Top News:
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Amazon's IMDb launches Freedive, an ad-supported streaming service offering movies and TV shows in the US; site now lists 130+ free movies and 29 shows — Amazon has extended its tentacles into the ad-supported VOD space — stocking IMDb with a back-catalog of dozens of movies and TV shows that are free to watch.
Discussion:
MediaPost, The Wrap, Hollywood Reporter, CNBC, @xpangler and @digitalshields
Michael M. Grynbaum / New York Times:
Nielsen: Trump's primetime address on the TV networks on Tuesday evening drew in around 40M viewers — Even in its heyday, “The Apprentice” never earned ratings like this. — President Trump's appearance in network prime time on Tuesday — a nine-minute speech from the Oval Office …
Discussion:
Washington Post, @jillgeisler and @wjcarter
Jacob Granger / Journalism.co.uk:
The Cube, the social media news desk for Euronews, shows TV viewers how it debunks false information that gets spread online — The social media newsdesk at Euronews aims to respond to falsehoods faster than TV studios to help rebuild trust in the media — The conversation …
New York Times:
Sources: White House Communications Chief Bill Shine has fallen out of favor with Trump, while many of his colleagues are disappointed with his performance — WASHINGTON — At the beginning of the government shutdown, Bill Shine was about as far away from the capital as President Trump's most senior communications official could get.
Discussion:
Baltimore Sun, TVNewser, @jdawsey1, @simonwdc, @maggienyt, @matthewamiller, @anniekarni, @nytpolitics and @tvietor08
Janko Roettgers / Variety:
Discussing the decline of TV, Viacom CEO Bob Bakish says driverless, 5G-connected cars would add viewing minutes in the same way the bedroom TV did — Viacom CEO Bob Bakish isn't ready to celebrate victory just yet. “I wouldn't ever say mission accomplished, and certainly not in the changing world …
Jack Shafer / Politico:
Horserace coverage in political journalism is widely derided but it has many benefits, from enlivening the news cycle to giving readers an insider's view — Telling voters who's winning and who's losing the 2020 campaign isn't trivial—it's a crucially important job for the media.
Discussion:
@jesseltaylor, @jayrosen_nyu, @awelder, @benyankee, @asteadwesley, @timdonnelly and @grogsgamut
Josh Gerstein / Politico:
Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press filed motions Wednesday, urging the release of more info about Mueller's grand jury subpoena dispute — An organization representing journalists took legal action Wednesday to pare back the secrecy blanketing a grand jury subpoena dispute …
Discussion:
CNBC
Mark Di Stefano / BuzzFeed:
Memo: BBC executive Gavin Allen tells corporation staffers to stop using phrase “BBC understands”, claiming it is a “slightly pompous distancing phrase” — OK, so if you're a fan of BBC News you've probably noticed a phrase that pops up in its stories and headlines all the bloody time: “BBC understands...”
Discussion:
Press Gazette
Freddy Mayhew / Press Gazette:
AFP appoints UK journalist Phil Chetwynd as global news director to replace Michèle Léridon, marking the first time a foreign national has filled the position — Agence France-Presse has appointed a British journalist as its global news director - the first time a foreign national …
Discussion:
Al Arabiya
Sara Guaglione / MediaPost:
Politico launches California Pro, a new subscription product to cover California on subjects ranging from immigration to policy, priced in mid-four-figure range — Politico's subscription-based product has expanded with a new offering that launches today and focuses on California policy and politics.
Casey Newton / The Verge:
NYU and Princeton study of 3,500 US adults: 11% of those over 65 have shared a hoax article on Facebook, while just 3% of those 18 to 29 have done so — And the finding holds true across party lines — Older Americans are disproportionately more likely to share fake news on Facebook …
Discussion:
Science, @caseynewton, American Press Institute, Newser, @jamiejbartlett, Washington Post, BuzzMachine, Business Insider, @birdyword, @nicgaston, @jennifernvictor, @anildash, @meghantonjes, Boing Boing, @mattglassman312, @alynsmith, @jimmylevendia, @genepark, @lizziemarvelly, @ladyhawkins, @melbala, @indira_l, @ceciliakang, @kevinroose, @connieschultz, @obrien, @caseynewton, @ccriadoperez, @holden, Beyond Search, @j_a_tucker, @briannawu, @jeffjarvis, Splinter and Gizmodo, more at Techmeme »
Joan E. Solsman / CNET:
Amazon says its Fire TV products have “well over” 30M active users, up from 25M in October and surpassing Roku's 27M+ announced earlier this week — Amazon's Fire TV may be moving into the lead among video streaming devices, with its lineup of products attracting “well over” …
Discussion:
The Verge and FierceVideo, more at Techmeme »
Erik Wemple / Washington Post:
AP has clarified its “two to tango” tweet on a fact-checking story after critics said the tweet created a false equivalence in the US budget debates — UPDATE 6:16 p.m.: The Associated Press has issued a second statement on the tweet: “The tweet was intended to make clear …
Discussion:
Vox, @erikwemple, @mantzarlis, @atrupar, @jayrosen_nyu, @nikkiusher, @ecohen_umn, @jayrosen_nyu, Media Matters for America, Associated Press and Fast Company
Meg James / Los Angeles Times:
Source: Ice Cube approached Viacom about a joint bid for Fox's regional sports networks with his Big3 basketball league — Entertainment mogul Ice Cube, through his Big3 basketball league, is trying to put together a competitive bid for the Fox regional sports networks as the auction shifts into high gear.
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