Top News:
Dan Froomkin / Press Watch:
Top media outlets normalized Trump's often incoherent press briefing Wednesday on the coronavirus, downplaying his campaign-style insults and slinging of blame — Here is some of what Donald Trump had to say Wednesday evening at a briefing intended to inform and reassure the American public about a public-health emergency:
Discussion:
@brhodes, New York Times, Talking Points Memo, Washington Post, @froomkin, @froomkin, @froomkin, @brianbeutler, @b52malmet, @vermontgmg and The Hill
Barbara Allen / Poynter:
Layoffs are under way at newspapers owned by Gannett; one employee has tracked at least 24 newsroom staffers affected, with 40 pressroom positions cut — Layoffs continued Thursday at Gannett newspapers, which recently merged with GateHouse to form the nation's largest newspaper chain.
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Business Wire:
New Gannett reports revenue of $699M and net loss of $95M, print ad revenue of $241M and digital ad rev of $90.1M; Gannett expects $60M in annual savings — Significant progress on integration; continued confidence in high-end of synergy targets — On track to implement over $60 million …
Discussion:
Nieman Lab, @apantazi, @maryannbatlle, @bysarajane, @kerrymflynn, @kerrymflynn, MarketWatch, @peterlattman and @cristymsilva
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Discovery names Hulu's Lisa Holme head of direct-to-consumer content strategy, in charge of commissioning and acquiring US content — Lisa Holme, a Hulu veteran who had been leading its international expansion strategy, has joined Discovery in a newly created role to oversee content …
Discussion:
Deadline and Multichannel News
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Anna Nicolaou / Financial Times:
Discovery to grow Dplay, its on-demand European streaming service, to 18 countries in 2020; Joyn, its ad-supported German streaming service, has 7M users — US media group focusing on content overlooked by heavyweights such as Disney and AT&T — Every week, tens of thousands of tourists flock …
Discussion:
@discoveryinctv
Georg Szalai / Hollywood Reporter:
Discovery reports Q4 earnings of $476M, up 77% YoY, on revenue of $2.87B, up 2% YoY; ad revenue grew 1% and distribution 5% thanks in part to carriage on MVPDs
Discovery reports Q4 earnings of $476M, up 77% YoY, on revenue of $2.87B, up 2% YoY; ad revenue grew 1% and distribution 5% thanks in part to carriage on MVPDs
Discussion:
Variety, @thr, @thr, The Wrap, Broadcasting & Cable, Discovery Communications and The Streamable
Jason Gurwin / The Streamable:
YouTube TV is dropping Fox Regional Sports Networks and YES Network on February 29, calling the move “a reflection of the rising cost of sports content” — Just before the start on baseball season, YouTube TV is about to lose 21 Fox Regional Sports Networks and YES Network beginning February 29th.
LaToya Drake / The Keyword:
Google News Initiative Innovation Challenge opens applications today for projects focusing on diversity, equity, and inclusion in journalism — Most communities in North America are diverse. They are comprised of people of various ethnicities, income levels, and countries of origin.
Discussion:
Digiday, @markyk and @googlenewsinit
James Hale / Tubefilter:
YouTube says it is testing a way for creators to sell ads directly to brands “with whom they already have a relationship” — In the perhaps not-too-distant future, YouTube will let creators sell ad space on their own videos. — “We're experimenting with a new way for creators …
Discussion:
@profcarroll, @taylorlorenz, The Verge and @digiphile
Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:
UK regulator IPSO dismisses five complaints from the ruler of Emirate of Sharjah about nine stories in the Sun, Mail, and Metro newspapers on his son's death — The ruler of the Emirate of Sharjah has lost complaints about coverage of his son's death in the Sun, Mail and Metro newspapers …
Discussion:
@ipsonews
Sahil Patel / Wall Street Journal:
NBCU launches NBC Spot On, a streaming ads business for its local TV stations group, as advertisers shift budgets from local spot TV ads to streaming TV — The company plans to hire up to 20 staffers for a new local ads business tasked with tackling the surging local TV streaming ads category
Discussion:
PR Newswire and FierceVideo
Li Yuan / New York Times:
In China, people openly criticize state media as Beijing sends hundreds of journalists to Wuhan and other regions to publish stories of sacrifice — Beijing is pushing tales of perseverance, but many young people are openly questioning the Communist Party's message.
Discussion:
ABC17NEWS
New York Times:
Pakistan to review new internet censorship rules after a group representing Facebook, Google, and Twitter writes a letter threatening to leave the country — The battle is the latest skirmish between internet companies and governments over who decides what content should be online.