Top News:
Nathan Bomey / USA Today:
Elon Musk unleashes barrage of criticism aimed at “big media companies” in at least 19 tweets and says he plans to launch a site to assess journalists — Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, ripped the news media for what he described as irresponsible reporting …
Discussion:
@elonmusk, Associated Press, @meharris, @elonmusk, Fast Company, @alexisohanian, @alistairweaver, The Daily Caller, @elonmusk, @elonmusk, @ggreenwald, @juliacarriew, @natesilver538, @tonyromm, @juliachanb, @petersterne, @bobvulfov, @petersterne, @buzzfeedben, @jedediahspurdy, @ashleyfeinberg, @elonmusk, @evacide, @aurabogado, @karaswisher, @andyjayhawk, @karaswisher, @dancow, @dancow, @monikabauerlein, @wendi_c_thomas, @oneunderscore__, @bro_pair, @tracetravers3, @howelloneill, @malcolmnance, @snackfight, Bloomberg, @natesilver538, CNNMoney, @jessicahuseman, @jessicahuseman, @dancow, @digiphile, @mdrndad, @trzhean, @laura_hudson, @moryan, @jessicahuseman, @jaspar, CNBC, TechCrunch and @digiphile
Abigail Abrams / Fortune:
Netflix market value reaches $149B, surpassing Comcast's $147B, and approaching Disney's $153B; the company's stock has gone up 70% since January — Netflix passed Comcast in market value on Wednesday, signaling another win for the streaming service as it continues to compete with traditional television.
Discussion:
Bloomberg, The Wrap, Recode, @taralach and The Next Web, more at Techmeme »
Lucia Moses / Digiday:
Some publishers sit out meetings with Google about GDPR, citing its public silence on how it will use the data it expects publishers to give it access to — Google is set to have meetings today with media trade associations and various publishing company representatives to address their concerns …
Discussion:
Digital Content Next, Wall Street Journal, @jason_kint and @jason_kint
Gavri Smith / The Keyword:
Google Trends gets revamped Trending searches and Explore pages, new infographic types like an intensity map, showcased data stories curated by News Lab, more — {[drawerToggle.open ? ‘Hide Related Articles’ : 'Show Related Articles']} — Google Trends has become a key part …
Discussion:
Engadget, more at Techmeme »
Lydia Wheeler / The Hill:
District court judge rules President Trump can't block people from viewing his Twitter feed, calling it a designated public forum protected by First Amendment — A federal district court judge on Wednesday ruled that President Trump — can't block people from viewing his Twitter feed over their political views.
Discussion:
Poynter, Washington Post, Recode, The Week, The Root, @mattbinder, The A.V. Club, New York Times, Adweek, The New York Observer, Ars Technica, Stuff.co.nz, Wired, ABC, @eff, The Outline, @brithume, The Next Web, @knightcolumbia, @ibarguen, New York Times, @knightcolumbia, @katiefallow, @zeynep, @jwherrman, @asharangappa_, @votevets, @eff, @klasfeldreports, @markszaidesq, @steve_vladeck, @trevortimm, USA Today, @jwherrman, @jwherrman, knightcolumbia.org, The Verge, The Wrap, MediaPost, Vanity Fair, @xor, Washington Post, @bowtiepolitics, Associated Press, @elizabeth_joh, @mattdpearce and @mattdpearce
Alan Feuer / New York Times:
Sources: federal prosecutors in Manhattan expand investigation into Harvey Weinstein to include allegations that he may have violated federal stalking laws — Federal prosecutors in Manhattan have expanded a months-old investigation into financial improprieties by Harvey Weinstein …
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, Vanity Fair, The A.V. Club, New York Daily News, The Hill, Los Angeles Times and Variety
Janko Rottgers / Variety:
Vevo is shuttering its Android, iOS, and Windows Mobile apps and website to refocus on YouTube following resignation of several execs and significant layoffs — Major-label owned Vevo is giving up on plans to build its own music video platform outside of YouTube's control …
Discussion:
Vevo, TechCrunch and The FADER, more at Techmeme »
BBC:
Egypt detains prominent blogger and activist Wael Abbas, and sources say he faces accusations of “disseminating false news and joining an outlawed group” — A prominent Egyptian activist and blogger known for documenting alleged abuses by the security forces has been detained, his lawyer says.
Discussion:
Al Jazeera English, Associated Press, DW.COM and Committee to Protect …
Gerry Smith / Bloomberg:
Buzzfeed to develop a Hulu documentary about R. Kelly abuse allegations; Peretti is also considering subscription products in subjects like education and gaming — - Production for Hulu marks company's latest programming deal — CEO Peretti says BuzzFeed seeing ‘double-digit’ sales growth
Discussion:
The Wrap, Deadline, Variety, Vanity Fair, Hollywood Reporter, @jasonabbruzzese, @gerryfsmith, @shani_o and Axios
Joe Pompeo / Vanity Fair:
Sources: Meredith is talking with about 15 serious potential buyers for Time, Fortune, Money, and Sports Illustrated — The inside hype around Meredith's ongoing sale of Time, Sports Illustrated, Fortune, and Money is considerable—everyone is “praying” for a Jeff Bezos. But interest means nothing till the ink is dry.
Discussion:
@jeremymbarr, @joepompeo and @joepompeo
Tyler Lauletta / Business Insider:
ESPN and UFC agree to a five-year deal worth $1.5B, moving UFC from Fox Sports to ESPN and ESPN+, starting in 2019 — - The move will likely introduce a new audience to the world of mixed martial arts and will give ESPN plenty of opportunities to promote its new product.
Discussion:
Variety, Broadcasting & Cable, @benaxelrod, MMA Fighting and Multichannel News
Mark Leibovich / New York Times:
Interviews with White House communications staffers Hogan Gidley and Sarah Sanders, who have linked their integrity to a president not known for accuracy — Flacks in this White House press office are getting enormous exposure — but potentially at a long-term cost to their credibility.
Discussion:
@davidfolkenflik, @maggienyt, @msjournalist, @jaketapper, @zachmontellaro, @ennisnyt, @katherinemiller, @csymrl, The Hill, @chueyburns and @mikedorning