Top News:
Pamela McClintock / Hollywood Reporter:
Sources: Disney CEO Bob Iger says hackers claiming to have access to an upcoming movie have demanded a ransom; the company is refusing to pay it — He says the hackers are demanding a ransom, which the company won't pay. — Have real-life pirates taken aim at Disney?
Discussion:
Deadline, The Guardian, Business Insider, Softpedia News, Daily Mail, The Next Web, Fortune, Mashable, Engadget, The Verge, Fast Company, The Wrap, TechCrunch and @kfile
Rick Kogan / Chicago Tribune:
Chicago Tribune parent tronc is seeking to purchase its rival paper, the Chicago Sun-Times; tronc CEO Justin Dearborn says Sun-Times will remain independent — Tronc, owner of the Chicago Tribune, has entered into a nonbinding letter of intent to buy the Chicago Sun-Times.
Discussion:
tronc, inc., HuffPost, Robert Feder, @michaelroston, @walldo, @andrewhayespr, @annecw, @walldo, @mdoukmas, @ourmaninchicago, @jeffcercone and @felixsalmon
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U.S. Department of Justice:
Justice Department's antitrust division says it is investigating possible acquisition of Chicago Sun-Times by Chicago Tribune owner tronc — Wrapports LLC is Conducting a Public Sale of the Chicago Sun-Times — The Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice announced today …
Vulture:
During the 2016-17 season, 27 returning TV shows suffered a 25% or larger decline in ratings, as viewers switch to streaming services — Almost every year since 2013, Vulture has published a chart illustrating the performance of veteran TV shows during the most recent season.
Discussion:
Fortune, @dkthomp, @vulture and @alexsburton
RELATED:
Shalini Ramachandran / Wall Street Journal:
As cord-cutting picks up pace, media companies are competing to make it into skinny bundles, with channels like Nickelodeon and TNT finding themselves left out — The record pace of cord-cutting has set off a race among media companies to be included in new “skinny” streaming bundles …
Discussion:
Light Reading and Fortune
Shane Goldmacher / Politico:
Sources: WH aides are sharing a mix of fake and real news stories with Trump in an attempt to influence policy and bolster their standing within the Oval Office — The president rarely surfs the web on his own, but his staff have made a habit of slipping news stories on to his desk—including the occasional internet hoax.
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, Vox, Vanity Fair, Politicus USA, The Wrap, Business Insider, Mother Jones, Newser, Rare, @maggiejordanacn, Washington Post, Media Matters for America, Mashable, bookforum.com, @shanegoldmacher, @maggienyt, New York Magazine, Fast Company, IJR, @mattyglesias, AOL, @braddjaffy, @liberaljaxx, @gabrielsherman, @andrewwrites, Real Stories, @politico, @carlzimmer, Mediaite, @bradmossesq, @brendannyhan, @mattnegrin, @kevinmkruse, @maggienyt and The Week
Mike Fleming / Deadline:
Brad Grey, the former CEO and Chairman of Paramount Pictures, has died of cancer at age 59 — In a shocking development, it saddens me to report that Brad Grey has died at age 59. His death, from cancer, comes months after his exit as chairman/CEO of Paramount Pictures, a job he held for 12 years.
Discussion:
Variety, The Wrap, Variety, EW.com, The Wrap, Vanity Fair, HuffPost, IndieWire, Rare and TVWeek.com
Committee to Protect Journalists:
Mexican journalist and CPJ awardee Javier Valdez Cárdenas murdered — The Mexican prosecutor for crimes against freedom of expression in Mexico should swiftly investigate the murder of Javier Valdez Cárdenas and bring all those responsible to justice, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
Discussion:
Globe and Mail, Xinhua News Agency, The Daily Caller, Mexico News Daily, insightcrime.org, Snopes.com and HuffPost
Sarah Frier / Bloomberg:
Snap pilots ads for world lenses, its AR filters for the rear-facing camera, which sources say cost 30% more than the $300K-$700K promotional lenses — Snapchat's user growth is slowing. Prepare for the deluxe ads. — Subscribe Reprints — On Cinco de Mayo, millions …
Discussion:
@caseynewton, @sarahfrier, TechCrunch, @alexeheath, Adweek, Recode, @larakiara and Digiday, more at Techmeme »
Corey Hutchins / Columbia Journalism Review:
Colorado passes law making independent voters' voting records during primaries public, which some fear could be used to discredit journalists for political bias — A NEW COLORADO LAW, passed by legislators at the end of the 2017 session, will allow the state's politically unaffiliated voters …
Discussion:
@cjr and @coreyhutchins
Josh Constine / TechCrunch:
Facebook updates live streaming policy to ban videos using static images and polls with inanimate material — Facebook is banning misleading uses of its Live video format. The company tells TechCrunch that it's adding a section to its Live API Facebook Platform Policy that reads …
Discussion:
Radio & Television …, VatorNews, Adweek, Facebook, Engadget and @kantrowitz, more at Techmeme »
Dylan Byers / CNNMoney:
The New York Times says A.G. Sulzberger will take over paper's opinion section from his father, expanding his role beyond deputy publisher — Arthur Gregg Sulzberger, the 36-year-old deputy publisher of The New York Times, is one step closer to taking over the paper his family has owned since the late 19th century.
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