Top News:
Al Tompkins / Poynter:
NPR and union representing 400+ employees, SAG-AFTRA, call in federal mediator for the first time ever in contract talks — National Public Radio says contract talks with the SAG-AFTRA union that represents more than 400 on- and off-air NPR employees are “productive.”
Discussion:
@inajaffenpr, @kvox and @hberkes
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Jonathan Handel / Hollywood Reporter:
NPR staffers weigh a possible strike vote as early as Friday night, while management takes a hard line in contract talks — Management says talks are “productive,” but the union decries an “odious” contract on offer. — Hollywood avoided potential strikes this year by writers and talent, but NPR may not be so lucky.
Discussion:
we make npr, The Wrap, Variety, @stressandstars, @sonari, @nprmonkeysee and @bob_mondello
Joseph Bernstein / BuzzFeed:
Leaked documents suggest that Robert Mercer and his family funded Milo Yiannopoulos following his resignation from Breitbart News — The Mercer family helped Donald Trump become President — and they appear to be funding the controversial Yiannopoulos. — Secretive hedge fund billionaire …
Discussion:
@oliverdarcy, @willsommer, @bernstein, @swin24, @kevinroose, @mattdpearce, @gideonresnick, @_grendan, @owillis and @bernstein
CBS News:
CBS News and BBC News announce global editorial and newsgathering partnership, sharing video, editorial content, and other resources — CBS News and BBC News announced a new editorial and newsgathering relationship Thursday that will significantly enhance the global reporting capabilities of both organizations.
Discussion:
Variety, TVNewser, Deadline, USA Today, CNBC, The Wrap, @hadas_gold, @raju, @tvnewslab, @dzuidijk, @atompkins, @exjon, @kathspark, @stevenportnoy, @davidgrayrhodes, bbc.co.uk, @marksweney and Broadcasting & Cable
Joseph Lichterman / Nieman Lab:
A new report says Democrats and Republicans follow the news and access media in similar ways, but Democrats believe the news is more accurate than Republicans — Though Republicans and Democrats have differing — and well documented — views of the media, members of both parties still follow …
Discussion:
American Press Institute, Fast Company, @niemanlab, @ampress, Poynter and @janeeliz
Slate:
A census of 2,515 Washington journalists reveals that most political reporters haven't adopted secure tools for communicating with sources — When journalists don't step up, leakers are forced to use riskier modes of communication to initiate contact. — In the months since Donald Trump took office …
Discussion:
@jackshafer, @scottnover, @brfreed, @scottnover, @nikkiusher, @mathewi, @realdonaldtrump and Committee to Protect …
Hadas Gold / Politico:
HuffPost launches a 7-week, 23-city bus tour through Middle America to “learn what it means to be American today,” which sources say could cost $1M — Seeking a new direction, the site launches a 23-city bus tour to ‘listen to America.’ — Having made its name as a home …
Discussion:
@michellemanafy, The Daily Caller, @donie, @lpolgreen, @logandobson, @bernstein, @byronyork, @danlambert22, @adamjwhitedc, @txtiger1, CityLab, @derekahunter, @mlcalderone, @rafat and @stephlauren
Jack Marshall / Wall Street Journal:
Online publishers like LittleThings and Dotdash are eliminating obtrusive ads to to boost overall revenue and improve user experience — LittleThings and Dotdash say they're taking a ‘less is more’ approach with ads across their sites — For online publishers, more advertising typically means more revenue.
Discussion:
@jackmarshall, @jackmarshall, @jamarlinmartin, @mdudas, @neilvogel, @whatthebit, @eringriffith and @jarroddicker
Josh Constine / TechCrunch:
Sources: morale at SoundCloud sinks after layoffs, with those fired wondering why there was no warning; the firm says it's “fully funded into Q4” — A tense scene unfolded yesterday as user-generated, music-streaming service SoundCloud held an all-hands meeting to explain …
Discussion:
Variety, Business Insider, XXL Mag, The FADER, hypebot, FACT Magazine, @benguerrette and @jysexton, more at Techmeme »
Lauren Johnson / Adweek:
Pinterest hires Jon Alferness and Meredith Guerriero, senior execs at Google and Facebook, to develop new ad formats and targeting — Jon Alferness and Meredith Guerriero bring search and programmatic expertise — Pinterest is after Google's talent. The San Francisco-based company …
Discussion:
Fortune, more at Techmeme »
Janko Roettgers / Variety:
Slate is launching a new weekly Facebook Live talk show, Conundrums, hosted by Dan Kois and produced entirely in virtual reality — Slate is launching a new weekly Facebook Live show, with a twist: “Conundrums” is being produced entirely in virtual reality, with actors and other celebrities …
Discussion:
Ad Age, @jank0, @danathan, @brendan_klink, @jank0 and TechCrunch
Alexandra Alter / New York Times:
Publishing industry veterans Jamie Raab and Deb Futter found a new division, Celadon Books, at Macmillan, focusing on fiction and nonfiction — Over the last three-plus decades, the publishing industry veterans Jamie Raab and Deb Futter have each delivered a string of splash hits …
Discussion:
@pamelapaulnyt and Publishers Weekly
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