Top News:


Unilever marketing boss Keith Weed is to threaten to pull advertising from Facebook, Google, and other digital platforms, citing fake news, among other concerns — Social media giants grilled on ‘fake news’ — Unilever is threatening to pull its advertising from digital platforms …
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, The Hill, @mattgemmell, @mattgarrahan, @sarafischer, @rosenbergerlm, @slpng_giants, @provoost, @awallenstein, Fortune and Fast Company


A behind-the-scenes look at two tumultuous years inside Facebook as it struggled with fake news, its impact on the 2016 election, and its battle with News Corp — ONE DAY IN late February of 2016, Mark Zuckerberg sent a memo to all of Facebook's employees to address some troubling behavior in the ranks.


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:
@nbj914, @poniewozik and @editorialiste
RELATED:


A week after Meredith takeover of Time Inc., sources speculate about potential buyers for some of the magazines, especially Time, Fortune, Sports Illustrated — The sudden Midwesternizing of a Manhattan media empire. — It's been a little more than a week since Time Inc. ceased to exist …


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.
Discussion:
@selenalarson, Fast Company, @eschor, @jonlemire, @mazmhussain, @williammatt22, @tomnamako, @annehelen, @alexkoppelman, @nadabakos, @mollymckew, @mollymckew, @gaywonk, @peterhamby, @cwarzel, @laskyjoshua, @ali_wyne, @elamin88, @walldo, @mlcalderone, @unrealcoop and @lisaannkerr, more at Techmeme »


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, FierceCable, @claytravis, @asharma and felix.substack.com


German publisher Axel Springer, Europe's largest publisher, has invested an undisclosed sum in Magic Leap to bring AR to its content — German publisher Axel Springer, Europe's largest publisher, has backed Magic Leap, the US augmented reality company that's raised nearly $2 billion from Google and Alibaba.
Discussion:
Axel Springer SE, TechCrunch and @raju, more at Techmeme »


Conservatives treat liberal bias in mainstream media as fact; reporters should stop conciliatory approach, accept that Conservatism and journalism conflict — If you get your news from conservative media these days, you probably don't know that President Donald Trump's lawyers believe …


Sweden wanted to drop its extradition case against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in 2013 but was dissuaded by the UK's prosecution service — UK prosecutors tried to dissuade Swedish counterparts from doing so, exchange shows … Swedish prosecutors attempted to drop extradition proceedings …


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, more at Techmeme »


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:
USA Today, Fast Company, Business Insider, Slate, Mediaite, Variety, New York Times, The Daily Beast, @hilaryr, @hilaryr, thecut, Deadline, @sharonwaxman, Fortune, Rolling Stone, The Wrap, AOL, @pameladaym, @pameladaym, @anthony, Mashable, @tatianasiegel27, @eriqgardner, @tatianasiegel27, @thr, @kimmasters, @ppvsrb, Business Insider and Variety


NBC apologizes to Koreans for remarks by Olympics commentator Joshua Ramo who said Koreans viewed Japanese occupation of the country as a positive thing — Friday's Opening Ceremonies for the Winter Olympics in South Korea were, by most accounts, spectacular.
Discussion:
Deadline, Vanity Fair, The Korea Times and New York Times