Top News:
Dylan Byers / NBC News:
EIC Ben Smith is leaving BuzzFeed in early March to join NYT to write the Media Equation column made famous by David Carr — Smith will serve as the writer of the publication's “Media Equation” column, which became a must-read for media industry insiders under the David Carr, who died in 2015.
Discussion:
@buzzfeedben, Press Gazette, Poynter, @raju, @peretti, @erinleecarr, @sulliview, @thegarance, @juliareinstein, @jimrutenberg, @jscros, @theferocity, @lapresmidi, @streetsblognyc, @nickconfessore, @joshgerstein, @shani_o, @janinegibson, @jayrosen_nyu, @pfpicardi, @rolandsmartin, @kantrowitz, @yashar, @mitrakalita, @goldietaylor, @nicksallon, @tasneemn, @kevinroose, @micahgrimes, @freedlander, @donie, @exjon, @rudoren, @josh_emerson, @rmac18, @carrasquillo, @perlberg, @brianstelter, @jimwaterson, @austinhunt, @lpolgreen, @gaberivera, @matthewkeyslive, @markdistef, @jaspjackson, @katienotopoulos, @annehelen, @justinhendrix, @elcush, @pranavdixit, @fromedome, @lolacoaster, @alexis_levinson, @samdolnick, @joeconchatv, @eramshaw and @stuartmillar159
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Peter Kafka / Vox:
Jonah Peretti says he expects BuzzFeed to turn a profit this year, but BuzzFeed News would still be operating in the red: “We don't need news to be profitable” — What Ben Smith's move to the paper of record says about digital media in 2020. — Ben Smith spent eight years …
Discussion:
@mattmittenthal and @pkafka
Margaret Sullivan / Washington Post:
Ben Smith turned BuzzFeed News, once seen as a clickbait factory, into an outlet that was twice a Pulitzer finalist and a winner of the George Polk Award — His name is so closely associated with BuzzFeed News that his Twitter handle is BuzzFeedBen. — But Ben Smith — who turned …
Ted Johnson / Deadline:
WaPo reinstates reporter Felicia Sonmez after her suspension following her tweets about a rape allegation against Kobe Bryant and her response to backlash — The Washington Post said it has reinstated political reporter Felicia Sonmez, who was suspended for a series of tweets about Kobe Bryant …
Discussion:
@feliciasonmez, Columbia Journalism Review, @postguild, @mlcalderone, @dabeard, Washington Post, The Hill, Newser, @soledadobrien, @lainnafader, The Daily Caller, @feliciasonmez, @wesleylowery, @jeffyoung, @dcampoamor, @jamisonfoser, @pkafka, @davidgura, @lollardfish, @mathewi, @ashleyfeinberg, @maxwelltani, @dhberman, @feliciasonmez, @ron_fournier, The Wrap, @tball, @thewrap, @maxwelltani, @politicussarah, @soledadobrien, @blackamazon, @zachdcarter, @allisongeroi, @jasoncherkis, @rhodes_dawn, @oliverdarcy, @paul_bowers, @feliciasonmez, Mediaite, @mlcalderone and @ericmgarcia
Mary Louise Kelly / New York Times:
Journalists don't interview senior government officials to score political points, but rather to share the answers to tough questions when the stakes are high — Journalists are supposed to ask tough questions, then share the answers — or lack thereof — with the world.
Discussion:
@nprextra, @nprkelly, @caseyriankelly, @janearraf, @nytopinion, @johnlansing, @ailsachang, Axios, @soledadobrien, @kylegriffin1, @attorneynora, @carriecordero, @cirincione, @markhertling and The Hill
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Ted Johnson / Deadline:
Trump praises Pompeo for his behavior with NPR reporter Mary Louise Kelly: “That was very impressive....I think you did a good job on her, actually.”
Bill Chappell / NPR:
NPR's CEO announces the outlet is asking the State Department to explain why it denied credentials for an NPR reporter to travel with Mike Pompeo to Europe
Discussion:
@jeremylittau, The Hill, @npr and @rcmcbride
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
Discussion:
@nickschifrin, Vox, @mitchellreports, @whca, @javierblas, Breitbart, The Week, @spj_tweets and @joaquincastrotx
Peter Kafka / Vox:
Casino operator Penn National Gaming buying 36% stake in Barstool Sports; deal values Barstool at $450M and lets Penn National buy a controlling stake later — Barstool Sports co-founder Dave Portnoy in 2018 | Penn National Gaming is buying the online publisher — which can thank sports betting, and the Supreme Court for the deal.
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, Variety, @joemilord, @darrenrovell, @iamtoddytickles, @onlyinbos, @pkafka, @alexweprin, @alexweprin, @alexweprin, @claytravis, @carlhendy, @pkafka, @tomkrazit, @m_sunderland, @pkafka and @jgsiegel
Jim Waterson / The Guardian:
The Guardian says it will no longer accept ads from companies that extract fossil fuels, becoming the first major news organization to institute such a ban — Move follows efforts to reduce carbon footprint and increase reporting on climate crisis — The Guardian will no longer accept advertising …
Discussion:
The Guardian, @dpcarrington, @greenpeaceuk, @rasmus_kleis, @chrismoranuk, @dzarrilli, @kathviner, @adamvaughan_uk, @chloefarand, @markriceoxley69 and @jimwaterson
Todd Spangler / Variety:
AT&T lost 219K AT&T Now customers and 945K premium TV subscribers in Q4, and reports revenues of $8.9B, down 3.3% YoY — AT&T's top line was stung by its investment in HBO Max in the fourth quarter of 2019 to the tune of $1.2 billion in “foregone licensing revenues.”
Discussion:
Broadcasting & Cable, The Wrap, Fast Company, Hollywood Reporter, @great_katzby and @xpangler
Keith J. Kelly / New York Post:
Xana Antunes, a top editor at Quartz and former editor at NY Post, Fortune/CNN Money, Crain's New York Business, and CNBC, has died at 55 after cancer battle — Former New York Post chief Xana Antunes, who was an executive editor at Quartz for the past six years, passed away on Monday following a battle with pancreatic career.
Discussion:
Quartz, CNBC, Quartz, @thomaspagemcbee, @mflamm_reporter, @jandersonqz, @fvogelstein, @lisagibbs954, @zseward, @lattif, @bencasselman, @fromedome, @adamlashinsky, @kirabind, @jimzarroli, @pingroma, @ostaley and @sarahwhit10
Hollywood Reporter:
Sources: Netflix is expected to lay off 15+ people from its marketing department this week, a small portion of its overall employee count of around 6,900 — Sources say at least 15 people are expected to exit this week as the company moves to better advertise the service rather than its individual shows.
Discussion:
MediaPost, @lionelmedia, @theericgoldman, @jbflint, @blakemccoydc, @jlbarrow, @derfelmacguffin, @alexweprin and @kimmasters
Jennifer Elias / CNBC:
Chair of US House climate committee sends Sundar Pichai letter requesting a plan by February 7 to address climate misinformation, specifically on YouTube — - Climate Committee Chair Kathy Castor penned a letter to Google, requesting the company take action against disinformation related to climate change.
Julia Carrie Wong / The Guardian:
Investigation: in 2019 Trump spent ~$20M on 218K+ Facebook ads, with the media and its “fake news” the top topic mentioned at 18.25%, followed by immigration — A Guardian investigation of 218,100 ads reveals how the campaign's sophisticated social media machine targets conservative voters
Discussion:
@marklittlenews, @antoniskalog, @shady_inf0 and @whotargetsme, more at Techmeme »
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