Mediagazer: Two parents of Parkland shooting victims have written to Pulitzer judges urging them to award the South Florida Sun Sentinel for coverage of the shooting (David Bauder/Associated Press)

9:40 AM ET, February 4, 2019

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, @tim_cook, USA Today, Sports Illustrated, @mkramer, What's New in Publishing, @lam_barrett, @dabeard, @kris_sacrebleu, @mitchellreports, @markhertling, @mcfaul, @amy_siskind, @baekdal, @brianstelter, @postbaron 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. …

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: One Man & His Blog, Variety, Fast Company, TIME, Fortune, @morganjerkins, TechCrunch, @brianstelter, @bydanielvictor, The Week, @markdistef, @mattnavarra, @hshaban, @nytimes, @jessicahuseman, @alexhern, USA Today, @lisatozzi, Mashable, BuzzFeed News, Engadget and The Verge

Andrew Marchand / New York Post:

Sources: ESPN fired host Adnan Virk after allegations he leaked confidential company information to the media on multiple occasions — ESPN rising star Adnan Virk has been fired by the network, sources told The Post. — Virk is accused of leaking confidential company information to the media …

Discussion: Newser, USA Today and Awful Announcing

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: @rafat, @jfberke, @sherman4949 and The Daily Beast

Ian Burrell / The Drum:

The Economist's redesign, its podcasting and documentary efforts, and Open Future initiative are part of a drive to make the magazine seem less inaccessible — The Economist is taking a series of steps to bring more emotion to its brand after research revealed that it was seen as lacking in humanity and accessibility.

David Bauder / Associated Press:

Two parents of Parkland shooting victims have written to Pulitzer judges urging them to award the South Florida Sun Sentinel for coverage of the shooting — PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — Two parents who lost daughters in last year's Parkland, Florida, school shooting are calling for their local newspaper …

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: @c_arreola, @praddenkeefe, @sarahw, @itsmarkmedley and @magiciansbook

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

Columbia Journalism Review:

Murder of a Polish mayor prompts introspection among the country's highly partisan media regarding the role it plays in stirring up hostility and vitriol — On the night of January 13, Paweł Adamowicz, the mayor of Gdańsk, stood onstage at a charity event.

Discussion: @notesfrompoland and @mgoillandeau

Tiffany Stevens / Poynter:

A look at independent journalistic endeavors like Southerly pushing for deeper coverage of the South and Appalachia, occupying roles once played by alt-weeklies — Two years before the 2016 election, freelance reporter Matt Stroud became fascinated by an area that soon would be labeled Trump country.

Discussion: @poynter, @mgmadvertiser, @lisakmurtha, @poynter, @southerlymag, @atrubek, @jcstearns, @davnelson and @byclaycarey

Martin Scott / Nieman Reports:

Interviews with 74 journalists and foundation representatives show concerns with relying on philanthropy because funding shapes which issues get covered and how — New research raises questions about unintended consequences when it comes to foundation funding of international coverage

Discussion: @niemanreports, @martinscott2010, @janebsinger, @digidave, @meljbunce, @newsprof1, @evaconstantaras, @cityjournalism, @jenniferdeseo, @newsprof1, @martinscott2010, @niemanreports and @mathewi

Dalit Shalom / Times Open:

NYT's “The Daily” episodes will now come with transcripts created by 3Play transcription software; transcripts of other Times podcasts are coming in the future — Dalit ShalomBlockedUnblockFollowFollowing — It's an introduction familiar to many: “From The New York Times, I'm Michael Barbaro.

Discussion: @arainert, @mznewman, @mikiebarb and @amcowana