Top News:
The Daily Beast:
NYT Opinion editor says it was her decision to spike a Bret Stephens column criticizing Baquet's reasons for firing McNeil, not Sulzberger's as Stephens claims — A top New York Times columnist claims the paper's publisher shelved his opinion column defending Donald McNeil …
Discussion:
Nieman Lab, @dylanbyers, @nytimespr, CNN, @meredithshiner, Mediaite, Washington Post, @marcatracy, @wesleylowery, @dylanbyers, @wesleylowery, @oliverdarcy, @armystrang, @scottshanenyt, @lisang, @davekarpf, New York Post, @dgisserious, @wesleylowery, @maxwelltani, @jackmurphyrgr, @jacobrubashkin, @jaynordlinger, @zaidjilani, @jbenton, @jolentag, @dylanbyers, @marlownyc, @davekarpf, @ggreeneva, @zaidjilani, @530bruceross, @weareyourfek, @ranjona and @niemanreports
Brad Smith / Microsoft On the Issues:
Microsoft's Endorsement of Australia's Proposal on Technology and the News — Editor's Note: Last week, Microsoft endorsed an Australian proposal that would require tech gatekeepers like Facebook and Google to share revenue with local independent news organizations.
Discussion:
The Hill, @newsceo, @klyngec, @epc_angela, @benyt, @jason_kint, Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg
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Sara Fischer / Axios:
Microsoft pres. says US and other countries should consider adopting rules like Australia's proposed laws, which force tech companies to pay for news content
Discussion:
@jason_kint, more at Techmeme »
Saqib Shah / Engadget:
Google launches Google News Showcase in UK and Argentina, after debuting the service in Australia last week, and says it now has over 450 publications globally
Discussion:
CNBC, @niemanlab, @googlenewsinit, @googlenewsinit, @googlenewsinit, @googleuk, @danrussell12000, Press Gazette, The Keyword, The Verge, MacRumors, HoldtheFrontPage, OneZero, 9to5Google and The Keyword
Oliver Darcy / @oliverdarcy:
Bloomberg is laying off employees as part of a “new structure to elevate editing”; sources: layoffs will affect about 90 employees — Bloomberg EIC John Micklethwait confirms layoffs in a memo to staff: “I am not going to pretend today is a happy day for the newsroom. It is always painful to tell journalists that they are losing their jobs.” I'm told the layoffs are affecting about 90 employees. https://twitter.com/...
Discussion:
Insider, @perlberg, @vtuss, @jessicalessin, @ericnewcomer, @grace_panetta, @jenni_gritters, @chrismessina, Talking Biz News, @derekahunter, @jbenton, @mattrosoff, @froomkin, @heathat, @freeblackgirl, @ericlach, @ejacqui, @oliverdarcy, @fmanjoo, @caleweissman, @aleksnotalex, @tombevanrcp, @nbj914, @kerrymflynn, @perlberg and @jhilburg
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Disney beats as Disney+ reaches 94.9M subscribers globally, 30% of those from Disney+ Hotstar, while revenue dropped to $16.25B, down 22% YoY — Disney Plus had the wind at its back to close out 2020: The streaming service notched 94.9 million customers worldwide as of the end of the year-end quarter, the company announced.
Discussion:
The Streamable, The Streamable, The Wrap, The Streamable, CNBC, Engadget, Yahoo Finance, MacRumors, The Verge and Decider, more at Techmeme »
Naman Ramachandran / Variety:
HBO Max to launch in Latin America and the Caribbean in June; existing HBO-branded streaming services in Europe will shift to HBO Max later this year — WarnerMedia's streamer HBO Max is set to launch across 39 Latin American and Caribbean territories in June.
Sheila Dang / Reuters:
Kantar: CBS generated a record $545M in ad spending during the Super Bowl, which had a record 57 minutes of ad time — (Reuters) - ViacomCBS' CBS network generated a record $545 million in advertising spending during the NFL's Super Bowl LV this past Sunday, according to preliminary estimates from research firm Kantar.
Discussion:
Digital TV Europe, @readdanwrite and @sheila_dang
RELATED:
Etan Vlessing / Hollywood Reporter:
Ted Sarandos says Netflix plans to open a corporate office in Canada and will hire a content executive to deal directly with local Canadian producers — “Canada is an amazingly diverse country and growing our presence locally will help us share more authentically Canadian stories with the world …
Discussion:
About Netflix, The Wrap, @rtaryerson, Deadline, @gregobr, IndieWire and Variety
Reuters:
BBC World News has been barred from airing in mainland China — (Reuters) - BBC World News has been barred from airing in China, the Chinese state media CGTN said bit.ly/2Z51L43 early on Friday, citing the National Radio and Television Administration. — Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Wall Street Journal:
Sources: a deal for full control of Tribune Publishing by Alden Global Capital could be reached this month — The hedge fund already owns a big stake in the newspaper chain behind titles including the Chicago Tribune and New York Daily News — A hedge fund that owns a big stake …
Discussion:
@kimjnews, @mattgertz, @brynstole, @royalpratt, @nwi_jsp, @petersagal, @localcelebrity, @lenfestinst, @byalisonbowen, @lalpert1, @royalpratt and @rexhuppke
Caroline Davies / The Guardian:
Meghan Markle wins her privacy case in summary judgment against the Mail on Sunday, which published extracts from a letter she wrote to her father — Judge gives summary judgment in favour of royal over extracts of letter to estranged father, Thomas Markle
Constance Grady / Vox:
With the release of “Framing Britney Spears”, the idea that the media treated her unfairly is accepted but it's revisionism to say it didn't know it was wrong — We're all complicit in what happened to Britney. But some of us more so than others.
Discussion:
Esquire, @constancegrady, CAFE, @voxdotcom and The Media Nut
Angela Fu / Poynter:
Three Gannett newsrooms in New Jersey have announced they are jointly unionizing and forming the Record Guild, part of the NewsGuild of New York — The new union will include the Bergen Record, the Daily Record and the NJ Herald. — Three Gannett-owned newsrooms in New Jersey announced Wednesday morning they are jointly unionizing.
Discussion:
@mcdiduch, @poynter, @angelanfu, @kaitlynkanzler8, The NewsGuild - CWA and nyguild.org
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