Top News:
Washington Post:
Fox News hosts have quickly shifted their tone on the COVID-19 pandemic from media conspiracy to crisis, after Trump declared it a national emergency on Friday — For weeks, some of Fox News's most popular hosts downplayed the threat of the coronavirus, characterizing it as a conspiracy …
Jason Gurwin / The Streamable:
Universal Pictures to make digital rentals of some new movies now in theaters available for $20 from March 20, and upcoming Trolls World Tour on its release day — In light of the movie theaters being brought to a standstill, Universal Pictures is changing the game.
Discussion:
Hollywood Reporter, New York Times, @awallenstein, @kylebuchanan, Shelly Palmer, Business Insider, Deadline, Slate, @thr, @brooksbarnesnyt, @shujaxhaider, @thr, @davidmullings, @htranbui, @richdemuro, @larryowenslive, @lucas_shaw, @mattgoldberg, @aaronsagers, @louispeitzman, @alexmonney, Multichannel News, MediaPost, NME, /Film and Broadcasting & Cable, more at Techmeme »
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Julia Alexander / The Verge:
AMC Theaters, the largest theater chain in the US, to close for 6-12 weeks, following in the footsteps of Regal, Landmark, Alamo Drafthouse, and others — Following the worst box office weekend in 20 years — AMC Theaters, the largest theater chain in the United States, will shut its doors nationwide for between six to 12 weeks.
Discussion:
TechCrunch, Business Wire, ComingSoon.net and Variety
Rebecca Rubin / Variety:
North American box office plunged to around $55.3M this weekend, its worst weekend since sales of $54.5M from September 15 to 17 in 2000
Discussion:
Jacob's Letter, Hollywood Reporter, Jezebel, The Daily Beast, Mumbrella, @ecareyo, @variety, @ewagmeister, @ecnalhanid, Hollywood Reporter, The Wrap, Fortune, /Film, The Verge, The Guardian, CNN, The Playlist, MediaPost, Wired and Vanity Fair
Dorrine Mendoza / Lenfest Institute for Journalism:
Facebook, Lenfest, Local Media Association partner to offer a total of $1M in grants of up to $5K for local newsrooms in US, Canada for costs linked to COVID-19 — Today, the Facebook Journalism Project is partnering with the Lenfest Institute for Journalism and the Local Media Association …
Discussion:
Variety, @leahktodd, @juliemmoos, @lenfestinst, @ckrewson and @melaniesill, more at Techmeme »
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Stefanie Murray / Nieman Lab:
A look at some of the collaborative efforts by independent newsrooms in states like Oregon, North Carolina, and New Jersey to cover the COVID-19 pandemic — Having access to accurate information can mean the difference between life and death during a crisis.
Discussion:
American Press Institute, @thenewsan, @edercampuzano, @jtierney6, @johnupton, @niemanlab, @niemanfdn and Oregonian
Catalin Cimpanu / ZDNet:
Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Reddit, Twitter, and YouTube say they're working with each other and healthcare agencies to tackle misinfo about COVID-19 — Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Reddit, Twitter, and YouTube put out joint statement promising to fight COVID-19 fraud and curb misinformation.
Max Willens / Digiday:
Some Spider Studios, a publisher that owns parenting sites Scary Mommy and The Dad, acquires media startup Fatherly — Some Spider Studios, a profitable social-focused publisher that owns parenting sites Scary Mommy and The Dad and employs close to 100 people, has acquired Fatherly …
Discussion:
Adweek
Steve Herman / Voice of America:
WHCA enforces social distancing in the White House briefing room, limiting the number of correspondents to 25, and TV networks have agreed to pool their cameras — The White House took enhanced precautions Monday against an invisible threat — the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
Discussion:
@rtcacapitolhill, The Hill and Fox News
Dean Takahashi / VentureBeat:
Genvid, the interactive streaming platform that enables users to monetize livestreams via sponsorships, raises additional $6M, unveils five games using its tech — Genvid Technologies has expanded its latest round of funding with additional funding from strategic investors NTT Docomo Ventures, Samsung Ventures, and Huya.
Discussion:
Wccftech
Margaret Sullivan / Washington Post:
How reporters at the Plain Dealer in Cleveland, Ohio are struggling with deep staff cuts while reporting on COVID-19's spread in the state — News organizations everywhere are under immense pressure as a pandemic sweeps the globe. — Reporters scurry to cover an eruption of breaking news …
Discussion:
@jeremylittau, @davidfolkenflik, @benpershing, @kimmasters, @gchristcle, @alanmillernlp, @annabruchez, @sulliview, @mmlederman1 and @blmckean
Tmera Hepburn / Cord Cutters News:
Acorn TV, AMC's film and TV streaming service with a focus on British content, extends its free trial from 7 days to 30 days for a limited time — The streaming service Acorn TV is giving new members a 30-day free trial, up from its usual 7-day free trial so you can start binge-watching new shows while you're cooped up inside.
Discussion:
ComingSoon.net
Tim Ingham / Music Business Worldwide:
Tencent Q4: ~$1.03B in total online music revenue, of which $160M from music subscribers, up 60.1% YoY; paying music subscribers up 47.8% YoY to 39.9M — Tencent Music Entertainment, parent of China's biggest streaming music platforms, ended 2019 with 39.9m paying users worldwide.
Discussion:
Billboard, Reuters, Seeking Alpha and MarketWatch
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