Influencers and independent creators are a growing source of news in the U.S, according to a study by the Media Insight Project, Medill reports. Among all Americans ages 13 and older, 57% say they get news from these sources. This rises to 81% among those in the 13-17 age category, a signaling a shirt in media consumption by young people. 

Time has released a list of the 10 most influential companies in media and communications in 2026. They include: Nielsen, T-Mobile, AST Mobile, Publicis Groupe, Patreon, Discord, Letterboxd, TikTok, iHeartMedia and Telegram. In its coverage, Time explains the reasoning in each case.  

A majority of people worldwide feel that the media in their country have a lot of freedom, Gallup reports. In 2025, 64% of respondents in 131 countries said this, versus 30% who disagreed. The total was slightly down from 2011, but not dramatically so. In the U.S., 75% say the media are free, but that is down from almost 90% in 2011.

Objection, a new service for checking journalistic facts, was launched on Wednesday with “multiple millions” in seed funding from Peter Thiel and Balaji Srinivasan, and venture capital VC firms Social Impact Capital and Off Piste Capital, TechCrunch reports. Founder Aton D’Souza says his startup plans to use AI to adjudicate the truth of journalism and help people who feel harmed by coverage fight back. It will cost $2,000 to challenge a story and trigger a public investigation.

Cumulus Media reported Q1 net revenue of $164.4 million -- a 12.2% decline YoY -- and a net loss of $16.9 million, a 47.9% improvement over the prior year, Stock Titan reports. Total broadcast radio revenue fell by 19.3%. The Bankruptcy Court has confirmed the firm’s prepackaged Chapter 11, and it now awaits FCC and other regulatory approvals. 

Almost a third of U.S. adults — some 31%  — often avoid stories about President Trump, according to a new poll by the Media Insight Project survey, Associated Press reports. Of those surveyed, 38% of Democrats and 38% of independents avoid Trump stories, compared to 17% of Republicans. Among all groups, many sometimes avoid such coverage. 

The Federal Communications Commission has ordered Disney to file for an early renewal of the broadcast station licenses of ABC-owned stations, CNBC reports. A letter from FCC Chairman Brendan Carr expresses concerns about Disney’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.

Fortune has named Rachel Ventresca director of audience and social growth, Talking Biz News reports. Ventresca had served as senior editor of distribution and social video, and prior to that, as senior audience. Previously, she was manager of social media at Cheddar News.

Australia seeks to tax Google and TikTok a proportion of their revenue to pay for news reporters, Associated Press reports. The government released draft legislation that it intends to introduce to Parliament by July 2. “It shouldn't just be able to be taken by a large multinational corporation and used to generate profits for that organisation with no compensation appropriate for the people who produce that creative content,” said Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

Content Syndicate, a media distribution and content syndication platform, has appointed Sandra Ditore as chief executive officer,  CityBiz reports. Ditore previously served as senior vice president of client success at the firm. Content Syndicate seeks to broaden its profile across press distribution, media placement, and content syndication services.