will extend scraping rights to all websites linked on its platforms starting October 30.

Zelensky calls on Trump to act after Russia violates energy ceasefire

The Independent's news section has been updated with new top stories including Ukraine-Russia conflict, a school stabbing in Poland, NHS prescription changes, and other current events.

Taboola: Tesco Clubcard Readership Surges 1,876%

Taboola's Newsroom data shows UK readership of Tesco Clubcard articles rose 1,876% in the most recent 30-day period versus the prior 30 days, generating more than 335,000 page views across Taboola's UK publisher network (up from ~17,000). The surge is attributed primarily to the impending expiry of £11 million in Clubcard vouchers, which publishers warned would become invalid after 11:59pm on 31 August. Additional drivers cited include the return of Clubcard Challenges, Tesco’s "Know What You’re Sitting On" campaign and promotional activity such as the OVO Clubcard Millionaire prize draw. Taboola communications lead Dave Struzzi commented on publishers' role and the attention the Clubcard brand is generating for Tesco.

• UK readership of Tesco Clubcard articles increased by 1,876% over the last 30 days versus the preceding 30 days.
• Taboola’s Newsroom recorded more than 335,000 page views for Clubcard-related articles across its UK publisher network, up from approximately 17,000 in the previous 30 days.
• The surge was driven by the approaching expiry of £11 million worth of Tesco Clubcard vouchers, which were reported to become invalid after 11:59pm on 31 August.