Top News:
Hollywood Reporter:
Film and TV rights for Michael Wolff's Fire and Fury are sold to Endeavor Content, which plans to adapt the book as a TV series; Wolff to be executive producer — Endeavor Content has purchased rights to the best-selling exposé of the Trump White House and plans to adapt it for the small screen.
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Jennifer Jacobs / Bloomberg:
Sources: Michael Wolff's book initially had a working title sympathetic to the President; aides say Hope Hicks endorsed speaking with him — Some of president's staff thought they were authorized to talk — Wolff's working title suggested sympathetic view of Trump
Lawrence Bonk / Mediaite:
Katie Way, the reporter who broke the Aziz Ansari story, sent HLN host Ashleigh Banfield an email insulting her appearance after Banfield criticized Way — HLN's Ashleigh Banfield has not been shy in her dismissal of Katie Way, the Babe.net writer who reported anonymous allegations against Aziz Ansari …
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Julianne Escobedo Shepherd / Jezebel:
Babe's post about “Grace” and Aziz Ansari showed inexperience and lack of understanding about reporting on sexual misconduct, prompting bad-faith reactions
Babe's post about “Grace” and Aziz Ansari showed inexperience and lack of understanding about reporting on sexual misconduct, prompting bad-faith reactions
Discussion:
The Atlantic, The Guardian, The New York Observer, Rewire, The Verge, thecut, Fortune, Vox, Washington Post, Business Insider, Hit & Run, @imleor, @carolqueen, @leighalexander, www.wnyc.org, TVLine, Bookseller News, Refinery29, @lydsoneal, CNN, @rararahima, @britnidlc, @kelkord, @anastasiakeeley, @lizabeth_kiefer, @lizabeth_kiefer, @theahalpin, @ashnagesh, @dtohl, @millie, @junemcnaughton, @taymaple, @nostrhomo, @arielle_amara, @williams_paige, @mattdpearce and The Week
Lesley Goldberg / Hollywood Reporter:
Apple wins bid for 10-episode comedy series starring Kristen Wiig, its first scripted comedy show and third series via Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine banner — The untitled 10-episode series is the tech giant's first half-hour comedy. — Kristen Wiig is returning to the small screen.
Discussion:
Hollywood Reporter, The Wrap, @thr, The Wrap, Tubefilter, TechCrunch, /Film, Vanity Fair, Broadcasting & Cable, Gizmodo, TVLine, Business Insider, The New York Observer, MacRumors, @felixsalmon, Engadget, 9to5Mac, @thrmattbelloni, @julietknope, Variety, The Verge, MacRumors, 9to5Mac and The A.V. Club
Tanya Dua / Business Insider:
NowThis relaunches website, which it shut down in early 2015; company president says the move was in the works before Facebook announced News Feed changes — - Social publisher NowThis has relaunched its website, which it shuttered in early 2015 to go all-in on social platforms directly.
Discussion:
@alexeheath, @renan, @lmoses and @jackmarshall
Gabriel Sherman / Vanity Fair:
Leaked e-mail: Rupert Murdoch sustained a serious back injury while on vacation in early January, plans to work from home “for some weeks” — The accident, which happened on his son Lachlan's yacht, comes at a delicate time for the 86-year-old's empire.
Discussion:
The Guardian, Mediaite, CNNMoney, TVWeek.com, CNBC and @gabrielsherman
John McCain / Washington Post:
Senator John McCain says Trump's continuing attacks on American news outlets has allowed repressive regimes to silence reporters and stave off media scrutiny — John McCain, a Republican, represents Arizona in the U.S. Senate. — After leaving office, President Ronald Reagan created …
Discussion:
CNNMoney, CNN, Mediaite, @tomsteyer, @cnn, RT, The Wrap, Politico, The Daily Caller, Ad Age, Poynter, Arizona Republic, Hit & Run, Variety, New York Times, Jezebel, Mother Jones, KTLA, ABC News, @jeffflake, The Week, @nickrhart, @limeylizzie, @danrather, @sunfoundation, @defensebaron, @henryjgomez, @mortonjhop, @paulachertok and AOL
Washpostpr / Washington Post:
Jason Rezaian, the Washington Post correspondent imprisoned for 18 months in Iran, joins Washington Post's WorldViews as a staff writer — Announcement from Foreign Editor Douglas Jehl, Deputy Foreign Editor Mary Beth Sheridan, and WorldViews Assignment Editor Max Rosenthal:
Discussion:
@mtdukes, @dataeditor, @jrezaian, @marcburleigh, @niemanfdn, @julie_vit and @mlcalderone
Peter Kafka / Recode:
Swedish publishing conglomerate Bonnier lays off 17% of its US workforce, or 70 people, and shutters four magazines — Bonnier is also shuttering five magazines. — Bonnier, the Swedish publishing conglomerate, has laid off 70 people from its U.S. group. That represents about 17 percent* of the company's American workforce.
Discussion:
Eater, Folio, @maxfalkowitz, grubstreet and Mediawire
Max Willens / Digiday:
As Axios turns one, founder Jim VandeHei discusses plans for subscriptions and a contributors network and says the media is forming “Trump derangement syndrome” — Axios made headlines when it announced, then delayed, its plans to launch a $10,000-a-year subscription product.
Discussion:
@scottgerber and Axios
Cristiano Lima / Politico:
Memo: Libby Leist succeeds Don Nash as executive producer of NBC's The Today Show, becoming the first female to lead the program's 7-8am time slot — NBC News announced Wednesday that Libby Leist would succeed Don Nash as executive producer at the “Today” show, making her the first female to lead to program's 7 and 8 a.m. hours.
Discussion:
thecut
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Jacob Hall / /Film:
YouTube has picked up the distribution rights to the Eminem-produced film Bodied and will bring it to Sundance this year — Joseph Kahn's Bodied made the festival rounds in 2017, but it didn't secure a distributor or find theatrical release that year. That's the one and only reason this satirical …
Discussion:
The Wrap, Variety and Tubefilter
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Flurry data: overall app session activity grew 6% in 2017; shopping app usage grew 54%, media, music, entertainment apps grew 43%, lifestyle apps dropped 40% — The app economy is continuing to grow, with the worldwide revenue from app stores expected to top $110 billion this year, according to recent estimates from App Annie.