Jack Benjamin
@jackcarterbenjamin.bsky.social
Senior reporter and podcast producer for The Media Leader, a trade publication focused on all things commercial media.
Writer, journalist, American in London.
Writer, journalist, American in London.
This is the first year I’ve ever tracked all the books I’ve read. The aim was to get to at least 25, which I accomplished today.
Here’s what I’ve completed: 1/x
Here’s what I’ve completed: 1/x
November 22, 2025 at 11:29 PM
This is the first year I’ve ever tracked all the books I’ve read. The aim was to get to at least 25, which I accomplished today.
Here’s what I’ve completed: 1/x
Here’s what I’ve completed: 1/x
More media consolidation among right wing owners.
The CMA will have a lot to say about this but at least DMGT is not foreign owned.
In any event, it’s still a massive overpay. The Telegraph is not worth £500m.
The CMA will have a lot to say about this but at least DMGT is not foreign owned.
In any event, it’s still a massive overpay. The Telegraph is not worth £500m.
Daily Mail owner strikes £500m deal to buy Telegraph titles
Acquisition likely to trigger in-depth investigation by regulator after agreement between DMGT and Redbird IMI
www.theguardian.com
November 22, 2025 at 11:37 AM
More media consolidation among right wing owners.
The CMA will have a lot to say about this but at least DMGT is not foreign owned.
In any event, it’s still a massive overpay. The Telegraph is not worth £500m.
The CMA will have a lot to say about this but at least DMGT is not foreign owned.
In any event, it’s still a massive overpay. The Telegraph is not worth £500m.
As you’d expect, it’s a Russian wishlist. Americans should feel nothing but shame (again).
Read the full text of Trump’s 28-point Ukraine-Russia peace plan on.ft.com/4ibYCHp
Read the full text of Trump’s 28-point Ukraine-Russia peace plan
[FREE TO READ] Proposed deal would limit size of Ukrainian forces and calls on Kyiv to withdraw troops from eastern Donetsk
on.ft.com
November 21, 2025 at 7:18 AM
As you’d expect, it’s a Russian wishlist. Americans should feel nothing but shame (again).
Per @us.theguardian.com: "Senior White House officials have discussed internally their preference for Paramount Skydance to acquire Warner Bros Discovery in recent weeks, and one official has discussed potential programming changes at CNN with Larry Ellison, the largest shareholder of Paramount."
Larry Ellison discussed axing CNN hosts with White House in takeover bid talks
Exclusive: Senior officials indicated favorability toward Paramount Skydance acquiring Warner Bros Discovery
www.theguardian.com
November 20, 2025 at 1:48 PM
Per @us.theguardian.com: "Senior White House officials have discussed internally their preference for Paramount Skydance to acquire Warner Bros Discovery in recent weeks, and one official has discussed potential programming changes at CNN with Larry Ellison, the largest shareholder of Paramount."
"There’s no money in journalism anymore. No fame, no glamour, no prestige. But there’s lots and lots of money in media—in being a brand, an influencer, a personality. We stopped paying journalists and started rewarding performers."
The Olivia Nuzzi Comeback Is Everything Wrong With Modern Media
Olivia Nuzzi’s comeback isn’t a personal scandal story—it’s proof that today’s media rewards access, personality, and controversy more than ethics.
www.mediaite.com
November 20, 2025 at 1:41 PM
"There’s no money in journalism anymore. No fame, no glamour, no prestige. But there’s lots and lots of money in media—in being a brand, an influencer, a personality. We stopped paying journalists and started rewarding performers."
Something special about half frame film photography
November 19, 2025 at 9:30 PM
Something special about half frame film photography
Reposted by Jack Benjamin
You can oversee the bloody dismemberment of a Washington Post journalist with a bone saw, and the president of the United States will smile, shake your hand and threaten to pull the license of a news outlet whose reporter asks you a question about it.
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
Trump defends Saudi crown prince over Khashoggi killing
The de facto Saudi ruler was branded a pariah in 2018 after the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. Now, U.S.-Saudi relations are approaching a high point.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 18, 2025 at 7:11 PM
You can oversee the bloody dismemberment of a Washington Post journalist with a bone saw, and the president of the United States will smile, shake your hand and threaten to pull the license of a news outlet whose reporter asks you a question about it.
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
"Anybody bidding now for The Daily Telegraph should use the help of an actuary to work out the age and morbidity rates of remaining readers of the actual newspaper."
The two faces of The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph may have broken the story that has plunged the BBC into crisis, but the newspaper group is facing a crisis of its own, as Ray Snoddy explains.
uk.themedialeader.com
November 19, 2025 at 10:18 AM
"Anybody bidding now for The Daily Telegraph should use the help of an actuary to work out the age and morbidity rates of remaining readers of the actual newspaper."
Trump on the death of Charlie Kirk: "I ask all Americans to commit themselves to the American values for which Charlie Kirk lived and died: the values of free speech, citizenship, the rule of law, and the patriotic devotion and love of God."
Trump on the death of Jamal Khashoggi: "Things happen."
Trump on the death of Jamal Khashoggi: "Things happen."
Trump claims slain journalist Khashoggi was ‘extremely controversial,’ defends Saudi crown prince | CNN Politics
President Donald Trump on Tuesday angrily dismissed a question about the 2018 murder of Jamal Khashoggi, claiming the Saudi dissident journalist was “extremely controversial” and insisting the subject...
edition.cnn.com
November 18, 2025 at 9:40 PM
Trump on the death of Charlie Kirk: "I ask all Americans to commit themselves to the American values for which Charlie Kirk lived and died: the values of free speech, citizenship, the rule of law, and the patriotic devotion and love of God."
Trump on the death of Jamal Khashoggi: "Things happen."
Trump on the death of Jamal Khashoggi: "Things happen."
Oh god, the business accounts have come to WhatsApp DMs
November 18, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Oh god, the business accounts have come to WhatsApp DMs
NEW: Goalhanger is launching a new podcast next week: The Rest Is Science.
Hosted by professor Hannah Fry and VSauce's Michael Stevens, the series will run twice a weekly (Tues + Thurs), exploring big scientific ideas.
Hosted by professor Hannah Fry and VSauce's Michael Stevens, the series will run twice a weekly (Tues + Thurs), exploring big scientific ideas.
November 18, 2025 at 9:54 AM
NEW: Goalhanger is launching a new podcast next week: The Rest Is Science.
Hosted by professor Hannah Fry and VSauce's Michael Stevens, the series will run twice a weekly (Tues + Thurs), exploring big scientific ideas.
Hosted by professor Hannah Fry and VSauce's Michael Stevens, the series will run twice a weekly (Tues + Thurs), exploring big scientific ideas.
Reposted by Jack Benjamin
Imagine escaping the literal Nazis, making it to America, living three quarters of a century there making your life, and then this:
79-year-old Paul Bojerski was born to Polish parents in a WWII German refugee camp. His family legally emigrated to the U.S. when he was 5.
He’s been taken by ICE in Florida.
www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/16/s...
He’s been taken by ICE in Florida.
www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/16/s...
Sanford grandfather, born in refugee camp, nabbed by ICE after 70 years in U.S.
Paul Bojerski never gained official residency, but he checked in regularly with ICE for years. Then in July, at age 79, he was detained and sent to Alligator Alcatraz.
www.orlandosentinel.com
November 17, 2025 at 8:20 PM
Imagine escaping the literal Nazis, making it to America, living three quarters of a century there making your life, and then this:
Remarkable that you can get deservedly fired for a total abdication of basic journalistic standards and still somehow end up in the pages of Vanity Fair, glam photoshoot included.
I have respect for VF. And respectfully, this is the type of thing that causes a decline in trust in your brand.
I have respect for VF. And respectfully, this is the type of thing that causes a decline in trust in your brand.
Vanity Fair's West Coast Editor Olivia Nuzzi was a star political correspondent until scandal led her into exile—and to a California up in flames.
In an excerpt from her book, ‘American Canto,’ she takes stock of scorched earth.
In an excerpt from her book, ‘American Canto,’ she takes stock of scorched earth.
Olivia Nuzzi's 'American Canto': Read the Exclusive Excerpt
She flamed out and she faded away. 'Vanity Fair'’s West Coast Editor returns to the written word to survey scorched earth.
www.vanityfair.com
November 17, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Remarkable that you can get deservedly fired for a total abdication of basic journalistic standards and still somehow end up in the pages of Vanity Fair, glam photoshoot included.
I have respect for VF. And respectfully, this is the type of thing that causes a decline in trust in your brand.
I have respect for VF. And respectfully, this is the type of thing that causes a decline in trust in your brand.
I don't even know what to say anymore.
Telegraph sale to RedBird collapses
US private equity group walked away due to regulatory uncertainty and negative commentary from newspaper
www.ft.com
November 14, 2025 at 1:08 PM
I don't even know what to say anymore.
Reposted by Jack Benjamin
When Jeffrey Epstein thinks *you're* the scumbag.
November 13, 2025 at 12:24 AM
When Jeffrey Epstein thinks *you're* the scumbag.
Vine is rebooting.
If you're a certain type of elder Gen Z, you probably still reference a handful of viral Vines, but in a TikTok era... why go back?
It's honestly remarkable Twitter essentially owned TikTok before TikTok was cool, and just completely squandered it.
If you're a certain type of elder Gen Z, you probably still reference a handful of viral Vines, but in a TikTok era... why go back?
It's honestly remarkable Twitter essentially owned TikTok before TikTok was cool, and just completely squandered it.
Jack Dorsey funds diVine, a Vine reboot that includes Vine's video archive | TechCrunch
Jack Dorsey backs diVine, a Vine reboot that includes Vine's video archive of six-second, looping videos. A new app called diVine will give access to more than 100,000 archived Vine videos, restored f...
techcrunch.com
November 13, 2025 at 10:11 AM
Vine is rebooting.
If you're a certain type of elder Gen Z, you probably still reference a handful of viral Vines, but in a TikTok era... why go back?
It's honestly remarkable Twitter essentially owned TikTok before TikTok was cool, and just completely squandered it.
If you're a certain type of elder Gen Z, you probably still reference a handful of viral Vines, but in a TikTok era... why go back?
It's honestly remarkable Twitter essentially owned TikTok before TikTok was cool, and just completely squandered it.
ITV hosted its annual “Palooza” event at the Barbican last night.
The star-studded event featured Graham Norton and Alan Carr — and a Sky-sized elephant in the room.
The star-studded event featured Graham Norton and Alan Carr — and a Sky-sized elephant in the room.
ITV Palooza: Broadcaster launches addressable solution for linear and a TikTok tie-up
At ITV's annual Palooza event, the broadcaster debuted a new addressable advertising product and announced a tie-up with TikTok as it sought to project confidence just days after rumours swirled of a potential sale to Sky.
uk.themedialeader.com
November 12, 2025 at 12:14 PM
ITV hosted its annual “Palooza” event at the Barbican last night.
The star-studded event featured Graham Norton and Alan Carr — and a Sky-sized elephant in the room.
The star-studded event featured Graham Norton and Alan Carr — and a Sky-sized elephant in the room.
Google Zero is going to turn a good chunk of the open web into a cemetery.
Not every publisher can be a subscription service. It simply doesn’t work. If the ad model doesn’t work either anymore, the result is a dead web and out of work journalists.
Not every publisher can be a subscription service. It simply doesn’t work. If the ad model doesn’t work either anymore, the result is a dead web and out of work journalists.
November 10, 2025 at 11:55 PM
Google Zero is going to turn a good chunk of the open web into a cemetery.
Not every publisher can be a subscription service. It simply doesn’t work. If the ad model doesn’t work either anymore, the result is a dead web and out of work journalists.
Not every publisher can be a subscription service. It simply doesn’t work. If the ad model doesn’t work either anymore, the result is a dead web and out of work journalists.
“The notion that you can alleviate suffering in a world of uncontrolled warming isn’t just shortsighted, it edges toward magical thinking.”
Governments and Billionaires Retreat Ahead of COP30 Climate Talks
Worldwide, every other week seems to bring a new climate-related crisis. Increasingly, the response has seemed to be a dulled acceptance.
www.newyorker.com
November 10, 2025 at 4:56 PM
“The notion that you can alleviate suffering in a world of uncontrolled warming isn’t just shortsighted, it edges toward magical thinking.”
Senate Democrats still think there’s value in forcing a vote to demonstrate how Republicans want to take healthcare away from people.
We KNOW they want to do that. They don’t care. Putting it to a vote is meaningless.And it’s not even guaranteed.
We KNOW they want to do that. They don’t care. Putting it to a vote is meaningless.And it’s not even guaranteed.
Kaine on why he thinks just getting a vote on healthcare is a win: "We're the minority party, but everybody will get to see who is standing for them when it comes to lowering their healthcare costs"
November 10, 2025 at 4:48 PM
Senate Democrats still think there’s value in forcing a vote to demonstrate how Republicans want to take healthcare away from people.
We KNOW they want to do that. They don’t care. Putting it to a vote is meaningless.And it’s not even guaranteed.
We KNOW they want to do that. They don’t care. Putting it to a vote is meaningless.And it’s not even guaranteed.
We are somehow still not even close to peak podcast.
Sidenote: interesting that TikTok still knows there's value in old school radio, too.
Sidenote: interesting that TikTok still knows there's value in old school radio, too.
November 10, 2025 at 4:17 PM
We are somehow still not even close to peak podcast.
Sidenote: interesting that TikTok still knows there's value in old school radio, too.
Sidenote: interesting that TikTok still knows there's value in old school radio, too.
Reposted by Jack Benjamin
NEW: Donald Trump has threatened legal action against the BBC amid claims the broadcaster edited speech by the US president.
November 10, 2025 at 1:44 PM
NEW: Donald Trump has threatened legal action against the BBC amid claims the broadcaster edited speech by the US president.
Republicans will say “politics don’t belong in sports” when it’s a black man just taking a knee but are okay with this garbage
Trump is in the Fox booth for the Commanders game. They note that Reagan used to be a sportscaster and asked if Trump wants to call a play. He says sure!
And then his call is “let’s see what happens here.” Can’t even fake knowing a players name.
And then his call is “let’s see what happens here.” Can’t even fake knowing a players name.
November 9, 2025 at 11:28 PM
Republicans will say “politics don’t belong in sports” when it’s a black man just taking a knee but are okay with this garbage
Reposted by Jack Benjamin
BREAKING: Mark Wolf, appointed to the federal bench by Ronald Reagan, writes that he is resigning as a judge to have the freedom to speak out against the president's assault on the rule of law.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
November 9, 2025 at 2:27 PM
BREAKING: Mark Wolf, appointed to the federal bench by Ronald Reagan, writes that he is resigning as a judge to have the freedom to speak out against the president's assault on the rule of law.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
Of all the things that could've taken Tim Davie down (and there were many), it is genuinely shocking to me that he's resigning over a documentary that depicted Trump encouraging the January 6 insurrection... which he did.
Tim Davie resigns as BBC director general over Trump documentary edit
News head Deborah Turness also resigns after criticism that a Panorama show misled viewers by editing a speech by the US president.
www.bbc.com
November 9, 2025 at 6:44 PM
Of all the things that could've taken Tim Davie down (and there were many), it is genuinely shocking to me that he's resigning over a documentary that depicted Trump encouraging the January 6 insurrection... which he did.