Jon Passantino
@passantino.bsky.social
Executive editor at @status.news. Email: jon@status dot news. Subscribe to the essential newsletter examining the media and power at status.news/subscribe 📬
Reposted by Jon Passantino
wise choice for the bbc to cave to bad faith hysteria from trump et al — as we know in the united states, once you do that, they're definitely satisfied forever and nothing ever happens to you again
Bulletin: BBC director general Tim Davie and BBC News CEO Deborah Turness are resigning "following criticism that a BBC Panorama documentary misled viewers by editing a speech by US President Donald Trump."
November 10, 2025 at 1:23 PM
wise choice for the bbc to cave to bad faith hysteria from trump et al — as we know in the united states, once you do that, they're definitely satisfied forever and nothing ever happens to you again
Reposted by Jon Passantino
Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking co-conspirator, is planning to apply for a commutation of her federal prison sentence, according to documents obtained by Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee and seen by CBS News. www.cbsnews.com/news/ghislain...
Ghislaine Maxwell plans to ask Trump to commute prison sentence, House Democrats say
Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking co-conspirator, is planning to apply for a commutation of her 20-year prison sentence, House Judiciary Committee Democrats say.
www.cbsnews.com
November 10, 2025 at 1:02 PM
Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking co-conspirator, is planning to apply for a commutation of her federal prison sentence, according to documents obtained by Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee and seen by CBS News. www.cbsnews.com/news/ghislain...
Reposted by Jon Passantino
Somehow Ben Shapiro arrives at the correct conclusion about Twitter before nearly all elected Democrats (even if he doesn't act on that conclusion)
Ben Shapiro tells Megyn Kelly that to avoid vile extremists like Nick Fuentes “the first thing people need to do is turn off X, which is poisoning brains and making people think not true things.” Yet, Shapiro continues to post there, often multiple times a day. youtu.be/tprng5mObQg?...
Ben Shapiro Responds to Tucker Carlson, Plus Sydney Sweeney and Newsom, with Knowles and Klavan
YouTube video by Megyn Kelly
youtu.be
November 7, 2025 at 11:15 PM
Somehow Ben Shapiro arrives at the correct conclusion about Twitter before nearly all elected Democrats (even if he doesn't act on that conclusion)
Reposted by Jon Passantino
Even right-wing propagandists think X has a right-wing propaganda problem that is poisoning people's brains.
That should cause concern among the many media / politics types who still use it and who consider their feeds to be representative of the public's views.
That should cause concern among the many media / politics types who still use it and who consider their feeds to be representative of the public's views.
Ben Shapiro tells Megyn Kelly that to avoid vile extremists like Nick Fuentes “the first thing people need to do is turn off X, which is poisoning brains and making people think not true things.” Yet, Shapiro continues to post there, often multiple times a day. youtu.be/tprng5mObQg?...
Ben Shapiro Responds to Tucker Carlson, Plus Sydney Sweeney and Newsom, with Knowles and Klavan
YouTube video by Megyn Kelly
youtu.be
November 8, 2025 at 12:04 AM
Even right-wing propagandists think X has a right-wing propaganda problem that is poisoning people's brains.
That should cause concern among the many media / politics types who still use it and who consider their feeds to be representative of the public's views.
That should cause concern among the many media / politics types who still use it and who consider their feeds to be representative of the public's views.
Ben Shapiro tells Megyn Kelly that to avoid vile extremists like Nick Fuentes “the first thing people need to do is turn off X, which is poisoning brains and making people think not true things.” Yet, Shapiro continues to post there, often multiple times a day. youtu.be/tprng5mObQg?...
Ben Shapiro Responds to Tucker Carlson, Plus Sydney Sweeney and Newsom, with Knowles and Klavan
YouTube video by Megyn Kelly
youtu.be
November 7, 2025 at 11:04 PM
Ben Shapiro tells Megyn Kelly that to avoid vile extremists like Nick Fuentes “the first thing people need to do is turn off X, which is poisoning brains and making people think not true things.” Yet, Shapiro continues to post there, often multiple times a day. youtu.be/tprng5mObQg?...
Netflix is making a big push into podcasting and @brianlowry.bsky.social has learned the streamer is planning to make its debut with dozens of titles. But there’s one category it won’t touch. Details in @status.news www.status.news/p/netflix-po...
Netflix’s Podcasting Play
The streamer is quietly plotting a major push into podcasting as it looks to take on its chief living-room rival, YouTube—and Status has learned details of what to expect at launch.
www.status.news
November 7, 2025 at 10:25 PM
Netflix is making a big push into podcasting and @brianlowry.bsky.social has learned the streamer is planning to make its debut with dozens of titles. But there’s one category it won’t touch. Details in @status.news www.status.news/p/netflix-po...
Axel Springer staffers grilled CEO Mathias Dopfner today on the company’s embrace of AI amid fears the tech will take their jobs.
Dopfner told staffers: “The truth is, you either embrace A.I. or you die,” via @status.news www.status.news/p/axel-sprin...
Dopfner told staffers: “The truth is, you either embrace A.I. or you die,” via @status.news www.status.news/p/axel-sprin...
Axel Springer Boss to Staffers: 'Embrace A.I. Or You Die'
Axel Springer staffers confronted chief Mathias Döpfner over the publishing giant’s rapid embrace of A.I., which many fear could cost them their jobs, according to a video of the meeting leaked to St...
www.status.news
November 6, 2025 at 1:30 AM
Axel Springer staffers grilled CEO Mathias Dopfner today on the company’s embrace of AI amid fears the tech will take their jobs.
Dopfner told staffers: “The truth is, you either embrace A.I. or you die,” via @status.news www.status.news/p/axel-sprin...
Dopfner told staffers: “The truth is, you either embrace A.I. or you die,” via @status.news www.status.news/p/axel-sprin...
"I didn’t know much about this Fuentes guy," Roberts said. "I still don’t." 🤔🤔
freebeacon.com/politics/i-m...
freebeacon.com/politics/i-m...
EXCLUSIVE: ‘I Made A Mistake’: Heritage Foundation President Apologizes to Staff for Video Refusal to Cancel Tucker Carlson and Throws Shade at Former Chief of Staff
"I made a mistake and I let you down and I let down this institution. Period. Full Stop," Heritage Foundation president Kevin Roberts told the staff of the conservative think tank on Wednesday, a week...
freebeacon.com
November 5, 2025 at 9:41 PM
"I didn’t know much about this Fuentes guy," Roberts said. "I still don’t." 🤔🤔
freebeacon.com/politics/i-m...
freebeacon.com/politics/i-m...
McClatchy is shuttering its Washington bureau, axing its entire real-time national desk, and will withdraw from the White House pool, raising questions about the future of the storied newspaper company. The scoop in @status.news www.status.news/p/mcclatchy-...
McClatchy’s Quiet Cuts
McClatchy, the 168-year-old newspaper chain, has gutted its national news operation—another reminder of how once-towering newspaper giants are struggling to survive.
www.status.news
November 5, 2025 at 4:04 AM
McClatchy is shuttering its Washington bureau, axing its entire real-time national desk, and will withdraw from the White House pool, raising questions about the future of the storied newspaper company. The scoop in @status.news www.status.news/p/mcclatchy-...
Reposted by Jon Passantino
Pains me to say it but I think this is true. Some of my colleagues in the media who’ve stayed on X don’t even realize how badly its noxious algorithm is skewing their perception of politics and reality.
Also, that place seems designed to make you miserable unless you’re a Nazi. It’s just wretched.
Also, that place seems designed to make you miserable unless you’re a Nazi. It’s just wretched.
Tonight's even more proof the mainstream reporters who are still on Twitter are suffering from a brain problem akin Havana Syndrome that is preventing them from accurately doing their jobs. They are being cooked alive by a snuff-focused apartheid algorithm.
November 5, 2025 at 3:41 AM
Pains me to say it but I think this is true. Some of my colleagues in the media who’ve stayed on X don’t even realize how badly its noxious algorithm is skewing their perception of politics and reality.
Also, that place seems designed to make you miserable unless you’re a Nazi. It’s just wretched.
Also, that place seems designed to make you miserable unless you’re a Nazi. It’s just wretched.
Reposted by Jon Passantino
Scoop: McClatchy has quietly laid off dozens of staffers across multiple divisions, including shuttering its D.C. bureau.
Details in @status.news: www.status.news/p/mcclatchy-...
Details in @status.news: www.status.news/p/mcclatchy-...
McClatchy’s Quiet Cuts
McClatchy, the 168-year-old newspaper chain, has gutted its national news operation—another reminder of how once-towering newspaper giants are struggling to survive.
www.status.news
November 5, 2025 at 2:59 AM
Scoop: McClatchy has quietly laid off dozens of staffers across multiple divisions, including shuttering its D.C. bureau.
Details in @status.news: www.status.news/p/mcclatchy-...
Details in @status.news: www.status.news/p/mcclatchy-...
Reposted by Jon Passantino
Unmmm, isn’t this worse?
O'DONNELL: Why did you pardon Changpeng Zhao?
TRUMP: Are you ready? I don't know who he is
O'DONNELL: His crypto exchange Binance helped facilitate a $2b purchase of World Liberty Financial's stablecoin. And they you pardoned him.
TRUMP: Here's the thing -- I know nothing about it
TRUMP: Are you ready? I don't know who he is
O'DONNELL: His crypto exchange Binance helped facilitate a $2b purchase of World Liberty Financial's stablecoin. And they you pardoned him.
TRUMP: Here's the thing -- I know nothing about it
November 3, 2025 at 2:34 AM
Unmmm, isn’t this worse?
Reposted by Jon Passantino
$150 million might seem like a lot of money to pay for a niche subscription website, but the Ellisons knew that the ROI would be tremendous, and Donald Trump ratified that for them tonight.
November 3, 2025 at 4:38 AM
$150 million might seem like a lot of money to pay for a niche subscription website, but the Ellisons knew that the ROI would be tremendous, and Donald Trump ratified that for them tonight.
Reposted by Jon Passantino
"Years of tolerance and even embrace of conspiracy theories, election lies, and bigotry have reshaped the MAGA base and its media ecosystem, giving credence to radical voices that have pushed the party...deeper into grievance and hate," @passantino.bsky.social writes. www.status.news/p/tucker-car...
The Right's Race Reckoning
Tucker Carlson’s friendly sit-down with racist Nick Fuentes has touched off a reckoning inside the conservative movement, forcing its leaders to confront the ugly monster they helped create.
www.status.news
November 1, 2025 at 3:27 PM
"Years of tolerance and even embrace of conspiracy theories, election lies, and bigotry have reshaped the MAGA base and its media ecosystem, giving credence to radical voices that have pushed the party...deeper into grievance and hate," @passantino.bsky.social writes. www.status.news/p/tucker-car...
Reposted by Jon Passantino
You can't make this up.
November 1, 2025 at 4:31 PM
You can't make this up.
Tucker's embrace of Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes has ignited a civil war on the right. I wrote about how traditional conservatives outraged by this mainstreaming of hatred helped unleash the monster that Fuentes himself says radicalized him, via @status.news www.status.news/p/tucker-car...
The Right's Race Reckoning
Tucker Carlson’s friendly sit-down with racist Nick Fuentes has touched off a reckoning inside the conservative movement, forcing its leaders to confront the ugly monster they helped create.
www.status.news
November 1, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Tucker's embrace of Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes has ignited a civil war on the right. I wrote about how traditional conservatives outraged by this mainstreaming of hatred helped unleash the monster that Fuentes himself says radicalized him, via @status.news www.status.news/p/tucker-car...
Congrats to Ben Shapiro on his new CNN gig! variety.com/2025/tv/news...
CNN Election Night Surprise: Streaming-Only Live-Cast With Harry Enten, Charlamagne tha God, Ben Shapiro
CNN's Election Night coverage will include a streaming-only live cast led by Harry Enten and featuring guests like Charlamagne tha God and Ben Shapiro
variety.com
October 31, 2025 at 10:46 PM
Congrats to Ben Shapiro on his new CNN gig! variety.com/2025/tv/news...
Reposted by Jon Passantino
Donald Trump has spent years calling Comcast chief Brian Roberts a "lowlife" & insulting the company as "Concast."
And what does Roberts do in return? Write Trump a ballroom check.
Watch Power Lines on YouTube: youtu.be/xRpE9E7GQTM?...
Or listen via a podcast app: link.chtbl.com/PowerLines_S...
And what does Roberts do in return? Write Trump a ballroom check.
Watch Power Lines on YouTube: youtu.be/xRpE9E7GQTM?...
Or listen via a podcast app: link.chtbl.com/PowerLines_S...
October 31, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Donald Trump has spent years calling Comcast chief Brian Roberts a "lowlife" & insulting the company as "Concast."
And what does Roberts do in return? Write Trump a ballroom check.
Watch Power Lines on YouTube: youtu.be/xRpE9E7GQTM?...
Or listen via a podcast app: link.chtbl.com/PowerLines_S...
And what does Roberts do in return? Write Trump a ballroom check.
Watch Power Lines on YouTube: youtu.be/xRpE9E7GQTM?...
Or listen via a podcast app: link.chtbl.com/PowerLines_S...
Reposted by Jon Passantino
A 61-year-old Tennessee man posted a liberal meme on Facebook after Charlie Kirk's death. A conservative sheriff had him arrested. Bail was set at $2 million.
He spent nearly 40 days in jail before charges were dropped. Now he's planning to sue. Our story: www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/...
He spent nearly 40 days in jail before charges were dropped. Now he's planning to sue. Our story: www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/...
A retired policeman posted a Charlie Kirk meme. He spent a month in jail.
The 61-year-old Tennessee man plans to sue after authorities dropped charges over a political Facebook post. Free-speech advocates say it’s a symptom of a wider crackdown.
www.washingtonpost.com
October 31, 2025 at 12:40 PM
A 61-year-old Tennessee man posted a liberal meme on Facebook after Charlie Kirk's death. A conservative sheriff had him arrested. Bail was set at $2 million.
He spent nearly 40 days in jail before charges were dropped. Now he's planning to sue. Our story: www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/...
He spent nearly 40 days in jail before charges were dropped. Now he's planning to sue. Our story: www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/...
Reposted by Jon Passantino
Two years ago, Nick Fuentes was so toxic that, after I reported on a secret meet he had with a top Texas GOP donor, the party was engulfed in scandal and voted to explicitly ban Holocaust deniers/Neo Nazis.
Today, Heritage Foundation effectively said that "no enemies to our right" includes Fuentes.
Today, Heritage Foundation effectively said that "no enemies to our right" includes Fuentes.
Heritage president backs Tucker Carlson after interview with Holocaust-denier Nick Fuentes
Kevin Roberts denounced the “venomous coalition” that has criticized the former Fox News host.
www.politico.com
October 31, 2025 at 2:39 AM
Two years ago, Nick Fuentes was so toxic that, after I reported on a secret meet he had with a top Texas GOP donor, the party was engulfed in scandal and voted to explicitly ban Holocaust deniers/Neo Nazis.
Today, Heritage Foundation effectively said that "no enemies to our right" includes Fuentes.
Today, Heritage Foundation effectively said that "no enemies to our right" includes Fuentes.
Reposted by Jon Passantino
- @willsommer.bsky.social knows this stuff better than anyone so if he says that this was a real shift and escalation, believe him
"Suddenly, nothing—including the racism, Holocaust denialism, and antisemitism Fuentes has championed—seems to be too hot for MAGA media to embrace" —@willsommer.bsky.social www.thebulwark.com/p/one-of-the...
One of the Most Dangerous Interviews Ever in MAGA Media
Why Tucker Carlson platformed white supremacist Nick Fuentes.
www.thebulwark.com
October 31, 2025 at 1:30 PM
- @willsommer.bsky.social knows this stuff better than anyone so if he says that this was a real shift and escalation, believe him
"Suddenly, nothing—including the racism, Holocaust denialism, and antisemitism Fuentes has championed—seems to be too hot for MAGA media to embrace" —@willsommer.bsky.social www.thebulwark.com/p/one-of-the...
One of the Most Dangerous Interviews Ever in MAGA Media
Why Tucker Carlson platformed white supremacist Nick Fuentes.
www.thebulwark.com
October 31, 2025 at 1:29 PM
"Suddenly, nothing—including the racism, Holocaust denialism, and antisemitism Fuentes has championed—seems to be too hot for MAGA media to embrace" —@willsommer.bsky.social www.thebulwark.com/p/one-of-the...
Reposted by Jon Passantino
The Washington Post with a story about how remaking an institution to appeal to the pro-Trump right doesn't help the bottom line.
EXCLUSIVE: After Trump took over the Kennedy Center in Feb, he vowed to make it "hot" again. So, how's it doing? @jeremybmerrill.com and I used data from the center's ticketing website to find out. Ticket sales are lowest they've been since the pandemic.
www.washingtonpost.com/entertainmen...
www.washingtonpost.com/entertainmen...
Kennedy Center ticket sales have plummeted since Trump takeover
Nearly nine months into Trump’s oversight, sales for the three largest performance venues are the worst they’ve been since the pandemic, according to a Washington Post analysis.
www.washingtonpost.com
October 31, 2025 at 1:09 PM
The Washington Post with a story about how remaking an institution to appeal to the pro-Trump right doesn't help the bottom line.
Fascinating look at the current state of social media use: "Nearly all platforms have become more Republican" but particularly Elon's hellsite
In short, the ANES data shows:
📉 Social media use is shrinking
💥 Twitter/X posting has moved ~50 points to the right
🧩 Platforms are splintering
🔊 Fewer people are talking — but those still talking are more politically extreme
📉 Social media use is shrinking
💥 Twitter/X posting has moved ~50 points to the right
🧩 Platforms are splintering
🔊 Fewer people are talking — but those still talking are more politically extreme
October 30, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Fascinating look at the current state of social media use: "Nearly all platforms have become more Republican" but particularly Elon's hellsite
Of course. www.semafor.com/article/10/2...
October 30, 2025 at 2:34 AM
Of course. www.semafor.com/article/10/2...