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Sources: BuzzFeed and Group Nine have discussed merger; companies have ties via BuzzFeed's chairman Ken Lerer and his son Ben Lerer, CEO at Group Nine — BuzzFeed is cutting costs and getting leaner, but it still wants to get bigger — by exploring a deal with Group Nine.
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New York Post, Splinter, The Daily Beast, @_alastair, @_alastair, @alex and @brianstelter, more at Techmeme »
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Some BuzzFeed staffers are reporting their own layoffs on Twitter as information trickles out: cuts hit BuzzFeed Spain bureau, national news team, and more — It's another terrible week to work in media. — After the news hit yesterday that BuzzFeed, HuffPost, and Gannett would slash their workforces …
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@kevincollier, @csmcdaniel, @catesish, @lisatozzi, Columbia Journalism Review, @jeremymbarr, @blakersdozen, Business Insider, @rositaboland, New York Post, @natemcdermott, @kfile, @sarahjeong, @cairaconner, @emmacarew, @davechensky, @jgownder, @jameshercher, @fordm, Publishing Executive and CNN

In email to staff, CEO Jonah Peretti says BuzzFeed will make a 15% overall reduction in headcount next week, will share more about its future structure soon
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YouTube says it will no longer suggest videos with “borderline content” or those that “misinform users in a harmful way” even if they don't violate guidelines — SAN FRANCISCO — Whether it is a video claiming the earth is flat or the moon landing was faked …
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YouTube Blog, The Wrap, TheBlaze, @daiwaka, 9to5Google, Engadget, The Verge and @cwarzel, more at Techmeme »
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YouTube's “Up Next” still suggests conspiracy videos, hate group videos, and pirated videos after news searches; YouTube says it's still working to improve
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Nieman Lab, Variety, @cwarzel, Washington Post, The Week, Mashable, The Daily Beast, @ceodonovan, @arictoler, @gilgul, @drewmcweeny, @ceodonovan, @cwarzel and @cwarzel, more at Techmeme »


A look at the eight latest media outlets to receive funding from the Engaged Journalism Accelerator program run by the European Journalism Centre — Engaged Journalism Accelerator director Kathryn Geels introduces our eight newest grantees, taking the total number of funded news organisations …
Discussion:
Journalism.co.uk, Nieman Lab, @vivian, @benwhitelaw and Journalism.co.uk


Johns Hopkins is buying the building that houses the Newseum for $327.5M as the latter seeks a firmer financial footing — The $372.5 million deal will give the university a prime Pennsylvania Avenue address for graduate programs in international relations and other fields.
Discussion:
NPR, Baltimore Sun, The Guardian, @caseymcdermott, @mccanner, @johnkelly, @briankosh, @waltmossberg, @katielannan, @bfquinn and NB Blog


Sources: WarnerMedia Investments, which had invested in Mic, Maker Studios, and Mashable under Time Warner, is no longer its own corporate entity — Prior to becoming WarnerMedia, Time Warner was one of the most prominent investors in digital media and technology companies.
Discussion:
Dallas Business Journal, Top Digital Journal News and @rafat


After Reuters covered Thai government negligence, it ran a native ad whitewashing the state's actions, raising questions about whose ads outlets should publish — When Aubrey Belford started work as a special correspondent for Reuters in Southeast Asia, his new colleagues in the Bangkok bureau …
Discussion:
Talking Biz News and @lionpubs


CNN describes the clues from events at the federal courthouse in Washington, DC, that led them to send a team to capture the early morning arrest of Roger Stone — (CNN)The rare, dramatic video from CNN Friday capturing the early morning FBI raid of longtime Donald Trump confidante Roger Stone's Florida home …
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Variety, Mediaite, @oliverdarcy, The Wrap, Mediaite, @cnnpr, Media Matters for America, Sports Illustrated, @karaswisher, @greta, @brianstelter, Boston Magazine, Gizmodo, @poniewozik and TV Tattle


Mail Online's Q1 revenue is up 14% YoY, while ad revenue rose 11% YoY; ad revenue across Mail titles rose 4% with digital ad growth offsetting print ad decline — Mail titles owner, the Daily Mail and General Trust, has reported revenue growth of 2 per cent year-on-year for the first quarter of 2019.


UN human rights office says a team of international experts will conduct an inquiry into the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, starting in Turkey on January 28 — GENEVA (Reuters) - The United Nations human rights office said on Friday that a team of international experts would conduct an inquiry …
Discussion:
Al Jazeera, New York Times and The Guardian


Stephen Elliott seeks to subpoena Google for the names of everyone who worked on and accessed the Shitty Media Men list and all emails connected to its creation — Stephen Elliott hunts for those who contributed, read and publicized a list of men allegedly behaving inappropriately toward women.
Discussion:
The Daily Beast


Jay Asher, author of Thirteen Reasons Why, sues children's book writers group for defamation after his removal from the group following sexual harassment claims — More than a decade ago, Jay Asher's young adult novel, “Thirteen Reasons Why,” a dark story about a bullied teenager who kills herself, became an unexpected best-seller.
Discussion:
Publishers Weekly


Apple's first beta of iOS 12.2 for developers includes images of a magazine subscription service, rumored since Apple first bought Texture — There have been rumors about an Apple News subscription service since mid-2018, starting with a report by Bloomberg that said Apple was planing …
Discussion:
MacRumors, BGR and Mashable, more at Techmeme »


HuffPost layoffs: WGAE spokesperson says at least 15 union members laid off; non-union managers also affected; head of opinion section says unit is “no more” — New York (CNN)Some employees at HuffPost learned Thursday morning that their days in the newsroom are numbered, as layoffs hit the popular news website.
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