Top News:
Joe Pompeo / Vanity Fair:
Sources: NYT told Lauren Wolfe, who had a temporary position, that her name and NYT's name were in headlines after her “chills” tweet, and “we can't have that” — The paper of record's treatment of a freelance editor getting “chills” on Twitter drew accusations …
Russell Contreras / Axios:
Ex-CNN exec S. Mitra Kalita and PA radio exec Sara Lomax-Reese launch URL Media, a newsletter seeking to expand local news on Black and brown communities — Former CNN executive S. Mitra Kalita and Philadelphia radio executive Sara Lomax-Reese have launched a newsletter seeking to expand local news …
Discussion:
@mitrakalita, @sashak, @russcontreras, @cande313, @amlwhere, @kainazamaria, @rosental, @dawnc331, @ampalm, @ccmnewmarkj, @eramshaw, @schmalie and @raju
Joe Flint / Wall Street Journal:
NBC's Peacock signs a deal for exclusive streaming rights for WWE Network content in the US from March; source says the deal runs five years and is worth $1B+ — World Wrestling Entertainment content will move to Peacock starting March 18 in deal worth more than $1 billion
Discussion:
Variety, Variety, The Wrap, The Streamable, Hollywood Reporter, CNBC, /Film, Forbes, Ad Age, @sherman4949, Sports Illustrated, CNET, Awful Announcing, The Wrap, Adweek, MediaPost, Sports Illustrated, @perlberg, @davidcandersen, PR Newswire, Cord Cutters News, @wrestlinggary, The Wrap, Axios, TVLine, @arashmarkazi, @chriswelch, @cevalloslaw, @xpangler, The Verge, @notsam, @vishal1mehra, @austinkarp, @jonalba, @idjweddings, @wrestlenomics, nexttv.com, Bloomberg, @lucas_shaw, @lucas_shaw, @ourand_sbj, @earlwgardner, @henereyg and The Week
Archie Bland / The Guardian:
Forbes drops plans for a trip to Bermuda for 75 people on its “30 under 30” list, meant to provide an escape from pandemic “gloom”, after facing criticism — Invitation for people on magazine's ‘30 under 30’ list is dropped hours after Guardian inquiry
Katie Robertson / New York Times:
Rupert Murdoch says free speech is being suppressed by an “awful woke orthodoxy” and says he is “far from done” — Mr. Murdoch of News Corp, who spoke in a video, has been relatively quiet publicly in recent years. He called conformity on social media “a straitjacket on sensibility.”
Discussion:
New York Post, Business Insider, The Wrap, @edmundlee, @edmundlee and Mediaite
Margit Wennmachers / Andreessen Horowitz:
a16z plans to launch a “new and separate media property” later this year focused on “the future” and names ex-CNN editor Maggie Leung executive editor — We embraced speaking directly to our audience — from the builders of the future to the tech-curious — right as the firm was started in 2009.
Discussion:
@smc90, Talking Biz News, Business Insider, @ricmac, @saschasegan, @jessicalessin, @a16z, @thekenyeung, @andrewchen, @bhorowitz, @panzer and @wennmachers, more at Techmeme »
Alexander Gladstone / Wall Street Journal:
AMC Entertainment says it signed deals for $917M in funding to survive the COVID-19 pandemic for months and avoid bankruptcy — World's largest movie theater chain buys time with debt and equity deals as it continues to burn cash during the Covid-19 pandemic
Discussion:
Hollywood Reporter, Variety, /Film, New York Times, Variety, Business Wire, The Week, Business Insider, The Playlist, The Wrap and Bloomberg
Meg James / Los Angeles Times:
Inside CBS' fraught investigation into allegations of racism and misogyny on the part of CBS Television Stations President Peter Dunn and another senior exec — Gripped by scandal in the summer of 2018, CBS came up with a way to contain the crisis. — The television giant's board hired …
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times, TVSpy, @lawrence, @deggans, @jimmydonofrio, @latimes, @davidcayj, @katiefehlinger, @mattdpearce, @lucas_shaw, @deggans, @latimes, @megjameslat and @ckrewson
Sara Fischer / Axios:
Content recommendation company Taboola says it has agreed to go public via a SPAC, valuing the company at $2.6B and raising $545M — Taboola, the content recommendation company known best for the chum box ads at the bottom of publishers' websites, has agreed to merge with special purpose …
Robert P. Baird / Columbia Journalism Review:
An in-depth look at Laurene Powell Jobs' Emerson Collective, which a source says has spent $250M on journalism, buying stakes in The Atlantic, Axios, and others — With the Emerson Collective, Laurene Powell Jobs is becoming a force in American media. What is she trying to achieve?
Discussion:
@cjr, @pennyriordan1, @_meher, @raju, @mathewi, @teddyschleifer, @zunguzungu and @cjr
Alex Weprin / Hollywood Reporter:
Nexstar to rebrand its national cable channel WGN America as NewsNation, positioning it as a “fact-based and unbiased” competitor to CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC — As part of the rebrand, NewsNation will add two hours of live coverage from 6-8 p.m. hosted by Nichole Berlie and Joe Donlon, respectively.
Discussion:
TVNewser, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, @alexweprin, @fraying, @jayrosen_nyu, @daveleeft, @vexedinthecity and nexttv.com
Nathan Ingraham / Engadget:
Spotify says it is testing a pilot of audiobooks on the platform, with nine public-domain titles read by well-known names like Hilary Swank — Initial titles include ‘Frankenstein,’ ‘Great Expectations’ and ‘Jane Eyre.’ — Spotify's aggressive move into content beyond music continues today …
Discussion:
Hollywood Reporter, XDA Developers, @pennyfractions, The Verge, @natjarv, @lucas_shaw, @amyxwang, @kerrymflynn and @dada_drummer
India Reporter, New Delhi — 
China Markets Correspondent, Shanghai — 
Senior Assignment Editor, DC — 
Stocks Reporter, Tokyo — 
Senior Correspondent - Wealth, NY — 
Reporter - Ottawa Bureau — 
Research Director, CA — 
Editorial Writer, TX — 
Presque Island Reporter, ME — 
Audience Editor, MN — 
Contributing Parks Ed. - SW, CA — 
AI Content Editor, WA — 
Legislative Reporter, TN — 
Elon Musk Reporter, NY or CA — 
Government & Politics Editor, WA — 
Business & GA Reporter. VT — 
Lead Digital Editor, OK — 
Energy Reporter, TX — 
Senior Reporter, SC — 
Trade & Climate Correspondent, DC — 
Reporter, WI — 
Copy Editor, OR — 
Content Director/Chief Editor, GA — 
Breaking News Reporter, NV — 
Fearless Reporter/Producer, IA — 
Deputy Editor, FL — 
Editor, Remote US — 
City Reporter, WA — 
Executive Editor, OR — 
Education & Budget Reporter, CA — 
Senior Writer/Editor, FL — 
Scientific Editor, TX — 
Media Editor, Remote — 
