Top News:
Steve Kovach / CNBC:
Verizon says it will sell Yahoo and AOL to PE firm Apollo Global Management for $5B, keeping a 10% stake in the company, which will be rebranded as just “Yahoo” — - Verizon will sell its media group, which includes brands from AOL and Yahoo, to private equity firm Apollo Global Management.
Discussion:
Verizon, New York Times, Nieman Lab, Hollywood Reporter, TechCrunch, CNN, Awful Announcing, Ad Age, Bloomberg, Axios, CNBC, Variety, The Desk, Protocol, Financial Times, MediaPost, Fast Company, @sarafischer, Tubefilter, AdExchanger, Adweek, @karaswisher, The Wrap, The Under60 Daily, WWD, Insider, PRWeek, New York Post, Gizmodo, Associated Press, The Verge, AllAccess.com, @joshsteimle, @matthewkeyslive, @noisyhuevos, @m4tt, @jonrussell, @stevekovach, The Desk, @carlquintanilla, @evleaks, @pkafka, @alex, @sherman4949, @milwaukeebonds, @craigcalcaterra, @taralach, @lanceulanoff, @martinsfp, @jshieber, @ronandunnevz, Insider, Ad Age, @tomwarren, @megreenwald, @alex, @ashkan, @paulandstorm, @yaserbi, @hamburger, @ceciliakang, @briangaar, @annaforflorida, @zjemptv, @dailydirtnap, @dannycrichton, @sarafischer, @davidclinchnews, @harrymccracken, @devindra, Protocol, @evleaks, @digitalshields, FierceVideo, @smashdawg, @joshsternberg, @mattsmithkiro7, @profcarroll, @amykremer, The Hill and TV Technology, more at Techmeme »
Discussion:
Alex Weprin / Hollywood Reporter: Verizon Selling Yahoo, AOL and Media Assets for $5B to Private Equity Firm Apollo
Ingrid Lunden / TechCrunch: Verizon CEO memo: Apollo to focus on commerce, content and betting with new Yahoo business
Jordan Valinsky / CNN: Verizon offloads Yahoo and AOL in $5 billion deal
Ian Casselberry / Awful Announcing: Verizon is out of the media business, selling Yahoo and AOL to Apollo Global Management
Bloomberg: Sources: Verizon is nearing a deal to sell its media division, including AOL and Yahoo!, to Apollo; deal could be worth ~$5B and be announced as soon as Monday
Alex Sherman / CNBC: Verizon is considering selling the remnants of AOL and Yahoo — here are the most valuable pieces
Matthew Keys / The Desk: Verizon sells media assets to investment firm for $5 billion
David Pierce / Protocol: By selling AOL and Yahoo, Verizon finally admitted its multibillion-dollar mistake
Laurie Sullivan / MediaPost: Verizon Media Sold, Company Renamed Yahoo
Sara Fischer / @sarafischer: Verizon bought AOL & Yahoo! thinking they could compete against Google & Facebook for banner ads. Obviously, this was a mistake. Neither company had premium video assets to build a streaming service. Google and Facebook don't own CTV, not yet at least. https://twitter.com/...
Geoff Weiss / Tubefilter: Verizon Selling Yahoo And AOL To Private Equity Firm Apollo Funds For $5 Billion
Allison Schiff / AdExchanger: PE Firm Apollo Is Buying Verizon Media For $5 Billion
Scott Nover / Adweek: Verizon Sells AOL and Yahoo for $5 Billion
Kara Swisher / @karaswisher: What a shocking ending to those of us who thought it was poppycock back when. This was like watching a telco throw itself down the stairs, walk back up and then do it again. https://twitter.com/...
Lindsey Ellefson / The Wrap: Verizon to Sell Yahoo, AOL to Apollo Private Equity Group for $5 Billion
The Under60 Daily: 3rd May 2021 — Welcome to another edition of The Under60 Daily - a brief rundown …
Kathryn Hopkins / WWD: Verizon Sells Yahoo, AOL to Apollo
Ben Gilbert / Insider: Verizon just sold AOL and Yahoo for $5 billion, and the new company will be known as ‘Yahoo’ going forward
Shoshana Wodinsky / Gizmodo: Verizon's Selling Off AOL and Yahoo for $5 Billion
Michelle Chapman / Associated Press: Yahoo and AOL sold, again, for $5B
Thomas Ricker / The Verge: Verizon sells AOL and Yahoo for about half of what it paid
Matt Johnson Segues To / AllAccess.com: Verizon Sells Off Yahoo And AOL To Apollo For $5 Billion
Josh Steimle / @joshsteimle: Can anyone help me understand why Yahoo and AOL are worth $5B? That's still a huge number. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Matthew Keys / @matthewkeyslive: Going forward, one has to assume Apollo and Verizon will kill off one of the two tech blogs — TechCrunch or Engadget. One of them will inevitably be combined into the other, and redundant staff will be laid off. https://twitter.com/...
Brad Evans / @noisyhuevos: Yahoo's brand no longer holds as much value it once did, but its fantasy business continues to be an industry titan. New owners should go ALL IN on developing new games while increasing presence in the sports betting biz through BetMGM. Only way to survive and prosper. https://twitter.com/...
Matt Brian / @m4tt: I started with AOL, then became part of Oath, only to swap to Verizon Media. Soon, I'll be part of Yahoo. What's next? No clue. https://twitter.com/...
Steve Kovach / @stevekovach: Oath to Apollo https://www.cnbc.com/...
Matthew Keys / The Desk: Verizon could announce sale of media assets on Monday
Carl Quintanilla / @carlquintanilla: Cupla years early but @JohnLegere nailed it. $VZ https://twitter.com/...
Evan Blass / @evleaks: When I started at Engadget, it was part of the Weblogs, Inc blog network. WIN got bought by AOL, then AOL got bought by Verizon (followed by Yahoo), and now both (plus Engadget?) may be on the block yet again. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Peter Kafka / @pkafka: Recall that for the last few years - and as recently as this spring - Verizon has been trying to convince people that Yahoo/AOL/TechCrunch were now subscriptions businesses and that Verizon was totally into that. https://twitter.com/...
Alex Sherman / @sherman4949: My biggest hope in the filings of the Verizon Media sale to Apollo is we get an updated number of how many people still pay for dialup AOL internet. It was still 2.1 million(!) in 2015. https://www.cnbc.com/...
Will Slaughter / @milwaukeebonds: If you invested $1,000 in AOL & Yahoo back in 1999, you'd have (checks notes)...$16 today! https://twitter.com/...
Craig Calcaterra / @craigcalcaterra: Nothing could possibly go wrong when your company is purchased by a private equity firm with a name inspired by Greek mythology or whatever. That's always a good sign for the future. https://www.nbcnews.com/...
Tara Lachapelle / @taralach: Verizon is selling Verizon Media (aka AOL and Yahoo) to private equity firm Apollo for $5b, mostly in cash. $VZ retaining a 10% stake https://www.verizon.com/... Why is Verizon selling these '90s relics? Because 5G is the future https://www.bloomberg.com/... via @bopinion $APO
Lance Ulanoff / @lanceulanoff: A sale to private equity doesn't bode well for the employees of any of the remaining properties. Investors are all about returns and will look for “efficiencies” to achieve them. https://twitter.com/...
Martin Sfp Bryant / @martinsfp: My thoughts with TechCrunch and Engadget friends 😬 https://twitter.com/...
Jon Scriber / @jshieber: No matter the owner @TechCrunch will be the go-to destination for reporting on the business and culture of entrepreneurship and the first look most people get at the tech that will make the future. @apolloglobal bought the best in the biz. https://www.verizon.com/...
Ronan Dunne / @ronandunnevz: .@Verizon entered into an agreement with Apollo to acquire its media business. This will further accelerate @verizonmedia's growth and scale. Big congrats to @gurugk and the team on this next evolution of @Yahoo. https://www.verizon.com/...
Lauren Johnson / Insider: Facebook puts ad agencies under the microscope
Simon Dumenco / Ad Age: Your NewFronts need-to-know, plus key insights from Ad Age Agency Report 2021: Monday Wake-Up Call
Tom Warren / @tomwarren: I hope Apollo doesn't ruin Engadget and TechCrunch here. They have hard working teams of reporters that do great work, and deserve more than a private equity firm squeezing them dry. https://twitter.com/...
Morgan Greenwald / @megreenwald: Yahoo and AOL are not dying brands. VZM generated $1.9 billion in sales in Q1. Thousands of people are worried about their job security and your ignorant tweets about the digital brands they work for aren't helpful! https://www.nytimes.com/...
Ashkan Karbasfrooshan / @ashkan: Verizon Media (TechCrunch, Yahoo! Finance) had Q1 revenue of $1.9 billion, up 12% YoY. If that's the case, a $5B bid by Apollo isn't crazy, especially if they can further expand into a) video with the right editorial sensitivity per brand, b) global. https://www.mediagazer.com/...
@paulandstorm: [S] THIS IS HUGE. There could be a domino effect, with Sprint selling Lycos, and Frontier dumping Excite. https://twitter.com/...
Yaser Bishr / @yaserbi: Verizon wants to focus on its core business and plans to divest its media business. This is the complete opposite of ATT strategy the owner of Time Warner, CNN and HBO. https://www.bloomberg.com/...
Ellis Hamburger / @hamburger: Biz dev boy 1: i can look smart to my boss by acquiring & “revitalizing” these epic brands, but really I'll just quit after the deal / my bonus 😏 Biz dev boy 2, yrs later: i can look smart to my boss by dumping these “underperforming” brands my predecessor acquired 😏 On & on https://twitter.com/...
@ceciliakang: Selling Yahoo and AOL, Verizon turns focus to its 5G network. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Brian Gaar / @briangaar: “They also threw in Dennis Rodman, Saved By The Bell and the New World Order.” https://twitter.com/...
Rep. Anna V. Eskamani / @annaforflorida: “Verizon Communications, signaling that it has given up on its media business, said on Monday that it agreed to sell Yahoo and AOL to the private equity firm Apollo Global Management for $5 billion.” https://www.nytimes.com/...
Pfizinnia Jones / @zjemptv: Cool when do we get porn back on tumblr https://twitter.com/...
Jared Dillian / @dailydirtnap: The real news here is that somebody paid $5 billion for Yahoo and AOL https://twitter.com/...
Danny Crichton / @dannycrichton: The biggest concern among TechCrunch staffers on this call is whether we will be forced to use Microsoft Teams post-acquisition
Sara Fischer / @sarafischer: Quick chart showing Verizon Media Group revenues each quarter since the inception of the group. — Q1 2021 ended about the same as Q1 2018 https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@davidclinchnews: “Verizon will keep a 10% stake in a new company, called Yahoo, that will be formed to operate the business.” #NewYahoo https://twitter.com/...
Harry McCracken / @harrymccracken: Who could have guessed that Verizon's priority would turn out to be a wireless communications network? https://www.bloomberg.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Devindra Hardawar / @devindra: This isn't going to be a fun week https://www.bloomberg.com/...
Anna Kramer / Protocol: Verizon is selling Yahoo and AOL for $5 billion
Evan Blass / @evleaks: As the Times article notes, Verizon's content play was an ill-conceived bet that media would drive wireless data usage. What's ironic is that, had VZ bothered to study AOL's disastrous TW merger, it would have learned that these anticipated synergies often fail to materialize. https://twitter.com/...
Mike Shields / @digitalshields: Indeed l, the crux of this deal was that the mobile customer data was somehow going to be just as good as what FB and Google employ for ads. I don't think enough of us- self included- pushed back on that premise https://twitter.com/...
Ben Munson / FierceVideo: Verizon sells Media business to Apollo for $5B
Jeremy Kaplan / @smashdawg: I guess they're breaking their Oath https://twitter.com/...
@joshsternberg: maybe telephone companies shouldn't get into the media business https://www.cnbc.com/...
Matthew Smith / @mattsmithkiro7: I guess this means I'm co-workers with the folks from the @SkullduggeryPod. Or as producer @Austins_Day noted, I can now kick-off the Live Desk: “You've got news.” https://twitter.com/...
David Carroll / @profcarroll: Verizon: We are not a dumb pipe. We will buy data and profit gloriously from adtech. Verizon: Or not. Ok we'll be a dumb pipe if you insist. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Amy Kremer / @amykremer: “With the sale of Yahoo and AOL, Verizon signaled it is no longer interested in media, unlike its rivals.” https://www.cnbc.com/... via @nbcnews
Joseph Choi / The Hill: Verizon sells AOL, Yahoo for $5B
Michael Balderston / TV Technology: Verizon Media Sold to Apollo for $5B
Meg James / Los Angeles Times:
The Los Angeles Times names Kevin Merida as its executive editor; Merida has previously been the EIC of ESPN's Undefeated — The Los Angeles Times has named veteran journalist Kevin Merida as its top editor and tasked him with transforming the storied 139-year-old newspaper into a digital powerhouse that thrives for decades to come.
Discussion:
CNN, New York Times, Mediaite, @sarahdwire, The Hill, Variety, Talking Biz News, @adrienneshih, Washington Post, The Wrap, MediaPost, @megjameslat, Wall Street Journal, Poynter, Hollywood Reporter, @maxboot, @philiprucker, @kelleylcarter, @timkawakami, @robingivhan, @joseiswriting, @froomkin, @froomkin, @davidfolkenflik, @davidfolkenflik, @clintonyates, @billshaikin, @deggans, @abbydphillip, @marissaaevans, @drpatsoonshiong, @jamesrbuk, @angeljennings, @laura_nelson, @tjquinnespn, @kurtbardella, @longdrivesouth, @johnmyers, The Daily Beast, @froomkin, @cliffordlevy, @hunterw and @benyt
Discussion:
Katie Robertson / New York Times: L.A. Times Names Kevin Merida Executive Editor
Marisa Sarnoff / Mediaite: LA Times Announces ESPN VP, Undefeated EIC Kevin Merida as Executive Editor
Sarah D. Wire / @sarahdwire: And @latimes has a new executive editor: Kevin Merida (@meridak). Will take over in June
Thomas Moore / The Hill: LA Times hires ESPN's Kevin Merida as executive editor
Ethan Shanfeld / Variety: L.A. Times Names ESPN's Kevin Merida Executive Editor
Mariam Ahmed / Talking Biz News: LA Times names Merida executive editor
@adrienneshih: Inbox: @meridak is joining @latimes as our new executive editor https://twitter.com/...
Meg James / @megjameslat: MAJOR NEWS: The @latimes just announced its new executive editor: Kevin Merida who for the past five years has run ESPN's The Undefeated platform that plumbs the intersection of race, culture and sports. Merida starts in June. https://www.latimes.com/...
Angela Fu / Poynter: Who will lead America's newsrooms? Here are some of the national and regional news outlets that are searching for their next top editor and some potential contenders for each.
Max Boot / @maxboot: Glad to see my hometown paper getting an inspired leader. California needs the LA Times to be great. https://twitter.com/...
Philip Rucker / @philiprucker: The LA Times has struck gold. @meridak is the real deal — a wise and empathetic journalist, a proven innovator and a compassionate leader. https://www.latimes.com/...
@kelleylcarter: But just so y'all know, I'm ELATED for @meridak. Kev has been a mentor for me for a long time, helped me make important career decisions & hired me at ESPN. That he gets to lead this newsroom is BEYOND. LAT: you're in for a treat. Go get 'em Kev. Brunch on me when you get here! https://twitter.com/...
Tim Kawakami / @timkawakami: Former Washington Post editors now running the LA Times and San Francisco Chronicle (Emilio Garcia-Ruiz). Both extremely well respected, just notable. Obviously Merida's most recent time was running The Undefeated and other big duties at ESPN. https://twitter.com/...
Robin Givhan / @robingivhan: I'm not even sure that @latimes fully grasps how lucky they are... how could they? @meridak is extraordinary. https://twitter.com/...
Jose Antonio Vargas / @joseiswriting: This is major news not only for @latimes but for journalism at large. Kevin Merida is one of the most respected and innovative journalists in the *entire* industry. He cares about journalism as a public trust, as a bridge between communities, and as a way to build community. https://twitter.com/...
Dan Froomkin / @froomkin: Although the @LATimes DC bureau is much bigger and stronger than when I wrote this 3 years ago, most of my advice still stands. The @nytimes and @washingtonpost need a spanking. Go get 'em, @meridak! https://medium.com/...
Dan Froomkin / @froomkin: There is a signal moment in big-newspaper history. @meridak, though not so young (64) and not the first person of color in such a role, nevertheless represents a new generation of leaders who see how great journalism benefits from reporters' lived experiences. (I think.) https://twitter.com/...
David Folkenflik / @davidfolkenflik: Merida created the Undefeated for ESPN - was a former WaPo managing editor who was unsuccessfully wooed this year to replace Marty Baron there. My earlier story on Merida and the Undefeated https://www.npr.org/... More coverage to come
David Folkenflik / @davidfolkenflik: NEWS: Los Angeles Times named ESPN news exec Kevin Merida (@meridak) as new executive editor LAT owner Patrick Soon-Shiong has poured in resources to rebuild newsroom Merida follows Norm Pearlstine, who oversaw renewal but faced newsroom rancor https://www.npr.org/...
Clinton Yates / @clintonyates: We love - and I cannot emphasize this enough - LOVE to see it. https://twitter.com/...
Bill Shaikin / @billshaikin: If you're not familiar with Kevin and his career, here's a profile from @MegJamesLAT. This is such a great hire for us. https://www.latimes.com/...
Eric Deggans At Npr / @deggans: Wow! Congratulations to The Undefeated's former head honcho and former Wash Post-er Kevin Merida, just named Editor In Chief of the Los Angeles Times. I can truly say I knew the brother when... https://www.latimes.com/...
Abby D. Phillip / @abbydphillip: So happy for @meridak and the LATimes. A great move! https://twitter.com/...
Marissa / @marissaaevans: I first met @meridak when I was a summer reporting intern with the Washington Post several years ago. He was a national editor at the time and was welcoming and kind. Can't begin to tell y'all how excited I am to work with him. https://twitter.com/...
Dr. Pat Soon-Shiong / @drpatsoonshiong: The next chapter of the @LATimes in the digital era. Welcome aboard @meridak https://www.latimes.com/...
Angel Jennings / @angeljennings: ESPN's Kevin Merida named L.A. Times executive editor. Kevin has been at the top of the newsroom's wishlist as its next top leader for years. It's exciting to see the stars align. Congratulations @meridak! Welcome to the Los Angeles Times! https://www.latimes.com/...
Laura J. Nelson / @laura_nelson: The start of a new era at the @latimes. Welcome, @meridak! https://www.latimes.com/...
T.J. Quinn / @tjquinnespn: Well, damn, @meridak. Good for you, good for LA, but a true loss for us. Proud to have been your colleague, grateful for the times you had our backs. https://twitter.com/...
Kurt Bardella / @kurtbardella: The hiring of @meridak as the new Executive Editor of the @latimes is a strong signal from the Soon-Shiong family that they remain invested in rebuilding the paper and ushering it into the digital age. https://www.latimes.com/...
Daniel Hernandez / @longdrivesouth: MEDIA NEWS: Kevin Merida @meridak will be executive editor of @latimes under ownership of Dr. Patrick and Michele Soon-Shiong. Former editor of ESPN's The Undefeated, Merida started out in newspapers in Milwaukee and excelled at the Post. More ... https://www.latimes.com/...
John Myers / @johnmyers: Looking forward to working with @meridak as he takes the helm next month! https://twitter.com/...
Dan Froomkin / @froomkin: !!!! ESPN's @meridak named L.A. Times executive editor!!!!! https://www.latimes.com/...
Cliff Levy / @cliffordlevy: Huge deal for LATimes: Kevin Merida (@meridak) of ESPN is named executive editor. https://www.nytimes.com/...
David Folkenflik / NPR:
Upstart digital news site The Colorado Sun says it acquired 24 suburban newspapers around Denver, with the backing of the National Trust for Local News — group of disheartened former Denver Post editors and reporters launched an upstart news site two-and-a-half years ago, called it The Colorado Sun …
Discussion:
Larry Ryckman / The Colorado Sun: Colorado Sun with National Trust purchases 24 Front Range newspapers
Jay Rosen / @jayrosen_nyu: Wow. A group of disheartened former Denver Post editors and reporters launched an upstart news site two-and-a-half years ago. Today, The Colorado Sun announced it had acquired and would operate a family-owned chain of 24 suburban newspapers around Denver. https://www.npr.org/...
David Folkenflik / @davidfolkenflik: The new National Trust for Local News is a co owner of the suburban newspaper chain acquired by the @ColoradoSun - part of a coalition of groups behind the scenes that helped make this happen. its CEO 👇🏼 https://twitter.com/...
Jack Healy / @jackhealynyt: Huge media move by the @ColoradoSun. Truly wow — https://coloradosun.com/...
Les Zaitz / @leszaitz: In Colorado, a digital start-up plunges back into the world of print newspapers. This is an amazing move to help save local news by @larryryckman and his dynamite crew. https://coloradosun.com/...
Dan Froomkin / @froomkin: Very exciting! The first (of many?) big wins in the local news space by @the_ntln. More here: https://coloradosun.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Glenn Wallace / @gwally3: It's a momentous day for local journalism. This could be the start of something that really preserves and strengthens local journalism across the nation. I'm thrilled to be part of it all. https://twitter.com/...
@coloradosun: Hello! We have some exciting news to share. The Colorado Sun and The National Trust for Local News have bought @ColoradoNewsCCM and its 24 Front Range newspapers. https://coloradosun.com/...
Yell / @jelenawoehr: My 153-year-old hometown paper has been bought by a public trust for journalism, as part of a pilot project to protect local papers from falling into hedge fund hands! https://twitter.com/...
Skyler McKinley / @skylermckinley: Very cool to log on to Twitter while suffering a pretty stark case of the Mondays only to realize that today is a historic day in Colorado journalism. Completely lifted my mood! Congrats to the entire @ColoradoSun team - and congrats to Colorado, too. Spectacular news about news. https://twitter.com/...
Tim Wieland / @cbs4tim: “All too often these days, hedge funds are the first ones in line to buy newspapers, and no one wanted to see that happen.” Congratulations to Larry and the entire @ColoradoSun team - an important move to protect local journalism in Colorado. https://twitter.com/...
Jesse Aaron Paul / @jesseapaul: Colorado Sun joins with National Trust to purchase 24 Front Range newspapers https://coloradosun.com/...
Esteban L. Hernandez / @estebanhrz: “These are the folks who are covering school boards, city councils, county commissions that no one else is covering.” https://www.npr.org/...
Elizabeth Findell / @efindell: The @ColoradoSun, started by disheartened ex-Denver Post journalists, is buying 24 suburban community newspapers. “We couldn't count on a benevolent billionaire galloping up on a white horse. And we were worried about a hedge fund coming in” via @NPR https://www.npr.org/...
David Folkenflik / @davidfolkenflik: NEWS: Colorado Sun, the upstart digital news site, has acquired 24 Denver suburban papers Sun's @larryryckman: “We couldn't count on a benevolent billionaire galloping up on a white horse. And we were worried about a hedge fund coming in.” My story: https://www.npr.org/...
Sara Fischer / Axios:
Twitter to launch ad campaign to promote local journalism, starting with 28 full-page ads in local papers across the Gannett/USA Today and McClatchy networks — Twitter on Monday will launch a major advertising and social media campaign urging people to follow local journalists and support their work.
Discussion:
Jon Allsop / Columbia Journalism Review: Broadening the funding conversation—and not just the spotlight—on local news
Sara Fischer / @sarafischer: NEW: Twitter is launching a big national campaign to boost local news - Running ads across 28 local papers to encourage people to #followlocaljournalists https://www.axios.com/...
Eric Zuckerman / @ericzuck: Local news is infrastructure. #FollowLocalJournalists #WorldPressFreedomDay https://twitter.com/...
Garrett M. Graff / @vermontgmg: Hard to think of something less meaningful than Twitter launching a national full-page-ad campaign promoting “local journalism.” Yes, they're sending revenue to some local papers, but many of Gannett's papers are already irrelevant zombie papers. https://www.axios.com/...
@kerrymflynn: Twitter wants us all to #FollowLocalJournalists “The campaign will launch with 28 full-page, color ads in local newspapers across the Gannett/USA Today and McClatchy network.” - @sarafischer https://www.axios.com/...
Josh Wolfe / @wolfejosh: The BEST thing about this? It will ultimately put cash in the ACCOUNTS of those we take for granted who help to uncover corruption + put spotlight + sunshine on shady dealings—and hold politicians, public servants, private businesses, pastors, unions, school boards—ACCOUNTABLE https://twitter.com/...
Ofirah Yheskel / @ofirahy: It would make a helluva lot more sense to urge people to subscribe https://twitter.com/...
Scott Nover / @scottnover: The best this will do is give ad revenue to media local media congloms, which will hopefully (but not necessarily) reinvest that in their reporting. https://twitter.com/...
Chris Horne / @thischrishorne: Bless your heart, @Twitter. The threat to local news is coming from inside the house. Ownership mostly motivated by quarterly profits makes attracting attention it can sell the purpose of journalism. This doesn't address the problem. It rewards the incentives that led us here. https://twitter.com/...
Raju Narisetti / @raju: If nothing else, some print ad revenue from this @Twitter to launch national ad campaign in US to boost local news https://www.axios.com/...? via @axios
Niketa Patel / @niketa: #FollowLocalJournalists is Twitter's first global campaign centered around news and the goal is to help elevate local journalists stories and raise awareness about their work, further increasing their followings. https://twitter.com/...
Stephen Fowler / @stphnfwlr: That'll solve it! https://twitter.com/...
Parker Molloy / @parkermolloy: This seems like a really cool initiative. Local journalism is so important. #FollowLocalJournalists https://twitter.com/...
Lara Cohen / @larakate: #FollowLocalJournalists so proud of this campaign. Can't wait to see the conversation on the platform tomorrow. https://twitter.com/...
Evelyn Douek / @evelyndouek: That should do it! Getting more local news on twitter is definitely the solution we need! https://twitter.com/...
@donlday: *whispers* Most local journalists don't work for Gannett #FollowLocalJournalists #NotJustTheGannettOnes @LIONPubs https://twitter.com/...
Molly Beck / @mollybeck: Twitter launches national campaign urging people to follow local journalists on Twitter and support their work: https://www.axios.com/...
Oliver Darcy / CNN:
WaPo, NYT, and NBC News issue significant corrections, retracting earlier reporting that said Giuliani and OAN had been warned by the FBI about Russian disinfo — New York (CNN Business)The Washington Post, The New York Times, and NBC News on Saturday issued significant corrections …
Discussion:
Mediaite, @oliverdarcy, Media Nation, NBC News, @kenvogel, Poynter, @jayrosen_nyu, New York Times, @mikeelgan, @mattgaetz, @nytpolitics, New York Post, @seanspicer, @arawnsley, @oliverdarcy, @richardgrenell, @kredo0, @redsteeze, Slate, New York Post, Fox News, @washingtonpost, @stevesi, @greta, @aaronjmate, @ggreenwald, @danielsgoldman, @katehydeny, @kevin_hitt, @rossgarber, @ngrossman81, @zcohencnn, Wide World of News, @matthewkeyslive, Insider, @brianstelter, @froomkin, @oliverdarcy, The Hill, The Daily Beast and Mediaite
Discussion:
Ken Meyer / Mediaite: ‘A Major Black Eye’: CNN's Stelter Calls Out Washington Post, NY Times, NBC Over Giuliani Retractions
Oliver Darcy / @oliverdarcy: Big retraction from WaPo: “This version has been corrected to remove assertions that OAN and Giuliani received the warnings...” https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ... https://twitter.com/...
Dan Kennedy / Media Nation: A Washington Post correction adds to confusion over Rudy Giuliani and the FBI
Ken Dilanian / NBC News: FBI prepared briefing for Giuliani warning he was target of Russian spies, says source
Kenneth P. Vogel / @kenvogel: CORRECTION: We reported the @FBI warned @RudyGiuliani in a defensive briefing that some of the information he was pushing on the Bidens was tainted by a Russian disinformation campaign. But Giuliani did not receive such a defensive briefing. https://www.nytimes.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Tom Jones / Poynter: Troubling corrections at The Washington Post, New York Times and NBC News These are legitimate and reputable news outlets that are constantly striving …
Jay Rosen / @jayrosen_nyu: Over the weekend, three of the country's top newsrooms retracted a key part of one of last week's biggest stories. https://www.cnn.com/...
@mikeelgan: OK so the White House was warned while Giuliani worked for the President and the fact was in all the papers. Here's the story everybody, including Giuliani, saw: https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ... https://www.cnn.com/...
Matt Gaetz / @mattgaetz: The Fake News being Fake News on Rudy and so much more... https://twitter.com/...
@nytpolitics: Federal prosecutors want to scrutinize Rudy Giuliani's communications with Ukrainian officials about the ouster of the U.S. ambassador, Marie Yovanovitch. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Miranda Devine / New York Post: Feds hound the man who saved city
Sean Spicer / @seanspicer: wow - this is an actual @cnn headline @WashingtonPost, @NYTimes, and @NBCNews retract reports on Giuliani https://www.cnn.com/... “issued significant corrections, retracting earlier reporting that said Rudy Giuliani had been directly warned by the FBI”
Adam Rawnsley / @arawnsley: Any law folks want to explain this to me? “a second source now says the briefing was only prepared for Giuliani and not delivered to him, in part over concerns it might complicate the criminal investigation of Giuliani.” https://www.cnn.com/...
Oliver Darcy / @oliverdarcy: NBC News has also now corrected its story: “The report was based on a source familiar with the matter, but a second source now says the briefing was only prepared for Giuliani and not delivered to him...” https://www.nbcnews.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Richard Grenell / @richardgrenell: They use “sources” that they know are partisan. But they don't care. The editors allowing this practice should be fired too. https://twitter.com/...
Adam Kredo / @kredo0: Man, I wish I could just report whatever the hell I want without performing actual journalism. Work would be so much easier: “Washington Post, New York Times, and NBC News retract reports on Giuliani” https://www.cnn.com/...
Stephen L. Miller / @redsteeze: And they offer no reason or explanation as to why we are supposed to keep reading, trusting or listening to them, and they have given us no intention of trying to get any better. https://twitter.com/...
Daniel Politi / Slate: NBC, WaPo, NYT Retract Reports FBI Warned Giuliani of Russian Disinformation Campaign
Kathianne Boniello / New York Post: Fake News: New York Times, WaPo, NBC forced to retract false claims about Giuliani
Stephen Sorace / Fox News: NYT, Washington Post, NBC News retract reporting that Giuliani got FBI Russia warning
@washingtonpost: We've deleted an earlier tweet saying the FBI warned Rudolph W. Giuliani that he was the target of a Russian misinformation campaign, which he has since disputed. This story has been corrected.
Steven Sinofsky / @stevesi: Washington Post, New York Times, NBC retract reports that said Giuliani was warned by FBI he was target of Russian disinformation operation // fascinating how multiple outlets can all be wrong the same way and time. https://www.cnn.com/...
Greta Van Susteren / @greta: (Below is disturbing..we in the media must get it right or we lose all credibility) Washington Post, New York Times, NBC retract reports that said Giuliani was warned by FBI he was target of Russian disinformation operation - CNN https://www.cnn.com/...
Aaron Mat / @aaronjmate: When it comes to anything Russiagate, US media outlets are a reliable source for what they constantly accuse Russia of: disinformation. A “big retraction” is a feature, not a bug. #BlueAnon https://twitter.com/...
Glenn Greenwald / @ggreenwald: Yet another false but serious claim retracted. Note that — as Darcy documents in the subsequent tweet — the NYT also reported this false claim, but rather than correct or retract it, they just quietly removed it with no comment. Stealth editing of major errors is unethical: https://twitter.com/...
Daniel Goldman / @danielsgoldman: Very significant correction. There is previous reporting that senior WH officials got a briefing that Giuliani was being targeted by Russian agents in Ukraine, which is still important. But this is why we wait to see what the evidence — not reporting — shows. https://twitter.com/...
Kate Hyde / @katehydeny: What's most disturbing is seeing how yet again major news outlets seem to “independently verify” their stories by taking another outlet's word for it. https://twitter.com/...
Kevin Hitt / @kevin_hitt: It's sad that this is where the state of media who people trust to tell the truth. They put trust in us to tell them what actually happened so they can make opinions about what we write. This isnt about Giuliani, so get that straight. It's about the truth https://www.cnn.com/...
Ross Garber / @rossgarber: This is embarrassing for those news orgs and reflects problems with the common use and attribution to anonymous sources Washington Post, NYT, NBC retract reports that Giuliani was warned by FBI he was target of Russian disinformation operation. https://www.cnn.com/...
Nicholas Grossman / @ngrossman81: This changes the Giuliani story. Not entirely, but in significant ways. Big error to have trusted the original source, and worth asking if reporters were quicker to believe it because it made someone they don't like look bad. Harms credibility; will feed victimization narratives. https://twitter.com/...
Zachary Cohen / @zcohencnn: “NBC News said in its correction that its story ‘was based on a source familiar with the matter, but a second source now says the briefing was only prepared for Giuliani and not delivered to him, in part over concerns it might complicate the criminal investigation of Giuliani.’” https://twitter.com/...
Mark Halperin / Wide World of News: Pro Tips.... Do you like to talk about politics and life in America with your fellow citizens — and to listen?
Matthew Keys / @matthewkeyslive: The Washington Post, the New York Times and NBC News all copied each other's “scoop.” Now they've been forced to issue the same retraction because the “scoop” was bogus. https://www.cnn.com/...
Tom Porter / Insider: News outlets including the Washington Post have retracted or amended reports claiming the FBI warned Giuliani he was the target of a Russian influence operation
Brian Stelter / @brianstelter: The @washingtonpost, the @nytimes, and @nbcnews have issued “significant corrections, retracting earlier reporting that said Rudy Giuliani had been directly warned by the FBI that he was the target of a Russian disinformation campaign,” @oliverdarcy writes https://www.cnn.com/...
Dan Froomkin / @froomkin: When you get something this wrong, journalistic ethics requires a public explanation and retraction, of roughly the same prominence, not a correction. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ... https://twitter.com/...
Oliver Darcy / @oliverdarcy: Before and after in NYT's story. The NYT story does not include a retraction or acknowledgment that the reporting on a defensive briefing was removed. https://www.nytimes.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Jordan Williams / The Hill: New York Times, WaPo, NBC retract reports about Giuliani's contact with FBI
Alex Weprin / Hollywood Reporter:
Amazon strikes deal for exclusive rights to Thursday Night Football starting in 2022, one year earlier than first planned, buying out games set to air on Fox — Fox will drop ‘Thursday Night Football’ starting in 2022, with the tech giant set to take over exclusive video rights.
Discussion:
Brian Steinberg / Variety: Amazon's ‘Thursday Night Football’ Deal to Start With 2022 Season
Aubrey Meister / The Streamable: Amazon Gains Rights to ‘Thursday Night Football’ Beginning with 2022 Season
Kelsey Sutton / Adweek: Thursday Night Football Will Move a Year Early From Fox to Amazon Prime Video
nflcommunications.com: AMAZON PRIME VIDEO TO BECOME THE EXCLUSIVE HOME OF THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL BEGINNING WITH THE 2022 SEASON
Michael Balderston / TV Technology: NFL's ‘Thursday Night Football’ Heading to Amazon Prime Video in 2022
Josh Alper / ProFootballTalk: Thursday night games will move to Amazon exclusively in 2022, not 2023
Daniel Kaplan / @kaplansportsbiz: Amazon Prime will pick up Thursday Night Football a year early, starting in 2022 instead of 2023. That means Fox and NFL Net have only one more season sharing TNF with Amazon. The change will mean a few hundred million to the NFL's bottom line next year
Cynthia Littleton / Variety:
Gray Television says it will acquire Meredith's local media group for $2.7B in cash; Meredith's National Media Group will be spun out as a standalone company — Atlanta-based Gray Television has reached a deal with Meredith Corp. to acquire 17 TV stations for $2.7 billion.
Discussion:
Bloomberg, GlobeNewswire News Room, MediaPost, The Streamable, The Wrap, The Hill, TheStreet, @sarafischer, Bloomberg, @dangriffinwlwt, @greta, @variety_cynthia and TV Technology
Discussion:
GlobeNewswire News Room: GRAY TO ACQUIRE MEREDITH CORPORATION'S LOCAL MEDIA GROUP IN A $2.7 BILLION TRANSACTION
Wayne Friedman / MediaPost: Grey TV Buys Meredith's TV Stations For $2.7 Billion
Sara Fischer / @sarafischer: 🚨🚨 #BREAKING: Meredith agrees to sell local media group for $2.7 billion (in cash) to Gray Television to focus on its portfolio of national brands, like PEOPLE, Better Homes & Gardens, Allrecipes — Its National Media Group will be spun out as standalone publicly traded company
Dan Griffin / @dangriffinwlwt: And then there were fewer TV station ownership groups... Hmm. This landscape is really shifting quickly. https://twitter.com/...
Greta Van Susteren / @greta: (Huge news for my employer Gray TV! Incredible growth! ) Television to Acquire Meredith TV Stations for $2.7 Billion https://variety.com/... via @variety
Cynthia Littleton / @variety_cynthia: I can't be the only TV reporter giggling this a.m. about Gray buying Meredith stations. No, it's not #greysanatomy fanfic ... https://variety.com/...
Michael Balderston / TV Technology: Gray TV Purchases Meredith TV Stations for $2.7B
Dade Hayes / Deadline:
Fox's free streaming service Tubi says it will launch 140 hours of original programming in the fall, and its total view time in Q1 grew by 54% YoY — Tubi, Fox Corp.'s free, ad-supported streaming service, will enter the original programming arena this fall.
Discussion:
Variety, @loudmouthjulia, @animatedplus, @richlightshed, @xpangler, @thecartooncrave and Hollywood Reporter
Discussion:
Todd Spangler / Variety: Tubi Sets Originals Strategy: Fox's Free Streaming Service to Bow 140-Plus Hours of Original TV and Movies This Fall
Julia Alexander / @loudmouthjulia: Congrats to Tubi — best known as the platform your parents didn't know they had on their TV, but came up when they used the voice control function on their remote to find a '70s film they consider a classic — for getting into the original content game. https://variety.com/...
Animated Plus / @animatedplus: It was a matter of time. Fox Corporation's only output for entertainment right now is Fox's primetime line-up and with all the projects they have planned they really needed more outlets. Plus a free streaming service with original content will really set them apart. https://twitter.com/...
Rich Greenfield / @richlightshed: From other peoples old content to other peoples new content to your own exclusive new content Rinse, Repeat 👇👇👇 https://twitter.com/...
Todd Spangler / @xpangler: Just a few years ago, @Tubi didn't want anything to do with original content. The SVOD market is “heated and very expensive,” founder/CEO Farhad Massoudi told me in early 2019 in explaining why Tubi had no plans to produce original content https://variety.com/...
Margaret Sullivan / Washington Post:
As big Sunday news shows continue to invite Republicans who tried to overturn the election, some local outlets regularly remind their audience during news items — The journalists at WITF, an all-news public radio station in Harrisburg, Pa., made a perfectly reasonable decision a few months ago.
Discussion:
@sulliview: The politicians who tried to overturn an election — and the local news team that won't let anyone forget it. ...My column, with HTs to @WITF @jayrosen_nyu and @KevinMKruse @scott_blanchard https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Pamela Brown / @pamelabrowncnn: @Sulliview @WITF @jayrosen_nyu @KevinMKruse @scott_blanchard This is why I have pressed every single Republican I've had on my show who voted to overturn the election results. Latest example from my interview last night: https://twitter.com/...
Tommy Vietor / @tvietor08: Didn't realize that CNN's State of the Union hadn't booked a member of the “sedition caucus” since the attack on the capitol in January (h/t @Sulliview and this great story). Credit to @jaketapper @DanaBashCNN and the whole team for caring about democracy. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Marc Levy / @timelywriter: “The politicians who tried to overturn an election — and the local news team that won't let anyone forget it.” This is about @witfnews in Pennsylvania ... https://twitter.com/...
Scott Detrow / @scottdetrow: Proud of WITF and wish more outlets did this. They aren't posturing or finger-wagging... just repeatedly pointing out a basic fact. https://twitter.com/...
Jay Rosen / @jayrosen_nyu: Public broadcaster @WITF in Pennsylvania has been the leader here, as @sulliview says. The fact that no national broadcaster or newspaper has followed them yet — and taken up their “never forget” policy — is sad to the point of being pathetic. https://twitter.com/...
Jake Tapper / @jaketapper: Good for @WITF — refusing to just “move on” from the insane lies that too many of our elected officials pushed, which led to the deadly attempted insurrection, and a misled populace. https://twitter.com/...
Jay Rosen / @jayrosen_nyu: “Looking back, do you have any regrets about your actions, and any concern that they contributed to misinformation about the election?” https://twitter.com/...
@blackamazon: Or we could just not have them on the show and start covering - the majority of people who do - the victims of the violence it engenders - the communities working to do the vaccinations - the people whose voting rights are getting taken away while they sell this lie https://twitter.com/...
Oliver Darcy / @oliverdarcy: “Too many Sunday news shows repeatedly book the likes of Kevin McCarthy, Ted Cruz and Ron Johnson without reminding viewers how these members of Congress tried to undo the results of the election,” @Sulliview writes, noting @CNNSotu has been a “rare exception.” https://twitter.com/...
@kristoncapps: In the spirit of this story the @washingtonpost could consider canceling or adding a disclaimer to its May 4 tech-talk live event with Sen. Josh Hawley, who tried to overturn the results of a democratic U.S. election https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ... https://twitter.com/...
Soledad O'Brien / @soledadobrien: Honestly, it was weak. Almost apologetic for pushing. “You tried to overturn the results of an election. You spread misinformation. Why don't you feel badly about that?” https://twitter.com/...
Jon Favreau / @jonfavs: 1. Every media outlet should follow the lead of @WITF and refuse to book election-deniers 2. Good for @jaketapper and @DanaBashCNN for being the only Sunday show that refuses to book election-deniers. @CNNSotu is always a step above its competitors. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Dan Gillmor / @dangillmor: The most important takeaway from this fine column is that almost all national news outlets still quote and broadcast the people who continue to push the Big Election Lie. It's journalistic malpractice from the top of the craft, and it's yet another example of refusing to learn. https://twitter.com/...
Soledad O'Brien / @soledadobrien: All news orgs could do this. Especially the ones with the big budgets and highly paid anchors. But no—instead the perpetuators of the Big Lie get invited on tv to spread misinformation. https://twitter.com/...
Variety:
A look at compensation for CEOs and key decision-makers at Comcast, Disney, Netflix, Fox, and AT&T in 2020, after splashy announcements of pandemic pay cuts — Do media barons believe in shared sacrifice? When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, several CEOs made headlines …
Discussion:
@variety: Robert Iger was still Disney's highest-paid executive, by far, in 2020. It would take the average Disney employee 412 years to match what he earned that year alone, according to the company's calculation of average employee pay. https://variety.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@variety: Disney CEO Robert Chapek made $14.2 million last year. If the contract he signed on becoming CEO was annualized, then he would have made nearly $15 million — meaning the average employee would have to work 293 years to match his. https://variety.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Megan Graham / CNBC:
Roku's ad sales boss Alison Levin on how the company steered through the pandemic, seeing mass cancellations at first but then rebounding with a record quarter — - Roku saw a massive hit with cancellations in March at the beginning of the pandemic, letting businesses out of deals as they saw fit.
Discussion:
@megancgraham, @megancgraham, @chalozin, @digitalshields, The PARQOR Substack, Protocol and AdExchanger
Discussion:
Meg Graham / @megancgraham: Ahead of its IAB #NewFronts presentation today, get to know Roku's ad sales boss Alison Levin, how she steered through the past year and what's ahead for Roku's ads business: https://www.cnbc.com/...
Meg Graham / @megancgraham: Roku's ad sales boss, Alison Levin, described this to me as a metaphor for the company's ads business last year. Check out my profile of her, and Roku's advertising plays of late, here: https://www.cnbc.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Tal Chalozin / @chalozin: Rock star @alisonlevin (one of) the core powers behind the meteoric success of @Roku Well captured by @megancgraham To infinity and beyond!! https://twitter.com/...
Mike Shields / @digitalshields: Nice read on Roku's sales chief and the company's pandemic moment from @megancgraham https://www.google.com/...
Andrew A Rosen / The PARQOR Substack: PARQOR Monday AM Briefing #47
David Pierce / Protocol: Why Basecamp matters
Chris Young / The Reporters Committee …:
RCFP's 2020 US Press Freedom report: police were responsible for 80% of assaults at protests, affecting 324 reporters, with 195+ seemingly deliberately targeted — The fourth annual report reveals the startling extent of police violence against journalists during a year of protest.
Discussion:
Twitter, @rcfp, @froomkin, @uspresstracker, @rcfp, @elizlanders, @freedomofpress, @pressfreedom, euronews, GOV.UK, @digiphile, @digiphile and South China Morning Post
Discussion:
@rcfp: On #WorldPressFreedomDay, @rcfp has released its #PressFreedom2020 report analyzing a record 600+ press freedom violations documented by @uspresstracker in 2020. Read more about these incidents and our work to protect the legal rights of journalists: https://rcfp.org/...
Dan Froomkin / @froomkin: 1. Police were responsible for the vast majority of attacks on journalists — and appeared to frequently target them at Black Lives Matter protests https://twitter.com/...
U.S. Press Freedom Tracker / @uspresstracker: Since its founding in 2017, @uspresstracker has documented #pressfreedom violations. In 2020, journalists experienced: 434 physical attacks 134 arrests 109 cases of damaged equipment 22 subpoenas 20 searches/seizures Full report: https://rcfp.org/...
@rcfp: The environment remains challenging, but press organizations are collaborating with each other effectively to improve visibility for these important issues. #WorldPressFreedomDay Read @rcfp's full report: https://www.rcfp.org/...
Elizabeth Landers / @elizlanders: On this #WorldPressFreedomDay, read this report from the @rcfp: “Journalists faced a record 438 physical attacks last year, 91% of which occurred as they reported on the nationwide racial justice protests...” https://www.rcfp.org/...
@freedomofpress: In 2020, journalists faced a total 607 press freedom violations — including attacks, arrests, and denials of access — according to @uspresstracker. @rcfp's analysis shares more: https://www.rcfp.org/...
@pressfreedom: Ahead of #WorldPressFreedomDay, we remember the 32 journalists who were killed for their work worldwide in 2020; 22 of those were singled out in retaliation for their reporting 31 were local journalists. More: https://cpj.org/... #WPFD #PressFreedom #FollowLocalJournalists https://twitter.com/...
Luke Hurst / euronews: World Press Freedom Day: Which are Europe's lowest-ranked countries for journalistic freedom?
Alex Howard / @digiphile: Police were responsible for the majority of attacks on journalists in the US in 2020: a record 438, “91% of which occurred as they reported on the nationwide racial justice protests that erupted in response to the police murder of George Floyd.” https://www.rcfp.org/... #WPFD2021
Alex Howard / @digiphile: The @uspresstracker documented 15X increase in arrests & a rise in assaults on journalists, in an era when an autocratic @potus45 incited hatred towards media & tried to delegitimize journalism that documented his corruption & debunked his lies https://www.rcfp.org/... #WPFD2021 https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...