Media News Daily: Top Stories for 10/25/2026

Meta Ordered to Pay $25 Billion in New Mexico Privacy Case

A New Mexico judge has ordered Meta to pay $25 billion after a jury found the company liable for more than 43 million violations of state consumer-protection laws involving Facebook privacy representations. The case arose from the Cambridge Analytica scandal and allegations that Meta misled users about access to their personal information. New Mexico had sought as much as $40 billion, while Meta argued that penalties above roughly $3.4 billion would be unconstitutional. Meta says it plans to appeal the ruling. (Read More) (Reuters Rating)

Trump Considers Moving White House Press Corps

The New York Times reported that President Donald Trump had discussed moving journalists out of the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room and potentially restoring the historic indoor swimming pool beneath it. The pool was built for President Franklin D. Roosevelt and later covered during the Nixon administration to create space for reporters. Trump subsequently denied that he had considered converting the press room back into a pool, though he said on October 24 that he may relocate the White House press corps to another location. (Read More) (New York Times Rating)

Elon Musk Reportedly Invests $1 Billion in Skydance

Elon Musk has reportedly invested about $1 billion in Skydance, the newly combined media company formed after Paramount’s Skydance takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery. CNBC first reported the investment, and Reuters later confirmed it, citing a person familiar with the matter. Neither Musk nor Skydance immediately commented publicly on the reported deal. The investment gives Musk a financial stake in a media conglomerate whose properties include CNN, CBS, HBO, and major film and streaming businesses. (Read More) (Washington Examiner Rating)