Top News:
Jacob Kastrenakes / The Verge:
President Trump designates net neutrality opponent Ajit Pai as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission — Donald Trump has elevated Ajit Pai to chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, giving control over the agency to a reliable conservative who's been opposed to pretty …
Discussion:
@ajitpaifcc, The Next Web, Mashable, CNNMoney, AdExchanger, GeekWire, Engadget and Broadcasting & Cable
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Wendy Davis / MediaPost:
News Media Alliance praises Trump's pick for FCC chair, Ajit Pai, as an “avid supporter of the news media industry” — News of Republican Ajit Pai's elevation to chairman of the Federal Communications Commission has alarmed many consumer advocates.
Discussion:
TechCrunch, Broadcasting & Cable and ZDNet
Dave Itzkoff / New York Times:
Source: SNL has indefinitely suspended writer Katie Rich over a tweeted joke about Donald Trump's youngest child Barron, following online backlash — Katie Rich, a writer for “Saturday Night Live,” has been suspended from her position at that show following a widely criticized post …
Discussion:
Deadline, Gothamist, The Daily Caller, Washington Post, @laurengreenberg, @drgmlatulippe, @brianwcollins, @sgarrettpate, @thatbilloakley, @douthatnyt, @thesethhughes, @katmur23, @danharmon, @yashar, @mercurialblonde, @chriscaesar, @unitedsloth, @nataliesurely, @shelbyfero, Chicago Sun Times, Variety, New York Times, The Wrap, twitchy.com, HotNewHipHop.com, Refinery29, Vanity Fair, TheBlaze, Mashable and Just Jared
Hollywood Reporter:
Netflix has acquired the rights to a documentary about the Hulk Hogan-Gawker case, that is currently being screened at Sundance — The streamer already landed the rights to docs ‘Casting JonBenet’ and ‘Chasing Coral.’ — Netflix has acquired worldwide rights to the documentary Nobody Speak …
Discussion:
@seyitaylor, @petersterne, The Verge and Variety
Cristina Marcos / The Hill:
Congressman Lamar Smith advises public to get their information directly from the President and not the press as it might be only way to get “unvarnished truth” — Republicans on Capitol Hill are coming to the Trump administration's defense after the new president declared …
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Margaret Sullivan / Washington Post:
Trump wants a flat-out war with media for political purposes, but journalists should reject the bait, responding by doing their jobs fairly and fearlessly
Trump wants a flat-out war with media for political purposes, but journalists should reject the bait, responding by doing their jobs fairly and fearlessly
Discussion:
Bloomberg, Fortune, LA Observed, The Guardian, Poynter, FishbowlDC, CNNMoney, Dan Rather, The Hill, AOL, CNN, TechCrunch, The FJP, Mashable, State & Capitol, @dangillmor, The Huffington Post, TVWeek.com, The Week, Newser, Boing Boing, Politicus USA, Mediaite, New York Times, Press Gazette, The Atlantic, Forbes, @albertocairo and @apstamm
Lindsey Ellefson / Mediaite:
Sean Spicer says the White House will designate four “Skype seats” in the briefing room later this week to allow journalists outside DC more access — During the first press briefing in Donald Trump's White House, Press Secretary Sean Spicer mentioned a new initiative called “Skype Seats.”
Discussion:
Politico, Washington Post, TIME, Fortune, @mlcalderone, The Huffington Post, GeekWire, @nytnickc, @mlcalderone, @arifleischer and @benmullin
Janko Roettgers / Variety:
Verizon laid off 155 employees from its mobile streaming service Go90; sources say Vessel team, acquired in October, will rebuild the service — Team from acquisition Vessel charged with app rebuild — Verizon's mobile streaming service Go90 is about to get a hard reset …
Discussion:
TechCrunch, @jank0, @bmccandless and Engadget
Bloomberg:
Amazon offers to drop clauses from e-book contracts to settle EU antitrust probe and avoid heavy fine; publishers have a month to respond before EC decides — EU poised to publish settlement plan, will seek feedback — Amazon has agreed to change e-book contracts with publishers
Discussion:
New Europe, Fortune, Reuters and Bookseller News
Tara Palmeri / Politico:
On Monday, Trump dispatched aide Matthew Schuck - an ex-staff writer at right wing website Daily Surge - and a colleague, to the Voice of America's studios — The president dispatches two aides to the broadcasting agency that came under fire over the weekend for its Trump coverage.
Jon Swaine / The Guardian:
Vocativ reporter Evan Engel and RT America journalist Alex Rubinstein charged with felonies after being arrested while covering unrest during inauguration — Two journalists who were arrested while covering the unrest in Washington DC surrounding Donald Trump's inauguration last Friday …
Discussion:
The Daily Caller
Paul Sandle / Reuters:
Sources: Guardian considering becoming a tabloid and outsourcing printing to rival Rupert Murdoch's News UK to cut costs — Britain's Guardian newspaper is considering becoming a tabloid and outsourcing printing to a rival such as Rupert Murdoch's News UK as one of a series of options to cut costs, sources told Reuters.
Discussion:
Press Gazette and City A.M.
Alexandra Steigrad / WWD:
Hearst buys The Pioneer Group, a Michigan-based owner of local newspapers and digital sites, for an undisclosed sum — The acquisition expands Hearst's footprint in Michigan's local newspaper market. — Hearst Tower — Hearst said Monday that it has acquired the business operations …
Discussion:
Media Wire Daily
Music Business Worldwide:
Sources: Sprint's 33% stake in TIDAL cost $200M, valuing TIDAL at $600M — Well, well, well. — Less than a day after MBW ruminated on whether TIDAL would be able to secure some outside help with its funding - and survive without it - a major development has been confirmed.
Discussion:
@mgsiegler, Rolling Stone, The Wrap, Variety, Forbes and TechCrunch
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