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.
A.D. Quig
A.D. Quig follows money and power through Chicago and Cook County government, showing how political decisions, taxes and public spending affect residents and businesses. At the Chicago Tribune, she covers city and county politics, municipal finance, tax policy, budgets and the structures shaping mayoral and council authority. She joined the Tribune in 2022 after covering politics for Crain’s Chicago Business and The Daily Line. Her work examines council power, ethics rules, police leadership, tax incentives, public agencies and pandemic aid. She has reported on data center tax breaks, property tax errors, federal relief spending and the fiscal effects of major development proposals. Quig combines insider government reporting with public accountability journalism. She uses public records, data and budget documents, follows committees and staff negotiations, and explains complex decisions in plain language with precise numbers and a direct link to everyday consequences.
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.
Adam Pack
Adam Pack covers Capitol Hill through power struggles, investigations and ideological fights, focusing on how Congress intersects with Donald Trump’s agenda. He is a politics writer on Fox News Digital’s Capitol Hill team, covering Congress, federal elections, legislative battles, election rules, war powers, primaries and intraparty fights. He previously wrote for the Daily Caller News Foundation. His reporting examines deadlines, vote counts, bill language, campaign spending, court rulings, oversight reports, culture clashes and emerging issues such as AI-backed political groups. He has covered FISA reauthorization, defense spending, the SAVE America Act, housing policy, redistricting, candidate absences, primary spending and disputes over sex, gender, religion and race-based caucuses. He reports primarily through news features and investigative-style pieces built around documents, committee reports, court records, unearthed video and specific legislative details. He often co-writes complex Capitol Hill stories and publishes “FIRST ON FOX” exclusives.
Adam Sullivan
Adam Sullivan is a veteran politics reporter for WCAX who connects elections and party disputes to everyday life. He covers statewide races, party primaries, federal representation, political rhetoric, extremism, and accountability across the Upper Valley and neighboring states. His reporting includes Becca Balint’s victory over Molly Gray in the Democratic U.S. House primary to replace Congressman Peter Welch. He also reports when political controversies affect public safety, political culture, towns, and institutions, including a New Hampshire Libertarian Party post endorsing violence against elected Democrats. Sullivan follows cultural stories with civic consequences, such as Noah Kahan’s appeal to fans to stop stealing a Strafford road sign linked to his music. He writes straight news centered on concrete events, official reactions, political context, community impact, and what comes next.