Mediagazer: Top YouTuber PewDiePie: YouTube Red exists to counter ad blocking, which can devastate smaller channels (Felix Kjellberg/PewDiePie)

6:15 AM ET, October 31, 2015

Top News:

ESPN suspends publication of Grantland, effective immediately — ESPN Statement Regarding Grantland — Effective immediately we are suspending the publication of Grantland. After careful consideration, we have decided to direct our time and energy going forward to projects that we believe …

Discussion: Re/code, @mj_baumann, @natesilver538, Mashable, New York Times, Guardian, @brianstelter, Washington Post, Politico, FishbowlNY, The Atlantic, The Big Lead, Deadspin, Hollywood Reporter, USA Today, @eoinmcdevitt, The Wrap, SI.com, @danpfeiffer, @willow_catelyn, Adweek, Motley Fool, @rustyk5, Talking Points Memo, Media Wire Daily, @jayrosen_nyu, @thinkprogress, @tcarmody, LA Observed, The Huffington Post, @pkafka, @lucas_shaw, @petersterne, @pixie_casey, NPR, Gawker, Fortune, @jimmiller, @brianstelter, UPROXX, @edsbs, @hollyanderson, @edsbs, @edsbs, @hollyanderson, @edmundlee, @heoj, @rachsyme, @afelser, @jamilsmith, @thrmattbelloni, @speechboy71, @nickdfw, @speechboy71, @davidsirota, @joshbaumgard, Mediaite, Vanity Fair, The Week, Tech Times, Broadcasting & Cable, The Daily Caller, The New York Observer and Bleacher Report

Brian Stelter / CNNMoney:

Closure of Grantland affects about 40 journalists; ESPN remains “totally committed” to FiveThirtyEight and The Undefeated — ESPN ‘suspending’ Grantland — ESPN said Friday that it is “suspending the publication of Grantland,” one of its most ambitious Internet ventures, effective immediately.

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Deadspin, The Wrap, Poynter, @bro_pair, @brianstelter, @rembert, LAist, @mtthwrose, The Big Lead and Mashable

Politico:

RNC cancels plans to partner with NBC News for February 26 debate after CNBC debate controversy; NBC says it will work “in good faith” to resolve issue — RNC drops NBC partnership — The RNC has canceled plans to partner with NBC News for a Feb. 26 debate, citing a “bad faith” …

Noah Kulwin / Re/code:

SXSW apologizes for earlier panel cancellations, announces one-day online harassment summit on Saturday, March 12 — SXSW Apologizes for Gamergate Panel Cancellations, Announces One-Day ‘Online Harassment Summit’ (Updated) — A week after canceling two controversial panels scheduled …

Noah Kulwin / Re/code:

SXSW Bungles Announcement of ‘Online Harassment Summit,’ and Panelists Are Pulling Out — This morning, SXSW Interactive Director Hugh Forrest released a statement apologizing for canceling two controversial panels earlier this week, and announcing a March 12 “Online Harassment Summit” …

Discussion: Slate, The Open Gaming Society, @nkulw, @randileeharper, @randileeharper and The Verge

Alison Burdo / Philadelphia Business Journal:

Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News merging, layoffs expected — Inquirer, Daily News reportedly merging — More Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News employees are set to lose their jobs as the two newspapers are reportedly going to merge. — Inquirer reporter Bob Fernandez sent …

Discussion: Billy Penn, @bobfernandez1, Philly.com, @bobfernandez1, @ckrewson, @wbender99, @taramurtha, Poynter, New Jersey Business News and Philadelphia Magazine

Mark Sweney / Guardian:

Sun website to scrap paywall — Publisher News UK set to makes U-turn and offer its content for free from 30 November in bid to compete with rivals such as Mail Online — The Sun is poised to make a major U-turn by scrapping its paywall and offering most of its website content for free.

Discussion: @wblau, Reuters, Nieman Lab, @martinshovel, Mashable, Press Gazette, Talking New Media, @tcordrey, Financial Times, The Register, The Drum, @dabeard, @jonhew, @higgis, @_liamcorcoran, Londonlovesbusiness.com and TechRadar.com

Dominic Patten / Deadline:

Starz and CEO Chris Albrecht sued by former senior vice president who claims the pay-TV network inflated revenue and subscribers — Starz & CEO Chris Albrecht Sued By Ex-SVP Over “Illegal Activities” & Inflated Revenue & Subscriber Numbers — EXCLUSIVE: The same day that the premium …

Discussion: Hollywood Reporter, Consumerist, Fortune, Variety, bizjournals, FierceCable and The Wrap

James Warren / Poynter:

Los Angeles Times buyout offer prompts 15 percent of newsroom to raise their hands — Fifteen percent of The Los Angeles Times newsroom has applied for buyouts, according to a source with knowledge of the process. — At least 75 individuals in the 500-person flagship of Tribune Publishing …

Eugene Kim / Business Insider:

FanDuel now faces lawsuit from Redskins' Pierre Garcon, alleging unauthorized use of players' names and likenesses and seeking class-action status — FanDuel, the daily fantasy site worth over $1 billion, was just hit by another lawsuit — this time by an NFL player

Discussion: Fortune, CNNMoney, Washington Post and ProFootballTalk

Desmond Butler / Associated Press:

Editors from around the world urge Turkey to protect media — ISTANBUL (AP) — Dozens of editors from leading international news organizations have written to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressing “profound concern regarding the deteriorating conditions for press freedom in Turkey.”

Discussion: Poynter, Agence France-Presse, World News Publishing Focus …, TodaysZaman and The Huffington Post

Felix Kjellberg / PewDiePie:

Top YouTuber PewDiePie: YouTube Red exists to counter ad blocking, which can devastate smaller channels — Thoughts on YouTube Red. — Since YouTube recently announced their new payed service “YouTube Red”. Everyone has been up to arms about it, for mainly good reasons!