Top News:
Jack Nicas / Wall Street Journal:
YouTube says it will start labeling videos from state-funded broadcasters like PBS and RT, considers surfacing videos from credible sources alongside hoaxes — Google unit to provide more context around some videos — YouTube said it is planning changes to give users more context …
Dylan Byers / CNNMoney:
Sources: LA Times troubles can be traced to Tronc board manipulation by Eddy Hartenstein, Michael Ferro; Ferro seems to be using Tronc for personal enrichment — After years of painful, protracted decline, the Los Angeles Times has recently descended into chaos: There have been three editors …
Discussion:
@whet, @cnn and @dylanbyers
RELATED:
Ricardo Lopez / Variety:
Kimi Yoshino returns to LA Times following her suspension by D'Vorkin on suspicion of leaking to outside newspapers about internal turmoil — Kimi Yoshino, the Los Angeles Times business editor unceremoniously suspended last week without a public explanation, is returning to work Thursday.
Discussion:
NPR, @byandreachang, @davidfolkenflik, @shelbygrad, @kyoshino and Talking Biz News
Mya Frazier / Columbia Journalism Review:
Facebook, Amazon stifle public debate on tax incentives they receive by demanding prior notice before state and local govt. officials respond to FOIA requests — It was whispered like some secret oracle: Sidecat, sidecat is coming. — Negotiations over the tax incentive deal began in Ohio …
Discussion:
@zephyrteachout
Rebecca Morin / Politico:
Media was escorted from RNC's winter meeting on Thursday as Trump called them “haters” and criticized State of the Union address coverage — Media was escorted out of the Republican National Committee's winter meeting on Thursday just as President Donald Trump labeled them …
Discussion:
Voice of America
Lucinda Southern / Digiday:
Financial Times acquires majority stake in London-based research and content firm Longitude — The Financial Times is bolstering its commercial offering for clients with the acquisition of London-based research company Longitude. — With 910,000 paying print and digital readers …
Discussion:
Financial Times, Media Star, Longitude and Talking Biz News
Pete Brown / Columbia Journalism Review:
One-day snapshot of Facebook Instant Articles usage shows 38 of 72 publishers did not post a single Instant Article; long-term analysis shows downward trend — More than half of Facebook's launch partners on Instant Articles appear to have abandoned the format, new Tow Center research suggests.
Reuters:
Charter Communications beats Q4 targets with revenue of $10.6B, up 3.2% YoY, while profit surges to $9.55B due to a $9.3B benefit from tax changes — (Reuters) - U.S. cable operator Charter Communications Inc (CHTR.O) said on Friday its quarterly profit surged due to a $9.3 billion benefit related …
Discussion:
Multichannel News, Broadcasting & Cable, MarketWatch and Bloomberg
Janko Rottgers / Variety:
Spotify is testing Stations, a Pandora-style free music app which includes some personalization options but is currently only available on some Android devices — Music streaming service Spotify released a new Android app that's all about free music Tuesday.
Discussion:
TechCrunch
Jeff Baumgartner / Multichannel News:
AT&T looks to launch next-gen version of DirecTV Now this spring and a voice-controlled client that supports DirecTV Now and other OTT services by end of year — Will launch next-gen DirecTV Now platform this spring, new thin-client streaming device by end of year
Tatiana Siegel / Hollywood Reporter:
After dominating Sundance for the past two years, Amazon and Netflix skip acquisitions at the festival this year and instead focus on in-house productions — “Frankly, I was confused,” says one agent as the top streamers suddenly give festival fare the cold shoulder in favor of homegrown originals …
Discussion:
@thrmattbelloni and The New York Observer
Joe Pompeo / Vanity Fair:
Medium hires Siobhan O'Connor, who had been executive editor of Time, as vice president of editorial, reporting to Ev Williams — Time Inc. vet editor Siobhan O'Connor will be in charge of creating stories to pull readers past the paywall. — Medium, the pro-am Web-publishing outfit founded …
Discussion:
@joepompeo, @pierce and @sarahfrier
Hadas Gold / CNNMoney:
Etienne Uzac, co-owner and chairman of Newsweek Media Group, resigns along with his wife, Marion Kim, company finance director, amid probe of company finances — The co-owner and chairman of Newsweek Media Group and his wife, who acted as the company's finance director …
Discussion:
The Daily Caller and @cnnmoney
RELATED:
Craig Silverman / BuzzFeed:
Researchers say publisher of Newsweek and IBTimes used fraudulent methods to inflate traffic to get ad deals; company acknowledges buying traffic, denies fraud
Researchers say publisher of Newsweek and IBTimes used fraudulent methods to inflate traffic to get ad deals; company acknowledges buying traffic, denies fraud
Discussion:
New York Post, USA Today, Newsweek, @joshfromalaska, @thejoshkeefe, Mic, The Wrap and @swiftonsecurity