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, CNET, @jazayerli, @pierre, Vanity Fair, Meduza and Business Insider, more at Techmeme »
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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
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 …
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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, Media Matters for America, Business Insider, @dylanlscott, @owillis, @anthony, VICE News, The Week, 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, @boztank, @dseetharaman, Business Insider, New York Magazine, Gizmodo, @mekosoff, Engadget, Fortune, @tomgara and @mollymckew, more at Techmeme »
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
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
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
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 …
Discussion:
TVNewser, Broadcasting & Cable, Bloomberg, The Week and Fortune
Jon Lafayette / Broadcasting & Cable:
Nielsen is to launch a new service measuring viewership figures for Netflix shows; the streaming service does not currently disclose ratings — Studios and networks sign on for SVOD content ratings — While Netflix doesn't divulge how many people are watching its shows …
Discussion:
Radio & Television …, Recode and Ad Age
Jon Lafayette / Multichannel News:
Discovery Communications Eurosport unit partners with Snap to create Olympics-focused content for Snapchat Discover, in a bid to attract younger viewers — Mobile content from Eurosport to be aimed at younger viewers — Discovery Communications' Eurosport unit and Snap have formed …
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.
Discussion:
Deadline, Variety, The Wrap, Washington Post, Vanity Fair, New York Times, The A.V. Club, Business Insider, TIME, The Wrap, Wall Street Journal, Deadline, Hollywood Reporter, EW.com, Stratechery, Variety, Variety, @jillianstampher, @onlxn, @maxwellstrachan, @melissaradz and @maxwellstrachan