Mediagazer: Cyberpunk 2077's developer hamstrung reviewers by forcing NDAs and sending copies just days before launch to prevent players from seeing the buggy mess (Cecilia D'Anastasio/Wired)

6:55 PM ET, December 21, 2020

Top News:

Dominick Mastranglo / The Hill:

Newsmax claims it “has not reported as true certain claims” made by “various guests, attorneys and elected officials” on air about Smartmatic and Dominion — Conservative media outlet Newsmax issued a clarification on Monday about recent claims made by guests …

Ben Smith / New York Times:

Voting machine companies including Smartmatic have hired high-powered libel lawyers and, legal experts say, have strong cases if they sue Fox, Newsmax, and OAN — Voting machine companies threaten “highly dangerous” cases against Fox, Newsmax and OAN, says Floyd Abrams.

David Shepardson / Reuters:

The COVID-19 relief bill includes a provision to expand forgivable government loans to additional struggling local news outlets — WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Congressional leaders said on Sunday that lawmakers agreed to expand forgivable government loans to additional struggling local news outlets …

Discussion: New York Times, @vwpickard, @penamerica and The Hill

Jem Aswad / Variety:

Congress' COVID-19 relief deal includes the Save Our Stages Act to give ~$15B in relief to independent music venues and movie theaters shut due to the pandemic — “We can finally report what our nation has needed to hear for a very long time,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell …

Discussion: Hollywood Reporter, Washington Post, Mediaite, VTDigger, The Hill, CNBC, New York Times, Politico, Reason, Crain's New York Business, Business Insider, @variety, /Film, @winston_fisher1, Reuters, @matthaneysf and New York Post

Mike Masnick / Techdirt:

The omnibus funding bill Congress is set to vote on contains the controversial CASE Act, which may ratchet up copyright trolling, and the Felony Streaming Bill — from the but-why? dept — As we warned about earlier this month, it appears that Congress has in fact put …

Discussion: Variety, The Verge, Breitbart, @joe_loguidice, @chrismessina, @zfdigivagrant, Hollywood Reporter, @sbjohnsrpi, @ovenotter, @mmasnick and @xirzon, more at Techmeme »

Mike Fannin / The Kansas City Star:

Kansas City Star publishes a review of its 140-year history, finding coverage “disenfranchised, ignored, and scorned generations of Black Kansas Citians” — Today we are telling the story of a powerful local business that has done wrong. For 140 years, it has been one of the …

Stephanie Clifford / Elle:

Profile of ex-Bloomberg reporter Christie Smythe, who quit her job and divorced her husband after she fell in love with the man she was covering, Martin Shkreli — Why did Christie Smythe upend her life and stability for Martin Shkreli, one of the least-liked men in the world?

Discussion: @ellemagazine, New York Magazine, @nytimes, CNBC, New York Times, VICE, The Wrap, @megancgraham, @manymanywords, @katie_robertson, @stephcliff, @skenigsberg, @mattzeitlin, @thedailybeast, New York Post, Law & Crime, @penenberg, @penenberg, @katie_robertson, @jillfilipovic, @migold, @benyt, The Daily Dot, @liamstack, Fox News, @katierosman, Mediaite, Business Insider, @beijingpalmer, The US Sun, @ohheyjenna, @tomgara, @asteadwesley, The A.V. Club, UPROXX, @hels, Rolling Stone, Where's Your Ed At, @hummusandpizza, The Guardian, @shwinyo, @kira_lerner, @alexrkonrad, @mathewi, @rmac18, @alexheard, @carigervin, @carigervin, @zeitchikwapo, @maxwelltani, @jordanuhl, @socialistdogmom, @elaheizadi, @maxwelltani, @elaheizadi, @ashleyfeinberg, @drea_carmen, @oneunderscore__, @taylorlorenz, @angryblacklady, @annamerlan, @galaxiecarol, @nolamama69, @ec_schneider, @ashleyrparker, @bgrueskin, @bgrueskin, @christiesmythe, @soledadobrien, @christiesmythe, @alishagrauso, @jenashleywright, @notcapnamerica, @roywoodjr, @offbeatorbit, @christiesmythe, @moorehn, @moorehn, @jillfilipovic, @meandmydogtoo, @christiesmythe, @otraletra, @robbiese7en, @taylorlorenz, @kellykeegs, @zeddary, @karnythia, @phil_lewis_, @mrsfridaynext, @jerrydunleavy, @jourdynberry, @sawyerhackett, @amber_athey, @majorphilebrity, @dierobinsondie, @austen, @arreglalo, @ftrain, @felixsalmon, @mattikovler, @rebeccadobrien, @christiesmythe, @kaylawebley, @christiesmythe, @modernistwitch, @theferocity, @jillfilipovic, @jessicakroy, @fuggirls, @zunguzungu, @annamerlan, @eekshecried, @dansolomon, @harrysiegel, @bendreyfuss, @bendreyfuss, @bendreyfuss, @tylerdinucci, @jbillinson, @dlippman, @dave_schilling, @caseyjohnston, @jasonpinter, @bykatesmith, @chrissyfarr, @sgurman, @drrramina, @lalasoo, @walterolson, @megan, @benyt, @asteadwesley, @lindseyadler, @bigmeaninternet, @daisandconfused, @joeperticone, @asteadwesley, @brianstelter, @liamstack, @jessicahuseman, @bendreyfuss, @taylorlorenz, @taylorlorenz and Jezebel

Cecilia D'Anastasio / Wired:

Cyberpunk 2077's developer hamstrung reviewers by forcing NDAs and sending copies just days before launch to prevent players from seeing the buggy mess — Video game companies are increasingly putting restrictions on what reviewers can show, widening the gap between expectations and reality.

Washington Post:

The Washington Post announces expansion plans for 2021: new foreign bureaus in Sydney and Bogotá, breaking news hubs in London and Seoul, and more — The Washington Post will take new steps in 2021 to become a more global newsroom by creating breaking-news hubs in Europe and Asia.

Discussion: MediaPost, @karlaadam, Press Gazette, @raju, @annemariebridy, @jamesrbuk, @chaneyj, @jensaltman, @guinnesskebab, @defensebaron, @kwoodsome, @jehld, @ewong, @davidmackau and @travislylesnews

Wall Street Journal:

Sources: MGM Holdings has begun a formal sale process, looking for a price double its $5.5B valuation — Movie studio has tapped bankers to find a buyer, as media companies look to stock up on content — MGM Holdings Inc., the movie studio behind the “James Bond” franchise, is exploring a sale …

Discussion: The Wrap, Hollywood Reporter and Reuters

Margaret Sullivan / Washington Post:

Despite a few bright spots in local journalism like Charlotte Agenda, bought by Axios, and Daily Memphian, 55 news outlets have closed amid the pandemic — You would think that Adam Ganucheau would be feeling upbeat about the state of local journalism. — After all, Mississippi Today …

Elaine Low / Variety:

Fox Broadcasting and Sinclair strike a multi-year deal to let Sinclair keep broadcasting NFL and other live sports through Fox affiliates across 25 US markets — Fox Broadcasting Company and Sinclair Broadcast Group have struck a multi-year deal to renew Fox network affiliations …

Discussion: @jbflint and @jonmhamm

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More News:

Sarah Whitten / CNBC:
Alan Horn to step down as co-chairman of Walt Disney Studios, leaving Alan Bergman as the sole chairman; Horn will continue as chief creative officer

Discussion: Variety, The Wrap, Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, @thekenyeung and @sarahwhit10

Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
TikTok launches its first personalized annual recap feature, “Year on TikTok”, which highlights what sort of videos were watched the most, favorite tracks, more

Discussion: Fast Company and TikTok, more at Techmeme »

Eriq Gardner / Hollywood Reporter:
Netflix and Legendary Pictures settle Enola Holmes lawsuit with Conan Doyle Estate, which alleged that the movie infringed upon Sherlock Holmes

Discussion: The Verge

Kristen Chick / Columbia Journalism Review:
Eleven women describe inappropriate behavior from photographer David Alan Harvey over 13 years and say Magnum Photos knew as early as 2009

Discussion: @kiell, @dzalcman, @nyimaslaula, @cjr, @cjr, @cjr, @kristenchick, @duckrabbitblog and @callakessler

Erik Wemple / Washington Post:
Sources: NYT reporters criticized editors over handling of Callimachi's “Caliphate” in a meeting, arguing warning signs had been clear for years with no action

Discussion: @walldo, @amelscript, And another thing, @paulvieira, @erikwemple, @nycjim, @lizsly, @juliacarriew, @lailalalami, @ggreenwald, @hatr, @maxabrahms, @mlcalderone, @ozkaterji, Fox News, BBC and Jezebel

Earlier Picks:

Pranshu Verma / New York Times:
Documents: Michael Pack, CEO of USAGM, is seeking to cut funding for its nonprofit Open Technology Fund, limiting internet access in tightly controlled places

Discussion: @frankpallone and @zacharykeck, more at Techmeme »

Linda Solomon Wood / Nieman Lab:
National Observer EIC predicts Canada's philanthropic sector will lean in further to fund journalism in 2021, and new companies will continue to launch and grow

BRANDED:
Adalytics: brand safety technology from companies like Grapeshot and Moat marked 30.3% of NYT, 21.4% of The Economist, and 51.7% of Vice articles as “unsafe”

Mark Jacob / Local News Initiative:
An analysis puts the overall increase in digital circulation for news outlets in 138 markets at 51.2%, from Nov. 2019 to Nov. 2020; print circulation fell 12.9%

Discussion: @tomrosenstiel, @timafranklin and @ctguild

The Guardian:
Citizen Lab: iPhones of dozens of Al Jazeera journalists were hacked using software from NSO Group in an attack likely ordered by Saudi Arabia and UAE

From Techmeme:

Kyle Wiggers / TechCrunch:
Anthropic raised another $4B from Amazon, will make AWS its primary training partner, and is working with Annapurna Labs to develop new Trainium accelerators

The Information:
Sources: OpenAI considered developing a browser, discussed deals to power AI features on Samsung devices and search on sites and apps from Condé Nast and others

Tim Hardwick / MacRumors:
A UK CMA report finds that Apple's policies hold back innovation in mobile browsers and recommends investigating Apple and Google's mobile ecosystem activities

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