Liam Reilly - Writer
Liam Reilly
Writer
Liam Reilly is a writer for CNN. He reports on the media industry and assists with the production of the acclaimed "Reliable Sources" newsletter.
Latest
Disney and WBD launch streaming bundle combining Disney+, Hulu and Max
May 8, 2024
Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery are teaming up to offer a new streaming bundle, bringing Max, Disney+ and Hulu together for the first time in a bid that resembles the cable subscription model.
As pro-Palestinian protests sweep campus, student journalists are rushing to the big story and exams
Apr 26, 2024
As pro-Palestinian protests sweep college campuses, student journalists are rushing to the big story and exams
Taylor Swift’s ‘Tortured Poets Department’ shatters streaming records across Spotify, Amazon, Apple
Apr 22, 2024
Taylor Swift is breaking records. Again.
Sports Illustrated to avert shutdown as it gets a fresh start under new publisher
Mar 18, 2024
The iconic sports magazine is set to get new life under a publishing deal announced Monday by Authentic Brands Group, which owns the magazine’s intellectual property rights.
Deadspin’s entire staff has been laid off after the sports site was sold to a startup
Mar 11, 2024
Deadspin, the irreverent sports and news site best known for its commentary and analysis, laid off all of its staff on Monday after the outlet was sold to a startup firm.
1 in 3 Republicans believes baseless Taylor Swift election conspiracy theory, poll finds
Feb 14, 2024
About one-third of Republicans say they believe Taylor Swift is involved in a covert government effort to help Joe Biden win the 2024 presidential election, a poll published Wednesday from Monmouth University found.
Paramount Global to lay off 800 employees after record Super Bowl ad revenue and ratings
Feb 13, 2024
Paramount Global, the owner of broadcast and cable TV networks, announced Tuesday it will lay off hundreds of staffers as the media giant looks to reduce costs and grow revenue. The news comes just days after its CBS network saw record-breaking advertising sales and the highest-rated telecast for the Super Bowl.
Upstart digital news outlet The Messenger shuts down less than a year after launch
Jan 31, 2024
The Messenger, the upstart digital news outlet that hired hundreds of journalists and vowed to upend the industry as a centrist publication, will shut down less than a year after its high-profile launch, the company said Wednesday.
Peacock’s exclusive NFL playoff game drove ‘biggest subscriber acquisition moment ever measured,’ analytics firm says
Jan 24, 2024
NBCUniversal’s high-stakes decision to exclusively air the NFL’s AFC Wild Card playoff game between the Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs on its streaming service Peacock drove record signups to the platform, a digital analytics firm said Wednesday.
TIME Magazine lays off 15% of unionized editorial staff, becoming latest news outlet to slash workforce
Jan 24, 2024
TIME, the iconic red-framed magazine, laid off some 15% of its union-represented editorial employees on Tuesday, the newsroom’s union said, becoming the latest major news outlet to slash its reporting staff.
More than 400 Condé Nast staffers stage one-day walkout to protest layoffs
Jan 23, 2024
More than 400 staffers at Condé Nast, the parent company of prestigious publications including Vanity Fair, Vogue and GQ, walked off the job Tuesday in a historic 24-hour work stoppage over the company’s plan to lay off staff.
ESPN returns Emmys and disciplines staff after submitting for awards under fake names
Jan 11, 2024
ESPN returned dozens of Emmy statues and “disciplined” employees after an investigation disclosed Thursday found that the sports network had submitted fake names to the awards organization in a bid to secure trophies for on-air personalities who had been ineligible to receive them.
Media executives urge Congress to enact legislation to prevent AI models from training on ‘stolen goods’
Jan 11, 2024
A group of media executives urged lawmakers on Wednesday to enact new legislation that would force artificial intelligence developers to pay publishers for use of their content to train their computer models.
Aaron Rodgers doubles down on debunked conspiracies, does not apologize to Jimmy Kimmel
Jan 9, 2024
Jimmy Kimmel said he didn’t expect an apology from Aaron Rodgers and he didn’t get one from the NFL quarterback on Tuesday’s episode of “The Pat McAfee Show.”
Washington Post union reaches tentative agreement with management after 18 months of negotiations
Dec 22, 2023
The Washington Post Guild, the union that represents roughly 1,000 of the newspaper’s staffers, reached a tentative agreement Friday on a new contract with the Post’s management, a breakthrough after a year and a half of protracted and, at times, contentious talks that spilled into public view.
Tensions boil inside The Washington Post amid union standoff, questions over new CEO
Dec 21, 2023
The Washington Post’s incoming chief executive and publisher will start the job with a mess on his hands.
Project Veritas CEO quits, citing ‘strong evidence of past illegality and past financial improprieties’
Dec 12, 2023
Hannah Giles, the chief executive of Project Veritas, said Monday she has stepped down from her role at the right-wing group “effective immediately,” after discovering evidence that the organization has engaged in “past illegalities.”
Sports Illustrated publisher fires CEO after AI debacle
Dec 12, 2023
Digital publisher The Arena Group, which operates household brands such as Sports Illustrated and The Street, fired its chief executive on Monday amid a larger C-suite bloodbath, a spokesperson for the company told CNN.
Disney CEO Bob Iger says ‘No. 1 priority’ is turning around Marvel, acknowledges ‘too many sequels’ after box office misses
Nov 29, 2023
Disney chief executive Bob Iger said Wednesday that his number one priority for the entertainment giant is turning around the creative engine at Marvel Studios, the production house once known for cranking out billion-dollar blockbusters that has recently seen several box office misses.
Sports Illustrated deletes articles published under fake author names and AI-generated profile photos
Nov 28, 2023
Sports Illustrated on Monday said it had deleted several articles from its website after a report found the once-celebrated legacy magazine had published the pieces under fake author names and profile images generated by artificial intelligence.
The NFL, Washington Post, and Walmart: Here are the major companies still advertising on X despite Elon Musk’s antisemitic endorsement
Nov 22, 2023
Brands like the New York Times, Wendy’s and State Farm continue to advertise with X, despite the surge in hate speech and Elon Musk’s endorsement of an antisemitic post.
Paris Hilton’s media company suspends ads on X, one month after agreeing to touted partnership with the platform
Nov 21, 2023
Paris Hilton’s entertainment company 11:11 Media has pulled an advertising campaign from Elon Musk’s X just one month after announcing an exclusive partnership with the platform, becoming the latest brand to halt ad spending on the site formerly known as Twitter over concerns about antisemitism and pro-Nazi content on the site.
IBM suspends advertising on Elon Musk’s X after its ad appeared next to pro-Nazi content
Nov 16, 2023
IBM on Thursday announced it had suspended advertising on Elon Musk’s X platform, formerly known as Twitter, after the computing giant’s ads appeared alongside pro-Nazi content.
Vice to end several news shows and lay off dozens of staffers in hollowing out of news division
Nov 9, 2023
Vice Media, the one-time digital media darling that has seen its value and influence greatly diminish in recent years, moved on Thursday to further hollow out its once prestigious news division, shutting down several shows and laying off dozens of staffers.
Los Angeles County to pay $700,000 to reporter who was slammed to ground and arrested while covering a protest
Nov 8, 2023
Los Angeles County has agreed to pay $700,000 to a public radio reporter who was slammed to the ground and arrested by sheriff’s deputies while covering a protest in 2020.
Judge shuts down Fox bid to subpoena George Soros in Smartmatic case
Oct 31, 2023
#NEWS: NY/ Judge shuts down Fox bid to look for links between George Soros and Smartmatic
Member of pro-Nazi group used Molotov cocktails in attempt to burn down Ohio church planning to host a drag event, FBI says
Oct 24, 2023
A member of a neo-Nazi group was arrested Friday after attempting to burn down an Ohio church planning to host a drag show event, according to court documents.
Reuters journalist killed: Editor-in-chief calls for probe following death of Issam Abdallah
Oct 16, 2023
Reuters editor-in-chief Alessandra Galloni called for an investigation into the death of Issam Abdallah, the Reuters video journalist who was killed Friday when he was struck by a shell that originated in Israel while filming cross-border fire between Israel and Lebanon.
Negotiations suspended between Hollywood studios and actors’ union
Oct 12, 2023
The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers said late Wednesday that negotiations with SAG-AFTRA — the union representing about 160,000 actors — have been suspended.
Mike Lindell’s lawyers in election defamation cases seek to quit over millions of dollars in unpaid legal fees
Oct 6, 2023
Attorneys representing conspiracy theorist Mike Lindell and his company MyPillow in a defamation lawsuits brought by Dominion Voting Systems and Smartmatic have asked to withdraw from both cases after Lindell allegedly racked up millions in unpaid legal fees.
Live sports is coming to Max streaming service in time for the MLB playoffs
Sep 19, 2023
Live sports is coming to Max.
Alex Jones spent more than $93,000 in a month, but Sandy Hook families still haven’t been paid a penny, court documents show
Sep 14, 2023
Right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’ personal spending has increased since he was ordered to pay $1.5 billion in liabilities to Sandy Hook families, none of whom has seen a penny from the disgraced Infowars host, according to court documents.
New York City’s pension funds and state of Oregon sue Fox Corporation over 2020 election lies
Sep 12, 2023
New York City’s pension funds and the state of Oregon took legal action on Tuesday against Fox Corporation, alleging in a lawsuit that the Fox News parent company failed shareholders by allowing the right-wing channel to recklessly spread lies about the 2020 election that opened it up to a pair of historic defamation cases.
John Lansing, NPR’s president and chief executive, announces he will retire
Sep 6, 2023
John Lansing, the president and chief executive of NPR who led the outlet through the Covid-19 pandemic after taking the helm in 2019, will retire by the end of the year. The move comes just months after the radio network announced a significant budget shortfall and layoffs.
Lachlan Murdoch pays over $800,000 in legal fees to Australian publisher after abandoning defamation suit
Aug 22, 2023
Lachlan Murdoch, Fox Corporation’s chief executive, paid over $1.3 million Australian ($840,000 US) n legal fees to Private Media, which publishes the scrappy Australia-based news outlet Crikey, after abandoning his defamation lawsuit against the outlet.
News outlets went all in on Maui fire coverage. But did they miss a key part of the story?
Aug 16, 2023
Thousands of heat records broken. Oceans at hot tub levels. Mass coral bleaching. Extraordinary wildfires. Earth’s hottest month on record.
CBS announces Wendy McMahon to lead news in wake of Neeraj Khemlani stepping down
Aug 14, 2023
Wendy McMahon was named president and chief executive officer of CBS News, the network’s local TV stations, and CBS Media Ventures, the company announced on Monday following the departure of Neeraj Khemlani as co-president of CBS News and stations.
The New York Times will shut down its sports desk and shift coverage to The Athletic
Jul 10, 2023
The New York Times will shut down its sports desk and shift its daily coverage of athletes and teams to The Athletic, the newspaper announced Monday.
News directors at Michigan TV station ousted after telling staff to ‘get both sides’ of Pride coverage
Jun 30, 2023
Two news directors at a Michigan NBC affiliate were ousted following the circulation of an internal memo calling for scaled-back coverage of Pride Month events and directing station’s journalist to “get both sides” on LGBTQ issues, a source told CNN.
Geraldo Rivera says he quit Fox News after being fired from ‘The Five’
Jun 30, 2023
Television veteran Geraldo Rivera announced on Thursday that he was leaving Fox News after being fired from the program “The Five.”
National Geographic magazine has laid off the last of its staff writers
Jun 30, 2023
National Geographic, the iconic yellow framed magazine that has chronicled the natural world for more than 100 years, laid off its last remaining staff writers this week, multiple departing staffers said.
Nexstar investigates after Michigan news station told to ‘get both sides’ of Pride event
Jun 16, 2023
Nexstar, the nation’s largest operator of local TV stations, said Thursday it is conducting an investigation after a news director at a Michigan station told its journalists to scale back its Pride Month coverage and “get both sides” on LGBTQ issues, saying their “polarizing” nature had upset some of its conservative viewers.
A father drowned at the Jersey Shore while attempting to save his daughter, police say
Jun 11, 2023
A man drowned while attempting to save his teenage daughter who had been swept away in rough surf on the Jersey Shore Friday, say local police.
Extremely rare orange lobster caught in Maine’s Casco Bay has new home
Jun 10, 2023
An extremely rare, bright orange American lobster caught earlier this month in Maine’s Casco Bay by a lobstering crew has found a home at the University of New England’s marine science center.
Teen dies after being pulled out of the water at a Jersey Shore beach. Five others were rescued
May 29, 2023
A 15-year-old boy was pulled out of the water and later died after swimming at a New Jersey beach Sunday afternoon, a National Park Service spokesperson told CNN.
Disney begins third round of expected layoffs, cutting more than 2,500 additional jobs, source says
May 22, 2023
A third wave of expected layoffs is underway at Disney, and employees impacted by the cuts are being notified this week, a source familiar with the situation told CNN.
Magnitude 2.2 earthquake rattles parts of New York and New Jersey early Friday morning, USGS says
May 19, 2023
A magnitude 2.2 earthquake was felt in parts of New York and New Jersey early Friday morning, the U.S. Geological Survey told CNN.
MTV News to shut down as Paramount Media Networks slashes US workforce
May 10, 2023
A major Paramount division announced Tuesday it will shutter MTV News and slash its US workforce by 25%, bringing to an end the iconic music video network’s news division that once covered a range of issues from pop culture to politics and became a household name for Generation X and Millennial adolescents.
Maryland governor signs bills protecting abortion rights and gender-affirming care
May 3, 2023
Maryland Democratic Gov. Wes Moore signed bills into law Wednesday that enshrine abortion rights and protect gender-affirming care.
Rutgers union leaders approve tentative agreement with school less than a month after historic strike
May 1, 2023
Leaders of three Rutgers University unions approved a tentative agreement with the school Sunday evening, just weeks after going on a five-day strike – the first in the New Jersey university’s 257-year history.
About
Liam Reilly is a writer for CNN. He reports on the media industry and assists with the production of the acclaimed “Reliable Sources” newsletter.
Based in New York City, Reilly has reported on the sweeping changes impacting the media industry, from newspapers and linear TV to digital streaming services. For the “Reliable Sources” newsletter, he compiles and analyzes reporting at the intersection of media, technology, and entertainment, as well as the power players driving the industry. The daily digest chronicling the media ecosystem is read by top industry professionals and media obsessives.
Prior to joining CNN, Reilly worked as a copy editor at the Seoul-based, English-language Korea JoongAng Daily. Reilly first joined CNN in 2021 as a news assistant for the network’s New York Bureau where he reported on politics, business, crime, and the courts for the U.S. Northeast and Midwest. He also briefly worked as a news writer for Bloomberg News.
Reilly is a French American journalist from Brooklyn, NY. He is fluent in English and French.
Reilly holds a B.A. in comparative literature from Kenyon College, an M.Sc. from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and an M.A. from the University of Southern California.
You can find Reilly on Threads and Instagram: @unbonfromage
