Jon Passantino
@passantino.bsky.social
6.9K followers 600 following 580 posts
Executive editor at @status.news. Email: jon@status dot news. Subscribe to the essential newsletter examining the media and power at status.news/subscribe 📬
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Reposted by Jon Passantino
ddiamond.bsky.social
I spoke with physicians who have treated presidents and VPs about Trump's return visit to Walter Reed — and they had questions.

“The answer that this was just part of his usual annual, or semi-annual visit, is disingenuous,” @jreinermd.bsky.social told me.
Trump is in ‘excellent’ health, White House says, amid questions about second exam
Outside physicians asked why the president was making a return trip to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, six months after undergoing medical tests.
www.washingtonpost.com
Reposted by Jon Passantino
brianlowry.bsky.social
Inaugurating my Status.news newsletter, with some broad observations about the state of the industry (spoiler: gloomy) and a review noting that in "Tron: Ares," the letters that matter aren't AI, but IP www.status.news/p/hollywood-...
Status
Status is the definitive nightly briefing that informs readers about what is really happening in the halls of media power.
Status.news
Reposted by Jon Passantino
kairyssdal.bsky.social
Yes, America - the president is telling you you’ll be paid to take your meds.

FFS
atrupar.com
Trump: "Drug prices are going to be going down 100%, 400%, 600%, 1,000% in some cases."
Reposted by Jon Passantino
oliverdarcy.bsky.social
News: Bari Weiss just sent a memo to staffers at CBS News asking them to produce a memo explaining "how you spend your working hours—and ideally, what you've made (or are making) that you're most proud of."

One CBS News staffer puts it like this to me: "We just got Elon Musked."
Reposted by Jon Passantino
nataliekorach.bsky.social
Scoop: Samantha Henig, who was appointed as the general manager of venture projects for WaPo, tasked with the strategy of now-defunct "third newsroom,” is departing, according to people familiar

A WaPo spokesperson declined to comment on the departure.
www.status.news/p/bari-weiss...
A Bari Trying Time
While Bari Weiss faces skepticism inside CBS News, former colleagues describe her management style to Status as chaotic and abrasive—raising questions about how she’ll lead one of America’s most stori...
www.status.news
Reposted by Jon Passantino
katzish.bsky.social
Got a recent Pulitzer for warning on the spread of autocracy around the globe, after decades of service to the paper? You can bet your butt you're getting laid off by form email, on Yom Kippur
davejorgenson.bsky.social
The Post laid off seemingly the remaining of their liberal-leaning staff members on Opinion last Thursday, when some of them were observing Yom Kippur.

from @oliverdarcy.bsky.social for Status
status.news/p/washington-post-opinion-cuts-adam-oneal
Reposted by Jon Passantino
bubbaprog.xyz
i'm not sure how you can claim to cover things fairly and fully when you're using the bootleg name that is officially only a "secondary name" for the department
passantino.bsky.social
CNN is now using the Trump preferred “Department of War” name in its official statements
Reposted by Jon Passantino
jsweetli.bsky.social
NEW: A MAGA X account often shared by Senator Mike Lee and House Republicans like Nancy Mace--that often alleges Democrats encourage voting fraud-- is run by a man who not only has never stepped foot in the US, he also illegally donated to an American campaign.

www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...
The Viral MAGA Accounts Run by a Man Who Has Never Been to America
Two influential MAGA social media accounts are run by Rumen Naumovski, a Macedonian who may have illegally donated to a U.S. election.
www.rollingstone.com
passantino.bsky.social
The Associated Press, NYT, WSJ, WaPo, Politico, etc are continuing to use the official Department of Defense name. The only other major outlet that appears to be using Trump's "Department of War" is Fox News
passantino.bsky.social
CNN is now using the Trump preferred “Department of War” name in its official statements
passantino.bsky.social
CNN is now using the Trump preferred “Department of War” name in its official statements
Reposted by Jon Passantino
davejorgenson.bsky.social
The Post laid off seemingly the remaining of their liberal-leaning staff members on Opinion last Thursday, when some of them were observing Yom Kippur.

from @oliverdarcy.bsky.social for Status
status.news/p/washington-post-opinion-cuts-adam-oneal
passantino.bsky.social
“What he's doing is contrary to his initial promise,” a former Post opinion staffer told @status.news “He's ensuring ideological conformity rather than the robust debate he had charted as his path forward.” www.status.news/p/washington...
Post Traumatic Disorder
Adam O’Neal says he’s bringing “intellectual diversity” to The Washington Post’s opinion pages—but the moves he’s making behind the scenes tell a different story.
www.status.news
passantino.bsky.social
The new Washington Post opinion editor delivered surprise layoff notices to high-profile columnists and editors on Yom Kippur, while some were off observing the holiday. They’re being replaced with reliably conservative voices as Bezos tilts right, via @status.news www.status.news/p/washington...
Post Traumatic Disorder
Adam O’Neal says he’s bringing “intellectual diversity” to The Washington Post’s opinion pages—but the moves he’s making behind the scenes tell a different story.
www.status.news
Reposted by Jon Passantino
willbunch.bsky.social
Someone saying "Let's do the fucking news" is the ultimate sign that person has never, ever worked in a real newsroom (the fantasyland of the NYT Opinion section doesn't count)
maxtani.bsky.social
Bari Weiss introduced herself to CBS News staff today on the network's 9AM call, saying she wants to "win," which requires restoring trust to CBS. She also said she was excited for staff to get to know the Free Press, and ended her remarks by saying: "Let's do the fucking news."
Reposted by Jon Passantino
hadasgold.bsky.social
NEW: X's former communications chief speaks out in an exclu interview, telling me social media is not a replacement for journalism.

That's in direct contrast to what his former boss Elon Musk says, who often bashes the media and says X is the media now.
He used to work for X. Here’s what he says is wrong about Musk’s stance on the mainstream media. | CNN Business
X’s former communications chief spoke exclusively to CNN to about why social media isn’t a replacement for journalism, contrasting the opinion of his former boss Elon Musk.
www.cnn.com
Reposted by Jon Passantino
oliverdarcy.bsky.social
News: The Pentagon has sent out its revised rules to reporters who wish to have building access. The new rules say that even soliciting tips on social media is grounds for losing badge access, per a copy I've obtained. More in tonight's edition of @status.news. Subscribe: www.status.news/subscribe
Reposted by Jon Passantino
bgrueskin.bsky.social
It's now clear that Tom Cibrowski -- CBS News' president and a broadcast-news veteran who has covered wars, earthquakes and plane crashes-- will now have his judgment frequently overridden or second-guessed by Bari Weiss, who has never done any of those things.

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/06/b...
News of the deal sent texts whizzing at the CBS News Broadcast Center in Manhattan, even though it had been reported on for months. Mr. Cibrowski, the news division president, addressed Ms. Weiss’s new role on the organization’s editorial call at 9 a.m. on Monday.

Reading from prepared notes, Mr. Cibrowski said that Ms. Weiss would visit the newsroom later in the day to meet with senior editorial staff and added that she would be on the network’s morning call going forward. Mr. Cibrowski said that he had met several times with Ms. Weiss and that he was “more and more excited” about working with her, noting that Ms. Weiss would be in charge of editorial matters from now on.
Reposted by Jon Passantino
nicholasgrossman.bsky.social
If U.S. states have any degree of sovereignty, if there’s any states’ rights at all, it is the right not to be invaded by the armed forces of another U.S. state.
Reposted by Jon Passantino
bgrueskin.bsky.social
Trump told NBC on Sunday that he saw some Portland riot footage on Fox and thought it reflected current events.

It didn't. It was 5 years old, from the George Floyd aftermath.

And we learned that due to the diligence of a local TV reporter, who got the transcript.

www.cjr.org/laurels-and-...
Trump referenced a weekend conversation with Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek, and he alluded to being told by Kotek that the reality in Portland is different from what’s being portrayed to him.

“I spoke to the governor, she was very nice,” Trump said. “But I said, ‘Well wait a minute, am I watching things on television that are different from what’s happening? My people tell me different.’ They are literally attacking and there are fires all over the place…it looks like terrible.”
Reposted by Jon Passantino