Mediagazer: A federal judge ruled Friday that Stephen Elliott cannot sue Shitty Media Men creator Moira Donegan for emotional distress but can claim defamation (Anna Merlan/Jezebel)

12:10 PM ET, March 4, 2019

Top News:

Jane Mayer / New Yorker:

Since Trump was elected, Fox News has swerved from being a partisan news network to the closest thing the US has to state TV — Fox News has always been partisan. But has it become propaganda? — In January, during the longest government shutdown in America's history …

Ronn Blitzer / Law & Crime:

Report: former FoxNews.com reporter Diana Falzone settled lawsuit with Fox News, after suing following demotion over Stormy Daniels story which was spiked — A massive New Yorker report on the ongoing and evolving relationship between Fox News and President Donald Trump included details …

Discussion: Mediaite and Contemptor

Snopes.com:

GOP political consultants, some working for PACs, are running a network of fake news sites targeting conservative voters ahead of the 2020 election — On 6 February 2017, a website of uncertain origin named “The Tennessee Star” was born. At the time, it was unclear who funded or operated this …

Discussion: @naomikritzer, @media_evan, @carigervin, @scavendish, @publiceyestl, @snopes, @dbrauer, @repgregharris, @snopes and @deannaamore

Brooks Barnes / New York Times:

Luminary, a subscription-based podcasting app, has just emerged from stealth with $100M in funding and shows from Conan O'Brien, Lena Dunham, and more — LOS ANGELES — Patti LuPone as a bebop-singing junkie nun in John Cameron Mitchell's musical follow-up to “Hedwig and the Angry Inch.”

Lesley Goldberg / Hollywood Reporter:

Bob Greenblatt named as chairman of WarnerMedia Entertainment; Jeff Zucker named chairman of WarnerMedia News & Sports and remains President of CNN — The former NBC Entertainment chairman will have oversight of television programming operations including HBO and Turner.

Discussion: Variety, Variety and Observer

Rene Chun / The Daily Beast:

When AMI moved all company operations to its HQ in FL, only three Star staffers out of 61 made the move, some citing poor job security and Pecker's bad temper — A previously unpublished profile captures the Enquirer boss at start of his reign as gossip king. ‘He likes people walking around in fear,’ says one worker.

Discussion: @noahshachtman, @thedailybeast, @thedailybeast and @therickwilson

Anna Merlan / Jezebel:

A federal judge ruled Friday that Stephen Elliott cannot sue Shitty Media Men creator Moira Donegan for emotional distress but can claim defamation — A federal judge in Brooklyn on Friday ruled that in the ongoing lawsuit against Moira Donegan, the creator of the Shitty Media Men lawsuit …

Recode:

Q&A with Vivek Shah, CEO of J2 Global, which owns a portfolio of 40+ brands like Mashable, Ziff Davis, Speedtest, and IGN and which almost bought Gawker Media — J2 Global owns a portfolio of media and internet service companies that includes PCMag, Mashable, and Speedtest by Ookla.

Jeremy Barr / Hollywood Reporter:

Former White House staffer Seb Gorka says he is no longer a contributor to Fox News: “I decided not to renew my contract” — Gorka, who hosts a daily radio show for Salem Radio Network, said he decided not to renew his contract. — Sebastian Gorka is no longer a Fox News contributor …

Discussion: The Wrap, MarketWatch, @alexnazaryan, The Week, @rosiegray, @jeremymbarr, @sebgorka and Mediaite

Mark Di Stefano / BuzzFeed:

Writer and editor Emily Sheffield to launch #ThisMuchIKnow, a media startup backed by Guardian that will deliver news through Instagram posts and stories — Emily Sheffield told potential reporters and editors she had the backing of the Guardian's £42 million venture capital fund.

Discussion: @jbenton, @markdistef, @markdistef, @emilysheffield and @symeonbrown

Max Willens / Digiday:

VC investors see growth in sports digital media like Overtime and Chernin Group's Action Network because their loyal fan bases offer revenue sources beyond ads — Venture capital firms might have soured on digital media companies over the past few years, but many sports media companies continue to draw backing.

Paul Mozur / New York Times:

Interview with NYT's Paul Mozur, a tech reporter in Shanghai, about his most important tools, especially in a country with a government known for surveillance — To protect himself and his sources from prying eyes in China, Paul Mozur, a technology reporter in Shanghai, leaves just an “innocent trace” of digital exhaust.

Discussion: @adrianzenz, @nicoleperlroth, @ceciliakang, @freedomevpn, @suilee, @paulmozur, @kemc, @davidpaulk, @mozilla and @zhusu

Isaac Lee / Columbia Journalism Review:

A look at the tactics used by the Venezuelan government to eliminate most independent media, from censorship to having government sympathizers buy outlets — Earlier this week, the Nicolás Maduro regime detained and expelled journalist Jorge Ramos, one of the most famous news anchors in the world …

Discussion: @samuelcnn

Luke Ottenhof / Observer:

A look at how freelancers are affected by media layoffs and at their efforts to organize to ensure better working conditions, including timely payment — It's been a tough year for workers in the media industry. Though we're less than two months removed from 2018, the first stretch …

Discussion: @rl_bynum, @freelancersu and @michellemanafy