Top News:
Kevin Collier / BuzzFeed:
Twitter took 11 months after being notified by GOP to shut down a fake Twitter account with 136K+ followers run by a Russian troll farm, posing as Tennessee GOP — The account was one of hundreds created by Russia's Internet Research Agency and drew 136,000 followers by tweeting divisive messages …
Discussion:
Mediaite, Vanity Fair, Gizmodo, CNET, @jazayerli, @pierre, Meduza and Business Insider, more at Techmeme »
RELATED:
The Daily Beast:
Trump campaign manager, digital director, and son retweeted Russian-linked @TEN_GOP Twitter account near election; Michael Flynn Jr. retweeted account 34 times — Some of the Trump campaign's most prominent names and supporters, including Trump's campaign manager, digital director and son …
HuffPost:
Ex-Variety staffers call former editor-in-chief Peter Bart one of Harvey Weinstein's greatest protectors, a charge Bart denies — In the 1990s, Peter Bart turned Variety into one of the most powerful institutions in Hollywood. In doing so, he helped turn Harvey Weinstein into another.
RELATED:
Hollywood Reporter:
Details emerge about Amazon Studios ex-chief Roy Price's crude talk and pricey Weinstein deals, with little support offered for female-led Big Little Lies
Discussion:
Adweek, The Daily Caller, Vanity Fair, The A.V. Club, Business Insider, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Home Media Magazine, USA Today, Forbes, GeekWire, Rolling Stone, LAist and The Wrap
Callum Borchers / Washington Post:
AG Jeff Sessions says he won't “make a blanket commitment” not to jail journalists, says DoJ tries to find alternatives to “directly confronting a media person” — Attorney General Jeff Sessions said on Wednesday that he reserves the right to jail journalists, “if we have to.”
Discussion:
Mediaite, Multichannel News, The Hill, @pierre, Fortune and The Daily Caller
Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg / Wall Street Journal:
Hearst agrees to acquire Rodale Inc., publisher of Men's Health and Runner's World; source says price was less than $225M — Deal is expected to close in early 2018 following government approval — Hearst has agreed to purchase Rodale Inc., the family-owned publisher …
Discussion:
Folio, Adweek and Rodale Inc
Alec Saslow / MapLight:
MapLight recommends more digital political ad rules: requiring platforms to report ad buys, marking ads clearly, and more disclosure from political groups — Following revelations exposing online advertising surrounding the 2016 election linked to a Russian propaganda company …
RELATED:
McClatchy:
McClatchy reports Q3 adjusted net loss of $5.9M on revenue of $212.6M, down 9.4% YoY; total ad revenue was $115.3M, down 13.4% YoY — McClatchy (NYSE American-MNI) recorded after-tax non-cash charges of $230.9 million in the third quarter of 2017, leading to a quarterly net loss of $238.9 million, or $31.28 per share.
Discussion:
Poynter
Darrell Etherington / TechCrunch:
CNN wins first-of-its-kind waiver from FAA to fly drones over crowds regardless of population density, at altitudes of up to 150 feet — CNN has won an interesting waiver regarding its commercial drone operating license with the FAA - an exemption that allows it to fly its Vantage Robotics Snap drone …
Steven Shepard / Politico:
Morning Consult/Politico poll: 46% of voters think the media makes up stories about Donald Trump, with the number rising to 76% among Republican voters — But voters diverge from the president on whether the federal government should be able to punish news organizations that he believes make up stories about him.
Discussion:
@ferenstein, Business Insider, Media Matters for America, @owillis, @dylanlscott, The Week, @anthony, VICE News, The Daily Caller, Axios and Mediaite
Bloomberg:
Sources: Facebook and Google helped Secure America Now, a conservative nonprofit advocacy group, target ads for an anti-refugee campaign in swing states — The big tech companies worked closely with Secure America Now to target an audience the group felt could be swayed by the message.
Discussion:
TechCrunch, @zeynep, @pinboard, The Hill, Business Insider, New York Magazine, Gizmodo, @dseetharaman, @boztank, Engadget, @mekosoff, Fortune, @tomgara and @mollymckew, more at Techmeme »
Rob Price / Business Insider:
The Guardian announces $55M venture capital arm, GMG Ventures, which will focus on media tech and invest in areas ranging from AI to payments — - The Guardian is launching a £42 million venture capital firm to invest in startups related to media-tech.
Discussion:
The Drum, The Guardian and @rafat
Joe Pompeo / Vanity Fair:
Time's Michael Duffy, deputy managing editor and editorial director of parent company Time Inc., is leaving company after 32 years — A three-decade, 50-cover-story vet goes over the side as a new digital regime consolidates: “With Duffy gone, the vestiges of what Time used to be go with him,” said a former colleague.
Discussion:
@nancygibbs
Senior Data Journalist, NY — 
Manager - Publishing Editorial, Manila — 
Oil Reporter, Singapore — 
Newsperson - State Govt. & Politics, CA — 
Business Reporter, SC — 
State Government Reporter, WA — 
Climate Crisis Columnist — 
Multimedia Journalist, CA — 
Community Engagement Mgr., DC — 
Senior California Politics Reporter, CA — 
Staff Writer - Business, NY — 
Team Editor - Opinion, ON — 
Assistant Correspondent, DC — 
Climate & Weather Reporter, MN — 
Senior Tech Editor, Remote US — 
Lead Business Reporter, TN — 
Managing Editor, WA — 
Private Credit Reporter, NY — 
Trending News Reporter, TX — 
City Correspondent, London — 
Legislative Reporter, CA — 
Reporter, PA — 
Visual Editor, Remote — 
Staff Writer, MI — 
Senior Political Reporter, DC — 
California Playbook Writer, CA — 
National Investigative Reporter, NY — 
Business & Gaming Reporter, NV — 
Coastal Climate Reporter, SC — 
Environment & Energy Reporter, CT — 
Coordinating Editor, OR — 
Editor, Remote US — 
Business Reporter, WA — 
Editor-in-Chief, AZ — 
