Top News:


A Pew study of 50+ of its surveys shows that political party affiliation is the biggest factor affecting trust or skepticism of the news media — Partisan dynamics overshadow other factors in Americans' evaluations of the news media — It is no secret that, in an information environment characterized …


Apple News will co-host a presidential debate for the first time, on Feb. 7 in New Hampshire, and Twitter will co-host a debate on Feb. 25 in South Carolina — The Democratic National Committee announced on Thursday the hosts of the next four presidential debates in the first four primary and caucus states.
Discussion:
The Wrap, Digital Trends, @jbenton, @matthewstoller, @hunterwalk, 9to5Mac, Variety, @b_fung, Gizmodo, @cwarzel, @niemanlab, Business Insider, Engadget, TVNewser and Mashable, more at Techmeme »


Time names Bob Iger Businessperson of the Year following Disney's Fox acquisition, box office success, and Disney+ launch — Not since somebody figured out that you could attach two black plastic disks to a skull cap and make everyone look like Mickey Mouse has a pair of ears sent such a buzz through a media executive.
Discussion:
CNBC, The Wrap, Hollywood Reporter, @time, @therock, The Streamable, @ithacacollege, Talking Biz News, CNET, TVWeek.com, Adweek, The Playlist, MediaPost and Business Insider


A case study of Mother Jones' revenue strategy: prioritizing investigative journalism, following reader preferences, effective campaign messaging, and more — Case Study co-published by the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School and the Institute for Nonprofit News.
Discussion:
Nieman Lab, @clarajeffery, @steve_katz, @shorensteinctr, @andrecarothers, @rebleber, @ehansen02, @bridgebotelho, @clarajeffery, @motherjones and @clarajeffery


Cosmo is hosting “You” Watch Parties, with quizzes and more, on a separate site with a CMS built by Google News Lab, which Google may license to others — Cosmopolitan knows its readers are fans of Netflix's “You,” and wants to see if it can be part of their watching experience during the show's second season.
Discussion:
@elanazak and @mattnavarra


Editors of Out magazine and The Advocate, owned by Pride Media, are leaving; sources: Pride Media CEO is also stepping down, and more departures are expected — The Advocate editor Zach Stafford is out, too, along with executive leadership, leaving insiders wondering if the LGBTQ titles will continue.
Discussion:
NBC News, Folio, @pfpicardi, LGBTQ Nation, @ericalenti, @chadwick_moore, Los Angeles Blade, @treeaston, @trevellanderson, @pfpicardi, @ianmartella, @joncbarr, @harronwawker, @maryemilyohara, @jeremyoharris, @alexscoville, @biancaenrogue, @dlander74, Towleroad Gay News, @thrasherxy and New York Post


Refinitiv, which distributes Reuters news on the Eikon trading platform, has blocked 200+ Reuters stories since August in China, under government pressure — Under pressure from the Chinese government, the financial information provider that distributes Reuters news to investors has blocked …
Discussion:
@edgecliffe, @stecklow, @mel_huang, @reutersbiz, @reutersbiz, @heathersomervil, @michellenichols, @jersey_janet, @dnvolz, @wsjemre, @reuters, @kenli729 and @anthony


Hulu launches ads that let brands target binge-watchers, offering the brands the ability to sponsor ad-free episodes or serve personalized offers — Hulu today is launching a new kind of ad experience that allows brands to specifically target binge-watchers — that is …
Discussion:
Variety, The Streamable, Broadcasting & Cable, Ad Age, Adweek and Axios


A look at revenue streams for local broadcast news, which stands to get ~$3B of election ad spend this cycle and benefit from rising retransmission fees — As legacy print outlets and many digital startups struggle financially, another segment of the news industry is doing just fine, thanks.
Discussion:
@spj_tweets, @michaelsocolow, @poynter, @poynter and NewsLab


Sources describe how ISPs like AT&T and Cox push the FCC to omit unflattering data, among other tactics, to improve scores on FCC's internet speeds report — AT&T, Cox, Comcast and other broadband companies successfully push the FCC to omit unflattering data on speed tests, among other tactics, to improve their scores
Discussion:
@benton_inst, @benton_inst, @benton_inst, @benton_inst, @benton_inst, @benton_inst, @lilliannnn, @jrosenworcel, @gigibsohn, @karlbode, @ygetachew2, @shalini, @shalini and @rsingel, more at Techmeme »


Palm Beach Media Group, a subsidiary of Hour Media Group, acquires Gulfstream Media and its six Florida lifestyle magazines, plus FortLauderdaleDaily.com — Gold Coast, Boca Life, Jupiter, Stuart and Florida Home & Garden join the Michigan-based publisher's ever-expanding roster of regional magazines.


David Carey, who left as president of Hearst's Magazines unit in 2018, is returning as SVP of public affairs and comms, shortly after staff launched union plans — His return comes as magazine staffers are trying to form a union, a move executives do not support. — David Carey, pictured in 2016.