Mediagazer: Freelance journalist Sarah Baird launches Shoeleather, a directory of local reporters available for freelance work that currently lists 330 journalists (Christine Schmidt/Nieman Lab)

9:45 AM ET, November 18, 2018

Top News:

Kevin Alexander / Thrillist:

The fate of Stanich's, a restaurant that closed after being rated #1 by Thrillist, prompts introspection regarding food critics' responsibilities and audiences — n my office, I have a coffee mug from Stanich's in Portland, Oregon. Under the restaurant name, it says “Great hamburgers since 1949.”

Discussion: @icrystalization, @jayrosen_nyu, @briankoppelman, @kalexander03, @designsponge, @davidklion, Nieman Lab and kottke.org

Rebecca Keegan / Hollywood Reporter:

Netflix doesn't make movies intending to release them in theaters, only doing so to vie for the Oscars, blurring the difference between Oscars and Emmys — The streamer's about-face announcement that it will give four contenders, including Alfonso Cuaron's ‘Roma,’ limited theatrical runs …

Dade Hayes / Deadline:
In earnings call, Paramount Pictures CEO said the studio signed a multi-picture film deal with Netflix following The Cloverfield Paradox release strategy

Discussion: Observer and The Playlist

CNN:

Judge orders White House to return Acosta's hard pass immediately citing violation of due process, thus granting CNN's request for a temporary restraining order — (CNN)Federal judge Timothy J. Kelly sided with CNN on Friday, ordering the White House to reinstate chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta's press pass.

Scott Nover / The Atlantic:

Press freedom advocates express cautious relief, for now, after the return of Jim Acosta's press press, and praise unity of most media outlets supporting access — A federal judge temporarily restored Jim Acosta's White House press credentials, but didn't rule on the CNN correspondent's First Amendment claims.

Discussion: @scottnover, @scottnover, @spj_tweets, @loebvernon, @scottnover, @medialawrocks, @scottnover, CNN and Washington Post

Garett Sloane / Ad Age:

YouTube quietly began showing ad-supported free feature-length movies in October, giving users access to around 100 titles including “The Terminator” — Last month YouTube quietly began showing ad-supported movies for the first time, giving viewers access to Hollywood titles including …

Discussion: IndieWire and Engadget, more at Techmeme »

CBS News:

In interview, Sheryl Sandberg says “we absolutely did not pay anyone to create fake news” and says she didn't know Facebook had hired Definers — A day after a searing investigation into Facebook by The New York Times, the company's chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg, is defending herself and the social media giant.

Discussion: New York Times, New Republic, Washington Post, Business Insider, The Verge, Memex 1.1, @jeffhauser, @nytimestech, @loctastic, @oneunderscore__, @raju, Recode, Vanity Fair, CBS Boston, Slate, The Wrap and Peter O'Kelly's Reality Check, more at Techmeme »

Nick Martin / Splinter:
With Tim Miller, suspended after NYT Facebook report, Crooked Media engaged in the familiar media exercise of featuring a Never Trumper in the name of “balance”

Discussion: @ericrennerbrown, @lakshmigandhi, @bayarea4bernie, Nieman Lab, Vanity Fair, MediaPost, Business Insider and Mercury News, more at Techmeme »

Tim Miller:
Tim Miller, who has worked with Definers Public Affairs and Crooked Media, defends his work, including the effort to link Soros to anti-Facebook groups

Discussion: @timodc, @parkermolloy, @samstein, @oneunderscore__, @libbycwatson, Senator Mark Warner, Business Insider and TechCrunch

Donie O'Sullivan / CNN:
Definers Public Affairs pitched a story last summer suggesting Apple News editors were biased against the GOP, based on campaign donations of Apple News staff

Discussion: New York Times, The Verge, Business Insider, @stevekopack, @donie, @emilybell, Fast Company, The Daily Beast, The Verge, getrevue.co and Business Insider

Christine Schmidt / Nieman Lab:

Freelance journalist Sarah Baird launches Shoeleather, a directory of local reporters available for freelance work that currently lists 330 journalists — Amazon may have gone with the most predictable of picks for HQ2, but that doesn't give media organizations an out for hunkering down in the country's elite metropolises.

Jeneé Osterheldt / The Boston Globe:

Interview with Kristine Guillaume, the first black woman voted to serve as president of The Harvard Crimson since its inception 145 years ago — She was trying to focus on reading “Chokehold: Policing Black Men” Sunday night. — Rihanna's voice sang from the speakers, “All this work, no vacation.”

Charlotte Graham-McLay / New York Times:

Profile of Mike Dickison, New Zealand's first Wikipedian-at-Large, who wants to boost the country's representation on the site by pushing New Zealanders to edit — AUCKLAND, New Zealand — In the grand library of the Auckland War Memorial Museum on a Saturday morning in August …

Paul Linford / HoldtheFrontPage:

Johnston Press has been sold to JPIMedia, a new company formed by owners of Johnston's debt, which says all 200+ titles will continue to operate as normal — Regional publisher Johnston Press is tonight under new ownership after its bondholders agreed to wipe out £165m of the company's debts …

Discussion: The Guardian, BBC and The Guardian

Rebecca Keegan / Hollywood Reporter:

The Criterion Collection says it will launch a streaming service of classic films in the spring, after outcry over WarnerMedia's decision to shut FilmStruck — “Round up your buddies,” Steven Spielberg told Edgar Wright, when a campaign was launched to save FilmStruck.

Discussion: Observer, The Criterion Collection, The Wrap, Boing Boing, @filmstruck and @devancoggan

John Koblin / New York Times:

ABC Entertainment President Channing Dungey, the first black executive to run the entertainment division at a major network, to leave the company — Channing Dungey, the first black executive to run the entertainment division at a major network, is leaving ABC, the company announced Friday.

Discussion: The Wrap, @nytimesbusiness, Variety, Reuters, Los Angeles Times, EW.com, Hollywood Reporter, Broadcasting & Cable, Deadline and Variety

Steve O'Hear / TechCrunch:

Pirate Studios raises $20M for its self-service music studios that allow recording and live streaming while its cloud software handles mixing and mastering — Pirate Studios, the music technology company that operates fully automated and self-service 24 hour music studios, has secured $20 million.

Discussion: Music Ally

Washington Post:

Court filings in an unrelated case and sources reveal prosecutors have charged Julian Assange under seal, but the nature of charges remains unclear — WikiLeaks' founder Julian Assange has been charged under seal, prosecutors inadvertently revealed in a recently unsealed court filing …

Micah Singleton / The Verge:

AT&T is inviting DirecTV Now customers to a six-month trial of its streaming set-top box, which will run Android TV and support third-party services — Android everywhere — AT&T is inviting DirecTV Now users to sign up for a chance to test its upcoming streaming set-top box.

Discussion: Multichannel News