Etan Vlessing
Etan Vlessing covers the business and policy machinery behind film and television, with a particular focus on how government decisions, regulation and corporate strategy shape the media and entertainment sector. He writes for The Hollywood Reporter on the intersection of politics, economics and the screen industries, tracking how shifts in law, tax and trade ripple through studios, streamers, broadcasters and producers.
Policy and regulation shaping film and TV
Vlessing’s core subject is government intervention in the screen business. His articles examine measures such as Canada’s plan to triple a so‑called “Netflix tax” on U.S. streaming platforms, detailing how higher levies are structured, what they are meant to fund and how unions, creators and executives respond. He regularly covers legislation and regulatory rulings affecting broadcasters, cable and satellite providers, and global streamers, explaining how new rules change obligations around local content, carriage, contributions to production funds and consumer pricing. Across his work, politics is treated less as electoral theatre and more as a system of concrete decisions that alter the economics of film and TV.
Streaming and media economics
A recurring thread in his coverage is the financial health and strategy of streamers and traditional media companies operating in and around the Canadian market. Vlessing reports on subscription trends, revenue pressures and cost‑cutting moves by major platforms, and connects those moves to regulatory changes and market access questions. He follows how global services adjust investment plans, commissioning and staffing in response to new taxes, content quotas or funding requirements. Stories on carriage disputes, licensing agreements and shifting windowing practices show him tracking how money flows between distributors, broadcasters and producers when policy frameworks change.
Production, labor and creative community impact
Vlessing often frames political decisions through their impact on the people who make film and television. Coverage of tax changes and contribution rules includes detailed reaction from local unions, guilds and independent producers, highlighting concerns about job security, production volume and the balance between foreign‑owned platforms and domestic players. He reports on how incentives, funding schemes and regulatory obligations affect which projects get financed, where they shoot and how risk is shared between broadcasters, streamers and producers. His stories surface creative‑sector skepticism or support for new policies, presenting those voices alongside official justifications from regulators and ministers.
Cross‑border industry and trade dynamics
Because much of his beat sits at the border between national policy and global companies, Vlessing frequently writes about cross‑border tensions and cooperation. He tracks how U.S. studios and streamers respond when Canadian rules on taxation, discoverability or local investment tighten, and how those responses in turn influence government timelines and amendments. His reporting follows trade and diplomatic considerations when media regulation implicates U.S. corporations, and he situates individual tax or funding changes within wider debates about cultural sovereignty, market access and the competitiveness of local production hubs.
Deal flow, corporate moves and institutional players
Alongside policy stories, Vlessing covers the institutions that implement and are reshaped by those policies. His bylines include coverage of public agencies, funding bodies and regulators that oversee broadcasting, telecommunications and cultural industries, detailing leadership changes, strategic plans and budget decisions. He also reports on mergers, acquisitions, restructurings and partnerships among broadcasters, telecom operators and production companies, connecting those moves back to changing regulatory and economic conditions. Deal coverage in his work is anchored in how transactions alter bargaining power within the ecosystem and what that means for future regulation, investment and commissioning.
Across this body of work, Vlessing distinguishes himself by treating entertainment politics as an applied business beat. His stories unpack dense policy and financial material into clear, sourced reporting that tracks cause and effect: from legislative text to boardroom decisions to the day‑to‑day realities of producers, workers and audiences.
4 more politics journalists.
Adam Daly
Adam Daly covers politics for amNewYork with a focus on the inner workings of city and state government and the low-profile forums where power is exercised and negotiated. He reports on commissions and panels that shape how New York is governed, treating charter reform and government efficiency as central political terrain. His coverage of moves to replace an Adams-era charter commission with a new government efficiency panel foregrounds mandate, authority, and what “efficiency” means in practice for agencies and services. He tracks who gains and loses influence when one commission supplants another and which constituencies are being answered to. Daly explains dense procedural questions in clear, reader-facing terms, using specific institutional details and occasional wordplay to connect jargon-heavy reforms to public spending, service delivery, and mayoral power.
Alex Swoyer
Alex Swoyer covers national politics through the lens of the law, treating court cases and filings as core political documents rather than a separate legal niche. She reports for the Washington Times on the Supreme Court, federal courts and the justice system’s intersection with campaigns, Congress and the presidency. Her coverage follows political disputes as they move into courtrooms, focusing on cases that affect elections, executive power, immigration, religious liberty and gun rights. She explains opinions, dissents and procedural moves in plain language, grounding stories in briefs, oral arguments, orders and government records, then pairing them with reaction from officials, strategists and advocacy groups. She also reports on election rules, January 6 prosecutions, politically sensitive investigations, Republican Party dynamics and campaign‑trail narratives, using straight news, explainers and roundups to show how law, institutions and political ambition meet.
Alexander Mallin
Alexander Mallin stands out for turning dense Justice Department and federal court actions into clear, step-by-step reporting for ABC News. He covers politics through law enforcement and the courts, with a core beat on special counsel investigations, federal prosecutions, and clashes between the executive branch, Congress, and federal prosecutors. His reporting tracks interview transcripts, subpoena fights, indictments, plea deals, trial outcomes, and other court filings, especially in cases tied to President Joe Biden, the January 6 attack on the Capitol, and other high-profile political conflicts. He also covers transparency fights over investigative records and explains the statutes, rules, and institutional mechanics behind grand juries, redactions, and special counsel appointments. His stories are document-heavy, restrained, and focused on what prosecutors, defense lawyers, and judges are doing on the record.
Allie Kelly
Allie Kelly is a politics reporter at Business Insider who treats US politics as a story about personalities, performance, and the internet. She covers the intersection of political figures, online culture, and how power is exercised in public. Her work follows elected officials and rising players across parties, focusing on how they brand themselves, test messages, and respond to scrutiny. She often writes about memes, viral moments, and tools like meme coins as real campaign tactics and communication strategies. Her reporting explains how digital culture shapes electoral politics, party tensions, and governance. She favors short, accessible pieces built around vivid examples, like a lawmaker launching a DOGE-style coin, to explain broader trends. She uses clear, plain language, grounding each story in who holds power, what they are doing, and why their online choices matter.