Mediagazer: Sources: WaPo is looking for a “Journalistic Unicorn” to replace Marty Baron, someone with his stature but a stronger connection to “journalists of tomorrow” (Joe Pompeo/Vanity Fair)

3:00 PM ET, March 24, 2021

Top News:

Ev Williams / Medium:

Medium announces buyout offers to everyone in its editorial division and the departure of Siobhan O'Connor, VP of editorial, as it adjusts publication strategy — We announced a buyout and leadership change to the Medium editorial team today. Below is the email I sent to the company. — Team,

Discussion: VICE, New York Times, Medialyte, @joshsternberg, @benyt, The Hill, @ev, @jkottke, Goodwill factories, @ryanlawler, @rmac18, @melissaryan, @benedictevans, @raju, @alexckaufman, @dansinker, @harrymccracken, @katie_robertson, @carnage4life, @sarthakgh, @constar24, @stokel, The Muffin por Mauricio …, @lmatsakis, @bigblackjacobin, @hcmarks, @peterbale, @readdanwrite, @yaelwrites, @jasonhowell, @vice, @iankar_, @mbaram, @brookeobie, @benyt, @jason_koebler, @ryanlawler, @jayrosen_nyu, @waywardwinifred, @rmac18, @alexeheath, @smashdawg, @alexeheath, @themadstone, @hshaban, @bdeskin, @thecitywanderer, @adamwren, @timmaughan, @jfagone, @helaineolen, @jathansadowski, @tamigraph, @robpegoraro, @rvoronacote, @devindra, @navalang, @parismarx, @ow, @davezatz, @stephaniemlee, @anthony, @tomkrazit, @grahamstarr, @mrmisocainea, @micahsingleton, @lukeepplin, @pierce, @kerrymflynn, @thekenyeung, @warmoth, @thekenyeung, @caseynewton, @kerrymflynn, @thekenyeung, @thekenyeung, @alex, @caseynewton, @alexeheath, @lanceulanoff, @aarieff, @mcwm, @s_m_i, @clarajeffery, Insider, The Wrap, Jezebel, The Information and Pew Research Center, more at Techmeme »

David Leonhardt / New York Times:

Analysis finds 87% of COVID-19 coverage in the national US media last year was negative, compared to 51% in international media and 64% in scientific journals — The U.S. media is offering a different picture of Covid-19 from science journals or the international media, a study finds.

Steven Perlberg / Insider:

Leaked memo: NYT is creating a system to approve outside work by its journalists, including newsletters, podcasts, book deals, or consulting on film projects — - A committee of Times leaders are expected to review outside work for journalists. — Both paid and unpaid newsletters may require approval from The Times.

Maxwell Tani / The Daily Beast:

Sources: HuffPost has picked Danielle Belton as its new EIC; Belton is currently the EIC at G/O Media's Black-focused news and culture outlet The Root — The left-leaning digital media pioneer will be helmed by The Root's current top editor Danielle Belton, The Daily Beast has learned.

Discussion: New York Times, The Hill and @maxwelltani

Axios:

Ahead of House hearing, Mark Zuckerberg calls for Section 230 reform that makes protections conditional on platforms' ability to identify and remove content — Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg will tell lawmakers his plan for “thoughtful reform” of a key tech liability shield rests …

Discussion: NBC News, MediaPost, @dylanbyers, CNBC, @reckless, @reckless, The Week, AppleInsider, CNBC, @pkafka, @dylanbyers, @matthewstoller, @baekdal, @notjessewalker, @matthewstoller, @pkafka, @margarethmcgill, The Verge and @mathewi, more at Techmeme »

Joe Pompeo / Vanity Fair:

Sources: WaPo is looking for a “Journalistic Unicorn” to replace Marty Baron, someone with his stature but a stronger connection to “journalists of tomorrow” — The most buzzed-about candidate isn't on the short list, as a trio of Times editors' names make the rounds.

Discussion: @hshaban, @hshaban, @ethartley, @mlcalderone, @joepompeo and @joepompeo

Meg James / Los Angeles Times:

LA Times says it has received a $10M PPP loan, its first during the pandemic, to help cover payroll and other costs amid a plunge in advertising revenue — The Los Angeles Times has received a $10-million loan through the federal Paycheck Protection Program — money that will help cover payroll …

Discussion: The Hill, New York Post, @chadterhune, @logan_ratick, @politicsreid, @adriana_lacy, @dicktofel, @jessicamartinez, @adater, @megjameslat, @dtohl and The Wrap

Matt Donnelly / Variety:

Jay Leno apologizes for jokes told over his career targeting Asian communities, saying it is not “another example of cancel culture but a legitimate wrong” — Late night host and comedian Jay Leno has issued an apology for a series of jokes told over his career targeting Asian communities.

Discussion: Mediaite, The Guardian, IndieWire, @erichaywood and @mattdonnelly

Ian Parker / New Yorker:

A deep look at HGTV, a top-four cable network since 2018, and how it handled two crises: COVID-19, which shuttered TV production, and the slow demise of cable — In the streaming era, does the network need to be more than wallpaper? — One morning last June, a dozen executives at HGTV …

Discussion: @lanceulanoff, @discoveryinctv, @newyorker, @newyorker and @langealexandra

Tommy Christopher / Mediaite:

Politico Playbook criticized for an item that cast Trump's administration as having been more transparent than Biden's on migrant detention at the border — Journalists, progressives, and others hammered Politico for a Playbook item that cast the Trump administration as having been more transparent …

Robert Channick / Baltimore Sun:

Filings: Stewart Bainum Jr. offered $650M to purchase all of Tribune Publishing even as its board endorsed a $630M offer from Alden Global Capital — A Maryland businessman has offered $650 million to purchase all of Tribune Publishing, the parent of The Baltimore Sun …

Discussion: @mcallguild, @benestes, @lizbowie, @friscojosh, @bencjacobs and @ssdance

Jem Aswad / Variety:

Germany-based music company BMG and investment firm KKR say they will partner to pursue recorded music, music publishing, and other music-rights acquisitions — The already-crowded music-catalog-acquisition business just got a formidable new player: Germany-based music company BMG …

Discussion: Reuters, Forbes, Hollywood Reporter and Music Business Worldwide

Archived Page Info:

This is a snapshot of Mediagazer at 3:00 PM ET, March 24, 2021.

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Who's Hiring in Media?

Output Producer, CA — AP

China Markets Correspondent, Shanghai — Reuters

Senior Assignment Editor, DC — WaPo

Breaking News Editor, Tokyo — Bloomberg

Senior Correspondent - Wealth, NY — WSJ

Reporter - Ottawa Bureau — Globe & Mail

Local Government Reporter, IA — The Gazette

Research Director, CA — OCBJ

Immigration Enforcement Reporter — Documented

Presque Island Reporter, ME — Bangor Daily News

Contributing Parks Ed. - SW, CA — SFGATE

AI Content Editor, WA — Outlier

Legislative Reporter, TN — Daily Memphian

Editorial Assistant, Remote US — Launch Potato

Elon Musk Reporter, NY or CA — The Information

Government & Politics Editor, WA — Seattle Times

Business & GA Reporter. VT — VTDigger

Sports Reporter, WA — Everett Herald

Energy Reporter, TX — Houston Chronicle

Senior Reporter, SC — Island Packet

Trade & Climate Correspondent, DC — FT

Reporter, WI — Racine County Eye

Political Newsletter Writer, CO — The Lever

Jackson Reporter, MS — Verite

Music Editor, AZ — Phoenix New Times

Breaking News Reporter, NV — Las Vegas Sun

Fearless Reporter/Producer, IA — BPC

Reporter II - Technology, Remote — NPR

Editor, Remote US — Daily Kos

City Reporter, WA — Tacoma News Tribune

Executive Editor, OR — Lookout Local

Education & Budget Reporter, CA — Politico

Senior Writer/Editor, FL — Gulfshore Business

Media Editor, Remote — Axios

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The Information:
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Kevin Roose / New York Times:
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Allison Schiff / AdExchanger:
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Discussion: TechCrunch, @eric_seufert, @jason_kint, @carnage4life, @micshasan and @cpokane

Nicole Gallucci / Mashable:
Q&A with WaPo video producer Dave Jorgenson, who has helped the outlet's TikTok account amass close to 900,000 followers through his witty and topical videos

Discussion: @nicolemichele5, @michellemanafy, @jaconi, @davejorgenson, @eiffeltyler and @kerrymflynn

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Brands including Ford and Nike are funding long-form branded content for streaming services like Hulu and HBO to reach audiences who no longer see short ads

Discussion: AgencySpy, @nytmedia, @bristei, @tanyadua, @aexm, @nicsperling, @bristei, @johnbranchnyt, @joshsternberg, @kennethturan, @ischafer, @brooksbarnesnyt, @tiffkhsu, @dylanbyers and Variety

Sara Fischer / Axios:
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Matt Taibbi / TK News:
A skeptical look at Tim Wu's ideas about the First Amendment and Big Tech, now that he's at the National Economic Council, and why speech advocates should worry

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Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:
Daily Mail owner DMG Media has not signed a deal with Google as the “money isn't adequate and the terms are too restrictive,” per editor emeritus Peter Wright

Reuters:
Reporters Without Borders says it has sued Facebook in France, citing a proliferation of hate speech against media and falsehoods about COVID-19

Discussion: American Press Institute, The Guardian, Press Gazette, @janoschdelcker, Associated Press, Engadget and Reporters Without Borders

Rebecca Rubin / Variety:
Disney revamps its schedule and will release Cruella and Black Widow to Disney+ when they open in theaters, via “Premier Access” with a $30 fee for subscribers

Todd Spangler / Variety:
Roku has formed a branded content and advertising studio, which will create commissioned short-form TV programs and interactive ads

Discussion: Hollywood Reporter, @tzm_tmt, @xpangler, Forbes, FierceVideo, Ad Age and MediaPost

Sara Fischer / Axios:
Verizon Media Group to rebrand most of its media franchises as Yahoo products and sell subscriptions to those products via Yahoo+, a new subscription platform

Reuters:
Cineworld, owner of Regal Cinemas, strikes multi-year deal with Warner Bros. guaranteeing a 45-day theatrical window in the US starting in 2022

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Alex Weprin / Hollywood Reporter:
As its share price surges, ViacomCBS says it will raise $3B in a stock sale to bolster its push into streaming

Discussion: Axios, Variety and @alexweprin

From Techmeme:

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