Top News:


Maria Ressa has been released after spending one night in NBI custody and posting bail of 100K Philippine pesos, or about $1,900 — Rappler editor and critic of Duterte's administration posts bail a day after widely condemned arrest on libel charges. — Maria Ressa, an award-winning …
Discussion:
@mariaressa, CNN, The Guardian, CNN, RAPPLER, RAPPLER, Global Voices Advocacy, Committee to Protect …, @brianstelter, Associated Press, Reuters, philstar.com and CNN
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Rappler CEO Maria Ressa arrested by Philippines National Bureau of Investigation on cyber libel charges over story published four months before cyber law passed
Discussion:
Washington Post, New York Times, @kathleencarrll, BuzzFeed News, @justinhendrix, @meghara, RAPPLER, The Verge, @issamahmed, Committee to Protect …, @davidmackau, @karaswisher, @vivian, @brianklaas, @icijorg, CNN, The Guardian, @miriamelder, @indayevarona, @orskov, @pressfreedom, TechCrunch, @davidakaye, @ifex, @monaeltahawy, @aj_joven, @iamkarendavila, @penamerican, @freedomonthenet, @factchecknet, @dawende, @jotted, @filipinoscribe, @freedomofpress, @sivavaid, @fahrenthold, @jayrosen_nyu, @pressfreedom, @acosta, @cpjasia, @chayhofilena, @jprmercado, @ohnopaige, @sheilacoronel, @rapplerdotcom, @sofiatomacruz, @justinhendrix, @b_obermayer, FRONTLINE, BBC, @bethangsioco, @reyaika, @existentialenso, @aikarobredo, @drewoccrp, Silent No More PH, Al Jazeera, NPR, WAN-IFRA, Techdirt, The Guardian, RAPPLER and Rappler


The Chicago Cubs partners with Sinclair to launch a sports network that will become its exclusive TV home in 2020, ending more than 70 years of free broadcasts — A WGN-TV camera operator works a game between the Chicago Cubs and the New York Mets at Wrigley Field in 2014. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, @wsj, @chicagotribune and Fortune


Since Columbine, media has gotten better at covering school shootings, but issues of accuracy, follow-up, and narrow focus on gun control advocacy remain — Coverage of the 2018 school shooting may be marginally better than it was 20 years ago after Columbine, but it's still not nearly good enough.
Discussion:
Columbia Journalism Review, Poynter, Poynter, WBUR, @kristenhare, @rpetty, @samsanders, The Guardian, @teamtrace and Axios


Sources: Facebook has a new funding program for Facebook Watch shows and is seeking influencers to work with production partners, wants limited exclusive rights — Facebook has created a new funding program where it would work with publishers and influencers on new shows for Facebook Watch.
Discussion:
Ad Age, @digiday, Tubefilter and @mattnavarra


The Trump Administration reached out to Lou Dobbs and Sean Hannity to support Trump's border deal; sources: Bill Shine was involved in outreach to Fox hosts — WASHINGTON — In pursuit of a wall, President Trump ran into one. A single-minded drive to force Congress to finance …
Discussion:
TVNewser, The Daily Beast, @poniewozik, The Week, Mediaite, Media Matters for America, CNN and Telegraph


The NYT has quietly paused its Snapchat channel with the last edition dated Dec 21, 2018; Snap says it is having ongoing “creative conversations” with the Times — After publishing to Snapchat Discover every weekday, The New York Times has quietly stopped its channel.
Discussion:
@digiday


CNN's Howard Schultz town hall was another example of the media legitimizing rich political candidates because of their ability to self-fund — A billionaire flirts with a run for president and gets grossly disproportionate free airtime. We all know the punchline.
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, Vox and @ezraklein


CBS reports Q4 revenues of $4B, up 3% YoY, missing estimates, adjusted operating income of $837M, up 10% YoY, and says it has 8M direct-to-consumer subscribers — CBS Corp. reported fourth-quarter earnings that fell short of Wall Street analysts' expectations, largely due to a dip …
Discussion:
The Wrap, Broadcasting & Cable, Variety, Business Insider and CBS Corporation SEC Filings


Apple has signed many publishers to its upcoming news service with a 50% revenue split, sources say, but that split likely won't satisfy major newspapers — Magazine publishers are on board with Apple's new subscription news service. Newspapers aren't. — Apple says it wants to help save journalism.
Discussion:
Slate, American Press Institute, @slate, @siobhannyc, Stratechery, @jessicalessin, 9to5Mac, @dhh, @tariqkrim, The Verge, @joshuatopolsky, @jmcduling, @pkafka, The Loop, VentureBeat, @stratechery, @mathewi, @donie, Gizmodo, MacRumors, Daring Fireball, Business Insider, Engadget, @mims, @mathewi, CNBC, What's New in Publishing, @aunkurarya, @theinformation and @_alastair, more at Techmeme »
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Poynter launches MediaWise, a program providing curriculum to middle schools and high schools in US to teach fact-checking, wants to reach 1M students by 2020 — WASHINGTON — Is this story trustworthy? — That's a question The Poynter Institute says students need to be taught to answer themselves.


Univision recorded 2018 loss of ~$130M on its English-language digital assets which include Gizmodo and The Onion, bought The Onion's remaining stake for $28.7M — The company reported that the assets lost $32.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2018. — Univision is acknowledging …
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal


Sources: the owner of the Cleveland Browns, also CEO of a truck stop chain, pulls out of an ad deal with ESPN two years early after a critical story on the team — Pilot Flying J is pulling its extensive advertising and sponsorship agreement with ESPN two years into a four-year deal …