Mediagazer: In a memo to staff, Fox News execs remind staff that “viewers rely on us to stay informed” while opinion hosts and one news anchor downplay the crisis (The Daily Beast)

5:15 PM ET, March 13, 2020

Top News:

Sara Jerde / Adweek:

Publishers from the NYT to Bloomberg, WSJ, LAT, The Atlantic, and McClatchy drop their paywalls for coronavirus coverage — An interesting decision as some organizations have recently instituted them — Key insights: — More publishers have had to decide whether to make content free …

Discussion: Columbia Journalism Review, Columbia Journalism Review, @vanityfair, @nytclimate, @jennafduncan, @jbenton, @jordanlawrence, @pattyguerra, @startribune, @katvchrismay, @nickpistor, @foreignaffairs, @coreyhutchins, @joshsternberg, @adweek, @media_evan and @markmazzettinyt

Wall Street Journal:

Sports broadcasters face diminished ad revenue and questions over rights payments with the suspension of the NBA, NHL, and MLS and cancellation of March Madness — Networks face lost ad revenue and pressure from distributors as NBA sports-rights payments loom

Discussion: Adweek, CNN, CNBC, CNN, The Wrap, TVNewser, @sherman4949, @benmullin, @lilliannnn, @dylanbyers, @mattrosoff and MediaPost

John Koblin / New York Times:

CBS and NBC are suspending production of late night shows with Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert, and Seth Meyers until at least March 30 due to coronavirus — The earliest return by Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers would be March 30, CBS and NBC said. — Much of late night is going dark.

Discussion: Hollywood Reporter, /Film, Variety, Breitbart, New York Post, @consumersos, HuffPost, @nytimes, @koblin, Pitchfork, Gothamist, @markharrisnyc, Vulture and The Daily Beast

Sara Fischer / Axios:
A look at how media outlets are responding to COVID-19: remote work and interviews, shifting conferences to virtual forums, talk show tapings without audiences

Anthony D'Alessandro / Deadline:

Disney names Steve Asbell president of Twentieth Century Studios and Vanessa Morrison president of Walt Disney Studios Streaming, overseeing Disney+ films — EXCLUSIVE: Following the departure of Emma Watts at 20th Century Studios last month, the label's 18-year vet Steve Asbell has been named President …

Discussion: @stevendeknight, @womeninfilm, @bryanfuller, Variety, Hollywood Reporter and The Wrap

Justin Kroll / Variety:
Disney pauses production and pre-production of some live action films, including The Last Duel, The Little Mermaid, and Home Alone, “for a short time”

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, Hollywood Reporter, ComingSoon.net, CNET, The Playlist, Bleeding Cool and Dark Horizons

Variety:
Disney adds Florida's Disney World and Disneyland Paris to closures, starting Sunday until end of the month; Disneyland California also is temporarily closing

Jim Rich / Deadspin:

Deadspin begins publishing again with new editor-in-chief Jim Rich — As you can see, Deadspin is posting new stories again. Our original plan had been to begin publishing on Monday, March 16, but the news cycle — and the rapidly changing circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic — wouldn't wait for such plans.

Discussion: New York Post, Awful Announcing, The Wrap, @sbbaicker, @jimlohmar, @bubbaprog, @michellebruton, @brandyljensen, @benmullin, @craigcalcaterra, @caseyjohnston, @redditcfb, @jessespector, @speck60, @bart_smith, @marcatracy, @dbrauer and bookforum.com

Janna Brancolini / Columbia Journalism Review:

In Milan, a journalist reflects on how international reporting overuses the word “quarantine” to describe a complicated situation in constant flux — Yesterday morning I woke up, realized I was low on espresso, and went to the supermarket down the street to stock up.

Discussion: @sudhapjay, @martha_gill, @colojen, @cjr, @mantzarlis and @cjr

The Daily Beast:

In a memo to staff, Fox News execs remind staff that “viewers rely on us to stay informed” while opinion hosts and one news anchor downplay the crisis — Some of the network's hosts have spent the past week mocking COVID-19 fears, but an internal memo from Fox bosses underscores the severity.

Discussion: The Guardian, @rolandsmartin, @mehdirhasan, TVNewser, @jayrosen_nyu and @slpng_giants

Melynda Fuller / MediaPost:

Popular Science names Corinne Iozzio as its new editor-in-chief — Popular Science is seeking new licensing opportunities through an exclusive agreement with agency Evolution USA. — They will be sought across a wide range of industries. Evolution will also be responsible …

Discussion: Bonnier Corporation and @corinneiozo

Chris Young / The Reporters Committee …:

Surveyed on legal challenges, journalists say they're increasingly facing a culture of secrecy in government and that they need training on right to access info — In 2019, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press announced its Local Legal Initiative, an ambitious expansion …

Discussion: @muckrock, @molly_mcdonough, @garyaharki, @rcfp, @sbassopb, @rcfp, @irenegentle and Nieman Lab

Jake Silverstein / New York Times:

NYT clarifies a passage in an essay from The 1619 Project that claimed a primary reason the US colonists fought the American Revolution was to protect slavery — Today we are making a clarification to a passage in an essay from The 1619 Project that has sparked a great deal of online debate.

Discussion: Washington Examiner, @karl_jacoby, @nhannahjones, @nhannahjones, @nhannahjones and @nhannahjones

Los Angeles Times:

Many high-profile films, like Mulan, Fast & Furious 9, and the latest James Bond, are rescheduling release dates in response to coronavirus — From the sequel to ‘A Quiet Place’ to the latest James Bond, many high-profile films are rescheduling their release dates to mitigate the risk …

Discussion: New York Post, @richlightshed and Deadline

Ben Schoon / 9to5Google:

YouTube introduces a new Explore tab on Android and iOS to replace Trending, featuring destination pages and creators and music artists “on the Rise” — After being in beta for shy of two years, YouTube is finally rolling out its “Explore” tab on both Android and iOS, a new home for trending content and much more.