Top News:
Jon Street / Mediaite:
Conservative media icon Matt Drudge said he feared the President's “crusade on ‘fake news’” would lead to “all reporters” requiring licenses to work — Conservative firebrand Matt Drudge says he fears that President Donald Trump's frequent attacks …
Discussion:
CNNMoney, Variety, The Wrap, RTDNA Recent Articles, NPR, @repadamschiff, @elwasson, @b52malmet, @davidcorndc, @brendannyhan, @renato_mariotti and @brianklaas
Kevin Merida / ESPN Front Row:
ESPN is discontinuing its Public Editor position, following a recommendation from the company's editorial board, citing the rise of social media — EDITOR'S NOTE: Kevin Merida, ESPN Senior Vice President and Editor-in-Chief for The Undefeated, also serves as Chair of ESPN's Editorial Board.
Discussion:
HuffPost, Deadspin, iMediaEthics, @willsommer, @jeremymbarr and @kathyenglish
Linda Vester / Washington Post:
Ex-NBC reporter Linda Vester says she is not filing a lawsuit against NBC News or Tom Brokaw, and was shocked at letter of support from NBC's female employees — Linda Vester is a former NBC and Fox News journalist. — I am the woman who came forward last month to accuse NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw of sexual misconduct.
Discussion:
Politico, Mediaite, New York Times, @marksimoneny and @davidfolkenflik
Brian Steinberg / Variety:
NBCUniversal releases internal report on Matt Lauer probe, says “Today” managers had no prior knowledge of inappropriate conduct — NBCUniversal said managers at its venerable “Today” show and at NBC News had no knowledge of inappropriate behavior by star anchor Matt Lauer prior …
Discussion:
Deadline, Ad Age, TVNewser, The Wrap, The New York Observer, NPR, @deggans, The A.V. Club, @lionelmedia, The Daily Beast, @shakestweetz and @raminsetoodeh
Brian Stelter / CNNMoney:
The New York Times is partnering with FX and Hulu on a new TV show, “The Weekly”, based on its popular podcast The Daily — FX and Hulu will air a weekly television series by The New York Times. — The show's name, “The Weekly,” links it to the Times' popular podcast “The Daily.”
Georg Szalai / Hollywood Reporter:
21st Century Fox has struck a deal to acquire seven TV stations from Sinclair Broadcast Group for $910M, in key NFL markets, like Denver, Miami, and Seattle — The news of the purchase of stations in key NFL markets, such as Denver, Miami and Seattle, comes after Fox's $52.4 billion December mega-deal …
Discussion:
The Wrap, Radio & Television …, Variety, TVWeek.com and Broadcasting & Cable
CNNMoney:
Amid its Time Warner merger, AT&T confirms it paid Trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen for “insights” on administration in 2017 — AT&T confirmed Tuesday evening that it paid President Trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen in 2017 for “insights into understanding the new administration.”
The Guardian:
Olivera Lakić, an investigative reporter in Montenegro, has been shot and injured in an attack, prompting calls for the EU and US to protect journalists — Olivera Laki wounded outside her home in the country's second attack on a journalist in a month
Discussion:
PEN America, Committee to Protect … and Politico
Skift:
Lonely Planet CEO Daniel Houghton is leaving for another role; source says parent company NC2 is pursuing a sale five years after purchasing it from the BBC — Lonely Planet has weathered the death of the guidebook better than any of its peers, and its new leader will need to figure …
Discussion:
Bookseller News and Publishers Lunch
Ben Schreckinger / Politico:
Sources: the Qatari government has sought to acquire a major stake in Newsmax, the conservative media company run by President Donald Trump's friend Chris Ruddy — The Persian Gulf state, owner of Al Jazeera, has sought to invest in the conservative news outlet with ties to Trump.
Variety:
A breakdown of pay packages of media execs in 2017 including Moonves, who was compensated $69.3M, Bewkes, who received $49M, and Zaslav, who got $42.2M — It's good to be the king, Mel Brooks famously joked in “History of the World: Part 1.” — When it comes to the entertainment business, he was especially right.
Discussion:
@brentalang and Ad Age
Wall Street Journal:
Sources: James Murdoch, mentioned as possibly taking a senior position at Disney after it buys 21st Century Fox, plans to strike out on his own if deal closes — 21st Century Fox CEO had been mentioned as possibly taking senior position at Disney; plans possible venture-capital fund
Discussion:
Reuters, Recode, Techdirt, Multichannel News, New York Times, @keachhagey, @jbflint, @jbflint and Reuters, more at Techmeme »