Mediagazer: In 2017, pro-Trump media and conspiratorial hyperpartisans amplified by Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube created two parallel universes of information (Charlie Warzel/BuzzFeed)

3:10 PM ET, December 29, 2017

Top News:

John Bowden / The Hill:

In a New York Times interview, Trump says media will shift in his favor for the 2020 election because they need ratings: “they basically have to let me win” — predicted he will win the 2020 presidential race on Thursday due to a media shift in his favor, telling The New York Times …

Discussion: @maggienyt, New York Times, @maggienyt, New York Times, The Wrap, @moorehn, Washington Post, @ddale8, TVNewser, @jdawsey1, @nytmike, @normeisen, @brianstelter, New Republic, @byrontau, Vox, Politico, Vanity Fair, Axios, Daily Wire, @moorehn, @pottsmark, @joanwalsh, BloombergQuint, @boutrousted, @jayrosen_nyu, Business Insider, Business Insider, @jayrosen_nyu, The Guardian, @aaronblake, Mediaite, Mother Jones, Talking New Media, @samstein, New York Magazine, VICE, @jasondhorowitz, @samstein, @samstein, The Week, @samstein, Splinter, Hollywood Reporter, Al Jazeera English, @jayrosen_nyu, @davidaxelrod, @libyaliberty, @guygavrielkay, @manglewood, Mashable, @ljbreedlove, @chrisgeidner, @awzurcher, @renato_mariotti, @wakeup2politics, @irisrimon, @maggienyt, @karoli, @mehdirhasan, @bruce_arthur, @davelevinthal, The Daily Caller, @bdgrabinski, @bythehandofbob, @matthewamiller, @susan_hennessey, @sacca, @crewcrew, @hawaiidelilah, @tedlieu, @rgoodlaw, @irisrimon, @irisrimon, @eshap, @fmhilton, @owillis, @dangillmor, @jamilsmith, @ashleyfeinberg, @maggienyt, @stevenmazie, @chrisgeidner, TheBlaze, @espiers, @cbctom, @ddale8, @davidegreenwald, @vivian, @ardenfarhi, @yashar, @chrisgeidner, @yottapoint, The Wrap, @ezlusztig, @topherspiro, @juliusgoat, @csanderson1217, @maggienyt, @maggienyt, @mattyglesias, @ddale8, @jmartnyt, @davidegreenwald, @filmsforchange, @raju, @ddale8, @colinkahl, @arimelber, @ag_conservative, @moorehn and @moorehn

Charlie Warzel / BuzzFeed:

In 2017, pro-Trump media and conspiratorial hyperpartisans amplified by Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube created two parallel universes of information — On a blistering 107-degree Phoenix evening this August, thousands came to watch Donald Trump cobble together an alternate reality.

Discussion: @ezraklein, @ezraklein, @maggienyt, @katenocera, @erinlank, @brendannyhan, @bydanielvictor, @amy_siskind, @mtdukes, @digiphile, @brianstelter, @jayrosen_nyu, @jayrosen_nyu and @cwarzel

Crayton Harrison / Bloomberg:

Nielsen: Netflix's “Bright”, which had a ~$90M budget, had 11M viewers on its opening weekend, roughly equivalent to $99M at the box office — Netflix Inc.'s ambitious attempt at a big-budget film, “Bright” starring Will Smith, drew an enough viewers in its first three days …

Discussion: The New York Observer, Broadcasting & Cable and Tubefilter

Leslye Davis / New York Times:

First as a journalism student, then a professional reporter, Leslye Davis chronicled a young man's struggle with cancer and his mother's with addiction — RADCLIFF, Ky. — A purring air-conditioner and the distant warble of a television acted as a sonata on a stifling May afternoon in 2012.

Discussion: @hannaingber, @benweisernyt, @nytimes, @bridgetteanjax and @nytimes

Maane Khatchatourian / Variety:

Report: China's market for online literature grew to $1.96B in 2017, up 32.1% YoY, and spawning a wave of TV, film, and game adaptations — China's fast-growing online literature market has become an important source of inspiration for studios as film, TV, and online game adaptations …

Brendan Regan / Newsweek:

Brendan Regan, VP at audioBoom, looks at 2017's podcasting trends, with true crime shows dominating, interest in political podcasts rising dramatically, more — Nowadays, when you pass someone with earbuds in, you have to wonder, is it music they're playing or is it the latest episode of their favorite podcast?

Bibi van der Zee / The Guardian:

How reader funding through memberships, crowdfunding, and donations is helping small independent media orgs maintain editorial freedom all around the world — As the number of Guardian supporters continues to grow, we look at independent publications with their own take on membership models

Rosalind Adams / BuzzFeed:

How a chain of psychiatric hospitals reacted to BuzzFeed coverage: firing a staffer, suing a former staffer, hiring Edelman for crisis communications, more — A $100,000 crisis PR plan. An employee fired for supposedly speaking to a reporter. Another employee sued for allegedly leaking internal surveillance videos.

Discussion: @charlesornstein, @rosalindzadams, @raju and @buzzfeedben

Jim Rutenberg / New York Times:

Despite issues with the dramatization of the real-life story behind it, “The Post” strikes a fitting end note to a tumultuous year for journalism and democracy — After a year of high- and low-level attacks on the press and the First Amendment, there's plenty to appreciate …

Discussion: Washingtonian and Variety

BuzzFeed:

Analysis finds that the 50 most viral fake news stories on Facebook in 2017 generated more shares, reactions, and comments than those of 2016 — Viral fake news generated more engagement in Facebook in 2017 than last year, according to a BuzzFeed News analysis.

Discussion: Poynter, @climatologist49, @janelytv, @timmybicicleta, @craigsilverman and @janelytv, more at Techmeme »

Jeremy Barr / Hollywood Reporter:

Trump weighs in with a tweet on Vanity Fair's apology over Clinton video controversy, disparaging the magazine and Vogue editor Anna Wintour — The president said the magazine “looks like it is on its last legs” and called out Anna Wintour on Thursday. — President Donald Trump couldn't help …