Media News Daily: Top Stories for 09/12/2025

Sinclair Settles EEOC Racial Discrimination Case for $100,000

Sinclair, Inc. has agreed to pay $100,000 to settle a racial discrimination lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The case alleged that Sinclair underpaid a Black IT employee, Jonae Rollins, despite her performing higher-level work than some white colleagues who were paid more. Rollins was denied raises and promotions during her three-year tenure and was ultimately terminated after raising complaints. The settlement includes back pay, damages, and an 18-month compliance monitoring period under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Sinclair denies wrongdoing, stating the settlement was to avoid legal costs. (Read More) (The Desk Rating)

Yomiuri Shimbun Sues Perplexity AI for Copyright Infringement

Japan’s top newspaper, Yomiuri Shimbun, has filed a landmark copyright lawsuit against AI startup Perplexity in Tokyo District Court. The suit claims that Perplexity scraped and reproduced content from over 119,000 of its articles without permission, violating Japanese copyright laws. The newspaper seeks nearly $15 million in damages and an injunction against further use of its content. While Japanese law permits AI training on copyrighted material, it prohibits unauthorized reproduction and distribution. Perplexity apologized for the incident and said it is reviewing the claims. This marks the first such case in Japan, joining a wave of global legal action by media against generative AI firms. (Read More) (Nieman Lab Rating)

Major Newspaper Press in Washington to Shut Down Amid Industry Consolidation

Sound Publishing is closing its Lakewood, Washington printing facility — one of the state’s largest — just three years after it opened. The press served over 30 newspapers in Washington and Alaska. The closure, attributed to $1 million in annual losses, is part of a broader trend of newspaper production consolidation due to declining ad revenue and increasing digital consumption. Most of Sound’s papers will now be printed in Mount Vernon by Skagit Publishing. The shutdown also reflects financial troubles at Sound’s parent company, Black Press, which went through a restructuring in 2024 after heavy losses. The Lakewood facility is now being listed for sublease. (Read More) (Editor & Publisher Rating)