Top News:
Devlin Barrett / Washington Post:
Mueller's office disputes description of statements, documents, and testimony in a BuzzFeed story on Trump and Cohen; BuzzFeed says it's confident in its report — Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III's office on Friday denied an explosive report by BuzzFeed News that his investigators …
Discussion:
@buzzfeednews, @buzzfeedben, New York Times, The Wrap, @rachelvand, @emptywheel, @ronanfarrow, @dicktofel, The Hill, RT, Sputnik International, Dan Bongino, Al Jazeera, Fox News Insider, @erikwemple, @pwnallthethings, @jasonleopold, @dankennedy_nu, The Wrap, @renato_mariotti, @erikwemple, @kimzetter, CNN, MSNBC, Raw Story, @erikwemple, USA Today, @dangillmor, @brianstelter, @kendilaniannbc, @erikwemple, CNBC, @journo_christal, @pwnallthethings, The Daily Caller, @mattbors, @emptywheel, @axios, @petersterne, @pwnallthethings, @pwnallthethings, New Yorker, Politico, @pwnallthethings, @vanityman, Politico, @ronanfarrow, FOX News Radio and New York Times
Jonathan Randles / Wall Street Journal:
Gizmodo Media Group settles defamation suits from clients of Charles Harder; no money changes hands and two articles stay online, with explanatory notes — Blog publisher claimed the litigation was meant to harass journalists, which Mr. Harder denied. — Gizmodo Media Group …
Discussion:
@annamerlan, @benmullin, @emmacargo and @benmullin
Josh Constine / TechCrunch:
Facebook confirms it is testing LOL, a feed of funny videos and GIF-like clips pulled from News Feed posts by top meme Pages — How do you do, fellow kids? After Facebook Watch, Lasso, and IGTV failed to become hits with teens, the company has been quietly developing another youthful video product.
Discussion:
@caseynewton, Adweek, Engadget, @ajchavar, @sapere_vivere, @taylorlorenz, SlashGear, @mathewi, Gizmodo, Business Insider, Mashable, The Verge and 9to5Mac, more at Techmeme »
Borys Kit / Hollywood Reporter:
Pixar's Lee Unkrich, who directed Toy Story 3 and Coco, is leaving the company after 25 years; sources say the departure is amicable — The move marks an end of an era. — Lee Unkrich, the Oscar-winning director behind Toy Story 3 and Coco, is leaving Pixar Animation Studios.
Discussion:
@leeunkrich, Deadline, CinemaBlend, /Film, @thr, The Wrap and TVWeek.com
Cynthia Littleton / Variety:
Disney rearranges business segments for earnings reports to reflect income from streaming operations, will present its streaming investment plans on April 11 — Disney has rejiggered its business segments for earnings reporting to make room for the new unit housing its global streaming operations.
Discussion:
MediaPost and Multichannel News
Bill Birnbauer / The Conversation:
US nonprofit media funding: biggest three members of the Institute for Nonprofit News received 40% of donations; the least-funded 20 outlets got less than 2% — I analyzed the IRS returns of 60 Institute for Nonprofit News members, about half of the institute's membership at the time.
Discussion:
@billbirnbauer and Editor & Publisher
Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:
Irish publisher Independent News and Media, owner of the Irish Independent and the Belfast Telegraph, expects to cut 30 jobs as circulation and ad revenue fall — Thirty jobs are at risk after a major Irish news publisher outlined a three-year strategic plan aimed at growing digital revenues …
Discussion:
Independent.ie
Dave McNary / Variety:
Several Hollywood figures back Open Screenplay, a free online platform that helps people write screenplays publicly or privately — With backing from longtime Hollywood player Sandy Climan, Khaled Sabawi has quietly launched Open Screenplay as a free online platform for aspiring screenwriters.
Ashley Feinberg / HuffPost:
A disorienting interview with Jack Dorsey on his Myanmar tweets, right-wing extremism, and what he'd do if Trump called on his followers to murder journalists — A Q&A with Twitter's CEO on right-wing extremism, Candace Owens, and what he'd do if the president called on his followers to murder journalists.
Julia Reda:
EU's copyright reform with “link tax” and “upload filters” suffers a setback as 11 member states vote against the proposal, making adoption in May less likely — Today, Council firmly rejected the negotiating mandate that was supposed to set out Member States' position ahead …
Discussion:
@ambermac, @senficon, @eff, The Verge, Techdirt and Boing Boing, more at Techmeme »
Financial Times:
Sources: Spotify plans to launch a ~$100 voice-controlled in-car music player with preset buttons that correspond to Spotify playlists, later this year — Spotify has a new target as it makes a break for independence from devices made by Apple, Google and Amazon: the car dashboard.
Discussion:
The Verge, Mashable, Android Police, SlashGear, Voicebot, Engadget and Music Business Worldwide, more at Techmeme »
Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:
BuzzFeed UK Editor-in-Chief Janine Gibson is leaving at the end of January after more than three years as its head — Buzzfeed UK editor-in-chief Janine Gibson has announced she is leaving the news website after more than three years in the top job. — Gibson will leave at the end of January …
Discussion:
The Guardian, @markdistef, @davidtpegg, @ninabernstein1, @jeffjarvis, @bradctucker, The Drum and Financial Times