Top News:
Sanjana Karanth / HuffPost:
The Washington Post's spend on its Super Bowl ad, reportedly $5.2M, has provoked anger in some quarters, including the Washington-Baltimore News Guild — Many are having issues with how much it cost, saying that money could go toward paying journalists. — The Washington Post aired …
Discussion:
@washingtonpost, Washington Post, @jeffbezos, The Wrap, @tim_cook, Fortune, Ad Age, Broadcasting & Cable, @sarahkaplan48, MediaPost, @ahauslohner, @levinejonathan, @christophelston, @heroinebook, @michaelavenatti, @sarahmccammon, @baekdal, @mkramer, @brianstelter, @lam_barrett, @postbaron, @the_ruhoff, @kris_sacrebleu, @dabeard, @mitchellreports, @markhertling, @davidrutz, @mcfaul, @jessespector, @amy_siskind, @deirdrelatour and John Kasich
Philana Patterson / USA Today:
Gannett says its board has unanimously rejected an acquisition offer from Digital First Media, saying that the offer is not credible and undervalues the company — Gannett Co. said Monday that its board has unanimously rejected an unsolicited proposal to be acquired by media company MNG Enterprises Inc. …
Stewart Clarke / Variety:
Viacom has launched MTV Play, a streaming app for music channel MTV, in the UK targeted at younger viewers and cordcutters; it is priced at £3.99 a month — Viacom is going direct-to-consumer, launching an MTV Play app in the U.K. It marks the first time that Viacom …
Matt Donnelly / Variety:
Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop signs deal for docuseries with Netflix and a podcast distribution deal with Delta Airlines, while pausing its quarterly mag — Goop, the lifestyle and wellness juggernaut founded a decade ago by Oscar winner Gwyneth Paltrow, is expanding its original content efforts …
Discussion:
@stephaniemlee, Vanity Fair, @amirsariaslan, @wstafrican, TechCrunch, @mattdonnelly, @somebadideas, @sdpowell1, The A.V. Club, @jpiacenza, @caulfieldtim, Engadget, Jezebel and Fortune
Ian Parker / New Yorker:
A profile of Dan Mallory, a bestselling novelist and former senior publishing executive who told numerous lies to advance in the book industry — Dan Mallory, who writes under the name A. J. Finn, went to No. 1 with his début thriller, “The Woman in the Window.” His life contains even stranger twists.
Discussion:
@katiehadams, @max_read, @sineadgleeson, @sawdustbear, @maureenjohnson, @hels, @mkonnikova, @sarahreesbrenna, @chuckwendig, @hello_tailor, @lauramlippman, @e_alexjung, @c_arreola, @matt_levine, @runwithskizzers, @mcdougallsophia, @praddenkeefe, @sarahw, @itsmarkmedley, @fuggirls, @emilynussbaum, @magiciansbook, @kurestinarmada, @brandyljensen and @jamiattenberg
Alex Sherman / CNBC:
Digital media companies ought to adopt a strategy similar to pay TV, offering combinations of news outlets for one basic monthly price, without separate log-ins — - Digital media companies might benefit from a bundled service that doesn't require customers to subscribe to multiple a la carte services.
Discussion:
One Man & His Blog, @rafat, @jfberke, @sherman4949 and The Daily Beast
Tatiana Siegel / Hollywood Reporter:
Source: Netflix is closing in on a deal to purchase director Joe Berlinger's film on Ted Bundy, starring Zac Efron, for $9M — The streaming giant proved to be a natural fit given that director Joe Berlinger already has a docuseries about the serial killer on the platform.
Discussion:
The Playlist
New York Times:
The Instagram egg account, with 10M+ followers, was started by an advertising professional; a Hulu ad based on the egg debuted Sunday promoting mental health — He works in advertising. — When Chris Godfrey learned in early January that the record for “likes” on an Instagram post was held …
Discussion:
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Washington Post:
A detailed account of Newseum's financial woes, stemming from large debt, management upheaval, and a lofty vision, despite notable rental and catering revenue — A bald eagle named Challenger shot into the sky on that day in April 2008 as the Newseum celebrated the unveiling of its sumptuous building …
Discussion:
@paddygilgersj, @abbygateau, @jonheyman, @mathitak, @peterbakernyt, @shibleytelhami, @jackshafer and Media Law Prof Blog
Dominic Patten / Deadline:
Early ratings for the 2019 Super Bowl show a decline of 5% YoY, marking a historic 10-year low — The New England Patriots' 13-3 victory over the Los Angeles Rams last night wasn't the most exciting Super Bowl ever played by any measure, but the 2019 NFL championship game was sure one for the history books.
Paul Farhi / Washington Post:
How Patrick Howley, editor-in-chief of Big League Politics, got the scoop about Governor Ralph Northam's yearbook photo, after a tip from a “concerned citizen” — The reporter who exposed the racist photo on Gov. Ralph Northam's yearbook page said a “concerned citizen” …
Discussion:
Hit & Run, Breitbart, The Federalist, Big League Politics and The Daily Caller
Kristen Hare / Poynter:
After the Associated Press made data available on its data.world platform, it had 1400 downloads from 300 local newsrooms in 2018 — The forces facing local news aren't all bad. — Report for America is putting more reporters in local newsrooms. ProPublica's adding local investigative journalists.