Top News:
Margaret Sullivan / Washington Post:
Rupert Murdoch, who at 89 still exerts influence at Fox News, could save lives and viewers by ordering the network to emphasize the seriousness of COVID-19 — The insidious feedback loop between President Trump and Fox News is no secret. — When Trump says “jump,” the network leaps into action.
Discussion:
@anandwrites, @denisewu, @jbenton, @bwildeglobal, @erikwemple, @slpng_giants, @philippecorbe, @digiphile, @nicdawes, @gadyepstein, @sulliview, @mattgertz, @sulliview and The Daily Beast
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Max Boot / Washington Post:
Never has conservative media's contempt for facts and science been more dangerous, as Fox News puts lives at risk by minimizing the danger from coronavirus — President Trump has been widely and correctly excoriated for the way he is dealing with the novel coronavirus. By minimizing the danger, he heightens it.
Discussion:
Vanity Fair, @_arianna, @walshfreedom, @johnupton, @maxboot, The Daily Beast, The Guardian and The Week
Reuters:
Source: Brian Lesser has resigned as chief executive of AT&T's advertising unit Xandr, which launched a TV ad-buying tool earlier Wednesday — (Reuters) - Brian Lesser, chief executive of AT&T Inc advertising unit Xandr, has resigned, according to a source familiar with the matter …
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Brian Steinberg / Variety:
AT&T's Xandr says AMC Networks, WarnerMedia, and Disney joined Xandr Invest, its self-serve ad-buying platform, which will be available for 2020 “upfronts” — Battle lines are being drawn in the ongoing quest to lure advertisers to new kinds of TV commercials.
Discussion:
AdExchanger, Broadcasting & Cable, Reuters, @simonjharris, Adweek, MediaPost, @bristei and Ad Age
Variety:
A look at the unprecedented crisis that media conglomerates like Disney face because of COVID-19, as streaming companies face obstacles to producing content — The cancellation of SXSW on March 6 due to the coronavirus epidemic sent shockwaves through the entertainment industry.
Discussion:
Variety, The Wrap and The A.V. Club
Shayna Jacobs / Washington Post:
Harvey Weinstein is sentenced to 23 years in prison for sexually assaulting two women — NEW YORK — The once-powerful movie producer Harvey Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison Wednesday for sexually assaulting two women. — In its landmark verdict on Feb. 24 …
Discussion:
@jodikantor, Variety, @ronanfarrow, @ronanfarrow, Los Angeles Times, Vox, @damonbruce, @mega2e, @megangarber, @ronanfarrow, Vanity Fair, The Week, The A.V. Club, Breitbart, @maggienyt, CNBC, @ashleyattimes, @viviennechow, @oliverdarcy, @authorkimberley, Observer, Wall Street Journal and @sulliview
Julia Alexander / The Verge:
YouTube says it will enable ads on a limited number of videos about coronavirus, including from some news partners and creators who accurately self-certify — Weeks after YouTube declared automatic demonetization — YouTube is reassessing its policies in an effort to let some creators monetize videos …
Discussion:
YouTube Creator Blog, TechCrunch, The Wrap, @youtube, @lily_marston, @susanwojcicki, @keemstar, @rickyftw, @realdoctormike and Engadget, more at Techmeme »
Reporters Without Borders:
On the one-year anniversary of the last official, televised White House press briefing, RSF calls on the Trump administration to re-establish daily briefings — One year since the last official White House press briefing, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) published on March 11 an analysis …
Discussion:
Politico, Washington Post, CNN, @janemartinson, @digiphile, @rebecca_vincent, @rsf_inter, @rsf_inter and @briankarem
Ben Collins / NBC News:
Investigation finds that books dominating Amazon's search results on COVID-19 are often plagiarized from news outlets, with authors lacking verifiable IDs — The listings highlight the challenge that Amazon has faced as consumers have turned to the company for a variety of goods and information.
Neha Malara / Reuters:
TikTok says it will open a transparency center in LA in early May, letting experts evaluate its content moderation and later get insights into its source code — (Reuters) - Social media app TikTok is launching a content moderation center in a bid to boost transparency …
Discussion:
Newsroom | TikTok, Adweek, TechCrunch, Music Business Worldwide, The Wrap and Engadget, more at Techmeme »
Alexandria Williams / Quartz:
Inside TikTok's strategy to get a foothold in Africa: signing up Instagram and YouTube creators, hiring staff in Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa, and more — Early this year, the short video app TikTok joined Nairobi Garage, a leading coworking space in Nairobi's Kilimani district.
Discussion:
@rasmus_kleis, @blackamazon and @brianmbunde
Alex Curry / American Press Institute:
Study of 400 people finds that people pay for news because it reinforces their social identities, not because it's good for democracy — This piece is part of API's Research Review series, which highlights academic research that could be relevant and useful to the news industry.