Top News:
Jason Horowitz / New York Times:
Pope Francis condemns “fake news”, praises journalists as “protectors of news”, and lauds educational efforts aimed at helping people recognize misinformation — ROME — The serpent in the Garden of Eden hissed the first fake news to Eve and it all went downhill from there …
Discussion:
vatican.va, Variety, CNN, Reuters, AOL, @mlcalderone, The Daily Caller and The Guardian
Andrew Wallenstein / Variety:
Meg Whitman takes CEO role at Jeffrey Katzenberg's new startup that produces short-form content aimed at mobile consumption — Meg Whitman has been appointed CEO of a new venture backed by Jeffrey Katzenberg that aims to revolutionize entertainment with short-form premium content customized for mobile consumption.
Discussion:
Ad Age, The Wrap, Recode and @businessinsider, more at Techmeme »
Lyz Lenz / Columbia Journalism Review:
Profile of Lewis D'Vorkin, the recently installed editor-in-chief of the LA Times who has ruffled feathers in the newsroom — Lewis D'Vorkin speaks at the Forbes Centennial Celebration in September 2017. Photo: Stephen Smith/SIPA USA via AP. — Lewis D'Vorkin's voice is tranquil as he threatens his staff.
Discussion:
@jeremymbarr, @elongreen, @cjr, @mattdpearce, @awinston, @weareyourfek, @daviduberti, @mathewi and @pkafka
Brian Fung / Washington Post:
AT&T CEO pushes for an “Internet Bill of Rights”, a net neutrality law covering ISPs and tech firms, in a series of full-page ads in major newspapers — AT&T is calling on Congress for a national net neutrality law that would govern Internet providers and tech companies alike …
Discussion:
AT&T, Fast Company, The Daily Caller, Gizmodo, Variety, Broadcasting & Cable, MacRumors, @jwgreer3, @matthewstoller, Engadget, @karlbode, The Wrap, Mother Jones and Politico, more at Techmeme »
Natalie Jarvey / Hollywood Reporter:
Ze Frank steps down from role as president of BuzzFeed Entertainment Group, moves into newly-created role of chief research and development officer — The executive will retool a development partner program as the digital publisher largely disbands the Entertainment Group it formed in summer 2016.
Discussion:
@delrey, Business Insider, @peretti and @pkafka
Todd Spangler / Variety:
YouTube says it will invest $5M in its Creators for Change program in 2018, aimed at YouTubers who “counter hate and promote tolerance” — YouTube is looking for some upbeat PR — pushing the idea that the Google-owned global video platform can be a force for social good …
Discussion:
YouTube Blog, TechCrunch and Tubefilter, more at Techmeme »
Lucas Shaw / Bloomberg:
Sources: YouTube is asking musicians to sign non-disparagement agreements in exchange for promotional support, has asked other creators to agree to same terms — Artists are said to be asked to sign non-disparagement clauses — Google-owned site has been working to improve relations
Discussion:
RAIN News, Variety, Tubefilter, Engadget, Gizmodo and The Verge, more at Techmeme », Thanks:@lucas_shaw
Reveal:
A Netflix documentary about the opioid crisis, funded by the Center for Investigative Reporting's Glassbreaker initiative, has been nominated for an Oscar — “Heroin(e),” the story of three women battling the opioid epidemic in West Virginia, has been nominated for an Academy Award for best documentary short subject.
Discussion:
The Ringer and Engadget
RELATED:
Cynthia Littleton / Variety:
Comcast's Q4 revenue was up 4.2% to $21.9B; cable division lost 33K video customers; cable networks saw revenue grow 7.5% to $2.7B — Gains in the cable division and double-digit increases in content licensing for NBCUniversal's film and TV units boosted Comcast's fourth-quarter earnings.
Discussion:
Broadcasting & Cable, Multichannel News and Hollywood Reporter
Craig Silverman / BuzzFeed:
BuzzFeed identified 1700+ accounts Twitter censored in specific countries at the request of governments and “trusted flaggers” like NGOs — The second half of 2017 saw an unprecedented number of Twitter accounts banned in Germany and France thanks to an increase in removal requests …
Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai / Motherboard:
Profile of Harlo Holmes, an activist developer who helps journalists learn to use the anonymous whistleblower platform SecureDrop and how to stay safe online — A couple of years ago, a journalist that used SecureDrop, the WikiLeaks-style submission system that allows sources …
Jon Brodkin / Ars Technica:
US Government Accountability Office says it will investigate fake net neutrality comments made on FCC website before repeal vote, starting in five months — Democrats requested investigation after millions of people were impersonated. — The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) …
Discussion:
The Hill, Engadget, TechCrunch, The Verge, Gizmodo and 9to5Mac, more at Techmeme »
Alex Kantrowitz / BuzzFeed:
Facebook's survey to rank trust of publications asks two questions: “Do you recognize the following websites” and “How much do you trust each of these domains?” — Last week, Facebook said its News Feed would prioritize links from publications its users deemed “trustworthy” in an upcoming survey.
Discussion:
Washington Post, Reporters Without Borders, Gizmodo, Business Insider, PinkNews, @inthesedeserts, @kantrowitz, @sivavaid, @profcarroll, @sivavaid, @sivavaid, @wiczipedia, Fast Company, @mosseri, @caseynewton, @willoremus, @willoremus, @stevekovach, Engadget, The New York Observer, @mosseri, Mashable, Quartz, @david_ingram, @matthewknell, @sarahfrier, @louisgray, @pashulman, @asharma, @braddybb and @scottthurm, more at Techmeme »
RELATED:
Tim Carmody / Adweek:
Facebook's News Feed changes make sense amid the findings of Edelman's Trust Barometer, which shows plummeting trust in US media driven by mistrust of platforms
Discussion:
The Guardian, Financial Times, Poynter, GeekWire, Bloomberg, The Verge, New York Magazine, @chutry, @paulachertok, @tcarmody, @eyemadequiet, @page88, Bloomberg, Washington Post and BBC
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