Top News:


WH Press Sec Sean Spicer made repeated, vague references to an Islamist terrorist attack in Atlanta that didn't happen, echoing Conway's Bowling Green statement — Kellyanne Conway's “Bowling Green massacre” isn't the only case of a White House aide pointing to a terror attack that didn't happen …
Discussion:
CNN, TVSpy, New York Times, Mediaite, Jezebel, Washington Post, @kylegriffin1, @emma_mmmm, @noahshachtman, @gilmeansjoy, @melissarabb1, @jonrosenberg, @gideonresnick, @joyannreid, @slade, @fuzzlaw, @muskrat_john, @1unknowncritic, Fortune, Gothamist, @xzyliac, Occupy Democrats, The Week, IJR, The Daily Dot, The Times of Israel, Mashable and Mother Jones
RELATED:


During an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper, White House counselor Kellyanne Conway said she did not believe the network was “fake news”, contradicting Trump — Donald Trump's ongoing feud with CNN took an interesting turn on Tuesday when senior White House counselor Kellyanne Conway admitted …

The New York Times partners with Spotify, giving readers who buy one-year digital subscriptions unlimited access to the music service's premium tier — Joint online news and music subscription costs $5 per week — Publisher seeking to maintain momentum after subscriber surge


WSJ editor Gerard Baker to host town hall on Feb. 13 where he will address concerns about Trump coverage, amidst growing disquiet and anger in the newsroom — Amid growing newsroom discontent over his perceived resistance to critical coverage of Donald Trump, Wall Street Journal editor …
Discussion:
@mhess4, Adweek, The New York Times Company, @timothynoah1, @lheron and Axios


In an unusual move, Wikipedia editors vote to ban The Daily Mail as a source after finding it “generally unreliable” — Online encyclopaedia editors rule out publisher as a reference citing ‘reputation poor fact checking and sensationalism’ — Wikipedia editors have voted …
Discussion:
Adweek, Mediaite, Mashable, @chris_coltrane and @edyong209


HBO Now, HBO's standalone digital streaming service, has surpassed 2M subscribers, Time Warner Chief Jeff Bewkes told investors on Wednesday — HBO's stand-alone digital streaming service has surpassed 2 million domestic subscribers, Time Warner chief Jeff Bewkes told investors Wednesday.
Discussion:
Fast Company, The Wrap, Broadcasting & Cable, Tubefilter, Fortune, The Verge, Engadget, VideoNuze Analysis, Broadcasting & Cable and TechCrunch
RELATED:


Sources: White House Correspondents Dinner has yet to find a comedian headliner, with many celebrities choosing to avoid the event — “I see it as a huge opportunity for a comedian to do something interesting," says Larry Wilmore, who headlined 2016's dinner, as the host gig goes unfilled …
Discussion:
Vanity Fair and @thrmattbelloni


Flipboard debuts personalized Smart Magazines, which aggregate stories on various topics, available today — Flipboard is releasing a big update today, which introduces “Smart Magazines” — a new way for people to find news stories and other content tied to their interests.
Discussion:
Forbes, VentureBeat, Fortune, Fast Company, Engadget and Adweek


Netflix is hiring an executive to oversee an expansion into branded merchandise, including the licensing of shows for books, comics, and more — Streaming giant to hire executive to oversee product division — Hot Topic selling T-shirts, mugs tied to hit ‘Stranger Things’
Discussion:
Business Insider, CNNMoney, Engadget, Mashable, Vanity Fair, Tubefilter and Refinery29


Apple hires Timothy Twerdahl, director of Amazon's Fire TV business and previously exec at Roku and Netflix, as VP for Apple TV product marketing — Former Amazon executive also held roles at Netflix and Roku — The hire lets company to beef up team seeking content deals
Discussion:
USA Today, Variety, BGR, Axios, Fast Company, Fortune, VentureBeat, Ars Technica, GeekWire, Daring Fireball, @tapbot_paul, @markgurman, Engadget, Business Insider, AppleInsider, 9to5Mac, MacRumors and The Verge


Laura Boldrini, President of the Italian Parliament's lower house, is launching a campaign to raise awareness about online misinformation and its consequences — In an exclusive interview, Laura Boldrini, speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, told BuzzFeed News why she is fighting back against disinformation and violent abuse.


Sources: Condé Nast has been in talks to purchase The Hollywood Reporter and Billboard for a number of months though it is unclear whether a deal will happen — The Hollywood Reporter is considering a sale, and Condé Nast is a suitor. — Several months ago …
Discussion:
LA Observed