Former CBS producer Trey Sherman is accusing his employer of only laying off people of color on his team. The Wall Street Journal reported that nearly 2,000 Paramount employees were being laid off, including those under CBS. The company’s chief executive, David Ellison, said the layoffs were to address “redundancies that have emerged across the organization,” while also removing roles that don’t align with the company’s “new structure” that will prioritize growth. Sherman, who is Black and served as an associate producer for canceled “CBS Evening News+”, per New York Post, took to TikTok to reveal that the show had been canceled and every producer on his team who was laid off was a person of color, while those who found new roles within the company were white. He claimed that he had personally asked each white person on his team if they had been laid off, and they each said no. “Every person who gets to stay and will be relocated within the company is a white person,” Sherman...

Paramount has launched a new round of layoffs affecting staff across CBS Entertainment, MTV, BET, and other divisions, The Wrap reports. The cuts, which began Oct. 29, are part of the company’s restructuring under new CEO David Ellison following its merger with Skydance Media, which officially closed in August, according to a Paramount press release. The first phase will impact about 1,000 employees, with an additional 1,000 to 2,000 expected to be let go in the coming months, per The Wrap. Those affected include several longtime television executives, among them Paramount Global Content Distribution head of marketing Teri Fleming; CBS Entertainment senior vice presidents of current programming Pamela Soper and Amanda Palley; BET senior vice president of scripted programming and development Rose Catherine Pinkney; MTV head of music and celebrity talent Wendy Plaut; MTV/Paramount+ vice president of music program development and documentaries Amanda Culkowski; and CMT senior vice...

Warner Bros. Discovery is exploring the sale of its company in light of “unsolicited interest” from multiple parties, a press release confirms. A few months ago, the company had announced it would be splitting into two companies: Streaming & Studios and Global Networks. The purpose is to improve its shareholder value and improve its presence in entertainment, sports, and news, according to a press release shared by the company. The Streaming & Studios company would include Warner Bros., DC Studios, HBO, and HBO Max, as well as film and television libraries. Global Networks would consist of entities such as CNN, TNT Sports, and Discovery in the U.S., some European channels, and digital products including Discovery+ and Bleacher Report (B/R). “The cultural significance of this great company and the impactful stories it has brought to life for more than a century have touched countless people all over the world. It’s a treasured legacy we will proudly continue in this next chapter of...

Rolling Stone has merged with VIBE, Billboard reports. According to Rolling Stone CEO Julian Holguin, the merger will allow the outlet to strengthen its content in Hip-Hop and R&B. Rolling Stone will make investments in VIBE’s “video, podcasts, long-form journalism, social media, and experiential opportunities,” Holguin told the outlet. As part of the merger, Vibe will also launch a new interview series featuring conversations with notable names in music, sports, and fashion . “We are thrilled to announce that VIBE is joining forces with Rolling Stone. This historic team-up will enable Rolling Stone to level up the publication’s Hip-Hop and R&B coverage, allowing RS to dive deeper into the culture … VIBE will continue to power cultural conversations and reestablish itself as a driving force for commentary and reporting. Our goal is to continue the mission VIBE was founded on while leveraging Rolling Stone to amplify its presence across all platforms,” Holguin said, according to...

NBC News has reportedly laid off journalists reporting on marginalized communities, according to the Advocate. Restructuring In August 2025, NBC News reported that Comcast announced its various cable television networks would be moved into a separate publicly traded company called Versant. This umbrella would include MSNBC, CNBC, USA Network, Oxygen, E!, SYFY, and the Golf Channel. Comcast will maintain NBCUniversal assets, such as the NBC broadcast network, NBC News, NBC Sports, Peacock, and Bravo, under its portfolio. Why It’s Happening Versant CEO Mark Lazarus said the spinoff is about “building our individual identity and vision for the future while laying a foundation for the continued growth and success of our businesses,” according to NBC News. “This gives us the opportunity to charge our own path forward, create distinct brand identities, and establish an independent news organization following the spin,” he added. Advocate reports that executives noted the restructuring...

Jaden and Willow Smith are taking their creativity into the world of anime. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the siblings have partnered with N LITE, a Black-owned media company and anime studio based in the U.S. and Tokyo, to executive produce and voice roles in two upcoming animated films. Jaden is set to executive produce and star in “Mfinda,” an epic fantasy inspired by Congolese folklore. The film is a collaboration between N LITE, the award-winning studio GKIDS, Viola Davis and Julius Tennon’s JuVee Productions, and renowned anime producer Masao Maruyama. According to N LITE Founder and CEO Christiano Terry, Jaden will voice Kozo, an ancient spirit warrior who protects both humans and forest spirits amidst conflict in the Kingdom of Kongo. “When I met Christiano, saw the artwork for ‘Mfinda’ and learned more about the story, I was blown away,” Jaden told The Hollywood Reporter. “A lot of people have asked when I’d get back into anime, I knew immediately this was it. I’m...

Is there trouble ahead for Group Black? As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Group Black is a collective launched in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic with a mission to advance Black media conglomerates. Founding member companies include ESSENCE, Holler, PlayVS, Afropunk, and The Shade Room. Richelieu Dennis, Bonin Bough, and Travis Montaque founded the collective and, in 2021, announced a $75 million commitment from GroupM as part of a larger effort to deploy at least $500 million in Black-owned media. “Group Black is providing a real, tangible way for Black ownership to take root and thrive in an environment that has traditionally excluded or marginalized Black ownership,” Dennis said in a 2021 statement. “I’ve leveraged my career and businesses in the consumer products, finance, and media universe to champion equity, diversity, and wealth creation across industries,” Dennis said at the time. “For change to persist, we can’t make subtle modifications to the existing universe; we need...

Journalist Roland Martin says it is important to “study the business of the business.” This mantra has served him well throughout his career in media. He used to host TV One’s “NewsOne Now” program until the network canceled the show in 2017. On the “Black Tech Green Money” podcast, Martin revealed the decision occurred after its owner, Alfred C. Liggins III, refinanced the company’s debt, leading to various cuts. Martin was always ten steps ahead, paying attention to the evolving landscape of broadcast television, cable, and digital media. This also led to strategic decisions such as purchasing his own equipment. At TV One, owning his equipment allowed him to cement a deal that served him long-term. “I said, ‘I’m going to let y’all use my equipment. I’m not going to charge you a kit fee. But if my equipment is used, I get to co-own the content.’ Now the person listening or watching may go, ‘Man, why in the hell would you not charge?’ Because the content was more valuable than the...

The Root is Black-owned once again. Its History The Root is a news and media website that “provides an unflinching analysis of issues in the Black community and engages diverse viewpoints,” a description on its Instagram landing page reads, as it relates to social, cultural, and political topics. Donald Graham, former chairman of The Washington Post Co., and Henry Louis Gates Jr., director of the W.E.B. DuBois Institute for African and African American Research at Harvard University, founded The Root in 2008, Colombia Journalism Review reports. “The Root will be a 21st-century version of a national black newspaper,” The Post reported during its launch, according to CNN. In 2015, The Root was sold to Univision, which housed several online brands and content producers, including the Gizmodo Media Group and The Onion . Four years later, Univision sold these assets to private equity firm Great Hill Partners, which merged them under a new company G/O Media , according to information on...

As a child in poverty growing up in South Africa , Trevor Noah told “60 Minutes” that he was sometimes forced to dine on mopane worms . “Being poor in a group or in a community that is poor is not as bad as being poor when you know what you’re missing out on. So when I grew up, we played with bricks as cars and you’d smash them into each other, and it was one of the most fun games I’ve ever played,” he explained. “What I didn’t like was when we couldn’t eat anything else and my mom said, ‘We’re going to have to eat these mopane worms for longer because we don’t have money to buy chicken.'” Despite his early financial struggles , today the comedian has turned witty, thoughtful humor and a knack for storytelling into a major income. Thanks to his celebrated seven-year run as host of “The Daily Show,” Noah has sparked global conversations about culture, politics and identity. Lately, his reach (and his income) have only grown. Here’s everything we know about Trevor Noah’s net worth and...

Djimon Hounsou , the Beninese-American actor and model , has captivated audiences with his powerful performances in films like “Amistad” and “Gladiator.” While Hounsou’s career includes modeling contracts, voice work, and roles in major franchises like the Marvel Universe , he has not reached the financial heights of some of his blockbuster co-stars. Hounsou has candidly admitted that maintaining financial stability in Hollywood has been a challenge. Despite his acclaimed career, Djimon Hounsou’s net worth has been the subject of increased curiosity, especially after his honest admissions about financial struggles in recent years. “I have yet to meet the film that paid me fairly,” the actor once said while reflecting on his career. Djimon Hounsou’s Early Years, From Benin To France Djimon Hounsou was born in Cotonou, Benin, to parents Albertine and Pierre Hounsou. Significant changes marked his childhood: at age 12, he and his brother Edmond immigrated to Lyon, France. The...

Joseph ‘JoJo’ Simmons has advice for creators looking to diversify their income. Carrying The Torch As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Simmons is the son of Rev Run and has made several splashes on television through “Run’s House,” “Growing Up Hip Hop,” and “King of Newark.” Simmons took a page from his father’s book and learned from the successes of other family members, including his uncle Russell — who founded Phat Farm and Def Jam — as he mentioned on the “Black Tech Green Money” podcast hosted by AFROTECH™ Brand Manager Will Lucas. “Growing up and watching not only my dad perform for thousands of people and watching my uncle go in rooms and close deals that were amazing deals, not just like Phat Farm or Def Jam deals , but doing things where he was stopping gun violence in New York. He was really showing up in those type of spaces,” Simmons shared on the podcast. “I think watching that, being inspired by the ones before me — like I said, my dad, my uncle — and the older ones in...

Angel Reese has invested in a media company founded by a lineup of influential women athletes. TOGETHXR Formalized in 2019 and launched two years later, as Fast Company reported, TOGETHXR is a media and commerce company headquartered in Los Angeles, CA, driven by a mission to prioritize representation and equality. According to its website, TOGETHXR’s storytelling serves to amplify women , especially since they receive less sports media coverage than their male counterparts. Former soccer player Alex Morgan, snowboarder Chloe Kim, former WNBA player Sue Bird, and swimmer Simone Manuel, are the co-founders of the organization — all carrying various accolades, including Olympic gold medals. “I haven’t always felt celebrated,” Manuel explained in a 2024 Time interview. “[Togethxr] is giving people access to the accomplishments women are achieving and celebrating all of it,” she continued. Angel Reese Joins As Investor Angel Reese of the WNBA team, Chicago Sky, now backs Togethxr as a...

Issa Rae is opening up about a pivotal moment in her career that nearly drained her savings. In her new essay collection, “I Should Be Smarter Now,” the 40-year-old “Insecure” creator reflects on how her impulsivity has influenced her career in Hollywood. “My impulsivity, the character trait I’ve benefited from and paid dearly for, is both a gift and a curse,” Rae wrote, according to Us Weekly. “The gift is that I can be fearless in the pursuit of anything I want to achieve…The curse is, of course, that I don’t properly think through the consequences of my actions,” Rae continued. Rae pointed to 2014 as one of the toughest periods, when she and producing partner Deniese Davis tried to launch three TV pilots at once, per Us Weekly. Despite having an early interest, they didn’t secure investors before moving forward. “I was so excited about our undeniable idea and confident that we eventually would [find investors], so we proceeded anyway,” Rae shared with Us Weekly. “We found some...

Anthony Mackie has built his movie career through a mix of range, discipline and grit. He made his film debut opposite Eminem in “8 Mile” as the formidable battle rapper Papa Doc. He went on to act in both blockbuster and independent films like “Million Dollar Baby,” “She Hate Me,” “The Hurt Locker” and “Notorious”, according to IMDB. Years later, he joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) as Sam Wilson, a.k.a. Falcon, in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”, which set him on a path to appear in “Avengers” sequels, then lead “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” on Disney+. Mackie’s Marvel appearances have boosted his profile. He now sees multi-million dollar contracts for his role as Falcon, according to FandomWire. In addition, Mackie has signed onto several projects with streaming services like “Seberg” backed by Amazon, according to IndieWire, affording him streaming bonuses. What Did The MCU Actor Go To Julliard For? Anthony Mackie went to The Juilliard School for acting,...