Mediagazer: Updated Top Critic criteria on Rotten Tomatoes emphasize individual qualifications instead of outlets and include those working in other media like podcasts (Dave McNary/Variety)

Clare Jim / Reuters:

HK activist Jimmy Lai has been charged with fraud over the lease of the building that houses his Apple Daily paper; its daily operations shouldn't be impacted — HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong media tycoon and pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai was denied bail on Thursday on a charge …

Discussion: New York Times, NPR, New York Post, @nytimes, @rasmus_kleis, The Guardian and Al Jazeera

Keith J. Kelly / New York Post:

Meredith promotes Catherine Levene to president of the National Media Group where she will oversee print and digital magazines and associated consumer products — For the first time in its 119-year history, media giant Meredith Corp. has tapped a female executive to lead …

Discussion: Adweek, Digiday, @yashar, @candaceamos and MediaPost

David Folkenflik / NPR:

Watchdog finds “substantial likelihood of wrongdoing” at VOA parent agency under Michael Pack; sources say they fear Pack will do more damage before he departs — The U.S. Office of Special Counsel, a federal watchdog, disclosed Wednesday that it had found “a substantial likelihood …

Discussion: @govacctproj, @thesteveholzer, @oneunderscore__, @npr, @davidfolkenflik, @radiofreetom, @ncvates, @debmorello and The Hill

Wall Street Journal:

Sources: Amazon is in exclusive talks to buy Wondery, in a deal valuing the podcast network at $300M+; Wondery's on track to increase revenue to $40M+ this year — Venture-backed podcast company is in talks to be sold with a valuation of more than $300 million

Discussion: @benmullin, Protocol, Bloomberg, @chrismessina, @johnmoe, @raghunotragu, @rafat, @brianstelter, @pkafka, @lucas_shaw, @thememorypalace, Variety, Engadget, The Hill, TheStreet, Business Insider, The Wrap and Reuters, more at Techmeme »

Dave McNary / Variety:

Updated Top Critic criteria on Rotten Tomatoes emphasize individual qualifications instead of outlets and include those working in other media like podcasts — Rotten Tomatoes has launched a new Top Critics program for its Tomatometer rating system, including new criteria aimed at boosting inclusion …

Discussion: The Wrap, Rotten Tomatoes and IndieWire

Lindsey Ellefson / The Wrap:

Sources: JD Heyman was ousted as EIC of EW after multiple senior staffers filed complaints to HR accusing him of inappropriate, racially insensitive comments — JD Heyman was ousted as the top editor at Meredith's Entertainment Weekly on Monday after multiple senior staffers filed complaints …

Bloomberg:

US pay-TV subscribers will soon start receiving refunds and credits from providers, compensating them for the year's pandemic-related sports cancellations — - Customers are to get back the value of games that never aired — Credits and ‘courtesy adjustments’ will show up on bills soon

Abhrajyoti Chakraborty / New York Times:

Profile of Anand Patwardhan, a leading documentarian in India, who says he is now forced to hold screenings in secret due to threats from Hindu nationalists — Anand Patwardhan spent decades tracking the rise of Hindu nationalism. And now, under an increasingly repressive government, he holds his screenings in secret.

Discussion: @tomlasseter, @vedicakant, @beenasarwar, @sominisengupta, @kenroth and The India Cable

Steve Pond / The Wrap:

Sundance Film Festival replaces its Park City, Utah, event with a virtual festival that will take place from Jan. 28-Feb. 3 on a custom-designed online platform — In an attempt to maintain a sense of community at a time when large gatherings are impossible, the Sundance Film Festival …

Discussion: @jasonhirschhorn, @jenny8lee, The Playlist, Hollywood Reporter, IndieWire, Collider and Variety

Berber Jin / Business Insider:

Ex-Pando journalist Paul Carr is starting a news site, Techworker; contributors include Google Walkout organizer Claire Stapleton, Pando founder Sarah Lacy — - Former TechCrunch and Pando journalist Paul Carr believes Silicon Valley's top execs are misbehaving and need to be held to account by their employees.

Discussion: @markamesexiled, @paulbradleycarr, @yashalevine, @robertjamesii, @bizcarson, @clairewaves, @jillianiles, @simonowens, Paul Bradley Carr and Talking Biz News

Elahe Izadi / Washington Post:

Trump lawyer Joseph diGenova, who suggested an ex-government official be executed, resigns under pressure from The Gridiron Club, a Washington media social club — The elite Washington journalism social organization asked the Trump campaign lawyer to step down

Discussion: @jeremymbarr, The Hill, Poynter, @mrbromwich, @fxmacro, @elaheizadi and @elaheizadi

Chris Welch / The Verge:

Hulu's Watch Party feature is now expanding to all subscribers, allows up to seven other subscribers to join, and will have a “click to catch up button” — Hulu was first among the big streamers to embrace the co-watch trend during quarantine — Hulu was first among …

Discussion: Variety, more at Techmeme »