Top News:
David Siders / Politico:
“News” site The California Republican, with linked Facebook page labeled “news/media company”, was paid for by campaign of Rep. Devin Nunes, ardent media critic — Embattled California congressman finds a way to bypass the mainstream media.
Wall Street Journal:
Sources: Comcast's bid for 21st Century Fox was $60B+, 15% higher than Disney's winning offer, but was rejected due to antitrust concerns — Cable giant's offer for Fox's entertainment assets was in the low $60 billions, exceeding Disney's winning offer — Cable giant Comcast Corp. CMCSA 1.00% …
Discussion:
@asharma, @claytravis, @asharma and felix.substack.com
Charlie Warzel / BuzzFeed:
Technologist who predicted “fake news”, Aviv Ovadya, and other experts warn new AI-powered tools to manipulate perception could erode people's trust in reality — In mid-2016, Aviv Ovadya realized there was something fundamentally wrong with the internet — so wrong that he abandoned his work and sounded an alarm.
Karl Taro Greenfeld / Los Angeles Times:
Former writer at Time Inc. offers anecdotes about how the publisher was “overspending horrendously” on salaries and unlimited expense accounts before AOL merger — I started as a writer at Time Magazine on a Monday in 1998. I turned up that morning to find the 23rd floor …
Discussion:
@poniewozik and @editorialiste
Margaret Sullivan / Washington Post:
Rob Porter's exit from the White House shows the need for more bulletproof, evidence-based journalism — It never should have taken a photo of Colbie Holderness's bruised eye to get Rob Porter out of the White House. — He shouldn't have been there to begin with, as a top aide to President Trump …
Discussion:
@nathwice, @sulliview, @jcstearns, @padams29, @davkat43, @heffnera and @jcstearns
Brenda Goh / Reuters:
Alibaba signs multi-year deal to offer 1000+ episodes of Disney shows on its Youku video streaming platform — SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Alibaba Group Holding Ltd's entertainment arm has signed a licensing agreement with Walt Disney Co in a deal that will provide the Chinese group's Youku video …
Discussion:
Fast Company
Jennifer Wadsworth / San Jose Inside:
Bay Area News Group follows 27+ employee buyouts with layoffs of more than two dozen at papers including the Mercury News — Bay Area News Group—the Digital First Media chain that includes the Mercury News and several South Bay community newspapers—went through yet another downsizing this week.
Discussion:
@byrosenberg, @davidwchen and @majorcbs
Paul Farhi / Washington Post:
Sinclair Broadcast Group solicits its news directors for its political fundraising efforts — The nation's largest TV station owner is gearing up to fight for deregulation, and it wants some of its own newsroom managers to join the effort. — Sinclair Broadcast Group is asking its executives …
Discussion:
@bruno_j_navarro, @rachbarnhart, @davidaxelrod and @dangillmor
Hollywood Reporter:
NY attorney general sues Harvey Weinstein, Bob Weinstein, and The Weinstein Company, claiming they failed to protect staff from pervasive sexual harassment — The lawsuit alleges company executives repeatedly failed to protect employees from Harvey Weinstein's “unrelenting sexual harassment, intimidation and discrimination.”
Discussion:
New York Times, The Wrap, Deadline, Variety, Mediaite, @eriqgardner, @tatianasiegel27, @pameladaym, Business Insider, @thr, @pameladaym, AOL, Rolling Stone, @ppvsrb, @sharonwaxman, @kimmasters, @tatianasiegel27, Variety and Mashable
Tyler McCall / Fashionista:
Interview with NYT Styles section editor Choire Sicha on how he got started in his career, his time at Gawker, building The Awl, his current goals, more — In our long-running series, “How I'm Making It,” we talk to people making a living in the fashion and beauty industries about how they broke in and found success.
Discussion:
@elizabethangell, @emilygould, @anildash, @jeffbercovici, @vilkomerson, @jeremypgordon, @eiffeltyler, @shani_o, @hannaingber, @amandamull, @mariabustillos, @mgsiegler, @niemanlab and @moorehn
Libby Watson / Splinter:
Advertisers can promote Tweets that aren't linked to any Twitter profile, allowing fake organizations to run policy ads while obscuring their bankrollers — A few weeks ago, Bloomberg published a damning piece about how the DCI Group, a D.C.-based consulting firm, creates phony echo chambers to help push its clients' interests.
Glendora Meikle / Columbia Journalism Review:
Lessons on journalism funding from the defunct International Reporting Project, which gave grants for international reporting as international bureaus shut down — The Indian Ocean, taken from a propeller plane. Photo courtesy of the International Reporting Project. — Mental healthcare in post-Ebola Sierra Leone.