Breaking News, Billionaires, and Beats: What’s Shaping Media This Week

Hey there, Benchies!

Welcome back. We’ve got some awesome fresh content coming your way this week! From how the next generation of reporters is mastering short-form video while balancing accuracy with entertainment, to Elon Musk’s empire under fire, to Rolling Stone’s ‘GOAT’ album rankings, we’ve got all you need to stay tuned in AND unplug this week. Let’s dive in 😎

Here is our featured content this week:

📰 📱 From print to reels: How student journalists are crafting news for the digital age

Got one hot off the press for ya! As news consumption shifts from print to digital, student journalists are embracing new storytelling formats to engage audiences. From TikTok explainers to Instagram Reels, they’re mastering short-form video to deliver news in ways that resonate with younger viewers. But adapting to these platforms comes with challenges—how do you balance accuracy with entertainment? This article explores how the next generation of journalists is redefining storytelling for the social media era.

Cool Stuff Corner: What are we reading?

Elon Musk's Business Empire Scores Benefits Under Trump Shake-Up

Setting memes aside, there’s nothing funny about Elon Musk’s presence in the White House. As if this billionaire needed more power and influence, he got it as of President Trump’s first day in office. But we’re not the only ones raising serious eyebrows. His sprawling empire is under scrutiny as federal agencies investigate potential security lapses at SpaceX, including unreported meetings with foreign leaders. Meanwhile, Musk’s ventures face a barrage of legal challenges, from allegations of discriminatory practices at Tesla to labor disputes at. It seems, as Musk’s influence grows, so does the list of controversies surrounding his companies. See for yourself. 

Musk Asserts Without Proof That He’s Fixing a Bureaucracy Rife With Fraud

In case you’ve been living under a rock (sounds lovely honestly), since his inauguration President Trump has initiated mass firings across federal agencies, targeting inspectors general and other officials, actions that many describe as unprecedented and potentially unlawful. 

These dismissals are seen as part of a broader strategy to replace career civil servants with individuals more aligned with Trump’s agenda. Additionally, the administration has taken steps to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, placing numerous employees on administrative leave. These actions have ignited debates about the future of the federal bureaucracy and the balance of power within the government.. yikes is right. Let’s take a look. 

From The Vault 🔒

"Wrestling with the past": How Chris Dalla Riva uncovered the deeper story in Rolling Stones' GOAT music album rankings 🎶

Hands up if you need a BREAK from the news this week. Anyone? Bueller? I know we do. In that vein, Storybench’s own Anna Palfy has a blast from the past for you that has nothing to do with politics. For anyone familiar with the Rolling Stones’ “GOAT” music rankings.. They seem pretty objective, right? But… are they? Music analyst Chris Dalla Riva peels back the layers to reveal a deeper story of nostalgia, genre bias, and shifting cultural tastes. By analyzing the data and questioning the criteria, he challenges long-held assumptions about what makes an album stand the test of time—and whether these rankings truly reflect musical greatness. From overlooked classics to surprising omissions, his research uncovers a fascinating intersection of data, personal taste, and cultural memory that challenges how we define the greatest albums of all time. Let’s dive in! 🎵

🎶 "Al is transforming music faster than we think." The Washington Post's Yan Wu explores the intersection of Al and creativity.

I don't know about you, but nothing distracts me like a good jam session. So in that vein, we’ve got another music themed throwback from the vault. As with seemingly every other industry, AI is already reshaping the landscape of music.  From generating entirely new compositions to reshaping how musicians produce and perform, artificial intelligence is changing the way we create and experience sound. The Washington Post’s Yan Wu explores this rapidly evolving intersection of technology and music, uncovering how AI is not just a tool, but a collaborator, redefining the future of artistic expression. For my music lovers out there, our own Namira Haris has the scoop you won't want to miss.

Photo Of The Week 📷

Have You Seen Changes to Federal Buildings? The New York Times Wants Your Photos!

If you haven’t seen what’s been done to the USAID offices.. well, google it. And we apologize in advance. But more people need to know what’s been going on in Washington. And on that note, we’re doing something a little different for our photo of the week this week, and giving a shoutout to the New York Times’ call for photo documentation of changes made to government buildings since Trump’s imagination.

So.. Want a chance to call yourself a NYT photog? Now is your chance! Grab that smartphone (or real camera, if you’re fancy like that) and head to DC 😎

[ photo courtesy of ProPublica]

That's all we've got for this week! Thanks for reading, and let us know if there's anything you'd like to see in these newsletters or in our coverage at [email protected].

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