Top News:
John Koblin / New York Times:
Richard Plepler, former CEO of HBO, signs a five-year deal with Apple through his company Eden Productions to produce films and shows exclusively for Apple TV+ — Ten months after he chafed under AT&T's takeover of the network, he reboots himself as a producer in a five-year deal with Apple TV Plus.
Discussion:
TechCrunch, @sherman4949, @koblin, Variety, The Streamable, The Wrap, MediaPost, @therealdvorak, @mgsiegler, @film_girl, @kimmasters, @lucas_shaw, @jasonhirschhorn, @samsifton, @mgsiegler, @garrett_oh, @ischafer, @waltmossberg, @mgsiegler, @mgsiegler, @tedgioia, @jonesonthenba, @jakelahut, @felixgillette, @ericjackson, @hshaban, @joan_e, @dfriend, @9to5mac, @richlightshed, @pkafka, @grynbaum, @taralach, @greta, @nicsperling, @jimwindolf, Wired, Always Be Watching, New York Post, MACお宝 …, Bloomberg, Engadget, Broadcasting & Cable, CNN, Axios, The Verge and 9to5Mac
Hamilton Nolan / The Guardian:
A retrospective look at a decade in journalism, from a Gawker alum who reported on media and is now unemployed after Splinter's closure — You won't make much money, your best stories will be forgotten, and you'll be doomed to constant disappointment and despair. I recommend it highly
Discussion:
@alanenglish9, @ninabernstein1, @lindakinstler, @ruthservensmith, @elanazak, @rightaboutbeer, @beervana, @rightaboutbeer, @mathewi, @danielmarans, @lukeoneil47, @beervana, @gabrielsnyder, @patrickcoffee, @micahuetricht, @annakareninaxx, @picardonhealth, @jackshafer, @jaysunsilver, @thejewishdream, @cecilenguerin, @jackshafer, @stephengutowski, @davidsirota, @scottwamplerbmd and bookforum.com
Charlie Nash / Mediaite:
NYT deletes a tweet calling Eddie Gallagher a “retired” Navy SEAL with a new apparel line while failing to mention his court martial and clemency from Trump — The New York Times on Thursday deleted a Twitter post which characterized Eddie Gallagher, who was charged …
Jon Allsop / Columbia Journalism Review:
With coverage of Suleimani's death, cable news outlets have again shown they're “hard-wired” to support war, promoting military and government perspectives — In the early hours of the morning, local time, state media in Iraq reported that Qassem Suleimani …
Discussion:
Fortune, Press Watch, Deadline, New Republic, New York Times and @gaywonk
J. Craig Anderson / Press Herald:
Four daily Maine newspapers published by Masthead Maine, including the Portland Press Herald, to cut their Monday print editions starting March 2 — To preserve newsroom jobs, the Portland Press Herald, Lewiston Sun Journal, Morning Sentinel and Kennebec Journal will discontinue Monday print editions starting March 2.
Ailsa Chang / NPR:
Billboard to start including YouTube streams on January 3 to determine chart ranking — The question of how Billboard determines the most popular music in the country has gotten a lot harder in the digital age. It used to be a simple question of which album sold the most physical copies …
Variety:
Comscore: Disney earned 33% of domestic box office grosses in 2019, the first time since 1999 that one studio had such a high revenue share in US/Canada — At the start of the decade, Disney's film business was enfeebled. The studio ran perpetually last or nearly last for domestic market share …
Discussion:
CNN, @deusexcinema, @adambvary, @lucas_shaw, IndieWire, The A.V. Club and Associated Press
Washington Post:
Thai court sentences journalist to two years in prison for criminal libel over a tweet; Bangkok Post says state uses libel laws to silence critics, journalists — “SLAVE LABOUR.” A journalist in Thailand, Suchanee Cloitre, then working for Voice TV, used these words in a tweet in 2016 …
Discussion:
Reuters and Bangkok Post Website
Rainesford Stauffer / Teen Vogue:
Student journalists are filling news gaps, pushing for student reporters' rights, launching outlets on social media, and focusing on diverse representation — Representation is everything. — In late September, news broke that Kurt Volker, the United States' special envoy for Ukraine …
Discussion:
@loganaimone, @tess_townsend, @emmahhall1, @rebeccahmac, @pldlamplighter, @dariansymone, @franklomonte, @rainesford and Teen Vogue
Brent Lang / Variety:
Study: 10.6% of 2019's 100 highest-grossing films were from female directors, up from 4.5% in '18; women co-directed 2 of top 10 most successful global releases — Hollywood's glass ceiling may not be shattered, but it's showing some cracks. — The number of top-grossing films directed …
Discussion:
Associated Press, The Guardian, Collider, The Wrap, @thr, @amydiehl, @inclusionists, @moorehn, @apentertainment, @ckcinephile, @inclusionists, VICE, Hollywood Reporter, The Hill, ScreenRant, The Playlist and Axios
Ben Sisario / New York Times:
Q&A with Jimmy Iovine about music industry's reconciliation with tech in the last decade, why streaming music services are like utilities with low margins, more — The record executive who made the leap to Silicon Valley looks back on the decade in the music business, and sees a major problem on the horizon.
Tony Bizjak / Sacramento Bee:
CFO says McClatchy will stop paying some executive pension benefits, affecting 100+ people, as it keeps talking with a federal agency about its pension plan — The McClatchy Co., owner of 30 newspapers including the Sacramento Bee, disclosed Thursday that it will stop paying supplemental or non-qualified executive retirement benefits.
Discussion:
@saemin4655, McClatchy Co, Bloomberg and Wall Street Journal