Media News Daily: Top Stories for 06/28/2026

Meta Expands AI Role in Content Moderation

Meta is reportedly accelerating plans to replace much of its human content review workforce with artificial intelligence, with AI expected to handle up to 90% of content and advertising moderation by the end of 2026. The move comes despite recent security concerns after hackers reportedly exploited Meta’s AI-powered support system to gain access to Instagram accounts. Critics argue the incident highlights the risks of relying on AI for sensitive decisions, while Meta views wider internal adoption as key to demonstrating the commercial value of its AI technology. Read More (Social Media Today Rating)

New York Times Expands AI Copyright Lawsuit

The New York Times has amended its copyright lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft, alleging that Microsoft actively encouraged OpenAI to use Times articles to train its AI models and provided services that facilitated the practice. While the newspaper streamlined portions of its case by dropping one secondary infringement claim, it says its central allegation, that the companies unlawfully used copyrighted journalism to develop AI systems, remains unchanged. The case continues to be one of the highest-profile legal battles over AI training data and copyright law. Read More (The New York Times Rating)

Former Stars and Stripes Ombudsman Sues Pentagon

Former Stars and Stripes ombudsman Jacqueline Smith has filed a lawsuit against the Pentagon, alleging she was fired in retaliation for criticizing Defense Department policies that she said threatened the newspaper’s editorial independence. Smith argues her dismissal violated her First Amendment rights and forms part of a broader effort to influence military news coverage. The lawsuit follows separate legal action by former advisory board members who also claim recent Pentagon changes undermine the publication’s long-standing editorial autonomy. Read More (The Hill Rating)