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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 …
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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, The Wrap, Deadline, Vanity Fair, Bleeding Cool, The A.V. Club, @robdelaney, @thr, @colinlevy, CinemaBlend, /Film and TVWeek.com


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:
@joshconstine, @taylorlorenz, @sapere_vivere, @caseynewton, @ajchavar, @mathewi, SlashGear, Mashable, Adweek, Engadget, Gizmodo, Business Insider, The Verge and 9to5Mac, more at Techmeme »


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, @emmacargo, @benmullin and @benmullin


How after decades of Viacom's mismanagement, Paramount is trying to turn itself around by investing in TV production and revitalizing its movie franchises — After decades of nearly slapstick mismanagement — spinning off TV and missing the internet — the studio behind “The Godfather” is fighting for its life.


Interview with Axios business editor Dan Primack on producing newsletters, valuations of VC-backed online media, Facebook, IPOs in 2019, and the launch at Axios — “I want to tell a reader something they don't know yet ... I want to make them feel smart when they get to work and feel like they're ready to do their jobs."
Discussion:
@edmundlee


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


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


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.


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


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.

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:
The Verge, Boing Boing, @eff, @ambermac, @senficon and Techdirt, more at Techmeme »