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Vocativ lays off editorial staff and says in a statement it will focus exclusively on video distributed via social media and other platforms — “RIP fake deep web data reporting.” — That was one reaction Wednesday morning after Vocativ announced it was cutting its entire newsroom focused …
Discussion:
@adrjeffries, Vocativ, @ryanbeckler, Talking New Media, @lemirejoe, @zenalbatross, Fast Company, @parkermolloy, @clarajeffery, @s_m_i, @poynter, @rafat, @rafat, @jbenton, @erik_hayden, @johnjcook, @benmullin, @emilybell, Adweek, @jayrosen_nyu, @jonlemire, Folio, @meena_thiru, @mathewi and @caleweissman


Fox News has dropped the marketing slogan “Fair & Balanced”, invented by Roger Ailes in 1996, to be replaced by “Most Watched. Most Trusted.” — As Fox News moves further into the post-Roger Ailes era, the network is shedding one of its most iconic elements.
Discussion:
Mediaite, The Guardian, Mashable, New York Times, Vanity Fair, Talking New Media, Politicus USA, Business Insider, @jbflint, Fortune, Newser, TVNewser and The Week


HuffPost layoffs affecting 39 people include one winner of a Pulitzer as DC bureau is hit hard by cuts — HuffPost laid off over three-dozen employees Wednesday, including a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, as part of broader corporate cutbacks. — The creation of a new Verizon digital …
Discussion:
@bendwalsh, CNBC, The Wrap, @xokasia, Casual Information, @caitlin__kelly, @ethanklapper, @jessicaschulb, @bluechoochoo, @screenslaver, @sfiegerman, @edgeofsports, @timothynoah1, @tomzellerjr, @dceiver, @samsteinhp, USA Today, Deadline, @juliacraven, Softpedia News, AdExchanger, The New York Observer, New York Times, The Verge, ZDNet and Engadget
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39 staffers laid off from HuffPost, with sources saying EIC Lydia Polgreen wants to reshape the news operation with a focus on the site's DC bureau
Discussion:
@mlcalderone, @mlcalderone, Adweek, Poynter, @mlcalderone, @gsparks94, @dceiver, @christinawilkie, @tomkludt, CNNMoney, @alexkotch and Fast Company


US Office of Government Ethics calls retroactive, unsigned ethics waiver that applies to Steve Bannon “problematic”, in reply to Democratic senators — The Office of Government Ethics said in a letter to Democratic senators this week that the Trump administration's blanket ethics …
Discussion:
United States Office …, Mother Jones, Bloomberg, @bystevereilly, @maggiejordanacn, @normeisen and The Week


The Intercept is conducting an internal review after the publication of an NSA doc may have led to the government contractor who leaked it being identified — The investigative news site the Intercept has launched an internal investigation into the publication of a classified NSA document, the site's co-founders said Tuesday.
Discussion:
@jeremyscahill, @micahflee, @auerbachkeller, @ggreenwald, @markamesexiled and @jackmurphyrgr


Report: full-time Dow Jones female employees earn on average less than 85% of their male counterparts — The union that represents many journalists at The Wall Street Journal has published an analysis that shows a persistent wage gap between men and women employed by Dow Jones & Company.
Discussion:
Vanity Fair


Source: NBC needs controversies like the Alex Jones scandal to shake up Sunday night ratings; they hired Megyn Kelly to create such buzz — As families of the Sandy Hook victims continue to pressure NBC to ax Megyn Kelly's Sunday interview with conspiracy theorist Alex Jones …
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times, New York Magazine, Mediaite, @jjohnsonlaw, @ericboehlert, @owillis, @marksimoneny and The Week
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As JPMorgan becomes one of the latest brands to pull ads from news shows or events, questions arise about whether sponsors are becoming too involved in content
Discussion:
Mediaite, @jason_kint, @profcarroll, @davidsable, @nytimesbusiness, Boing Boing and The Guardian


The NYT is overhauling its digital publishing system as it pivots from a platform-based approach to a reader-centric strategy in order to entice subscribers — With its business model squarely built around reader revenue, getting users logged in is a critical step toward payment.
Discussion:
@wonderboymusic, @cliffordlevy and MediaShift


IJR asks all staffers to sign noncompete clause barring work at any news organization for six months after leaving — Executives at the Independent Journal Review, the conservative millennial-focused news website, have asked employees to sign a new noncompete agreement as the upstart website continues …
Discussion:
@rolandsmartin, @mckaycoppins, @cernovich, @pbump, @mlcalderone and @oliverdarcy


English-language Indian business news site The Ken publishes one longform story each weekday and has 1,000+ paying subscribers — The digital business reporting outlet — think The Information for India — isn't yet a year old and has paying subscribers in “the low to mid-1,000s.”


UN special rapporteur on freedom of expression accuses Japan of eroding media freedoms, stifling public debate of issues like the Fukushima meltdown — Investigation prompted by concern over government pressure on country's media over issues such as Fukushima and WW2


Profile of Shiva Ayyadurai, who says he invented email and is running as a Republican in 2018 senatorial election, amid his libel lawsuit against Techdirt — “I defined e-mail! And you guys have got to give me that credit.” — History is not fixed; like memory itself, it is an act of reconstruction.
Discussion:
@timfernholz, @thorsprovoni, @krelnik, @vranieri, @dangillmor and @cfarivar


Facebook begins testing a tool for reviewing where on- and off-platform ads run, with option to opt-out of some publishers, rolling out over the year — Facebook made several overtures to openness on Wednesday with tools designed to give advertisers more control over where and how their ads …
Discussion:
The Times & The Sunday Times, Adweek, Ad Age, The Drum and Recode, more at Techmeme »