Media Roundup: WAPO's newsroom cuts, Ye issues apology, X hit by probe, TikTok outage chaos, and New Balance surges

Media

Washington Post faces newsroom cuts

The Guardian's Jeremy Barr reports that The Washington Post is bracing for potential job cuts as early as February, with staff circulating estimates of more than 100 roles.

Nothing has been confirmed, but the figure would represent over ten per cent of the newsroom.

Concerned staff about the future, staff sent a letter to owner Jeff Bezos over the weekend.

Ye issues public apology

The artist formally known as Kanye West, has taken out a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal to apologise for the behaviour that has made him a cultural pariah.

As Variety's Chris Willman reports, the artist says he is now in treatment for a brain condition after a four-month manic episode last year.

He describes the period as psychotic and impulsive, saying it “destroyed my life” and led him to hit rock bottom in 2025.

Social Media

X faces EU probe over Grok deepfake risks

Elon Musk’s X is under investigation by the European Union after its Grok chatbot allegedly generated deepfake images that may amount to child sexual abuse material.

The Australian Financial Review's Samuel Stolton reports the claim has triggered a formal regulatory response.

At issue is whether safety checks kept pace with the tech rollout.

TikTok users report mass disruptions

The BBC's Liv McMahon reports that TikTok’s new US operator has issued an apology after a major outage left users dealing with looping feeds, missing videos and posts stuck on zero views.

The glitches hit over the weekend.

TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC blamed a power outage at a US data centre.

Brands

New Balance targets $10bn as Australian Open deal fuels growth

The Australian's Danielle Long reports that New Balance is closing in on $10bn in revenue and positioning itself as the world’s third-largest sportswear brand, behind Nike and Adidas.

The Australian Open has become a major growth lever, not just a tennis tie-in.

Global marketing vice president Jeff McAdams says the partnership works as a global brand platform, extending well beyond Melbourne and into culture, fashion and lifestyle.

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