Top News:
Wall Street Journal:
Sumner Redstone, the mogul who transformed National Amusements into a media empire that included Viacom, Paramount Pictures, and CBS, has died at 97 — Mr. Redstone built empire of TV, movies and radio that became focus of power struggle — Sumner Redstone, who turned his family's movie-theater company …
Discussion:
Variety, New York Times, Deadline, Radio & Television …, Mediaite, Business Insider, NPR, @brianstelter, Forbes, The Week, @nymag, New York Post, @sarahw, NBC News, @emilybell, CNBC, Rolling Stone, Hollywood Reporter, Decider, @emilybell, @davidenrich, @eriqgardner, @claireatki, @loulumenick, @sherman4949, Business Wire and @brianstelter
Sara Guaglione / MediaPost:
Bustle Digital Group names Kathy Lee editorial director of women's style site The Zoe Report — Bustle Digital Group has hired Kathy Lee as editorial director for women's style site The Zoe Report. — Lee was previously accessories director at Hearst's Fashion Group, where she styled content across brands.
Discussion:
WWD
Meduza.io:
Russian embassy says journalist for Russian outlet Meduza, who was beaten and arrested by police while reporting from a protest in Belarus, has been released — Meduza special correspondent Maxim Solopov, who was beaten and arrested by riot police while reporting from a protest in Minsk on Sunday night …
Discussion:
@meduza_en and Reporters Without Borders
Bloomberg:
CuriosityStream, a streaming service for documentaries on science and history, has agreed to go public through a ~$330M merger with Software Acquisition Group — CuriosityStream, a streaming platform for documentaries on science, history and other topics, has agreed to go public through …
Hollywood Reporter:
As part of WarnerMedia's layoffs, most of the staff of the streaming service DC Universe have been laid off, as well as top execs and editors of DC Comics — The majority of staff of the streaming service DC Universe has been laid off, as has editor-in-chief Bob Harras and multiple other executives on the publishing side.
Natasha Khan / Wall Street Journal:
Hong Kong media baron Jimmy Lai was released on bail on Wednesday morning, along with the other nine people who were arrested on Monday — Supporters of outspoken newspaper founder waved copies of his Apple Daily as he left police station — HONG KONG—Pro-democracy media baron Jimmy Lai …
Discussion:
Al Jazeera, The Guardian, Committee to Protect …, Hong Kong Free Press HKFP and The Independent
Patricia Nilsson / Financial Times:
After a six month break, Time Out plans to resume its print edition only in Madrid, Barcelona, and London and is unlikely to do so in the US or Portugal — Group to exit US and cut jobs in focus on food markets and digital after pandemic — Time Out has published its first magazine following …
Discussion:
@petergriffiths_, @zencudosaas and @plitter
Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian / Axios:
The Grayzone, founded by Max Blumenthal, has become a favorite of China's state media and government as it denies crimes against humanity affecting Uighurs — A website called The Grayzone has made a name for itself by denying China's campaign of cultural and demographic genocide in Xinjiang.
Discussion:
@sashru88, @davidpaulk, @yair_rosenberg, @im_pulse, @jayshams, @alex, @20committee, @bethanyallenebr and @josh_hammer
Juli Clover / MacRumors:
In iOS 14, Apple News+ publishers' web links are opened in the Apple News app by default for Apple News+ subscribers, though this feature can be turned off — Apple News in iOS 14 and macOS Big Sur has a toggle that's designed to open web links from Apple News+ publishers directly …
Discussion:
Digiday, @arctictony, The Verge, American Press Institute, @charlesarthur, @adrs, What's New in Publishing, A Media Operator, @arctictony, @mattnavarra, @harrymccracken, @claytonmorris, @tomcoates, @jaredcwhite, @alexjamesfitz, @scmitchp, The Loop, @tomgara, @lizmair, @nathanblawrence, @mgsiegler, @tomcoates, @tomcoates, @tomcoates, @dimsartz_, @tomcoates, @krave, @bzamayo, @panzer, @robpegoraro, @eric_seufert, AdExchanger and @caseyoppenheim, more at Techmeme »
Isaac Stanley-Becker / Washington Post:
Researchers find network of 178 hyperpartisan low-quality news sites whose underlying purpose is to collect and sell email addresses and other personal info — The reality curated by “The Bearded Patriot” and “The Wolf of Washington” is dismal. — The websites tell of nonstop riots and “crazed leftists.”
Discussion:
@isaacstanbecker, @lachlan, @disinfoindex, @drslayton, @dfrlab, @seth_hettena, @craigsilverman, @josh_braun, @anneapplebaum, @washpostbiz, @davidclinchnews and @brianstelter
Charles Bramesco / The Guardian:
Ramona S. Diaz's new documentary A Thousand Cuts follows Maria Ressa's and Rappler's conflict with Rodrigo Duterte's regime — The journalist who became a target of Rodrigo Duterte, the Philippines president, talks about her surreal present and her uncertain future
Discussion:
@povmagazine, The Daily Beast, New York Times and CNN
New York Times:
A case study of a story about Bible burning in Portland, covered by RT and its Ruptly video service, then amplified by US right-wing media and politicians — WASHINGTON — For some of President Trump's loudest cheerleaders, it was a story too good to check out: Black Lives Matters protesters in Portland …
Discussion:
@bymikebaker, Business Insider, @olganyc1211, @clairecmc, @jason_kint, @jimrutenberg, @mollyjongfast, @jessedamiani, @karoli, Oregonian, The Independent, The Hill and The Slot