Mediagazer: Sources: DOJ is probing whether Sony's proposed $1.2B acquisition of Crunchyroll from WarnerMedia would give Sony dominance in the anime streaming market (The Information)

1:45 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, The Hill, @joshsternberg, @benyt, @jkottke, Goodwill factories, @ev, @alex, @davezatz, @ryanlawler, @rmac18, @stephaniemlee, @caseynewton, @melissaryan, @mrmisocainea, @benedictevans, @raju, @jfagone, @alexckaufman, @helaineolen, @dansinker, @harrymccracken, @katie_robertson, @caseynewton, @carnage4life, @sarthakgh, @alexeheath, @lukeepplin, @rvoronacote, @kerrymflynn, @micahsingleton, @constar24, @stokel, The Muffin por Mauricio …, @lmatsakis, @lanceulanoff, @bigblackjacobin, @hcmarks, @devindra, @peterbale, @anthony, @readdanwrite, @navalang, @thekenyeung, @yaelwrites, @jasonhowell, @vice, @jathansadowski, @aarieff, @warmoth, @iankar_, @mbaram, @mcwm, @thekenyeung, @thekenyeung, @tomkrazit, @brookeobie, @benyt, @tamigraph, @parismarx, @jason_koebler, @pierce, @thekenyeung, @ryanlawler, @jayrosen_nyu, @waywardwinifred, @rmac18, @alexeheath, @robpegoraro, @smashdawg, @alexeheath, @themadstone, @ow, @kerrymflynn, @s_m_i, @hshaban, @clarajeffery, @bdeskin, @thecitywanderer, @adamwren, @timmaughan, @grahamstarr, 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.

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

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, @logan_ratick, @politicsreid, @adater, New York Post, @chadterhune, @adriana_lacy, @dicktofel, @jessicamartinez, @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: @erichaywood and @mattdonnelly

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, @lizbowie, @friscojosh, @ssdance, @benestes and @bencjacobs

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: @mlcalderone, @joepompeo and @joepompeo

New York Times:

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 — As streaming video has gained in importance during the pandemic, advertisers have put more focus on Hollywood-level branded content as a way to reach viewers.

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

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

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 …

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

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: Hollywood Reporter, Reuters, Forbes and Music Business Worldwide

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 — Welcome to Small Talk, a series where we catch up with the internet's favorite Extremely Online individuals offline.

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

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Output Producer, CA — AP

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Senior Assignment Editor, DC — WaPo

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Immigration Enforcement Reporter — Documented

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Senior Reporter, SC — Island Packet

Trade & Climate Correspondent, DC — FT

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More News:

The Information:
Sources: DOJ is probing whether Sony's proposed $1.2B acquisition of Crunchyroll from WarnerMedia would give Sony dominance in the anime streaming market

Discussion: @matthfield, @larke12, @joshua_sisco and @alexeheath

Kevin Roose / New York Times:
NYT turns one of its articles about NFTs into a NFT and puts it up for auction, with proceeds going to NYT's Neediest Cases Fund

Discussion: @taylorlorenz, @kevinroose, @halhod and Bella's Bulletin

Murad Ahmed / Financial Times:
Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich sues HarperCollins and the author of Putin's People, in the UK, over claims that he bought Chelsea FC on orders from Putin

Discussion: @raju and @muradahmed

Associated Press:
AP reporter Thein Zaw, who was arrested more than three weeks ago while covering a protest in Myanmar, released from detention after judge drops all charges

Discussion: Associated Press, The Hill, @vmsalama, @tostevinm, @brianstelter and @cpaciolla

Allison Schiff / AdExchanger:
Google says FLoC, its tool for advertisers to perform behavioral targeting, might not be compatible with GDPR and hence is stopping its testing in Europe

Discussion: TechCrunch, @eric_seufert, @jason_kint, @carnage4life, @micshasan and @cpokane

Sara Fischer / Axios:
Brat TV, a digital studio that originally focused on YouTube, has licensed its content to Peacock and expects to grow its revenue this year from $15M to $35M

Discussion: @sarafischer

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

Discussion: @adamkovac, @hotlinejosh, @mtaibbi, @thadmccotter, @jackshafer, @mtaibbi, @jeboyt, @jeboyt, @adamkovac, @adamkovac, @jeboyt, @jeboyt, @adamkovac, @jeboyt, @nickgillespie, @jeboyt, @mtaibbi, @jeffjarvis and Ebla to E-Books

Earlier Picks:

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: The Guardian, Press Gazette, @janoschdelcker, Associated Press, Engadget and Reporters Without Borders, more at Techmeme »

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

Shinhee Kang / Columbia Journalism Review:
How local, Korean-language outlets covered the Atlanta shooting, focusing on the lives of the victims instead of writing profiles of the killer

Discussion: American Press Institute, @amyyqin, @shin_inouye, @alexandrianeas, @kerrymflynn, @froomkin and Media Matters for America

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

Discussion: /Film, NPR, @great_katzby, IGN India, Variety, Deadline, Hollywood Reporter, io9, The Wrap, IndieWire, New York Times, The Streamable, Engadget and Bloomberg

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:

Mark Gurman / Bloomberg:
Sources: Apple is working on a smart doorbell system with advanced facial recognition that can wirelessly connect and unlock third-party smart locks

Kyle Wiggers / TechCrunch:
Donald Trump announces that Sriram Krishnan, until recently a general partner at a16z, will serve as senior policy advisor for AI at the White House OSTP

Manish Singh / TechCrunch:
X raises US Premium+ prices by 37.5% to $22 per month, starting on December 21, and EU prices from €16 to €21 per month; the basic subscription still costs $3

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