Top News:
Erik Wemple / Washington Post:
Felicia Sonmez shares her account of suspension from WaPo, says Managing Editor Tracy Grant had concerns that the tweets didn't pertain to her coverage area — The Post has suspended reporter Felicia Sonmez following her social-media activity over the death of NBA great Kobe Bryant.
Discussion:
New York Times, Axios, HuffPost, Fox News, @farhip, @tomgara, CNN, Newser, NBC News, Washington Post, @anildash, @dceiver, Los Angeles Times, @wesleylowery, @aleksnotalex, @annamerlan, @irin, @libbycwatson, The Atlantic, @ashleyfeinberg, @maxwelltani, @juliacarriew, @ggreenwald, @poniewozik, @dancow, @rmc031, KTLA, @annamerlan, @cwarzel, @jscros, @geneweingarten, @jscros, @zachdcarter, VICE, @lydiadepillis, @senyorreporter, Vox, Quartz, Deadline, @yashar, @maggienyt, @jimwaterson, @poniewozik, Mediaite, @mrshickadance9, The Week, The Wrap, The Miscellanies, The Guardian, Slate, Columbia Journalism Review, Breitbart and MTV
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Ariel Zilber / Daily Mail:
WaPo suspends Felicia Sonmez after she tweeted a story about a rape allegation against Kobe Bryant, responded to criticism, and detailed abuse sent to her email — Felicia Sonmez (right), who covers national politics for The Washington Post, posted a link to a story about the Kobe Bryant rape case …
Discussion:
New York Times, The Outline, Mediaite, TMZ.com, @davidklion, The Desk, @rachelabramsny, Vox, @matthewkeyslive, Slate, @mikeisaac, @dylanmatt, @olivianuzzi, Breitbart, @froomkin, @elisewho, @oneunderscore__, @davidklion, DCist, @petersterne, @libbycwatson, @nycsouthpaw, @maxwelltani, @marlownyc, @elongreen, @notesfromhel, @travelfish, @chick_in_kiev, @yashar, @stacyontheright, @sopandeb, The Guardian, @sdkstl, @ajentleson, @jimrutenberg, @davidklion, @maxwelltani, @lam_barrett, @libbycwatson, @jbenton, @heerjeet, @katzonearth, @chanders, The Hill, @lollardfish, @libbycwatson, @markdistef, @chadloder, @mattgertz, New York Post, The Wrap, iMediaEthics and Washington Post
Washington Post Guild:
Washington Post Guild issues scathing critique of the paper's suspension of Felicia Sonmez, says WaPo should let her return and provide a security detail — To Marty Baron and Tracy Grant: We write to share our alarm and dismay that our newsroom leaders have chosen to place Felicia Sonmez …
Brian Stelter / CNN:
NPR's Michele Kelemen has been removed from Mike Pompeo's press pool for a trip to UK and Ukraine, a few days after Pompeo responded angrily to an NPR interview — New York (CNN Business)Secretary of State Mike Pompeo appears to be escalating his criticism of NPR — this time not just with words but with actions.
Discussion:
@jakesnyt, @nickschifrin, @mitchellreports, The Hill, @mplenke, Vanity Fair, Reuters, Washington Examiner, USA Today, Agence France-Presse, NBC News, @senmarkey, Raw Story, Alternet.org, The Daily Beast, New York Times, @senatorbennet, @mehdirhasan, @ewong, @qasimrashid, @aaronblake, @oliverdarcy, @marydleonard, @jessicataylor, @emilybell, @chuckatwbhm, @eliselabott, @kfile, @ilvestoomas, @danbarrynyt, @joycewhitevance, @brianklaas, @ashtonpittman, @ambkennedy_ret, @nprinskeep, The Guardian, Mediaite and NPR
David Sharman / HoldtheFrontPage:
UK government says Cairncross review's recommendation to create an institution for public interest news would amount to inappropriate government interference — The government has rejected the central recommendation from a report into the future of news provision to set up an “institute for public interest news.”
Discussion:
GOV.UK, Press Gazette, expressandstar.com, @markdistef, CityAM, @jimwaterson, The Guardian and @jimwaterson
Edward Snowden / Washington Post:
Charges against Assange arguing interactions with sources can be a crime have created a template for other countries, with Brazil arguing the same for Greenwald — Edward Snowden is the author of “Permanent Record” and is the president of Freedom of the Press Foundation …
Discussion:
New York Times, @robertmackey, @snowden, @arusbridger and Common Dreams
Tim Peterson / Digiday:
ESPN plans to air more than 500 live original shows across its digital platforms and social media this year, more than doubling its output since 2018 — With a new social media star and a fresh studio dedicated to its digital programming, ESPN is upgrading online game viewing.
Discussion:
Always Be Watching, @mathewi, @foss, @dangillmor and The Streamable
Margaret Sullivan / Washington Post:
Initial coverage of Kobe Bryant's death was an illuminating example of how breaking news reports will be wrong due to the drive to be first at any cost — If the media world were ruled by thoughtfulness, rigor and ethics, TMZ wouldn't have broken the news about Sunday's helicopter crash …
Discussion:
Esquire, Jerry's Newsletter, @lesbowen, @martinonyc, @satoshijournal, New York Times, New York Daily News and Poynter
Sarah Ellison / Washington Post:
Emily Ramshaw and Amanda Zamora, who stepped down from Texas Tribune in November, launch the 19th, a new media outlet focused on women, with $5M in funding — The idea of creating a new media outlet focused on women came to Emily Ramshaw four years ago during her maternity leave.
Discussion:
@eramshaw, Nieman Lab, American Press Institute, @eramshaw, @projomike, PR Newswire, @joannelipman, @eugene_scott, @edokeefe, @ericazucco, @pkafka, @jbenton, @terri_rupar, @emarvelous, @jmsummers, @cindi_leive, @eramshaw and @amzam
Lara O'Reilly / Digiday:
SuperAwesome, which offers tools for kid-safe advertising that comply with COPPA and GDPR, raises $17M from Microsoft's M12, says it had $55M in revenue in 2019 — While it seems like the walls are caving in on certain areas of ad tech, some companies are still flying high …
Michael M. Grynbaum / New York Times:
Founder of right-wing Christian site TruNews, who has made anti-Semitic comments, says the White House gave five TruNews staffers press credentials for Davos — The White House granted TruNews, a right-wing Christian site, press credentials for the president's Davos trip after its founder's remarks calling impeachment a “Jew coup.”
Discussion:
@clancynewyork, @nebraskamegan, @miriam2626, @markszaidesq, @mattnegrin, @gadyepstein, @paulkrugman, @cirincione and @brianstelter
Alex Weprin / Hollywood Reporter:
Sinclair has settled its lawsuit stemming from its failed merger with Tribune in 2018, agreeing to pay Tribune owner Nexstar $60M and transfer over a KY station — Under the terms of the settlement, Sinclair will transfer control of WDKY-TV in the Lexington, Kentucky market.
Discussion:
The Wrap, Broadcasting & Cable and @alexweprin