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What invites? David Ellison at the Paramount Pictures Presentation during CinemaCon 2026, the official convention of Cinema United on April 16, 2026, in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)
Welcome to the latest edition of Breaker. If this email has been forwarded, you can subscribe here and send your questions and complaints here. If you have a tip contact the 24/7 Breaker Tip Hotline via text or Signal # 551 655 2343. Anonymity guaranteed!
In tonight’s edition, as we first reported, David Ellison is hosting a shindig next Thursday to honor the “Trump White House and CBS White House Correspondents.” The invite-only event comes just days before the White House Correspondents’ dinner, but as you’ll discover tonight, there’s a hole in Ellison’s plan to honor his staff.
Also tonight, season three of the Breaker pod has returned with a bang. This week's guest is Jennifer Welch, the co-host of hit politics and culture podcast “I’ve Had It.” Welch tells us about how she built her pod, why she turned down offers from both Warner Bros. Discovery and CBS, and what she thinks of Jake Tapper "cosplaying" a podcaster on CNN (she also does not hold back on her thoughts about David Ellison.)
Plus, why Dr. Dre was in D.C. today, and the latest as The New York Times Guild turns the screws on management as their contract fight drags out.
Finally, we have a bumper edition of Journo Jobs, which tonight we are putting above the paywall. We have gigs at: The Wall Street Journal, The Information, CNN, Bloomberg, Vox, The Atlantic, NBC, and Punchbowl News.
Mentioned tonight: Josh D’Amaro, Reed Hastings, Bari Weiss, Jake Tapper, Marc Lacey, Robert Allbritton, Tony Dokoupil, Nancy Cordes, Weijia Jiang, Ed O'Keefe, Olivia Rinaldi, Robert Costa, Jessica Toonkel, Kara Swisher, Justin Smith, Ben Smith, Janice Min, Ari Melber, Jen Psaki, Marcus Mabry, Aja Whitaker-Moore, Anna Dubenko, Will Payne, Emily Sweeney, Oliver Darcy, Daniel Thomas, Kai Wright, Carter Sherman, Christiana Sciaudone, Sara Fischer, Ian Katz, Mark Sweney, Priya Dogra, Maxi Tani, Josh Dawsey, Emily Sundberg, Benjamin Mullin, Katie Robertson, Andrea Mitchell, Norah O’Donnell, Stephanie Ruhle, Aidan McLaughlin, Eugene Daniels, and more.
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Journo Jobs
Every Thursday, we bring you hand-picked entry-level gigs for those brave enough to start out in journalism, as well as more senior positions as well. If you have a position that you’d like featured in Journo Jobs, email us.
The Wall Street Journal is looking for the “primary architect for the Journal’s audio future” in the position of Head of Audio ($250,000 - $325,000)
The Information is seeking a Finance Reporter to “write exclusive stories on the money pouring into AI” and “dig deep into the players funding the AI build-out.” ($140,000 - $180,000)
CNN is hunting for a senior editorial leader to drive its news video storytelling agenda. You’ll need at least ten years of experience to be their new Director of News, Video (CNNE) ($126,490 - $234,910)
Have you got your eye on Tesla, Pfizer, Walmart, and Starbucks? Join Bloomberg as its new Global Business Editor ($120,000 - $165,000)
Keen to sit at the intersection of editing, commissioning, and story strategy? Vox is advertising for a Senior Editor, Essays & Columns, The Cut ($95,000 - $105,000)
The Atlantic is searching for an Assistant Editor to work across its science, health, and technology portfolios. ($69,000 - $75,000)
There’s a top entry-level position up for grabs at NBC, working on a brand-new daily live news program. Apply now for the gig as Production Assistant, NBC News NOW ($29.08/hr)
Another great entry-level gig for the politically inclined as Punchbowl News’ latest Congressional Reporter working on its flagship newsletter, Punchbowl News AM. ($75,000 - $85,000)
The Breaker Pod With Jennifer Welch: Why She Turned Down Offers From WBD and CBS
The Breaker podcast is back with a bang for season three. This week, we sat down with podcast host and media disruptor, Jennifer Welch, at The View high above Times Square (cheers to Danny Meyer and his team at Union Square Hospitality for inviting us down.)
Welch, co-host of the hit podcast “I’ve Had It”, didn’t exactly set out to build a political media platform. After her reality TV show was canceled, the pod started as a place to vent about everything from slow walkers to airport speakerphone users to over-the-top gender reveal parties. But as her audience grew, so did the scope of her content.
“It just kind of took off,” Welch told us, pointing to a broader shift away from what she calls the “consultant class” and legacy media. In its place, she explained, are personality-driven, independent voices that audiences can really trust. We’d like to think Breaker fits that description!
Welch’s rise has put her smack dab in the political arena. But despite her proximity to power, Welch doesn’t hold back about Democrats or Republicans. “I think there is this internal civil war in the DNC,” she said, arguing the party is split between establishment figures and a more media-savvy base.
She also drew a hard line when it came to independence, revealing she turned down both a potential Warner Bros. deal and a CBS appearance, saying she didn’t want to “cheapen” her voice by aligning with corporate interests.
The shift away from legacy media, she argues, is something folks at the major networks still don’t fully understand. As they attempt to replicate an independent format, Welch dismissed much of it as performative and “patronizing to their audience.”
“Jake Tapper sitting at a desk, cosplaying being a podcaster,” she said, “it’s just not helpful to this moment.”
Catch more in this week's episode of The Breaker Pod. Make sure you check us out and subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your pods.
Ellison Wonderland
(Exclusive.) On Tuesday, we broke the news that Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison is hosting an intimate gathering next week, “honoring the Trump White House and CBS White House Correspondents," at the Donald J. Trump United States Institute of Peace. That’s according to a copy of the invitation we obtained and reviewed (although Ellison forgot to invite Breaker.)
Breaker has now learned that although the invites have already gone out and say they will "honor" CBS White House Correspondents, none of the correspondents have …
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⁘ As credited in The New York Times, CNBC, Axios, The New York Post, CNN, Bloomberg, The Guardian, and more.
NYT Bargain Basement
(Exclusive.) Members of the New York Times Guild made their frustrations known on Thursday, staging a silent protest during a company all-hands.
Union members held up newspapers emblazoned with their negotiation demands in red print, including “Fair Wages,” “Real A.I. Guard Rails,” and “Fair Contract Now,” disrupting the meeting.
Photo: Instagram/nytimesguild
Just over a week ago, Breaker reported that there had finally been a step forward in the bargaining negotiations between The New York Times and the Times Guild, with both sides agreeing on a proposal regarding disability accommodations.
But this week, that momentum has…
Support fearless independent journalism.
The rest of this newsletter is for paid subscribers.
⁘ Unlock full access to our twice-weekly newsletter and archive.
⁘ As credited in The New York Times, CNBC, Axios, The New York Post, CNN, Bloomberg, The Guardian, and more.