MEDIA

As something of a generative-AI skeptic, watching the program raised all kinds of questions. - Wired

Almost every person I spoke with for this story said that AI is already a core part of the “previz” process, where scenes are mapped out before a shoot. - Wired

“There is no intimacy between men, no talk of abortion, no logos of banned companies or jokes about Putin. By August, censors had cut at least 64 hours of content from 152 Western series.” Here’s what five episodes from very well-known shows look like when Russian audiences get them. - The New York Times

FEMA had been using the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to evaluate proposals and award grants for the Next Generation Warning System Grant Program, which funded upgrades to local stations’ emergency alert systems. But now the CPB is closing down. - Inside Radio

“Ne Zha 2, an animated fantasy adventure movie written and directed by the Chinese filmmaker Jiaozi, broke multiple records after it premiered in China earlier this year. With box-office earnings of more than $2.2 billion, it is the highest-grossing film of 2025 and the highest-grossing non-English-language film in history.” - Slate (MSN)

Outside the network, the rebrand became a subject of bemusement and mockery. - The New York Times

Now, some of those philanthropists are banding together in hopes of staving off that worst-case scenario by providing an emergency $26.5 million cash injection to stabilize the stations most at risk. The group is aiming to raise additional money for the fund and hopes to reach $50 million this year. - The New York Times

American Public Media Group, MPR’s parent organization, warned last month that between 5% and 8% of staff would see their jobs eliminated; the arrived-at figure is 6%, or 30 employees. No newsroom positions were cut; affected departments are data journalism, IT, YourClassical, The Current, and national distribution. - The Pioneer Press (St. Paul) (Yahoo!)

A basic - and weird - misunderstanding of fandom accompanied the director on a six-city tour and lecture series about Megalopolis (still unavailable to stream in the US). - The Atlantic

The rate of Grisham adaptations has, of course, slowed down in recent years, which means there’s been time to catch up. - NPR

“Before KPop Demon Hunters became the megahit we know today, director Maggie Kang spent many years writing and animating her idea. And part of that hard work involved the animators acting out their own movie.” - CBC

The senior fashion features editor at Grazia claims these photos are popular: “Across social and online, the appetite for it is huge. They lend themselves to a variety of content. It’s about the outfits we’ve seen and loved, or these days the internet turns everything into memes.” - The Guardian (UK)

“Hollywood's affection for recycled and rehashed stories started right alongside Hollywood itself: going as far back as Georges Méliès' L'Arroseur from 1896, a remake of the previous year's L'Arroseur arrosé.” - CBC

Yep. “The massive production hub will be situated on the Alliance Texas campus, a 27,000-acre development owned by billionaire Ross Perot Jr.’s Hillwood, a commercial and residential real estate developer.” - Los Angeles Times (MSN)

These stations “are unique in the landscape of American media. While many are part of the NPR and PBS networks, they are mostly staffed by Indigenous reporters and producers and primarily serve audiences in tribal nations around the U.S., many of which lack broadband or cell service.” - Nieman Lab