Top News:
Peter Kafka / Recode:
Local news network Patch is now profitable, with $20M in ad revenue a year, but wants to offer deeper coverage and is exploring AI, paid memberships, and more — Patch is reemerging as local newspapers decline. — Perhaps you've read that the future of media is in peril. But that's probably overstating the case.
Discussion:
Nieman Lab, Nieman Lab, @niemanlab, @jasonabbruzzese and @mathewi
Wall Street Journal:
Source: American Media sought advice from the DOJ over whether it should register as a foreign agent after working with Saudi Arabia — American Media inquired about having to register as foreign agent after publishing glossy magazine promoting Saudi Arabia and its new crown prince
Discussion:
Vanity Fair, @edbott, @edbott, @bgrueskin, @rebeccaballhaus, @natashabertrand, @edbott, @edbott, @bykowicz, @edbott, The Week, @edbott, @lrozen and Boing Boing
Mark Fainaru-Wada / ESPN:
Bob Costas, a sports broadcasting icon, on how his criticism of the NFL and its handling of the CTE scandal led to him leaving NBC — IN DECEMBER 2015, the movie “Concussion” was set for a Christmas Day release in nearly 3,000 theaters across America. The film told the story of the NFL's attempts …
Discussion:
@espn, Poynter, @njhoopshaven, @morgfair, @walsha, @ddiamond, @tvaziri, @juang_arango, @stevecapus, @zigmanfreud, @jonheyman, @bruce_arthur, @randfish, @mathewi, @paulosophia, @janesports, CNN, Awful Announcing, @nmercad, @jeffnesbit, @bballbreakdown, @domeniconpr, @julietmacur, @markfwespn, @torrainewalker, @tjmoe28, New York Times, @vosdscott, @richarddeitsch, @markfwespn, Variety, Vanity Fair, TVNewser, Newser, Slate and The Wrap
Brian Steinberg / Variety:
As Fox News' opinion programming comes under scrutiny, the network's pitch to advertisers is more focused on the popularity of its news anchors and their shows — Whether or not they watch Fox News Channel regularly, a lot of people talk about its primetime hosts: Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham and Tucker Carlson.
Discussion:
TVNewser
Cynthia Littleton / Variety:
Former Tribune Publishing CEO Justin Dearborn, who resigned in January, has joined talent agency ICM Partners as its COO — Former Tribune Publishing CEO Justin Dearborn has joined ICM Partners as chief operating officer. — Dearborn comes to ICM in the newly created position after heading …
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times, @davidfolkenflik, Hollywood Reporter, Deadline and @emilybell
Ryan Broderick / BuzzFeed News:
A group of French Twitter personalities, called LOL League, is accused of coordinating harassment campaigns against female and LGBTQ writers and people of color — A secret group of mainly male French journalists have been accused of coordinating a sprawling, yearslong campaign …
Discussion:
The Guardian, @tomnamako, @schemaly, @drakefenton and @broderick
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Thrillist has made its first content acquisition, buying “Send Foodz” from YouTube's food comedians Timothy DeLaGhetto and David So — - Thrillist Makes First Content Acquisition With Food Show From YouTube's Timothy DeLaGhetto, David So — Thrillist, the food …
Discussion:
@groupninemedia
Georg Szalai / Hollywood Reporter:
Viacom's VidCon, a conference for online video creators, is launching in London this week as part of an expansion into international markets — “There is such a great group of creators in the U.K.,” says Jim Louderback, the CEO of the Viacom-owned events business that has been making an international push.
Scott Roxborough / Hollywood Reporter:
CICAE, a European trade body representing art house cinemas, has criticized the Berlin Film Festival for including a Netflix film in its competition line-up — In an open letter to Berlin festival director Dieter Kosslick and the German culture minister, cinema owners criticized the inclusion …
Alexandria Neason / Columbia Journalism Review:
Former Marketplace reporter Lewis Wallace, fired for refusing to take a post on journalistic objectivity down, is crowdfunding a podcast exploring the subject — The American journalism community fancies itself a completely neutral estate, the poster child for objectivity. But this conceit is, at best, ahistorical.
Discussion:
@mathewi, @chasdanner, @cjr, @a_w_gordon, @will_bunch, @janebsinger, @lewispants and @jayrosen_nyu
Sahil Patel / Digiday:
Complex has licensed six of its shows to Netflix and another 10 to Hulu in 2019 — “QB1: Beyond the Lights” is a reality show that follows three star high school quarterbacks during their final season before they move on to play college football. Produced by Complex Networks with …
Discussion:
@digiday, @richantoniello and @sizpatel
Business Wire:
Hearst Magazines President Troy Young has been named Vice Chairman of IAB's board for 2019, which a number of media execs have also joined — IAB today announced it has elected Rik van der Kooi, Corporate Vice President at Microsoft Advertising, as Chairman of the trade organization's Board of Directors.