Top News:


TPG Capital bids for Fairfax Media's metro papers, including Sydney Morning Herald, digital unit that publishes BI, HuffPost in Australia, and real-estate unit — Fairfax Media is considering a fresh proposal from US private equity giant TPG Capital to buy the Domain real estate business …
Discussion:
Financial Review, @jeffjarvis, National Business Review, Sydney Morning Herald and The Australian


Sinclair Broadcast Group acquires Tribune Media in a deal valued at $3.9B, paying $43.50 a share, a 25% premium over its average share price in Feb — Sinclair Broadcast Group has set a $3.9 billion merger agreement with Tribune Media, a deal that will bring more than 200 TV stations under …

Comcast and Charter, the two largest cable operators in the US, announce wireless partnership, will work together to compete with AT&T and Verizon — Cable giants will collaborate to negotiate better contracts — Companies to work only with each other on new wireless deals


Interview with FCC Chairman Ajit Pai on his approach to media ownership rules, mergers, net neutrality, and investment in broadband infrastructure — Net neutrality, antitrust, infrastructure, mergers — it's all here. — On this special bonus episode of Recode Decode …
Discussion:
YouTube, TechCrunch, The Wrap, Broadcasting & Cable, Mother Jones, Variety, Fortune, @katyonthehill and @katyonthehill
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John Oliver urges internet users to defend net neutrality again, leading to the FCC's comments submission site temporarily crashing, as it did in 2014 — HBO comedian John Oliver is a strong supporter of net neutrality, the principle that all internet content should be treated equally.
Discussion:
The Hill, Fortune, Recode and Boing Boing, more at Techmeme », Thanks:@otisjgustin


Ahead of June 8 UK general election, Facebook publishes ads in UK papers, including The Times, The Guardian, Daily Telegraph, to raise awareness about fake news — Facebook has broadened its campaign to raise awareness about fake news, by publishing adverts in the UK press.
Discussion:
New York Times, TechCrunch, BBC, The Guardian, Recode, The Drum, Fortune and Peter O'Kelly's Reality Check, more at Techmeme »


Advertisers should stop rushing to Facebook and Google, and combat fake news by supporting the real news ecosystem, by giving newspapers their business again — PHILADELPHIA — Hey, America's Advertisers: You got some good news last week, didn't you? — Facebook, where you are increasingly placing …
Discussion:
@perlberg


After Le Pen's party banned BuzzFeed, Politico, Charlie Hebdo, more from election-night event, Le Monde, Bloomberg, and others pulled their reporters out too — The banning happened shortly after BuzzFeed News published investigations exposing racist and antisemitic statements made by Front National candidates.


Gannett asks FBI to probe wave of phony Facebook accounts that like USA Today and affiliates; firm has taken steps including blocking new Bangladeshi followers — SAN FRANCISCO - The parent company of USA TODAY said it had asked the FBI to investigate a wave of fake Facebook accounts so large …
Discussion:
The Verge, @iambhutia, News18, Newsmax, CBS News, @politicalshort, @denniskneale, bdnews24.com, @methusheilah, The Hill and Axios


Prosecuting Julian Assange under the Espionage Act, for publishing leaked information, would create a massive threat to press freedom in the US — Lady Gaga — all in black and wearing a witch's hat — is interviewing Julian Assange in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he's been holed up for years.
Discussion:
@kombuchababy, @reaganbattalion, @jimrutenberg, @wikileaks, @sulliview and @infinnnerty


Profile of The Pudding, a site publishing painstakingly crafted data visualization essays, financed via founders' work for clients like YouTube and Google — “Our goal is for The Pudding to be a weekly journal. We specifically seek out stories that aren't news related, because we don't want to compete in that space."
Discussion:
@niemanreports and @ylichterman


How a small group of “alt-left” British websites, including The Canary, built enormous audiences on Facebook with relentless pro-Corbyn coverage — Even if you're a political obsessive you've probably never heard of Thomas G Clark. It's understandable: He's not a politician …
Discussion:
@shippersunbound and YouTube