diff --git a/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-media-list-table.php b/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-media-list-table.php
index fb0d67d705..b0a421586c 100644
--- a/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-media-list-table.php
+++ b/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-media-list-table.php
@@ -503,15 +503,22 @@ class WP_Media_List_Table extends WP_List_Table {
 	 * Handles the author column output.
 	 *
 	 * @since 4.3.0
+	 * @since 6.8.0 Added fallback text when author's name is unknown.
 	 *
 	 * @param WP_Post $post The current WP_Post object.
 	 */
 	public function column_author( $post ) {
-		printf(
-			'<a href="%s">%s</a>',
-			esc_url( add_query_arg( array( 'author' => get_the_author_meta( 'ID' ) ), 'upload.php' ) ),
-			get_the_author()
-		);
+		$author = get_the_author();
+
+		if ( ! empty( $author ) ) {
+			printf(
+				'<a href="%s">%s</a>',
+				esc_url( add_query_arg( array( 'author' => get_the_author_meta( 'ID' ) ), 'upload.php' ) ),
+				esc_html( $author )
+			);
+		} else {
+			echo '<span aria-hidden="true">&#8212;</span><span class="screen-reader-text">' . __( '(no author)' ) . '</span>';
+		}
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-posts-list-table.php b/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-posts-list-table.php
index aff267b97c..3d25b2f7ff 100644
--- a/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-posts-list-table.php
+++ b/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-posts-list-table.php
@@ -1277,15 +1277,22 @@ class WP_Posts_List_Table extends WP_List_Table {
 	 * Handles the post author column output.
 	 *
 	 * @since 4.3.0
+	 * @since 6.8.0 Added fallback text when author's name is unknown.
 	 *
 	 * @param WP_Post $post The current WP_Post object.
 	 */
 	public function column_author( $post ) {
-		$args = array(
-			'post_type' => $post->post_type,
-			'author'    => get_the_author_meta( 'ID' ),
-		);
-		echo $this->get_edit_link( $args, get_the_author() );
+		$author = get_the_author();
+
+		if ( ! empty( $author ) ) {
+			$args = array(
+				'post_type' => $post->post_type,
+				'author'    => get_the_author_meta( 'ID' ),
+			);
+			echo $this->get_edit_link( $args, esc_html( $author ) );
+		} else {
+			echo '<span aria-hidden="true">&#8212;</span><span class="screen-reader-text">' . __( '(no author)' ) . '</span>';
+		}
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/wp-includes/version.php b/wp-includes/version.php
index 6c402b5723..01573f078a 100644
--- a/wp-includes/version.php
+++ b/wp-includes/version.php
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
  *
  * @global string $wp_version
  */
-$wp_version = '6.8-beta2-60031';
+$wp_version = '6.8-beta2-60032';
 
 /**
  * Holds the WordPress DB revision, increments when changes are made to the WordPress DB schema.