Top News:
Peter Kafka / Vox:
HBO Max to launch in May and cost $15 a month, same as the existing HBO; AT&T plans to bundle free subscriptions for some customers of its other services — HBOMax, WarnerMedia's new streaming service, will feature all of HBO's shows, like Game of Thrones, plus new programing. HBO
Discussion:
Variety, The Wrap, Crain's New York Business, The Streamable, Variety, @hbomax, Variety, CNBC, Wall Street Journal, The Streamable, The Wrap, @id_aa_carmack, @reckless, @reckless, @reckless, /Film, Multichannel News, Fox News, @xpangler, @pkafka, Hollywood Reporter, @marvelology, @richlightshed, @xpangler, @mgsiegler, The Verge, @xpangler and @xpangler, more at Techmeme »
Ryan Glasspiegel / The Big Lead:
Deadspin's interim editor-in-chief, Barry Petchesky, who has worked for the publication for 10 years, says he has been fired for “not sticking to sports” — It was a solid bet when The Daily Beast reported that G/O Media management issued an edict to Deadspin to stick to sports …
Discussion:
@barry, Wall Street Journal, @kerrymflynn, The Outline, @gmgunion, @dansolomon, New York Post, Deadline, @gmgunion, @bubbaprog, @megreenwell, Mother Jones, @sarahspain, @ryanlcooper, @stephentotilo, @dansolomon, @libbycwatson, @bruce_arthur, @mlcalderone, @sportsrapport, @maxkennerly, @byjoelanderson, @catmsilverman, Washington Post, @brianpshea, @dceiver, Awful Announcing, @maxwelltani, @ashleyfeinberg, @jonbolds, @robneyer, @kentremendous, @sdkstl, @weareyourfek, @taylorcocke and @natalieweiner
RELATED:
Maxwell Tani / The Daily Beast:
G/O Media Editorial Director Paul Maidment calls Deadspin's focus an “incredibly broad mandate”: “We are sorry that some on the Deadspin staff don't agree” — “We are sorry that some on the Deadspin staff don't agree with that editorial direction, and refuse to work within that incredibly broad mandate."
Discussion:
Sports Media Guy, Business Insider, @sgtjanedoe, HuffPost, @kantrowitz, @andrewkirell, @yc, @shortformernie and The Wrap
Kelsey Mckinney / @mckinneykelsey:
Deadspin writer says G/O Media management removed a letter to the readers from Deadspin staff that criticised the recent addition of autoplay videos to the site
Discussion:
@gmgunion, @chronotope, CNN, @sueonthetown, VICE, @barry, @williamfleitch, @katiedrumm, Awful Announcing, @mckinneykelsey, @ashleyfeinberg, Gizmodo and The Daily Beast
Jason Gurwin / The Streamable:
Sony says it will shut down its PlayStation Vue live TV subscription service on January 30 — The Streamable is reader-supported and may earn an affiliate commission when you sign up with our links. — This is breaking news, the story will be updated. — After much speculation …
Discussion:
PlayStation.Blog, USA Today, Variety, MediaPost, @pkafka, Awful Announcing, @pkafka and /Film, more at Techmeme »
Ben Terris / Washington Post:
James Bennet may be a candidate for NYT EIC; he has wrestled with family allegiances, like to brother Michael, but has recused himself from coverage in the past — Michael Bennet is running for president. His sibling James is a big shot at the New York Times.
Discussion:
@mlcalderone, @shanegoldmacher, @mlcalderone, @drvox, @ashleyfeinberg, @drewharwell, @lam_barrett and @justinjm1
Will Cathcart / Washington Post:
WhatsApp sues NSO Group after investigating an attack that sent malware to 1,400 devices, targeting 100+ journalists and human rights defenders — Will Cathcart is head of WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook. — In May, WhatsApp announced that we had detected and blocked a new kind …
RELATED:
Avi Asher-Schapiro / Committee to Protect Journalists:
Q&A with Maati Monjib, co-founder of the Moroccan Association for Investigative Journalism and a target of NSO Group's spyware, on the impact of surveillance — Pegasus, the cellphone spyware tool sold by the Israeli firm NSO Group, is one of the most powerful surveillance systems governments can buy, experts say.
Discussion:
@aaschapiro
Mike Isaac / New York Times:
Sources: over 250 Facebook employees have signed a letter visible on an internal forum that says letting politicians lie in ads is “a threat” to the company — In an open letter, the social network's employees said letting politicians post false claims in ads was “a threat” to the company.
Discussion:
@mikeisaac, USA Today, CNN, The Guardian, New York Times, @sarahfrier, @aoc, @donie, @bariawilliams, Fortune, @peterwsinger, The Hill, @wiczipedia, @carolecadwalla, @cnbc, @profcarroll, @nickconfessore, @rmac18, @donttrythis, Breitbart, @donie, KTLA, @thegrugq, @mattlech, @senblumenthal, @mikeisaac, @davmicrot, The Independent, The A.V. Club, MediaPost, Politico, Mercury News, @wiczipedia, @benioff, @ewarren, @brianstelter, @oneunderscore__, VICE, Business Insider, The Next Web, The Verge, Ad Age, RAPPLER, Beyond Search, TechCrunch, Wall Street Journal, Memex 1.1, The Week, Mashable, The Wrap, Engadget and Gizmodo, more at Techmeme »
John Sands / Knight Foundation:
Local news survey: 45% of Americans trust it “quite a lot” or more; 53% of Americans view it as balanced though 50% of Democrats trust it vs. 27% of Republicans — When it comes to trust, local news media continue to outperform their national counterparts.
Discussion:
Nieman Lab, Knight Foundation, @maryellenklas, @newsalliance, @newsbyschmidt, @niemanlab, @brizzyc, @dangillmor, The Rural Blog and Fast Company
Sara Fischer / Axios:
Sources: NBC News Digital is expanding its staff by 20% over the next year, amounting to ~70 new jobs, and shutting down its digital video studio NBC Left Field — NBC News Digital is expanding its staff by 20% over the next year, an addition of roughly 70 jobs across multiple departments …
Discussion:
Variety, @sarafischer and @oliverdarcy
Committee to Protect Journalists:
CPJ's 2019 Global Impunity Index: Somalia, Syria, Iraq have the worst records for prosecuting murderers of journalists; Philippines, Mexico top unsolved cases — CPJ's 2019 Global Impunity Index spotlights countries where journalists are slain and their killers go free
Discussion:
@joshua__frank, @pressfreedom, @spj_tweets, @dillidurast, @pressfreedom, @nujp, @pressfreedom and RAPPLER
Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:
70+ female MPs release a letter supporting Meghan Markle and criticizing the “often distasteful and misleading nature” of UK newspaper stories about her — A cross-party group of female MPs have written to Meghan Markle to express solidarity over what they called …
Discussion:
New York Times, WWD, Metro.co.uk, Los Angeles Times, @hollylynch5 and The Hill
Senior Data Journalist, NY — 
Manager - Publishing Editorial, Manila — 
Oil Reporter, Singapore — 
Newsperson - State Govt. & Politics, CA — 
Business Reporter, SC — 
State Government Reporter, WA — 
Climate Crisis Columnist — 
Multimedia Journalist, CA — 
Community Engagement Mgr., DC — 
Senior California Politics Reporter, CA — 
Staff Writer - Business, NY — 
Team Editor - Opinion, ON — 
Assistant Correspondent, DC — 
Climate & Weather Reporter, MN — 
Senior Tech Editor, Remote US — 
Lead Business Reporter, TN — 
Managing Editor, WA — 
Private Credit Reporter, NY — 
Trending News Reporter, TX — 
City Correspondent, London — 
Legislative Reporter, CA — 
Reporter, PA — 
Visual Editor, Remote — 
Staff Writer, MI — 
Senior Political Reporter, DC — 
California Playbook Writer, CA — 
National Investigative Reporter, NY — 
Business & Gaming Reporter, NV — 
Coastal Climate Reporter, SC — 
Environment & Energy Reporter, CT — 
Coordinating Editor, OR — 
Editor, Remote US — 
Business Reporter, WA — 
Editor-in-Chief, AZ — 
