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As media faces more criticism and fake news causes real trouble, it's tempting to tune out, but this moment requires keen awareness and critical thinking — In another strange time in American history, the counterculture guru Timothy Leary urged people to “turn on, tune in, drop out.”
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21st Century Fox has agreed to buy Sky for $13.51 per share in cash valuing the broadcaster at $14.1B; Sky's share price jumps more than 26% — 21st Century Fox Inc. reached a preliminary deal to acquire full control of Sky Plc, valuing the pay-TV provider at 18.5 billion pounds ($23.2 billion) …
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Trump will remain executive producer of Celebrity Apprentice, getting royalties through MGM, likely in the low five figures per episode — Donald Trump will remain an exec producer on NBC's “Celebrity Apprentice,” which is returning Jan. 2 after a two-year hiatus with new host Arnold Schwarzenegger.
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Trump's denunciation of individuals on Twitter, which often leads to harassment by his followers, tests the limits of Twitter's rules against incitement — Twitter declined BuzzFeed News' request for comment. — Last night President-elect Donald Trump used his Twitter account to criticize Chuck Jones …
Discussion:
Washington Post, New York Magazine, @gavinnewsom, @brendannyhan, The Daily Caller, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, emptywheel, Motherboard, AOL and The Week


Despite an offer of more than $20M to stay on at Fox News, sources say Megyn Kelly is still fielding bids from ABC, NBC, and CNN — Despite an offer of more than $20 million from Fox, Kelly appears to be listening to some surprising suitors. — On Wednesday morning …
Discussion:
Mediaite, USA Today, FTVLive, TVNewser and TVWeek.com
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Sources: Annapurna Pictures is developing a film about the Roger Ailes scandal which will focus on Megyn Kelly and other victims — Megan Ellison's Annapurna Pictures has scooped up a pitch from Charles Randolph about the former Fox News chairman. — First, there was a miniseries …

BuzzFeed adds Tampa Bay Times' Anthony Cormier, a Pulitzer winner, to its investigative unit, and hires Daily Beast's Nancy Youssef to cover the Pentagon — Buzzfeed News is adding Anthony Cormier to its Investigative Unit and Nancy Youssef to its World team, the company was set to announce on Friday.


Wall Street Journal grows digital subscriptions from 948K in August to 1M+ now, pitching subscriptions when staffers or subscribers share non-paywalled links — Despite a bad fall shadowed by news about ad revenue declines and layoffs, the Journal has ridden what seems to be a post-election wave of interest in paid media.
Discussion:
@laurahazardowen, @jackshafer, @thenewcharlotte and @niemanlab


Twenty-eight year veteran NYT tech reporter John Markoff to retire, will remain on contract for more stories, and become writer in residence at Berkeley in 2017 — I'm retiring from the greatest job I ever knew—but I still believe that journalism will thrive … Yes, I'm retiring from the New York Times.
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@john, @timoreilly, @dangillmor, @guykawasaki, @jswatz, @carlmalamud, @annaleen and @backchnnl


Hillary Clinton urges action from private and public sectors to combat malicious fake news and false propaganda — Former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton spoke about the dangers of the promulgation of fake news on Thursday after conspiracy stories involving her campaign spurred violence recently.

BuzzFeed reporter Rosie Gray is joining The Atlantic's politics and policy team; she will focus on the global rise of populist nationalist movements — Reporter Rosie Gray is coming to The Atlantic as part of its growing Politics & Policy team. Gray will cover global affairs and U.S. politics …
Discussion:
FishbowlNY, Politico, @jackshafer, @nolandmccaskill and @rosiegray


In unusual deal, New York Observer offers subscribers Star Magazine after folding print edition; a source says Kushner is close with Star publisher David Pecker — Some erudite subscribers to the New York Observer have been surprised by the shuttering print publication's juicy final offer …
Discussion:
Media Wire Daily, FishbowlNY and @jill_jorgensen