Top News:
Andrew Ross Sorkin / New York Times:
Peter Thiel acknowledges he spent around $10M to fund a team of lawyers to help Gawker “victims” like Hulk Hogan sue the company, in act of “deterrence” — A billionaire Silicon Valley entrepreneur was outed as being gay by a media organization.
Discussion:
Elizabeth Spiers, Recode, Slate, @tmcgev, @ndhapple, @sdkstl, @alexjamesfitz, Guardian, Washington Post, Recode, Talking Points Memo, Stratechery, Business Insider, @cenedella, @dansinker, Mashable, @mlcalderone, @yashalevine, Guardian, Dave Pell, @max_read, Fast Company, @jackmirkinson, @libbycwatson, VatorNews, The Verge, @cenedella, @heerjeet, Mediaite, @sacca, Engadget, @justinjm1, @lucas_shaw, @sacca, @howardowens, @carlzimmer, @karnythia, @dangillmor, @jwherrman, @deep_beige, TechCrunch, @akruglov, The Wrap, @ejacqui, @jyarow, @mikeisaac, @felixsalmon, INSIDER, Daring Fireball, Vanity Fair, Mother Jones and Muckety
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Felix Salmon / Fusion:
If Peter Thiel's strategy against Gawker works, it may then be emulated by other billionaires against any media organization — Funding Hulk Hogan's lawsuit against Gawker? That's not cool. Actively going out to find potential plaintiffs who might have cases against Gawker and then giving them the money to bring those cases?
Peter Sterne / Politico:
Florida judge upholds $140.1 M verdict against Gawker, Nick Denton, and AJ Daulerio; Gawker to appeal — A state court judge in Florida upheld a jury verdict of $140.1 million in damages against Gawker Media, CEO Nick Denton and former editor in chief A.J. Daulerio.
Discussion:
New York Times, Breitbart, CNET, Alison Frankel, Hollywood Reporter, Forbes, SI.com, CBS Miami, PerezHilton, Celebrity Net Worth, Associated Press, Associated Press, New York Magazine, Adweek, Fortune, Associated Press, Washington Post, Forbes, New York Post, Mashable, iMediaEthics, Newser, WWD, The Wrap, Death and Taxes, Business Insider, BuzzFeed, Financial Times, @mmasnick, WTOP, Tampa Bay Times, CBS News, Advocate, Media Law Prof Blog, @slmandel, AllAccess.com, Variety, Wall Street Journal and @ggreenwald
New York Times:
Gossip, revenge, and the complicated relationship between Silicon Valley and media including Gawker's Valleywag — SAN FRANCISCO — Silicon Valley likes to keep the media on a tight leash. Tech executives expect obedience, if not reverence, from reporters. They dole out information as grudgingly as possible.
Discussion:
@sacca, @mikeisaac, Scott Adams Blog, @anildash, @yayitsrob, @brooke, @kashhill, @puiwingtam, International Business Times, @trevortimm, @mbrauchli, @moorehn, @mathewi, @dangillmor, @tolles, @megan, @sarahjeong, @davewiner, @moorehn, @mikeisaac, @markberman, @penenberg, @ggreenwald, Peter O'Kelly's Reality Check, Death and Taxes, TechCrunch, Washington Post, New Republic, Breakingviews, USA Today, New York Magazine, @lessachu, Fast Company, The Daily Caller, The Interrobang, Wall Street Journal, Agence France-Presse, Sky News, Complex UK, International Business Times, CBC News, Showbiz Spy, Newsmax, Heavy.com and TIME
Callum Borchers / Washington Post:
Thiel's backing of Hogan suit against Gawker shows the heavy price media companies face, heightened by Trump's litigious, anti-media stance
Thiel's backing of Hogan suit against Gawker shows the heavy price media companies face, heightened by Trump's litigious, anti-media stance
Discussion:
Fortune, Daring Fireball, Poynter, @elidourado, CNNMoney, @ilyasu, @benmullin, @clarajeffery, @rabois, @birsic, @libbybrittain, @fmanjoo, Fast Company, Mashable, @penenberg, @marklittlenews, Real Stories, GQ, Politico, ThinkProgress, Recode, NPR, USA Today, @laura_hudson, Media Law Prof Blog, @lpolgreen and Gawker
Erik Wemple / Washington Post:
Subjects in Under the Gun documentary object to deceptive editing; producer apologizes if anyone was offended, and Katie Couric stands by producer's statement — It looks as though Katie Couric stunned her interviewees. Knocked them out with a bombshell inquiry: “Let me ask you another question …
Katie Rogers / New York Times:
The New York Times announces it will offer buyout packages to newsroom and business department employees at the end of the month — The New York Times will offer voluntary buyout packages to members of the newsroom and several business departments at the end of the month, the company announced on Wednesday.
Lukas I. Alpert / Wall Street Journal:
Business Insider launches website for lifestyle vertical Insider after 10 months distributing content exclusively on social media platforms — Content designed to be distributed on social media platforms gets its own Web destination — In the fast-changing world of digital publishing, occasionally something old becomes new again.
Discussion:
INSIDER, Talking Biz News, INSIDER, Business Insider, FishbowlNY and @niemanlab
Alex Spence / Politico:
Washington Post targets Europe with expanded Global Opinions section, additional regions to be added in coming months — The Washington Post, resurgent under the ownership of Amazon's Jeff Bezos, is expanding in Europe as part of a drive for more readers outside its home market.
Discussion:
Washington Post and @rafat
Elisabeth Witchel / Committee to Protect Journalists:
US on verge of expanding Magnitsky Act which could curb impunity for murderers of journalists globally — Last week, the proposed Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act emerged from the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee with approval. The bill was passed by the Senate last year.
Discussion:
@billbrowder, Human Rights Campaign, Ottawa Citizen and Guardian
Trevor Timm / Columbia Journalism Review:
Chelsea Manning case could be the catalyst for courts to rule that using the Espionage Act against leakers is unconstitutional — WikiLeaks whistleblower Chelsea Manning filed her long-awaited appeal to a 35-year jail sentence last week, and her case brings up an important question for journalists …
Discussion:
MWC News and @trevortimm
Bloomberg:
A look at the old media companies that own or have invested in new media companies and comparison of traffic cross top digital media sites — Rani Molla is a Bloomberg Gadfly columnist using data visualizations to cover corporations and markets. She previously worked for the Wall Street Journal.
Rem Rieder / USA Today:
Three years after buying in to newspapers, Warren Buffett still loves the industry but worries about the rate of decline in circulation and advertising — When I talked to Warren Buffett three years ago, he confided that he had a forbidden passion. — “It's almost unnatural how much I love newspapers,” he said.
Discussion:
@blakehounshell, @romenesko and @ryanchittum