Top News:
Alexey Kovalev:
A Russian journalist who writes about propaganda lays out parallels between Putin's yearly pressers and Trump's first news conference — Congratulations, US media! You've just covered your first press conference of an authoritarian leader with a massive ego and a deep disdain for your trade and everything you hold dear.
Discussion:
New York Times, Fortune, @jayrosen_nyu, Media Matters for America, Washington Post, Mother Jones, www.wnyc.org, @albertocairo, The Huffington Post, USA Today, @runvc, @alexey__kovalev, @juliaioffe, @shoq, @jamisonfoser, @lilitaylor, @oknox, @garyforman, @davidfolkenflik, @leicheru, @mathewi, Mediaite, Vox, bookforum.com, @jayrosen_nyu, The Atlantic, Common Dreams, Hollywood Reporter and New York Daily News
Brooks Barnes / New York Times:
Sony Entertainment CEO Michael Lynton stepping down, will become chairman of the board of Snap Inc., where he was an early investor — LOS ANGELES — The chief executive of Sony's underperforming entertainment division, Michael Lynton, announced Friday that he would step down to focus …
Discussion:
Variety, Hollywood Reporter, TechCrunch, The Wrap, The Tech Portal, @thr, Business Insider, The Wrap, @jonerlichman, @cnbcnow, @recode and Deadline
Rosie Gray / The Atlantic:
Former Breitbart News reporters are launching a pro-Trump advocacy group, the America First Project, with a media arm called Big League Politics — Patrick Howley, a former Breitbart News reporter, left the site under vague circumstances back in November. Howley told me at the time that he was leaving …
Discussion:
@dylanbyers, @espuelasvox, @willsommer, @alexckaufman, @yappelbaum, @brendannyhan, @jonathanhsinger, @dataeditor, @owillis, @shanegoldmacher, @mckaycoppins, @owillis, @resnikoff, @taylorjwofford, @rosiegray, @mckaycoppins, @adamserwer, @rosiegray, @rosiegray, @rosiegray, @mattdpearce, @mekosoff and @mlcalderone
Brian Stelter / CNNMoney:
Washington Post starts hiring for video expansion, posts about 30 new jobs for producing and hosting web videos — This year's growth spurt at The Washington Post includes about 30 new jobs producing and hosting web videos. — The video expansion, recently green-lit by Post owner Jeff Bezos …
Jacob Kastrenakes / The Verge:
Outgoing FCC chair Tom Wheeler uses his final public speech to make a case for maintaining net neutrality — The outgoing head of the Federal Communications Commission, Tom Wheeler, used his final public speech to make a closing argument for maintaining net neutrality, the signature achievement of his time at the agency.
Angelique Chrisafis / The Guardian:
French daily newspaper Le Parisien abandons opinion polls in run-up to presidential vote, shifting focus from horse race journalism to on-the-ground reporting — Le Parisien shifts focus from ‘horse race’ journalism to on-the-ground reporting ahead of presidential vote
Kelsey Sutton / Politico:
Kate Bennett and Hunter Schwarz are leaving the Independent Journal Review for CNN, where they will launch a newsletter and work as White House reporters — Kate Bennett and Hunter Schwarz, two top political reporters at the Independent Journal Review, are leaving the right-leaning viral news site for CNN …
Discussion:
@mattyglesias, @nowthised, @kelseymsutton, @oliverdarcy, @mckaycoppins, @jasonmillerindc, @alexweprin and @gregmitch
Colin McMahon / RedEye:
Chicago's RedEye print tabloid scales back to a once-a-week edition on Thursdays, will keep social media accounts and its newsletter — RedEye has always been a creature of the times. — When it was created nearly 15 years ago, RedEye was the go-to news and entertainment source for Chicagoans traveling the CTA.
Discussion:
Robert Feder
Jasper Jackson / The Guardian:
BBC commits a team to debunk false stories masquerading as real news and being shared on social media — Permanent Reality Check team will target false stories or facts being shared on social media — The BBC is to assemble a team to fact check and debunk deliberately misleading and false stories masquerading as real news.
Discussion:
@ellardent, @quantick, @marklittlenews, @louisa_compton, @bpopken, @dw_innovation, @emilybell, @paulbradshaw and Mashable
Lukas I. Alpert / Wall Street Journal:
WSJ says a libel lawsuit brought by Sheldon Adelson against one of its reporters, Kate O'Keefe, has been settled; no money is being paid to settle the suit — The Wall Street Journal said a libel lawsuit brought by casino magnate Sheldon Adelson against one of its reporters has been settled.
Discussion:
iMediaEthics, @kate_okeeffe, @jayrosen_nyu, @sapna, @kenvogel, @pkafka, @pkafka, @bcappelbaum, NetNewsCheck Latest, @tomgara, @amyfiscus, @robertfaturechi, @kmpensiero, @raju, @byrontau, @byjasonng, @eorden, @alexandraberzon, @mattdpearce, @scottmaustin, @ese_journo, @maloneyfiles, @amacker, @jessbravin, @johncarreyrou, @chayesmatthew and Politico
Jack Shafer / Politico:
The tabloid press, whose bogus stories are amplified by Drudge, Hannity, and Breitbart, is poised to become a chief propaganda arm of the Trump administration — The 2016 campaign hadn't even begun when America's supermarket tabloids picked their guy. “New Poll: Donald Trump's The One!” …
Discussion:
@aaronfullerton, @nkingofdc, @politico, @deggans, @brendannyhan, @mlcalderone, @erikwemple, @mikelevinca, @craigwinneker, @jackshafer, @abeaujon, @ajreid, @blakehounshell, @politico and @markdery
Amanda Taub / New York Times:
Research says Americans' bias against the political party they oppose is so strong that it acts as a partisan prism for facts, which fuels the rise of fake news — In his farewell address as president Tuesday, Barack Obama warned of the dangers of uncontrolled partisanship.
Discussion:
Fortune, @tomcoates, @dgardner, @stoweboyd, @max_fisher, @larrydiamond, @upshotnyt, @mrjakeabel, @alextichenor, @tomeblen, @dancow, @mollycastelloe, @ognyanova, @adriennelaf, @leedrutman and @sapinker