Top News:
Jeremy W. Peters / New York Times:
How a false tweet about Comey from pro-Trump activist Jack Posobiec ricocheted to Breitbart, Infowars, Limbaugh, and Hannity on Fox News — WASHINGTON — Jack Posobiec had his Twitter sights set on James B. Comey. — A pro-Trump activist notorious for his amateur sleuthing into red herrings like the …
Discussion:
@nickfalacci, @willardjed, @dangillmor, @sonalrshah, @ethanjweiss, @jonkay, @danpfeiffer, @dangillmor, @jackposobiec, @davidfrum, Medium, @tglaisyer and @jwpetersnyt
Christopher Williams / Telegraph:
Sources: The Guardian will soon convert to tabloid and may announce a printing deal with Trinity Mirror as soon as this week — The Guardian newspaper will soon abandon its European-style “Berliner” print format and go tabloid to help stem heavy losses. — It is understood that an agreement …
Discussion:
@raju and @raheemkassam
Margaret Sullivan / Washington Post:
Politicians including Trump have no right to expect balanced positive and negative coverage, but media must weigh issues like fairness, overkill, and focus — The New York Daily News's front page on Friday morning screamed “LIAR” in huge type over a photo of President Trump.
Discussion:
@lpolgreen, @joshroiland, @jamesfallows and @albertocairo
Michael Getler / European Journalism Observatory:
A former ombudsman at PBS and The Washington Post on why the role of the public editor is the most effective check on press transparency and accountability — The recent news that The New York Times is eliminating the position of Public Editor—sometimes called an ombudsman …
Kejal Vyas / Wall Street Journal:
To fight censorship in Venezuela, a group of volunteer writers and artists board buses to read the daily news to riders, calling the initiative El Bus TV — A handful of journalists, writers and artists in Venezuela are delivering the news to their compatriots in one of the country's remaining uncensored zones: Caracas's public buses.
Russell Brandom / The Verge:
Apple's new third-party ad tracker blocker in Safari will further entrench the dominance of Google and Facebook in web advertising — The brutal logic of online advertising — The internet is an ad-tracking machine. It's been true for long enough that we rarely talk about it anymore, but it bears repeating.
Discussion:
Monday Note, more at Techmeme »
Paul Bass / New Haven Independent:
Hearst buys New Haven Register and other local news outlets, reportedly for under $50M, plans to hire ten new journalists — As print-daily newsrooms continue to shrink across the nation, the New Haven Register's new corporate boss said he plans to add reporters and increase local coverage.
Discussion:
Connecticut Post, New Haven Independent, New Haven Register, WWD, MarketWatch, Associated Press and Adweek
Lucas Shaw / Bloomberg:
Music rights agency Merlin distributed $353M to its member indie labels, up 52% YoY, with most of the growth coming from streaming services — Thanks to streaming, Merlin sees 52 percent jump in sales — Streaming services helping indies reach global listeners
Discussion:
@lucas_shaw and Billboard, more at Techmeme »
Ramsey Tesdell / Nieman Lab:
Egyptian news site Mada Masr launches reader-funded model, with memberships ranging from $50 to $2,000/year, to maintain editorial independence, build community — “Our model is built on our specific offerings, but also the broader context of Egypt, people's purchasing power, and that of our readers abroad."
Gerry Smith / Bloomberg:
Inside BuzzFeed's video efforts as the company projects TV and movie development could make up a third of total revenue in a few years — In a room at the BuzzFeed Inc. offices in Los Angeles, past a keg of cold-brew coffee, a popcorn maker, and a cardboard cutout of a grinning Joe Biden …
Discussion:
@carlospache_co
Andrew E. Kramer / New York Times:
Assassin masqueraded as a reporter for Le Monde in Ukraine for more than a year before attempting murder during an “interview” — KIEV, Ukraine — Ukrainians have long struggled with fake news from Russia, but last week, they discovered something even more insidious: a fake journalist.
Discussion:
@mrochabrun, @ellievhall, @clarajeffery, @maddow and @comradewong
Maxwell Tani / Business Insider:
GMG CEO Raju Narisetti cites revenue growth and 53 new hires as evidence of Fusion merger success, but some staffers say Gawker spirit wanes as talent leaves — The man tasked with overseeing Gizmodo Media Group after the demise of Gawker.com says he never regularly read the site in the first place.
Discussion:
@oliverdarcy, @katiedrumm, @katiedrumm, @susie_c, @rafat, @jeffjarvis and @ajs
Amy Qin / New York Times:
A large number of Chinese celebrity news blogs have shut down in recent days as media censors tighten online publishing regulations — BEIJING — Whether read openly and voraciously or behind closed doors, celebrity gossip plays an integral role in the entertainment world …
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