Top News:
Brian Stelter / CNN:
TV hosts are adopting to realities of covering a pandemic from studios in bedrooms and basements, losing video quality but with a new efficiency and intimacy — New York (CNN Business)Many of America's most popular and influential television hosts are now broadcasting live from bedrooms and basements.
Discussion:
@cwarzel, @condenast, @kyleclark, The Guardian, @kerrymflynn and @brianstelter
Craig Aaron / Columbia Journalism Review:
What a stimulus package for journalism should look like, including doubling federal funds for public media and direct support for daily and weekly newsrooms — The coronavirus COVID-19 has upended everything, including business as usual in Washington. In a matter of days …
Discussion:
The Atlantic, Free Press, @benyt, @theatlideas, @jamesfallows, @alex_burness, @ellgood, @elizwgreen, @melissayeagr, @devonterrill, @savethenews, @spj_tweets, @nickcharles61, @jcstearns, @jcstearns, @stevenrenderos, @jenwsheehan, @towcenter, @katfominykh, @joshuamckerrow, @rasmus_kleis, @jcstearns, @timkarr, @joelcpj, @mckaycoppins, @harmonylion1, @patbagley and @mckaycoppins
Oliver Darcy / CNN:
Fox News anchors, from its supposedly hard-hitting news division, failed to challenge Trump as he repeatedly misled viewers during the coronavirus town hall — New York (CNN Business)Anchors at Fox News failed to meaningfully challenge President Trump as he repeatedly misled …
Maxwell Tani / The Daily Beast:
Memo: BuzzFeed announces graduated salary cuts in April and May, with staffers in the lowest bracket facing 5% cuts and executives taking 14% to 25% cuts — Some staffers, including executives, will see a nearly 25-percent pay cut. And one source said CEO Jonah Peretti will not take a salary as the crisis continues.
Discussion:
Variety, The Hill, @maxwelltani, @elanazak, @bfnewsunion, @xpangler, @katenocera, @dandawkins, @binarybits, @dennishuynh, @kfile, @tomgara, @walldo, @mdudas, @mat, @futterish, @benyt, @scottbix, @mattdpearce, @mattdpearce, @genepark, @maxwelltani, @stevekovach, @emilyctamkin and @dylanbyers
Zack Whittaker / TechCrunch:
Twitter, which recently updated safety policies to add COVID-19, blocked a tweet by The Federalist saying it's time to consider “controlled voluntary infection” — A tweet by conservative online magazine The Federalist, which suggested people should deliberately infect themselves …
Discussion:
Mediaite, VICE, The Hill, @jessicahuseman, @neontaster, @frankluntz, @zackwhittaker, @dylanbyers, @frankluntz, @heathmayo and @slpng_giants
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Analyst estimates Facebook and Google could lose $44B+ in 2020 global ad revenue due to COVID-19; Facebook says its ad business has weakened in affected places — Ad spending is falling off a cliff amid the COVID-19 pandemic — and Facebook and Google, the two heavyweights in digital advertising …
Discussion:
Ad Age, @dcnorg, @bobbycblanchard, @pkafka, @loudmouthjulia, @pkafka, The Verge and Hollywood Reporter, more at Techmeme »
Jim Waterson / The Guardian:
Some major towns in the UK lose their only print newspaper, leaving self-isolating older people without trusted news sources, as JPI Media suspends 12 titles — Many self-isolating older people left without trusted news source as presses stop rolling — Major towns including Milton Keynes …
Discussion:
Press Gazette, @craigsilverman, @pressgazette, @jimwaterson, @owen_g, @pressgazette and Press Gazette
Joyce Gannon / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Pittsburgh-area newspapers cut staff, suspend or combine print editions, and launch fundraising appeals, as a 175-year old weekly permanently closes — The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a harsh toll on news media in the Pittsburgh region including layoffs, suspension of print editions and, in at least one case, permanent closure.
Discussion:
Washington Post, @pittsburghpg, @timcast, @joyce_gannon, @brianstelter, @charliedee71, @elysetoribio and Fox News
Patricia Nilsson / Financial Times:
The Athletic COO says readership numbers fell in recent days and revenue growth is expected to slow but it still has a “clear line of sight to profitability” — US website valued at $500m drops paywall after loss of big events challenges its purpose
Discussion:
@muradahmed and @dcnorg
Elaine Low / Variety:
Discovery withdraws its previous outlook for FY 2020 and will borrow $500M to “increase its cash position and maximize flexibility” during the pandemic — Discovery will borrow $500 million under its credit facility to boost its cash position the latest media company to scramble to deal the ongoing coronavirus crisis.
Discussion:
ir.corporate.discovery.com, @benmullin and The Wrap
Pew Research Center:
Pew survey: 57% of Americans who rely mostly on social media for political and election news say they've seen “news” that seemed made up about COVID-19 — While coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic consumes the nation's news, people whose most common pathway to political and election news …
Discussion:
Adweek, more at Techmeme »
Brian Heater / TechCrunch:
Google brings its Podcasts app to iOS and unveils a redesign of Android app, with users' listening habits syncable across platforms via Google Podcasts for Web — Just in time for our collective house arrests, Google has unveiled a redesigned version of Podcasts.
J. Edward Moreno / The Hill:
KUOW, a public radio station in WA, says it'll no longer air White House COVID-19 briefings due to misleading info and difficulty of fact checking in real-time — A public radio station in Washington state, KUOW, will no longer be airing White House press briefings on the coronavirus …
Discussion:
Mediaite, Deadline, @bruce_arthur, Breitbart and Boing Boing
Anjuli Patil / CBC News:
Atlantic Canada's largest newspaper chain SaltWire Network says it is temporarily laying off 40% of its staff and shutting down all its weekly publications — All SaltWire weeklies temporarily shutting down amid loss of ads due to COVID-19 — Atlantic Canada's largest newspaper chain …
Discussion:
CBC News, @johngushue, @robertmmahoney, Twelve Thirty Six, @mathewi and @jbenton
Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:
UK clears DMGT's purchase of the i newspaper; DMGT bought the i from JPI Media for £49.6M in November — The Government has cleared Mail and Metro owner Daily Mail and General Trust's buyout of the i newspaper after being told there were no plurality or competition concerns about the deal.
Keith J. Kelly / New York Post:
Esquire has quietly trimmed its print edition to six per year, down from eight, and says the reduction is not coronavirus-related but to improve print quality — Popular men's magazine Esquire has quietly trimmed its print edition to six per year — down from eight, Media Ink has learned.