Top News:
Tribune Publishing Company:
Tribune Publishing says Alden Global Capital is now the company's largest shareholder, buying 25.2% of the company from Merrick Ventures and Michael Ferro Jr. — Tribune Publishing Company (NASDAQ: TPCO), one of the nation's leading media companies, today announced that funds managed …
Discussion:
USA Today, @ronlin, @saragregory, @laura_nelson, @joanniesen, @jbenton, @davidfolkenflik, @davidfolkenflik, @gerryfsmith, @ckrewson and @mattdpearce
Marc Tracy / New York Times:
Gannett and New Media Investment Group's merger became official Tuesday, with executives hoping “efficiencies” will save about $300M/year — The deal to create the largest newspaper company in the nation — which became official at 4:10 p.m. on Tuesday — came about with remarkable speed …
Discussion:
CNN, @maxwelltani, @darrendcarroll, @mathewi, @jcrutchmer, @spsullivan, @caspernewsguild, @vicky_jacobsen, @joshsternberg, @pmalonedc, @emilyoverholt, @amandahess, @sethklamann, @baltsunguild, @indyemapolis, @reporterdavidj, @dtohl, @courantguild, @jbenton, @simonowens, @jbenton, @jenwsheehan, @alexkotch, @marcatracy, @rebekahlsanders, @mattdpearce and @kerrymflynn
Evan Smith / The Texas Tribune:
Texas Tribune EIC and chief audience officer are stepping down to launch a national nonprofit news organization aimed at giving women “facts, tools, and info” — They'll exit their leadership roles at The Texas Tribune at the end of the year. We couldn't be more grateful …
Discussion:
@amzam, The Wrap, @jwharris, @lmcgaughy, @jeffjarvis, @eramshaw, @amzam, @amzam, @jayrosen_nyu, @eramshaw and @amzam
Saheli Roy Choudhury / CNBC:
Disney says there's no indication of a Disney+ security breach, in response to reports of thousands of users' accounts being hijacked and sold online for $3-$11 — - Thousands of Disney+ user accounts have been stolen by hackers and put up for sale on the dark web, according to multiple reports.
Discussion:
ZDNet, BBC, /Film, Bloomberg, The Next Web, @kaspersky and New York Post
Matt Novak / Gizmodo:
Facebook exec defends Breitbart on Facebook News, saying Breitbart is not being paid and balances out “far left” outlets, but it's unclear which ones she meant — Facebook recently announced that white supremacist propaganda site Breitbart would be considered a “high quality” …
Discussion:
@ranimolla, Vox, @teddyschleifer, @jaredlholt, Right Wing Watch, @ericboehlert, @alibreland, @oliverdarcy, @deborahblum, @slpng_giants, @bgrueskin, @ceciliakang, @voxdotcom and Memex 1.1
Dieter Bohn / The Verge:
Google announces Your News Update, an Assistant-powered audio feature that chooses stories based on interests, location, and more, available first in the US — It plays from a variety of sources instead of just the few you hand-pick — Google is rolling out a new service for Google Assistant that it's calling “Your News Update.”
Discussion:
The Keyword, TechCrunch, RAIN News, CNET, @chelseactv, Search Engine Land, @reckless, Engadget, @backlon, @google and Fortune, more at Techmeme »
Ted Johnson / Deadline:
DOJ antitrust head Makan Delrahim says the DOJ will move to end the 1940s Paramount consent decrees, which limit major distributors' control over theater chains — The Justice Department will ask a federal court to eliminate the Paramount consent decrees, the 71-year-old restrictions …
Discussion:
U.S. Department of Justice, Broadcasting & Cable, Wall Street Journal, Business Insider, BIG by Matt Stoller, @joshshepperd, @johnaugust, @eriqgardner, @williambibbiani, Variety, Hollywood Reporter, @richlightshed, @nick_kapur, @adamconover, @mrfengi, @erichschwartzel, @i_zzzzzz, Bloomberg, Reuters, Gizmodo and /Film
NBC News:
Emails show that a 2015 article, fed by Stephen Miller, ran in Breitbart with a “Breitbart News” byline at Miller's insistence, disguising opinion as editorial — The emails offer a window into just how closely Miller coordinated with Breitbart, a publication that backed President Donald Trump early in his campaign.
John Ourand / The Business Journals:
Report: Trump is in negotiations with Fox to buy a Super Bowl ad; 30-second spots are reportedly selling for $5.6M — It appears likely that President Trump's re-election campaign will buy an ad during February's Super Bowl telecast, marking what would be the first time in recent memory …
Discussion:
@ourand_sbj, Breitbart, Awful Announcing, @tim_bays and @ccadelago
Jon Allsop / Columbia Journalism Review:
The impeachment defense contending that only people with firsthand knowledge of events are qualified to know about them implicitly impugns reporting practices — As the impeachment process has ground on, the president's defense has only become more convoluted and dishonest.
Discussion:
Washington Post, @jon_allsop and New York Times
Mackenzie Nichols / Variety:
Sen. Warren, Sen. Sanders, others ask for an independent investigation into NBC News over allegations in Catch and Kill, a day before MSNBC hosts a Dem. debate — A day before MSNBC hosts the next Democratic primary debate, presidential hopefuls Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders …
Discussion:
Mediaite
Jim Waterson / The Guardian:
During Tuesday's debate, UK's Conservative party renamed its main media Twitter account as “factcheckUK” and changed its logo to push anti-Labour material — Party accused of misleading public by tweeting anti-Labour posts as ‘factcheckUK’ — The Conservatives have been accused …
CNN:
Current and former The Hill employees: owner Jimmy Finkelstein tells editors when Trump coverage too harsh, staff in “revolt” over handling of John Solomon saga — New York (CNN Business)James “Jimmy” Finkelstein, the owner of The Hill newspaper, is not a widely known media executive …
Discussion:
Politico, @oliverdarcy, @oliverdarcy, @brizzyc, @chicana74, @timobrien, @jwpetersnyt, @adamserwer, @janemayernyer, @anthony, Poynter, @joshdata, @froomkin, @waldojaquith, @dangillmor, Raw Story, @erikwemple, @ckrewson, @oliverdarcy and @oliverdarcy, Thanks:@beet_tv
RELATED:
Michael Calderone / Politico:
The Hill says it's reviewing, annotating, and when appropriate, correcting former columnist John Solomon's opinion pieces referenced in the impeachment inquiry
The Hill says it's reviewing, annotating, and when appropriate, correcting former columnist John Solomon's opinion pieces referenced in the impeachment inquiry
Discussion:
@erikwemple, KIFI-TV, The Intercept, Mediaite, @zac_petkanas, iMediaEthics, @erikwemple, @jayrosen_nyu, The Daily Beast, Talking Points Memo and Mediaite