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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, @niemanlab, @jasonabbruzzese and @mathewi


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:
@edbott, @edbott, @edbott, @edbott, @edbott, @edbott, @rebeccaballhaus, @natashabertrand, @bykowicz and @lrozen
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AMI sources: Lauren Sanchez's brother provided her texts with Bezos to National Enquirer; Bezos' security consultant says probe into who provided texts is over — Multiples sources tell The Daily Beast that Michael Sanchez, a Trumpworld associate and brother to Bezos' lover, gave the couple's texts to The National Enquirer.
Discussion:
Politico, USA Today, Washington Post, Mediaite, Vanity Fair, ABC News, Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, @alexzfinley, Slate, @justclaudia3, Business Insider, @abcpolitics, @malcolmnance, @timobrien, CNBC, Newser, Contemptor, @laurenwern, Fast Company, @profjeffjarviss, @bakari_sellers, @joshgreenman, @sdkstl, @hshaban, @helenkennedy, @noahshachtman, @benmullin, @brianstelter, TechCrunch, Philly.com, Fortune and New York Times


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:
CNN, Awful Announcing, Poynter, @espn, Variety, Vanity Fair, TVNewser, @morgfair, @walsha, @ddiamond, @stevecapus, @zigmanfreud, @richarddeitsch, @jonheyman, @bruce_arthur, @mathewi, @janesports, @markfwespn, @nmercad, @jeffnesbit, @domeniconpr, @julietmacur, @markfwespn, @torrainewalker, @tjmoe28, Newser, Slate and The Wrap


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:
@janebsinger, @mathewi, @chasdanner, @a_w_gordon, @will_bunch, @lewispants and @jayrosen_nyu


A.J. Calloway, a host on entertainment news show “Extra,” was suspended by Warner Bros. on Saturday amid growing number of sexual misconduct allegations — A.J. Calloway, a host on the entertainment news show “Extra,” was suspended by Warner Bros. on Saturday amid a growing number of accusations of sexual misconduct.
Discussion:
Associated Press, @tezlynfigaro and @thr


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 and @richantoniello


Analysis of six years of Who Pays Writers? data: freelancers typically made $200 per article, 73% had to wait 4+ weeks to be paid, and print articles paid more — The website Who Pays Writers? was founded in 2012 as a public, anonymous forum for freelancers to share their experiences working for publications.
Discussion:
@sarphanuzunoglu, @awj_chicago, @jennygzhang, @jamesfdennin, @dlberes, @ryp__, @mariekshan, @niemanlab and @susie_c


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


Sources: GateHouse Media has quietly cut 60+ employees after buying a group of newspapers from Schurz Communications for $30M in late January — - GateHouse Media, owned by local newspaper giant New Media Investment Group, is quietly laying off journalists across the country.
Discussion:
@lbischoff, @amlwhere and @z_everson


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.


Despite recent cost-cutting measures at digital media companies, major Hollywood media conglomerates remain confident in them as long-term strategic investments — As BuzzFeed and Vice cut hundreds of jobs, Comcast or Disney could look at takeover bids, but “why would they want to double …
Discussion:
@erik_hayden and @jeremymbarr


Journalists defending Jill Abramson's plagiarism show that public figures above a certain level are somewhat immune to any real career consequences — The Worst Thing We Read Yesterday™ — Last night, Michael C. Moynihan of Vice tweeted a series of examples of Jill Abramson …
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Jill Abramson continues to defend her book against plagiarism charges, says she gave Vice early excerpts of the book and invited the company's response
Discussion:
@bgrueskin, @brianstelter, @brianstelter, @axios, @spytalker, @mjrowland68, @mjs_dc, @annelamott, @greenfield64, @jordanuhl, @bethanyshondark, @mathewi, @wakeup2politics, @jaraparilla, @jonathanvswan, @tripgabriel, @amandionair, @mcwm, @rtmannjr, @boobpunchtina, @piersmorgan, @jordgoldman, @cnn, @medialawprof, @anthonylfisher, @will_bunch, @jyuanathan, @mathewi, @benmullin and Axios