Top News:
Benjamin Mullin / Wall Street Journal:
Profile of David Zaslav, one of the highest-paid US corporate CEOs, who spent 14 years building Discovery into the preeminent player in unscripted programming — The TV deal maker will head the new venture formed by his company's merger with AT&T's WarnerMedia, as he seeks to build a streaming juggernaut
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New York Times:
Sources: Jeff Zucker, who said he expects to leave CNN at the end of 2021, may be open to a longer stay as his “best friend” David Zaslav becomes his boss — Phone buddies and golf partners, Jeff Zucker and David Zaslav have a 30-year history. Now Zucker may be open to working for the man he calls a “best friend.”
Discussion:
@poppyharlowcnn, @peterlattman, @ennisnyt, @grynbaum, Columbia Journalism Review, @nytimesbusiness and @doree
Gerry Smith / Bloomberg:
For CNN, the WarnerMedia-Discovery deal lets CNN avoid a difficult union with MSNBC, beefs up overseas opportunities, and puts to rest speculation it's for sale — - Discovery could help CNN with documentary library, CEO says — Zaslav: CNN's Zucker ‘has to figure out what he wants to do’
Discussion:
@davidclinchnews, New York Times, @gerryfsmith and @rolandsmartin
Ben Thompson / Stratechery:
AT&T and Verizon conflated controlling distribution with controlling demand and hence wasted billions by buying media businesses like Time Warner and Yahoo — Felix Salmon asked a question on Twitter: — While Salmon's question was driven by the news that AT&T would spin out WarnerMedia …
Discussion:
MediaPost, @stratechery, Digiday and Wall Street Journal
David Dayen / American Prospect:
The main legacies from AT&T/Time Warner are lost jobs and a $400M payout for Time Warner's former CEO; now, Discovery and WarnerMedia promise savings of $3B/yr
Discussion:
NBC News, New York Times, Quartz, @prospectanna, @secur80consult, @theprospect, @joshelman, @joejerome, @theprospect, @ourand_sbj, @ddayen, @ryanlcooper, @ddayen, Los Angeles Times and Wired
Billy Steele / Engadget:
Spotify announces a virtual concert series, offering “prerecorded livestreams” of 40-75 minutes from The Black Keys and others for $15 each, starting May 27 — If you're a fan of live music, you probably paid to stream at least one performance at some point in the last year.
Discussion:
TechCrunch and Spotify
Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:
The attempt by Bill Barr's DOJ to unmask a Twitter parody account showed its willingness to use power to intimidate critics, in violation of the First Amendment — Of all the extraordinarily hackish maneuvers Bill Barr's Justice Department undertook to protect Donald Trump …
Discussion:
New York Times, The Daily Beast, @thebax33, @joycewhitevance, @aricohn, @kengardner11, @billpascrell, @jonathanchait, The Guardian, @matthewamiller, Vanity Fair, CNN and Insider
Hanaa' Tameez / Nieman Lab:
Harvard's The Future of Media Project unveils the US Media Index database, which compiles information on owners, shareholders, and donors of news outlets — If you ever wanted to track down who owns a news outlet, it's now much easier to do it. The U.S. Media Index database by the Future …
Joe Pompeo / Vanity Fair:
The NewsGuild of New York is facing opposition from some members against a dues increase proposal after recent expansion forced it to dip into budget reserves — The NewsGuild of New York, overextended from a spate of organizing, is running into opposition from members over footing the bill.
Discussion:
@jamieson, @thehousered, @chrisburkeshay, @zagatam, @onesarahjones, @rustbeltjacobin, @thehousered, @nataliesurely, @jduffyrice, @hannahgais, @mattdpearce, @thehousered, @mattdpearce, @chrisburkeshay, @mattdpearce, @jduffyrice, @sammcooney, @willyblackmore, @fakebenjay, @skobos, @zagatam, @chrisburkeshay, @rkgwork, @thehousered, @thesarahkelly, @thehousered, @onesarahjones, @andrewfeinberg, @lainnafader, @tatejamesdotcom, @nataliesurely, @thehousered, @skobos, @zagatam, @lainnafader, @mattdpearce, @thesarahkelly, @tatejamesdotcom, @lmlauramarsh, @allisongeroi and @miriamelder
Brian Steinberg / Variety:
Fox News files a motion to dismiss the $1.6B lawsuit by voting technology company Dominion, saying it just “provided a forum for the losing side” — Fox News filed a motion Tuesday to dismiss a massive $1.6 billion lawsuit from by voting-technology firm Dominion Voting Systems …
Kerry Flynn / CNN:
Forbes staffers announce plans to form a union; more than 80% of about 105 editorial staffers have signed union cards with the NewsGuild of New York — New York (CNN Business)At Forbes, a publication known for its coverage of the rich and powerful, its employees are fighting …
Sarah Mimms / BuzzFeed News:
Two OANN reporters are running an organization that is raising money for an audit of votes in Arizona, conducted by contractors hired by the Arizona Senate — Two reporters at One America News, a far-right TV station, are running a dark money organization that they say is helping fund a counter-reality …
Tyler Falk / Current:
After an outside investigation, New York Public Radio has fired On the Media host Bob Garfield for violating its anti-bullying policy — New York Public Radio has fired On the Media host Bob Garfield for violating its anti-bullying policy, the organization said Monday.
Discussion:
@bobosphere, @benyt, @bobosphere, @katie_robertson, New York Times, @elipariser, @jbarro, @nicktheandersen, @jbenton, @raju, @briangaar, NPR, Los Angeles Times, @lyzl, Media Nation, @pareene, @themorrancave, @annehelen, The Hill, @weareyourfek, @jbenton, CNN, New York Public Radio, Gothamist, The Daily Beast, Washington Post and New York Post
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