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, Mediaite, The Wrap, @tomgara, Washington Post, @irin, @geneweingarten, @rmc031, @wesleylowery, @aleksnotalex, VICE, @maggienyt, @poniewozik, @poniewozik, @dancow, @jscros, @libbycwatson, @ashleyfeinberg, @jscros, @jimwaterson, @lydiadepillis, @mrshickadance9, @ggreenwald, @yashar, @zachdcarter, @maxwelltani, Quartz, The Atlantic, The Miscellanies, The Week, Columbia Journalism Review, Breitbart, Fox News, MTV and iMediaEthics
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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:
TMZ.com, Mediaite, The Outline, The Desk, @davidklion, New York Times, The Hill, @sdkstl, @sopandeb, Breitbart, The Guardian, @dylanmatt, @olivianuzzi, @froomkin, @oneunderscore__, @davidklion, DCist, @petersterne, @libbycwatson, @maxwelltani, @marlownyc, @elongreen, @notesfromhel, @travelfish, @stacyontheright, @jimrutenberg, @davidklion, @lam_barrett, @libbycwatson, @jbenton, @heerjeet, @katzonearth, @chanders, The Guardian, @libbycwatson, @markdistef, @chadloder, @mattgertz, The Wrap, New York Post and VICE
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 …
Discussion:
Washingtonian, @xor, @bgrueskin, @josheidelson, @marcatracy, @abeaujon, @abeaujon and @dlind
Lindsey Ellefson / The Wrap:
The Washington Post says tweets from now-suspended political reporter Felicia Sonmez “displayed poor judgment that undermined the work of her colleagues” — Washington Post reporter Felicia Sonmez was suspended Sunday after tweeting about the 2003 rape case against Kobe Bryant …
Discussion:
Variety, @gynostar, @carlasosenko and @mskristinawong
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, @eramshaw, @projomike, Nieman Lab, PR Newswire, @joannelipman, @pkafka, @eugene_scott, @edokeefe, @ericazucco, @jbenton, @terri_rupar, @jmsummers, @cindi_leive, @eramshaw and @amzam
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:
The Streamable, Always Be Watching, @mathewi, @foss and @dangillmor
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:
Press Gazette, GOV.UK, The Guardian, @markdistef, @jimwaterson, CityAM, expressandstar.com and @jimwaterson
Kayleigh Barber / Digiday:
Politico launches AgencyIQ, a new B2B product covering the FDA, with subscriptions costing $25K-$75K/year and plans to expand coverage to agencies like FTC, FCC — Politico is chasing after more subscription revenue by starting on Monday a new business-to-business product covering the Food and Drug Administration called AgencyIQ,
Discussion:
MediaPost, Talking Biz News, @raju and @gbrotman
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, New York Times, Jerry's Newsletter, @lesbowen, @martinonyc, @satoshijournal and Poynter
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:
@nebraskamegan, @miriam2626, @markszaidesq, @mattnegrin, @gadyepstein, @paulkrugman and @brianstelter
Alex Sherman / CNBC:
Sources: MGM has held preliminary talks with a number of companies, including Apple and Netflix, to gauge whether they're interested in acquiring it — - Apple, Amazon, AT&T, Comcast, Disney and Netflix may be a new “Big 6” among global media companies. — MGM has held preliminary talks …
Discussion:
/Film, The Playlist, @sherman4949, @getfandom, @sherman4949, @dylanbyers, @mattrosoff and The Streamable