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NYT retracts the core of Caliphate after a review finds that the podcast gave too much credence to its central character and reassigns Rukmini Callimachi — Toggle more options — The New York Times has retracted the core of its hit 2018 podcast series Caliphate after an internal review found …
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The New York Times has agreed to return the Peabody Award it won for Caliphate, following its retraction of core elements of the podcast series — Now that the New York Times has revealed that it can no longer confirm the tales shared by Shehroze Chaudhry, the central figure in the 2018 podcast …
Discussion:
The Wrap


Sources: Digital publishers including BuzzFeed, Group Nine, and Axios are prepping for a wave of consolidation, via acquisitions or going public through SPACs — Big players explore acquiring rivals and going public through blank-check companies — Momentum is building toward consolidation …


The Washington Post plans to add 150 jobs next year, bringing its total staff to a record high of more than 1,000 — The Washington Post plans to add more than 150 jobs to its newsroom next year, bringing its total staff to a record high of more than 1,000, the newspaper confirmed to The Hill Thursday.
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@farhip, Press Gazette, @lesserfrederick, @sarafischer, @farhip, @allyschweitzer and @blowryontv


FT's union suspends pay negotiations after learning that ex-EIC Lionel Barber made £1.92M in 2019 despite profit falling to £1.89M from £8.2M in 2018 — Former FT editor Lionel Barber received pay and pension benefits worth £1.92m in 2019 as the FT Ltd …
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The Guardian, @markcurtis30, Talking Biz News and Press Gazette


In a memo, NBCU CEO Jeff Shell says that Premier League soccer coverage is Peacock's number one driver of premium subscriptions and engagement — EXCLUSIVE: NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell didn't mince words about the “bad dream” that was 2020, but touted the success of Peacock and laid …
Discussion:
The Streamable


Some local news stations are credulously covering anti-vaxxers' response to the COVID-19 vaccine and failing to feature doctors or public health advocates — Friday night's newscast on WFXG-TV in Augusta, Georgia, a Fox affiliate, featured some exciting news: The Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center …
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@brandyzadrozny, @jayrosen_nyu, @fstonenyc, @robcrilly, @mantzarlis, @chelseaclinton, @kubremner, @donlday, @drewpetrimoulx, @joycecaroloates and @katestarbird


Tribune agrees to sell product review site BestReviews to Nexstar for $160M and will enter into a licensing and revenue-sharing agreement for use of its content — Tribune Publishing and BR Holding Co. will sell the BestReviews website to TV station owner Nexstar Media Group for $160 million, the companies announced Wednesday.
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Dallas Morning News, Chicago Business Journal and MediaPost


Charli D'Amelio and her family will star in The D'Amelio Show, an eight-episode docuseries on Hulu that will follow “the first family of TikTok” — Charli D'Amelio, who at 16 rocketed to fame with over 150 million followers on TikTok, is getting her own show on Hulu alongside her sister …
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The Verge, @paginaskinner, The Wrap, Hollywood Reporter, @yashar, @stokel, @spencerpratt, @taylorlorenz, Deadline, @teroterotero, @mathewi, @richlightshed, @lucas_shaw, @mathewi, @karlbode and New York Post

In an August note to Substack, a veteran writer shared ideas to improve the platform, including a Substack Reader, transcription, media subscription deals, more — I met Hamish McKenzie about a year ago when he came by the San Francisco Writers Grotto to tell us about Substack.
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@fvogelstein, @prsarahevans, @iankar_ and @tomcritchlow


Disney stock is up 20% for 2020 despite the pandemic and $5.4B in losses over the past two quarters, largely due to the success of its streaming video services — - Shift to streaming overshadowed struggling parks, empty ships — Pandemic uncertainty, suspended dividend weighed on investors
Discussion:
Forbes, @newsynick and @ballmatthew

Survey: US consumers used seven SVOD and free streaming services in October, up from five in April; 47% used free services in October, up from 39% in April — - by Karlene Lukovitz @KLmarketdaily, Yesterday — U.S consumers who stream now use seven subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) …


Twitter says it will stop prompting users to Quote Tweet, restoring the standard RT functionality, and says QT use increased but overall sharing dropped by 20% — Well, it was worth a shot. — Twitter announced Wednesday that it will cease prompting users to quote tweet in lieu of the standard retweet.
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Twitter says it will start its new verification policy on January 21 and is developing profile labels to designate bots and memorial accounts
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@twittersupport, Gizmodo, Android Police, Slate, @mayakaczorowski, @danznewz, @ecmclaughlin, @maxwildstein, @godisrivera, @bruzanin, @bluechoochoo, @oliverdarcy, @lizkelley, @janelytv, @mattnavarra, @wongmjane, @ketanj0, @hodgesmr, TechCrunch, Adweek, ScreenRant, Reuters, The Verge, Mashable, The Desk, 9to5Mac, Washingtonian and Engadget, more at Techmeme »