Top News:


Media companies shutter niche cable channels with low viewership, but cable-TV prices aren't set to drop — But don't expect your bill to decrease as networks go away — The engorged cable-TV bundle is being forced to slim down. — For decades, the number of TV channels on the cable dial has kept rising.


Interview with German reporter, Kristina Dunz, who asked Trump about decrying fake news while spreading false accusations, during press event with Angela Merkel — BERLIN — President Trump's first meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel may have resembled the comedic awkwardness of a Sacha Baron Cohen movie.
Discussion:
@slamchampion, @mjgarciakcmo, @rickgladstone, @blakehounshell, @cori__paige, @anniekarni, @alanamayjohnson, @digiphile, @waltrautdunz and @jayrosen_nyu


Facebook starts flagging potential fake news stories as “disputed by multiple, independent fact-checkers” — Feature - which flags content as ‘disputed’ - trialled on story that falsely claimed thousands of Irish people were brought to the US as slaves
Discussion:
The Drum, @slatukip, @markmackinnon and @robjamesberry


Source: London's Metropolitan police and Indian police used hackers to read emails of journalists and press photographers — Exclusive: Secretive Met unit worked with Indian police to obtain campaigners' passwords, anonymous letter alleges — The police watchdog is investigating allegations …
Discussion:
Engadget, @vidyut, @greenjennyjones, @matthew1butcher, @greenjennyjones, Press Gazette, The Next Web, @snowden, Ars Technica UK and Featured Articles


Trump's lawyers sent a cease and desist letter to teen behind cat website, which allows users to scratch photos of the President with virtual cat paws — “I really just want people to be aware that this is a president who's clearly more concerned about what people think of him than doing things of substance …
Discussion:
Consequence of Sound and Observer


Gizmodo Media Group receives 25% of revenue from commerce, says CEO Raju Narisetti, and recently hit 96M unique visitors across its network of sites — Gizmodo Media Group, now operating under Univision, has eight media brands, with six comprising the former Gawker Media properties left after that company's bankruptcy and sale.
Discussion:
@bmorrissey


Reporter Evan Engel says he resigned from Vocativ after the publication tried to suppress a story he was working on about police officers abusing prisoners — Yesterday, I left Vocativ, the news site where I've worked since August of last year. I've included the text of my resignation letter below …
Discussion:
@evanengel and @anthony


Fortune mag fell for a fake 1973 telegram attributed to McDonald's founder Ray Kroc telling President Nixon to “retire bitch”, didn't add correction for hours — It took a few hours for Fortune to put up a correction — McDonald's made a splash last week when its Twitter …
Discussion:
@matttomic and @claire_phipps


Advertising Age magazine names Digiday Executive Editor Brian Braiker as its new editor; in statement, he says the mag will now “broaden its scope” — Advertising Age has named Brian Braiker its next editor, succeeding Ken Wheaton, who left at the end of December.
Discussion:
@slarkpope, @dominicru, @kenwheaton and @sizpatel


Inside the Pulitzer Center, a 10-year-old nonprofit with 571 publication partners that has supported 715 projects and facilitated a total of 6,168 stories — Iona Craig, a prototypical high-wire journalist without much of a safety net, recently found herself in a broken-down car with no phone reception by a riverbed in war-torn Yemen.
Discussion:
@fxmatt4, @janebsinger and @blakehounshell


9th Circuit appeals court rejects FilmOn's bid for license to stream broadcast works without consent of copyright holders, reversing federal decision from 2015 — The 9th Circuit has reversed a federal judge who concluded otherwise. — On Tuesday, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed …
Discussion:
Broadcasting & Cable, MediaPost, Variety, Los Angeles Business …, Law360 and Deadline


Kids' digital media startup Pocketwatch, led by former Maker Studios executive Chris M. Williams, raises $6M from investors including CBS' Leslie Moonves — Startup's team includes ex-Maker/Disney exec Chris M. Williams, former Nickelodeon head Albie Hecht
Discussion:
TechCrunch and Fortune