Top News:
Mike Allen / Axios:
Sources: Steve Bannon has told friends he sees a massive opening to the right of Fox News, raising the possibility that he's going to start a network — Unshaven and working from home in cargo shorts as he moves into “Bannon the Barbarian” mode, Steve Bannon is thinking bigger than Breitbart.
Lucinda Southern / Digiday:
Inside Spiegel's 60+ year-old “dokumentation” team, a fact-checking group of 70 specialists who work with journalists in a consultative role — German media company Spiegel-Gruppe has had a fact-checking team since the 1950s, several years after its print weekly magazine, Der Spiegel, published its first issue.
Yuyu Chen / Digiday:
Sources: the current rise in political tensions is leading brands to avoid advertising on mainstream news sites, with some avoiding Fox News in particular — Political tensions have reached a point where some brands are perceiving mainstream news outlets as too controversial, leading media buyers to pull ads from those sites.
Discussion:
Mediaite and @steverubel
Erik Wemple / Washington Post:
A draft of the New York Times editorial that triggered a lawsuit from Sarah Palin didn't include language blaming her PAC for “political incitement” — A draft of the New York Times editorial that triggered a lawsuit from Sarah Palin didn't include language blaming …
Discussion:
@erikwemple
Freddy Mayhew / Press Gazette:
BBC World Service to launch 12 new language services as part of its biggest expansion since the 1940s, with the first launching today in West Africa — The BBC World Service has today launched the first of 12 new language services as part of its biggest expansion since the 1940s, backed by £289m in Government funding.
Discussion:
Nieman Lab
Gaby Del Valle / The Outline:
Behind the collapse of Fresco News, a news startup backed by Ashton Kutcher, which laid off all 40 employees in June — When the money runs out — On June 21, three dozen of Fresco News's 40 employees gathered in the company's cramped Manhattan office for a visit from a special guest: one of Fresco's investors, Ashton Kutcher.
Discussion:
@gabydvj, @joshuatopolsky, @benmullin and @thebinarium
Laura Hazard Owen / Nieman Lab:
A profile of Girls Night In, an online publication with a newsletter boasting 12K+ subscribers, which aims to connect women online and through events — “We are helping serve the need for women to take a break, relax, and recharge.” — Women (especially the more introverted among us) …
Alastair Sharp / Reuters:
Domain name registrar of conservative Canadian site The Rebel has denied it service, says Rebel Media founder Ezra Levant — TORONTO (Reuters) - Conservative Canadian website The Rebel said its domain provider cut its internet registration, making the site inaccessible to some users around …
Discussion:
@blakersdozen and @cwarzel
Emily Steel / New York Times:
James Murdoch's letter and ADL pledge prompt speculation about whether they signal change at Murdoch-controlled conservative media empire — At 5:55 p.m. on Thursday, James Murdoch sent an email to a list of blind-copied recipients offering a striking repudiation of President Trump and a pledge …
Discussion:
@tpm, @profpcdoherty, @lordcfalconer, @brianklaas, @ezlusztig, Newsmax, @metronorthrider, @mmfa, @mszlawie, @dave1oakns, @dcherring, @imran_jan, Salon and @benjaburns
Lucas Shaw / Bloomberg:
Sources: Spotify's plan to skip a traditional IPO and list directly on NYSE draws scrutiny from the SEC, as NYSE's direct listing rule-change is still pending — Direct-listing plan is said to draw scrutiny from regulators — New York Stock Exchange rule-change proposal still pending
Discussion:
RAIN News, @alistairmbarr and @lucas_shaw
Wall Street Journal:
Sources: government review of AT&T's $85B takeover of Time Warner has reached an advanced stage, as AT&T lawyers discuss merger conditions with the DoJ — Markets are also growing more optimistic about the $85 billion takeover deal's chances — The government review …
Conor Sullivan / Financial Times:
London Assembly economic committee to issue report saying local papers' decline undermines democracy, sped by some councils' taxpayer-funded “news” publishing — The decline of local newspapers is undermining democracy and is being quickened by some councils producing their own …