Top News:
Margaret Hartmann / New York Magazine:
WSJ: National Enquirer, published by longtime Trump friend David Pecker, paid Playboy model $150K for the story of her affair with Trump, then didn't publish it — It's time to revive the debate over whether we have to take the National Enquirer seriously because one time they were right about John Edwards' affair.
Kelsey Sutton / Politico:
Fox News anchor Bret Baier apologizes for saying an indictment was likely in Clinton Foundation investigation: “it was a mistake, and for that I am sorry” — Fox News reporter and anchor Bret Baier, who hosts “Special Report” on the cable channel, apologized Friday for reporting …
Discussion:
Media Matters for America, @adamgoldmannyt, Vox, Washington Post, @nxthompson, Media Matters for America, Fortune, @jayrosen_nyu, @blakehounshell, @attackerman, @mmflint, New York Times, New York Magazine, The Huffington Post, @westwingreport, @jayrosen_nyu, AOL, New Urban Legends, @lexalexander, iMediaEthics, The Daily Dot, @andrewkirell, @dylanbyers, @aodespair, @pat_garofalo and Business Insider
Jack Shafer / Politico:
How Trump used cable TV, social media, right-wing blogs, and radio to create an alternative information pipeline and neutralize established media — He made himself the biggest news story since 9/11, and almost neutered the press in the process. — No matter who claims the presidency on November 8 …
Discussion:
Baltimore Sun, @brianstelter, @jackshafer, @polioptics, @stansundel, @jackshafer, @noah715, @lauraelizdavis, @lelandp_fitz, @peterjukes, @tlleopold, @lenedgerly and @mlcalderone
T. Rees Shapiro / Washington Post:
Jury finds that Rolling Stone, its parent company Wenner Media, and writer Sabrina Rubin Erdley defamed UVA dean Nicole Eramo in discredited rape story — CHARLOTTESVILLE — A federal court jury decided Friday that a Rolling Stone journalist defamed a former University of Virginia associate dean …
Discussion:
@jonathanwpeters, New York Times, CNNMoney, USA TODAY College, @nytimes, @cgasparino, @jimlaporta, iMediaEthics, Newser, Hit & Run, Business Insider, @coreyhutchins, C-VILLE Weekly, Fast Company, FishbowlNY, New York Magazine, @kimzetter, Fortune, @davidfolkenflik, @jdisis, @ahlondontx, @j_arthur_bloom and @andrewgiambrone
Paul Farhi / Washington Post:
Media's dependency on campaign coverage, which has generated new traffic records, masks downward trends the industry will have to face after the election — Thanks to Donald Trump, the news media has enjoyed a feast of public attention for the past year or more. But a crash diet could be just around the corner.
Discussion:
@ezraklein, BGR and Columbia Journalism Review
Shan Wang / Nieman Lab:
As opinions shift, a new wave of cannabis-focused sites seeks more advertisers willing to do business — There's money in marijuana, but is there money in marijuana coverage? (Yes, yes there is.) — For three years, The Cannabist, a promising digital project from the struggling Denver Post …
Michael O'Connell / Hollywood Reporter:
HBO cancels Bill Simmons' talk show Any Given Wednesday after four months, will remain a minority investor in Bill Simmons Media — “We loved making that show, but unfortunately it never resonated with audiences like we hoped. And that's on me." — Bill Simmons' weekly HBO show ending …
Discussion:
The Wrap, Variety, @dkthomp, @gadyepstein, @tatianasiegel27, Bleacher Report, Mashable, @thrmattbelloni, @awallenstein, @sarahlellison and @pkafka
Kurt Wagner / Recode:
NFL Films is producing an exclusive nine-part VR video series for YouTube and Google's Daydream about life in and around the NFL, to debut November 24 — The videos will be available on YouTube and Google's new VR headset, Daydream. — If anything can bring virtual reality into the mainstream, it's NFL football, right?
Discussion:
TechCrunch
Jennifer Senior / New York Times:
Review of Tim Wu's Attention Merchants: an elegant survey of media's annexation of human consciousness through propaganda, TV commercials, social media, more — Does anyone remember when Rolling Rock beer ran a campaign on highway billboards back in 2008, promising that the company would project its logo onto the next full moon?
Sarah Lyall / New York Times:
The Onion has struggled to produce funny headlines throughout the 2016 campaign, the rhetoric of which has been so hyperbolic as to be virtually beyond satire — Chicago — Now that it's almost over and we're all thoroughly miserable, is there anything funny left to say about this dreadful election?
Discussion:
@jenstar and @lisawritesbooks
Brian Stelter / CNNMoney:
Facebook Trending section included a dubious story on Friday about lawyer paying $500K to a Trump accuser, sourced from sites well known to spread false rumors — A highly suspect story about Gloria Allred and Donald Trump was trending on Facebook on Friday — the latest example …
Discussion:
@jbenton, @alex, New York Magazine, @mathewi, @mantzarlis, @mantzarlis, @brianstelter and The FJP
John Ourand / Sports Business Daily:
Nielsen sticks by its estimate that ESPN channels lost over 600K subscribers last month, following pushback from ESPN — Nielsen on Friday told ESPN that it will not revise data that showed ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU lost more than 600,000 homes from its distribution footprint last month.