Top News:
Ben Smith / BuzzFeed:
Ben Smith recounts his mistakes as a young reporter in Belarus in 2001: assuming democracy would win, sources would be safe, and US officials wouldn't lie — As a young reporter in Eastern Europe in 2001, I expected to witness the “end of history” and the flowering of democracy.
Discussion:
@buzzfeedben, @edwardlucas, @ninabernstein1, @charlie_savage, @ron_fournier, @rachaelrad, @palafo, @liamstack, @notjessewalker, @katherinemiller, @martinsfp, @benmullin, @asluhn, @chrisgeidner, @sominisengupta, @tianran, @schoofsfeed, @carlwoog, @dkruzman, @katherinemiller, @fredzannarbor and @feminit4equipar
Brian Stelter / CNNMoney:
Sinclair is showing the 30-second Allied Progress ad with Deadspin video montage critical of Sinclair, but inserts its own 15-second responses before and after — Ex-Sinclair news director: We had must-run pieces — Sinclair Broadcast Group has agreed to air a commercial …
Megha Rajagopalan / BuzzFeed:
The Sri Lankan government and civil society groups say that Facebook has failed for years to monitor and remove accounts inciting ethnic violence in Sri Lanka — DIGANA, Sri Lanka — When the Sri Lankan government temporarily blocked access to Facebook last month amid a wave of violence against Muslims …
Discussion:
@francis_wade, @buzzfeednews, @profgalloway, @fabiochiusi, @buzzfeednews, @gerryshih, @markscott82, @meghara, @rmac18 and @buzzfeedben, more at Techmeme »
Dana Branham / Dallas Morning News:
At Southern Methodist University, independent student media company will dissolve in May due to lack of funds; SMU journalism department will oversee newspaper — Southern Methodist University's independent student media company will dissolve in May, forcing its student newspaper under …
Discussion:
@adamgrosbard, @markwnorris and @smervosh
Christina Anderson / New York Times:
Three Nobel Literature Prize judges resign from the Swedish Academy amid sexual assault allegations against a major figure with close ties to the institution — STOCKHOLM — The Swedish Academy, which awards the Nobel Prize in Literature, was hit this past week by one of its worst crises …
Discussion:
@nytimesworld and Associated Press
Alex Kantrowitz / BuzzFeed:
Source: YouTube releasing new version of YouTube Kids within coming weeks with option to turn off algorithmic video suggestions and only show curated channels — YouTube is planning to release a new version of its YouTube Kids app that will do away with algorithmically suggested videos …
Discussion:
The Next Web, The A.V. Club, @bjornjeffery, Engadget, Fortune, Gizmodo, Mashable and Android Police
Michael Warren / Weekly Standard:
How Trump's White House creates an anti-immigration feedback loop by distributing talking points to friendly journalists, pundits, and hosts via email — The monomaniacal White House talking points. — They are emails designed to grab you by the lapels. “CRISIS AT OUR SOUTHERN BORDER,” announced one.
Yardena Schwartz / Columbia Journalism Review:
Women who have spoken out about sexual harassment at news organizations discuss how they've been blacklisted by other orgs and face abuse on social media — Women who speak out about sexual harassment are often blacklisted by other news organizations — Juliet Huddy thought the worst …
Christine Schmidt / Nieman Lab:
A guide to new initiatives that work to repair people's trust in media, including information on funders, participants, and partners — Can't tell Trusting News from the Trust Project, or the News Integrity Initiative from the Journalism Trust Initiative? Get informed here — trust us.
Discussion:
Project News
Lucinda Southern / Digiday:
Norwegian aggregator Sol uses algorithms and human editors to surface local content, claims 50K daily users who spend a daily average of 11 minutes in app — Sol, an aggregated news site from Norwegian magazine and news publishing group Aller Media, launched an app in December to gain new, younger readers.
Ashley Renders / Nieman Lab:
Inside Canadian startup OpenFile, which launched in 2010, and ended publication in 2012, and the lessons learned about involving readers in reporting — The Canadian startup OpenFile was a bet on collaboration between journalists and their audience: “We learned that we shouldn't dismiss …
Discussion:
@traceylindeman, @niemanlab and @niemanlab
Blake Montgomery / BuzzFeed:
Federal government seizes classified advertising site Backpage.com and related domains, Arizona home of founder Micheal Lacey raided — Backpage.com, the popular classified ads website, went offline Friday after being seized and disabled by the federal government.
Discussion:
Arizona Republic, Gizmodo, New York Times, @buzzfeednews, Slate, AOL, TechFreedom and Business Insider