Global Media Brief: Pressures Reshape Journalism Worldwide A nearly 140-year-old Finnish news agency, STT, has confirmed its closure, affecting 89 jobs, while a US-based nonprofit publication, Rest of World, faces an uncertain future due to declining platform referrals and changing audience habits. In Pakistan, the government has sought information on unpaid salaries and dismissals at television networks, while in the US, political campaigns are exploring ways to influence AI chatbot answers. Meanwhile, a Russian independent newspaper, Novaya Gazeta, has announced its closure after years of repression, and police in Nepal have entered newsrooms and detained journalists. In Finland, STT's decision to cease its news and photo-agency operations at the end of March 2027 will eliminate 89 permanent positions, including those of 68 journalists. The closure will remove a longstanding supplier of national news and photographs to Finnish media, illustrating how financial losses and changes in the news market are threatening even established national news agencies. In the US, Rest of World, a well-funded nonprofit newsroom, is planning to cease publishing as a standalone organization unless founder Sophie Schmidt secures an institutional partner. The publication has experienced declining search and social-media traffic despite efforts to rebuild readership, highlighting the vulnerability of international journalism to declining platform referrals and changing audience habits. In Pakistan, the government has sought channel-wise information on unpaid salaries, outstanding dues, and dismissals at television networks following a protest by parliamentary journalists. This move tests whether publishers can protect their journalism from unwanted technological uses while remaining active on platforms that are important for audience reach and distribution. In the US, political campaigns are exploring ways to influence AI chatbot answers, raising questions about transparency, source credibility, and the ability of voters to distinguish independent information from campaign messaging. The strategy, known as generative engine optimization, extends beyond conventional search optimization. In Russia, Novaya Gazeta has announced its closure after more than three decades, citing sustained pressure, the loss of its premises, and the shutdown of its reader-donation system. The planned closure would silence one of Russia's most prominent independent news institutions, illustrating how sustained administrative, financial, and legal pressure can ultimately force an established newsroom out of operation. In Nepal, police entered or visited several newsrooms on October 30 and detained journalists for questioning over published reports, drawing criticism from press organizations and political leaders.