Top News:
Zack Whittaker / TechCrunch:
Tech firms strongly refute Bloomberg's story on Chinese spies installing chips into motherboards; story shows the difficulty of reporting on national security — Today's bombshell Bloomberg story has the internet split: either the story is right, and reporters have uncovered one of the largest …
Ben Bland / Financial Times:
The Financial Times says Hong Kong will not renew a work visa for Victor Mallet, the paper's Asia news editor, and has not given a reason for the decision — The Hong Kong government has rejected the visa renewal application of the Financial Times' top news editor in Asia …
Discussion:
South China Morning Post, New York Times, TIME, Hong Kong Free Press HKFP, Hong Kong Free Press HKFP, Press Gazette, @joannachiu, @a_sator, @lauramannering, @melissakchan, @chopkickpunch, @jerometaylor, @peter_tl, @melissakchan, @pekingmike, @melissakchan, @melissakchan, @joannachiu, TechCrunch, PEN Hong Kong, Macau Business, Committee to Protect … and Talking Biz News
Salvador Hernandez / BuzzFeed News:
Minnesota's NBC affiliate fired reporter Jim Bunner after he wore a MAGA hat while covering a Trump rally for the station, citing a policy violation — A reporter for an NBC affiliate in Minnesota was fired Friday, one day after he was spotted wearing a “Make America Great Again” …
Discussion:
Mediaite and Star Tribune
Craig Silverman / BuzzFeed News:
Kavanaugh hearings are a boon for hyperpartisan publishers on Facebook, though the most popular links on the subject come from trusted news sources like WaPo — “It is certainly the biggest story in politics since the 2016 election,” one publisher told BuzzFeed News
Discussion:
@firstdraftnews
Keith J. Kelly / New York Post:
Source: Tribune Publishing and McClatchy inch toward merger, with Chatham Asset Management agreeing to swap $300M in McClatchy loans for equity in new company — Tribune Publishing — up until Oct. 4 known as Tronc — is inching closer to a potential merger with the McClatchy Co.
Discussion:
@sarafischer and @benmullin
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Robert Channick / Chicago Tribune:
Tronc, the parent company of the Chicago Tribune and other daily newspapers, is changing its name back to Tribune Publishing; stock symbol changes to TPCO
Discussion:
Nieman Lab, @byalisonbowen, Wall Street Journal, Ad Age, @davelevinthal, @tomgara, @sherman4949, @bruce_arthur, @drmrfrancis, @mmasnick, @mtdukes, @erinmdurkin, @taylorlorenz, @alexweprin, @dylanbyers, @jrcarrollnews, @jmp_nyc, @eosnos, @ctguild, @raylong, @carriemelago, @elyssacherney, @amlwhere, GlobeNewswire News Room, TechCrunch and Daily Herald
Janko Roettgers / Variety:
Spotify says it is beta testing Spotify for Podcasters, a program to give any podcaster the ability to syndicate their show via the music service — Spotify is beta testing a new program to get more podcasts onto its service. Spotify for Podcasters gives any podcaster the ability to syndicate …
Discussion:
KnowTechie, SlashGear, Radio Facts, TechCrunch, The Verge, newsroom.spotify.com, Engadget and The Wrap, more at Techmeme »
Marisa Fernandez / Axios:
Poll of 2,200 US adults reveals ~60% rarely or never read Trump's tweets, only 15% read them very often, those who do read them are more likely to be Democrats — A new Public Affairs Council/Morning Consult poll reveals that a majority of Americans have become indifferent toward President Trump's tweets …
Sarah Marsh / The Guardian:
Retailer Topshop abruptly canceled a partnership with Penguin featuring a collection of feminist writing; Topshop apologized and donated £25K to charity Girl Up — Store apologises and makes donation to charity after removal of pop-up promotion — Topshop abruptly cancelled …
Discussion:
The Independent, BBC, @hwallop, Daily Mail, Telegraph, @tkingdot, @magic_kitten, @schooltruth and @olivershah
Jim Waterson / The Guardian:
LadBible to buy a substantial part of Unilad's £10M debt as part of administration, prompting allegations that rival site is driving Unilad out of business — LadBible's purchase of Unilad's debt prompts accusations rival is driving Unilad out of business
Discussion:
@simonnricketts, @jimwaterson, @bitsocket, @futurecanon and The Guardian
Reed Richardson / FAIR:
NYT's apology for giving Kavanaugh article to Bazelon highlights the absurdity of the idea that people with expertise can't have opinions for objectivity's sake — What happens when a national newspaper cares more about the appearance of bias in its reporting than any actual evidence of it?
Jack Sullivan / CommonWealth Magazine:
Sources: Boston Herald, bought by Digital First Media in February, lays off about 20 staffers, including at least two photographers and five on sports copy desk — THE STRUGGLING BOSTON HERALD laid off about 20 more staffers Thursday, including at least two award-winning veteran photographers for a tabloid that thrives on pictures.
Jim Waterson / The Guardian:
Guardian Weekly to relaunch as glossy news magazine, will have higher cover price and greater focus on design; GW has a circulation of about 42,000 worldwide — New-look publication will have slightly increased cover price and greater focus on design — The Guardian is to relaunch …
Discussion:
@jamesrbuk
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