Top News:
Katie Robertson / New York Times:
Tribune shareholders vote to approve Alden's $633M purchase of the chain; Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, who owns a 24% stake in Tribune, abstained from voting — The bid by Alden, which already owns about 200 local newspapers, had faced resistance from Tribune staff and a last-ditch rival offer.
Discussion:
@davidfolkenflik, NPR, @sulliview, @elaheizadi, @davidfolkenflik, @bgrueskin, MediaPost, @brynstole, @rexhuppke, DFM Workers, New York Daily News, @katie_robertson, @davidfolkenflik, @em_brindley, @jfslowik, @mgafni, @lenfestinst, @kevinmodesti, @davidfolkenflik, @bykowicz, @tylerrdavis, @nprembedded, @wbur, @jason_pontin, @lillianereed, @benyt, @rexhuppke, @spytalker, @brooklynmarie, @clarajeffery, @mathewi, @vwpickard, @sulliview, @danielleiat, @jessbravin, @mattgertz, @juliebosman, @sarasatullo, @felipedlh, @journomurph, @davidfolkenflik, @dicktofel, @brianstelter, @kateconger, @rhodes_dawn, @amykpoulter, @molcranenewman, @daveweigel, @bencjacobs, @royalpratt, Media Nation, The Wrap and Robert Feder
Discussion:
David Folkenflik / @davidfolkenflik: Alden will win Tribune: LAT owner Patrick Soon-Shiong, who holds 24 percent stake in Tribune, says he has abstained from voting as it has been a passive investment. Full statement from Soon-Shiong spokesoman Hillary Manning👇🏼 https://twitter.com/...
David Folkenflik / NPR: ‘Vulture’ Fund Alden Global, Known For Slashing Newsrooms, Buys Tribune Papers
@sulliview: The grim news: Tribune shareholders vote to sell legendary chain of newspapers to a hedge fund. By @sarahellison and @ElaheIzadi who've been on the story for months. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Elahe Izadi / @elaheizadi: Joint statement from employee unions representing Tribune newspapers/outlets on Alden takeover https://twitter.com/...
David Folkenflik / @davidfolkenflik: Tribune Publishing CEO Terry Jiminez has put out this memo to staff: https://twitter.com/...
Bill Grueskin / @bgrueskin: The future of local journalism in Chicago, Hartford, Orlando and a host of other US cities seems to depend on an LA billionaire's failure — intentional or not — to check a box on a shareholder ballot. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ... https://twitter.com/...
Ray Schultz / MediaPost: Tribune Shareholders Approve Alden Purchase Bid
Bryn Stole / @brynstole: could be plenty more baltimore newspaper drama to come. from @davidfolkenflik: https://www.npr.org/... https://twitter.com/...
Rex Huppke / @rexhuppke: 1/ Tribune Publishing shareholders just let the hedge fund Alden Global Capital buy the company. This is terrible news for the Chicago Tribune and all our sister newspapers. It's also terrible news for the communities these papers cover and, I'd argue, for the country.
Julie Reynolds / DFM Workers: Patrick Soon-Shiong has some explaining to do
Robert Channick / New York Daily News: Hedge fund Alden's bid to buy Tribune Publishing newspaper chain approved by shareholders
Katie Robertson / @katie_robertson: Another update: Dr. Soon-Shiong did not check any box on the ballot, so his vote was counted as in favor of the Tribune/Alden deal, I'm told by a source familiar with the matter, which confirms reporting from @chicagotribune https://www.nytimes.com/...
David Folkenflik / @davidfolkenflik: One wrinkle in the Tribune sale: SEC filing says “Patrick Soon-Shiong's vote in favor of the transaction is required, based on his current ownership of the common stock.” It also said abstentions would be counted as a vote against the Alden bid - so PSS abstention would doom it
Emily Brindley / @em_brindley: Absolutely mind boggling that the fate of our newspapers is decided by people thousands of miles away from the communities that rely on us. #SaveLocalNews https://twitter.com/...
@jfslowik: Chicago, the third largest city in the US and an anchor for the Midwest/Great Lakes region, will soon lack a primary new source as Tribune gets subsumed by a hedge fund: https://www.nytimes.com/...
Matthias Gafni / @mgafni: I remember when Alden sold the East Bay Times building in Walnut Creek. There was all-staff mtg in Lindsay Wildlife Museum room w giant stuffed bear. I asked publisher if any proceeds of sale would be reinvested in the newsroom. You can guess the answer. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Lenfest Institute / @lenfestinst: “Alden's playbook is pretty straightforward: Buy low, cut deeper.” That's not the way forward for local journalism. We must support journalists and newsrooms who are serving their communities with essential news and information. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Kevin Modesti / @kevinmodesti: The fact that national stories about Alden Global Capital's purchase of the Chicago Tribune rarely mention the @ladailynews and @ocregister shows how the hedge fund's ownership has diminished some significant newspapers. https://twitter.com/...
David Folkenflik / @davidfolkenflik: Ex Chicago Trib metro editor @MarkJacob16 - sounding a theme I found in reporting my story: https://www.npr.org/... https://twitter.com/...
Julie Bykowicz / @bykowicz: I'm devastated for @baltimoresun, my home newspaper in more ways than one. But I'm confident that the amazing reporters there will keep doing the very best they can. Subscribe to local newspapers. https://twitter.com/...
Tyler R. Davis / @tylerrdavis: The difference between a journalist and a billionaire is that a journalist is proud to put their name on their work. https://twitter.com/...
Embedded / @nprembedded: Big news today: Tribune shareholders vote in favor of sale to Alden Global Capital. This seems to change the postscript for our series on @capgaznews. We do plan to follow this and bring you more updates in one way or another. https://twitter.com/...
@wbur: Alden's reputation had set off a frantic effort by union members in Tribune Publishing newsrooms. Their organizer, Baltimore Sun education reporter Liz Bowie, dubbed the effort “Project Mayhem.” https://www.wbur.org/...
Jason Pontin / @jason_pontin: Well, if I may, you all should have paid for your “content” rather than listened to Clay Shirky, Dave Winer, @mathewi, insisting that “nothing will work,” “sources go direct,” and that subscriptions were old fashioned and elitist. You've no one to blame but yourselves. https://twitter.com/...
@lillianereed: I believe that quality local journalism is and always will be worth fighting for. We won't give up. https://twitter.com/...
Rex Huppke / @rexhuppke: Dammit. A real profile in courage, here. Democracy dies in darkness, or by feckless abstention. https://twitter.com/...
Jeff Stein / @spytalker: Added shame: ‘The Chicago region is home to...Boeing, Walgreens, Archer Daniels Midland and United Airlines - as well as renowned philanthropies, including the MacArthur and McCormick foundations. Despite plenty of wealth, no one stepped forward.’—@davidfolkenflik @NPRNewsNow https://twitter.com/...
Brooke Binkowski / @brooklynmarie: And that's why you should never trust the “benevolent billionaire” model. @DrPatSoonShiong hasn't just let down everyone who put their faith in him. He has let down democracy. https://twitter.com/...
Clara Jeffery / @clarajeffery: Huge blow to journalism, accountability, transparency. https://twitter.com/...
Mathew Ingram / @mathewi: Not voting is also a vote https://twitter.com/...
Victor Pickard / @vwpickard: Terrible news — all the more heartbreaking given that viable alternatives were so close to prevailing. A healthy democratic society would never let vulture capitalists like Alden plunder its newspapers. https://twitter.com/...
@sulliview: As noted in this story, it's possible that @DrPatSoonShiong's abstention will keep the deal from completion despite the vote https://twitter.com/...
Danielle Tcholakian / @danielleiat: this is so sad. https://twitter.com/...
Jess Bravin / @jessbravin: “Too many people exhibit an astonishing lack of memory about how [the @chicagotribune ] has forced accountability on government, put bad folks in jail, changed laws, and provided pleasure and utility to generations,” said former managing editor @JimWarren55. https://twitter.com/...
Matthew Gertz / @mattgertz: So, so, so bad. https://twitter.com/...
Julie Bosman / @juliebosman: Dark day in Chicago for Tribune journalists and a city that relies on their work. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Sara K. Satullo / @sarasatullo: A sad, sad day for local news. Thinking of the amazing journalists at @mcallguild today. Competing against @mcall reporters makes me a better journalist. Local news competition makes the Lehigh Valley a better place to live. https://twitter.com/...
Felipe De La Hoz / @felipedlh: This is very, very bad news for an already battered news landscape https://twitter.com/...
Ryan Murphy / @journomurph: It's official. The meeting took all of 10 minutes. The Alden takeover is approved. This is a bad day. And not just for those who work at Tribune's newspapers, but for our communities. https://twitter.com/...
David Folkenflik / @davidfolkenflik: This possible twist in Tribune sale is crazy. Seeking clarity - were rules of vote changed somehow that we have not been able to find? Did he sell off shares before the sale, diluting his stake? https://twitter.com/...
Richard Tofel / @dicktofel: I presume Soon-Shiong will keep the cash proceeds of his abstention. https://twitter.com/...
Brian Stelter / @brianstelter: Alden Global Capital president Heath Freeman says “the purchase of Tribune reaffirms our commitment to the newspaper industry and our focus on getting publications to a place where they can operate sustainably over the long term.” We'll see...
Dawn Rhodes / @rhodes_dawn: Gee thanks for your “passive investment” in this company. Glad to see you're having fun playing with this part of your fortune. Good to know it doesn't really make a difference to you one way or another while the fate of a major institution hangs in the balance. https://twitter.com/...
Amy Poulter / @amykpoulter: Why would you own 24 percent of anything if you don't care enough about it to participate in decision making? Especially when it's this important. What a HUGE disappointment, @DrPatSoonShiong. https://twitter.com/...
Molly Crane-Newman / @molcranenewman: Alden just won the Daily News in a shareholder meeting that lasted all of 9 minutes https://twitter.com/...
Dave Weigel / @daveweigel: Hopefully no news needs to be covered in San Diego! https://twitter.com/...
Ben Jacobs / @bencjacobs: In other words, Patrick Soon-Shiong made the active and knowing decision to let a number of major newspapers be destroyed but is too cowardly to own up to it https://twitter.com/...
Gregory Pratt / @royalpratt: I will never be able to fully express my disappointment in @drpatsoonshiong for betraying journalism with his cowardly abstention. As owner of one of America's great newspapers @latimes, your responsibility to society extends beyond the bottom line. The right thing here was clear https://twitter.com/...
Dan Kennedy / Media Nation: Alden's victory marks a dark day for newspapers — but it could lead to a brighter future
RELATED:
Margaret Sullivan / Washington Post:
The failure of local investors to block Alden from buying Tribune Publishing was a failure of civic leadership, especially by Chicago's class of plutocrats — It didn't have to turn out this way. — Local investors — especially in a prosperous town like Chicago — could have stepped forward …
Discussion:
Washington Post, @sulliview, @elaheizadi, @davidfolkenflik, @jeffplatsky, @jayrosen_nyu, @arelisrhdz, @darrinbellart, @danrshafer, @davidsirota, @mrchavezphoto, @celestekatznyc, @markjacob16, @karlbode, @amlwhere, @jswatz, @froomkin, @samuelaadams, @rklein90, @earlymodjustice, @mccarthyryanj, @timobrien, @wesleylowery and @raju
Discussion:
@sulliview: America's rich people could have saved local journalism — and perhaps democracy. They refused. .... My column as a hedge fund buys @chicagotribune @baltimoresun @orlandosentinel @hartfordcourant @NYDailyNews & more https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Elahe Izadi / @elaheizadi: Our final story: Hedge fund Alden's takeover of Tribune newspapers approved by shareholders today, something many of its journalists had said for a year would be an apocalyptic outcome for journalism in their communities https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
David Folkenflik / @davidfolkenflik: To be clear: I'm told that Soon-Shiong decided to allow Alden bid for Tribune to succeed, despite all of today's confusion The sale was the result he intended https://twitter.com/...
Jeffrey Platsky / @jeffplatsky: A sorrowful day in journalism. The once proud Tribune Co. took a figurative dual blow to the chin and stomach today. Accountability journalism will likely be demolished. https://twitter.com/...
Jay Rosen / @jayrosen_nyu: “Rich Chicagoans sent a signal that they do not care.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ... Local investors — especially in a prosperous town like Chicago — could have stepped forward to block a hedge fund from gaining control of several of the nation's top daily newspapers. But they didn't.
Arelis R. Hernndez / @arelisrhdz: Thinking of my former colleagues at the @orlandosentinel & the fabulously courageous journalists of @OS_Guild who deserve respect, admiration and the job protection to carry out the vital work their community needs and they consistently deliver. ✊🏾 https://twitter.com/...
Darrin Bell / @darrinbellart: I think America's oligarchs may have decided that democracy isn't actually in their best interest. https://twitter.com/...
Dan Shafer / @danrshafer: Awful news for our friends in Chicago. And a warning to the rest of us. The best thing a wealthy Wisconsinite could do is restore local ownership to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. https://twitter.com/...
David Sirota / @davidsirota: Media folk have been dreaming of a quick-fix billionaire solution to the journalism crisis. There is no quick fix for those who don't work for Bezos's newspaper. Sorry. It's going to require the hard work of building reader-supported journalism. Join us: https://www.dailyposter.com/ ... https://twitter.com/...
M Robinson Chavez / @mrchavezphoto: A horrible day for @tribpub, the journalists and editors that work there and the readers they serve. They are about to be gutted. #journalismmatters https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Celeste Katz Marston / @celestekatznyc: “'Today, Tribune Publishing shareholders voted to put profit and greed over local news in our country,' several Tribune newspaper employee unions said in a joint statement.” https://twitter.com/...
Mark Jacob / @markjacob16: I'm quoted in this WaPo story. Sad quote on a sad day for Chicago. https://twitter.com/...
Karl Bode / @karlbode: @Sulliview just nails it here. The death of quality local news enables corruption, results in a more divided and less informed public, and can even shift election outcomes. and the folks with the resources to do something about it are letting it happen: https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Ann Marie Lipinski / @amlwhere: Chicago is a city that rebuilt itself after destruction by fire yet it can't save its newspaper. What a dark day. https://twitter.com/...
John Schwartz / @jswatz: “The just-sold newspapers are essential to their communities' well being,” writes @sulliview. “In fact, it's no exaggeration to make a more sweeping statement: that healthy local journalism is essential to the functioning of American democracy.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Sam Adams / @samuelaadams: it's almost like relying on the largesse of billionaires is not a sustainable model for journalism https://twitter.com/...
Rebecca Klein / @rklein90: “A newspaper is both a watchdog and a binding agent. The weaker the media, the more inequitable a city is allowed to be. Rich Chicagoans sent a signal that they do not care.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Holly Brewer / @earlymodjustice: “Devastating” Alden Capital, which we know from prior investigations has been acquiring newspapers seemingly in part to loot their pension funds—acquires more gems of American journalism. See here and https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Ryan McCarthy / @mccarthyryanj: “We're slowly replacing a functional press with PR spam, hedge fund dudebros, trolling substack opinion columnists, foreign and domestic disinformation, brand-slathered teen influencers, and hugely consolidated dumpster fires like Sinclair Broadcasting” https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Tim O'Brien / @timobrien: Alden cost-cutters pick off Tribune Publishing: “Healthy local journalism is essential to the functioning of American democracy. But it's dwindling, as more local papers either close their doors or become mere shadows of what they once were.” - @Sulliview https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Wesley / @wesleylowery: I keep thinking about this, from @perrybaconjr, and how it speaks to so many of the conversations happening currently in journalism about our values, ethics and standards https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ... https://twitter.com/...
Raju Narisetti / @raju: Who reporters choose to talk to as the (male) experts, about attempts to save a local newspaper, in an area that is nearly 50% non-white, is part of the problem ailing American journalism Patrick Soon-Shiong is still trying to save the @latimes https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Orlando Sentinel:
While a spokeswoman for Patrick Soon-Shiong said he abstained, Tribune officials said his ballots lacked a check in the “abstain” box and were tallied as “yes” — Shareholders of the parent company of the Orlando Sentinel, Tribune Publishing, voted Friday for the company …
Discussion:
@newsynick, CNN, The Wrap, Bloomberg, Chicago Tribune, @tvjedi, @rogersimmons, @j_la28, @royalpratt, @lalpert1, @lalpert1, @darrendcarroll, @gerryfsmith, @jeremylittau, @megjameslat, @megjameslat, @brianstelter, @lalpert1, @craigtimes, @walldo, @journo_christal, @chabelih, @lalpert1, @mikehalston, @lalpert1, @claire, Poynter, The NewsGuild - CWA, Axios, Daily Herald and Wall Street Journal
Discussion:
Nick Turner / @newsynick: The takeover of Tribune Publishing all came down to the definition of “abstain.” https://www.bloomberg.com/... via @gerryfsmith https://twitter.com/...
Lindsey Ellefson / The Wrap: Tribune Acquired by Alden Global Capital
Robert Channick / Chicago Tribune: Hedge fund Alden's bid to buy Chicago Tribune, other papers approved by Tribune Publishing shareholders
Wendy Fox Weber / @tvjedi: I haven't always made the right move, but I can't even imagine doing something like this. And even worse, misrepresenting it as something it was not. https://twitter.com/...
Roger Simmons / @rogersimmons: SMH. LAT owner Patrick Soon-Shiong said he “abstained” from Alden vote. Tribune Publishing confirmed that proxy ballots registered to Soon-Shiong were submitted without the “abstain” box being checked; those were tallied “yes” votes. https://www.orlandosentinel.com/ ...
Jennifer LaFleur / @j_la28: Really? “purchase reaffirms Alden's ‘commitment to the newspaper industry and our focus on getting publications to a place where they can operate sustainably over the long term.’” https://www.baltimoresun.com/ ...
Gregory Pratt / @royalpratt: We are all deeply concerned by Alden Global Capital's purchase of Tribune Publishing. It is a sad, sobering day for journalism, @chicagotribune and the city we love. But we will continue to fight for a better newsroom and each other @ctguild
Lukas I. Alpert / @lalpert1: A generous interpretation is that @DrPatSoonShiong made a mistake and miscast his vote somehow. Doesn't matter really as under Delaware law there is no do over once the polls are closed
Lukas I. Alpert / @lalpert1: If he had actually clicked the “abstain” box, it would have been counted the same as a “no” and the merger would have been rejected
Darren Carroll / @darrendcarroll: .@DrPatSoonShiong spokeswoman Hillary Manning said he abstained from Tribune vote. False. He did not mark abstain on his ballot, since it would have meant a vote against Alden's bid. He simply didn't mark his ballot, which meant a vote for Alden's bid - and a handsome payday. https://twitter.com/...
Gerry Smith / @gerryfsmith: A strange, confusing ending to the Tribune-Alden saga https://twitter.com/...
Jeremy Littau / @jeremylittau: This isn't news to media watchers, but the approval of Tribune's sale to Alden is probably the beginning of the end. About half of daily local news circulation is under hedge fund control in the U.S. These outlets are being bled dry. We need alternatives. https://www.cnn.com/...
Meg James / @megjameslat: UPDATE: We've confirmed that @latimes owner Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong did not mark his ballot in the Tribune Publishing sale. He didn't check any of the boxes. Tribune Publishing has not commented publicly, adding a last-minute twist in this closely watched sale. https://twitter.com/...
Meg James / @megjameslat: Fellow reporter @RobertChannick is close to the action. He has reported that Election Officials tallied Soon-Shiong's lack of votes as “yes” votes in favor of the deal, per ballot rules.
Brian Stelter / @brianstelter: Reporters at the Tribune papers who banded together and sought alternatives to Alden said they will continue to fight against the hedge fund. Here's my full story... https://www.cnn.com/...
Lukas I. Alpert / @lalpert1: It should come as no surprise that the Tribune vote ended in some turmoil. Let's dissect: https://www.wsj.com/...
Craig Pittman / @craigtimes: My sympathies to the staff and readers of 2 #Florida newspapers, the @orlandosentinel & @SunSentinel, whose chain was just sold to a predatory hedge fund that tends to leave publications a mere shell of their former selves. https://www.orlandosentinel.com/ ...
Brandon Wall / @walldo: @tvjedi I am fucking furious about this
Christal Hayes / @journo_christal: This is awful news for journalism. How can we honestly encourage young people to join this industry with people like this running newspaper chains? Thinking of my friends in Orlando and at papers across the country today. https://twitter.com/...
Chabeli Carrazana / @chabelih: It's so hard to do good work when every force is working against you. And yet — my friends at @orlandosentinel haven't stopped and won't stop because they care about something these corporate leeches have never invested in: Community https://twitter.com/...
Lukas I. Alpert / @lalpert1: First off, @DrPatSoonShiong's statement that he abstained is not really true. He cast a blank ballot, according to people familiar with the matter. That, under the rules, is counted as a yes vote
Michael Halston / @mikehalston: @RogerSimmons He couldn't even be bothered to abstain officially. SMH indeed.
Lukas I. Alpert / @lalpert1: Either way, Tribune now belongs to Alden
Claire Daz-Ortiz / @claire: just another friday in the apocalypse... https://twitter.com/...
Rick Edmonds / Poynter: Alden Global Capital appears to win approval for its takeover of Tribune Publishing — with a wrinkle in the vote
Jon Schleuss / The NewsGuild - CWA: Tribune Publishing shareholders let everyone down
Sara Fischer / Axios: Tribune shareholders vote to approve Alden takeover
Laura Wagner / Defector:
Both CNN's treatment of Chris Cuomo and the AP's treatment of Emily Wilder show media institutions siding with the powerful over the ethical — On Thursday, the Washington Post reported that Chris Cuomo, CNN's star anchor and brother of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, had participated …
Discussion:
New York Magazine, Press Watch, @onesarahjones, @laurawags, @froomkin, @drewmagary, @lolonghi, @andrewjfhoward, @janinezacharia, @cherijacobus, @grossdm, @ryanlcooper, @alexandermccoy4, @amandabecker, @thehungryhutch, @elisewho, @rauchway, @lrozen, @_gaffknee, @jessicavalenti, @jcameronpeters, @adrienne_dunn, @om, @sfgate, @agoodcuppa, @benjaminwittes and @wesleylowery
Discussion:
Sarah Jones / New York Magazine: Who Is the Media Really For? — Emily Wilder is a promising young journalist.
Sarah Jones / @onesarahjones: I wrote about Emily Wilder, Chris Cuomo, and what a news outlet is for: https://nymag.com/...
Laura Wagner / @laurawags: wrote about yesterday's cases of (un)ethics in journalism https://defector.com/...
Dan Froomkin / @froomkin: 🔥 “As long as the gatekeepers of journalism... are busy screeching and letting themselves be screeched at about ‘objectivity’... only those who already possess power and platform will receive anything resembling justice.” https://twitter.com/...
Drew Magary / @drewmagary: “The industry, at its best and at its heart, is about speaking up for those who can't, and shining a light on things that those in power would prefer kept in the dark.” -@laurawags https://defector.com/...
Lorraine Longhi / @lolonghi: So much has been said about yesterday's knee jerk decision from @AP, a decision cost them a thoughtful, whip smart, empathetic and passionate young journalist. But our community is better because Emily was here, advocating for people's stories. https://nymag.com/...
Andrew Howard / @andrewjfhoward: “The phenomenon is obviously one-sided; the outrage, bogus. This is really a story about journalism and an industry that has abdicated its most basic responsibilities.” https://twitter.com/...
@janinezacharia: “A functional newsroom actually concerned with training young reporters might explain to one exactly what she's supposed to have done wrong vis-à-vis their internal policies, instead of firing her.” https://defector.com/...
Cheri Jacobus / @cherijacobus: Men get a pass. Women get ruined. https://twitter.com/...
Daniel Gross / @grossdm: good piece. the one edit I'd make is that nobody really thinks that what Chris Cuomo does is journalism https://twitter.com/...
Ryan Cooper / @ryanlcooper: “Any definition of objectivity that requires a journalist to pretend neutrality asks that person to lie. Journalists are not automatons.” https://nymag.com/...
Alexander McCoy / @alexandermccoy4: “The rules matter. They exist to protect the integrity of a news outlet and to protect the public from corruption. Instead, news outlets are failing consumers and journalists alike. They serve power rather than challenge it.” https://twitter.com/...
Amanda Becker / @amandabecker: In practice, cancel culture cuts one way, against journalists like Emily Wilder or Nikole Hannah-Jones. Against a White, male network star or his brother the governor, cancel culture can apparently do little. https://nymag.com/... via @intelligencer
Aaron Hutcherson / @thehungryhutch: “Journalists are not automatons. They have opinions, and if they are not male or white or rich or straight, those opinions make them vulnerable to the right-wing outrages that just cost Wilder her new job.” - @onesarahjones https://nymag.com/...
Elise Hu / @elisewho: “That Wilder's firing by the AP...came less than a week after the Israeli military leveled the AP's headquarters in Gaza City pushes tragedy into the realm of farce so on-the-nose that it need not be emphasized here beyond the observation.” https://defector.com/...
Eric Rauchway / @rauchway: “Chris Cuomo, like his brother, has power, so he can get away with a slap on the wrist for things that would cost a normal person their job...Emily Wilder is young and new to the industry, and she has no power” https://defector.com/...
Laura Rozen / @lrozen: “This is really a story about journalism and an industry that has abdicated its most basic responsibilities... The AP showed it is not impartial after all; it can be persuaded, if only from the right.” https://twitter.com/...
Theresa Gaffney / @_gaffknee: thinking of journalism as “an industry that has abdicated its most basic responsibilities” is accurate in too many ways to count, but here's one that's deflating me this Friday afternoon https://twitter.com/...
Jessica Valenti / @jessicavalenti: “In a single day, two of the country's largest media institutions chose to side with the powerful over the ethical.” https://defector.com/...
Cameron Peters / @jcameronpeters: .@laurawags: “In a single day, two of the country's largest media institutions chose to side with the powerful over the ethical. They failed at the fundamental principle to which they are ostensibly duty-bound.” https://defector.com/...
Adrienne / @adrienne_dunn: “They serve power rather than challenge it. The result is a weak press in a nation desperate for the truth. That's no way to serve the public.” https://twitter.com/...
@om: “The Cuomos possess something Emily Wilder lacks: power. Outrage derailed Wilder's career nearly as soon as it had begun. But real ethical violations can't kick Cuomo off the air. ” #nailedit #mediatheater https://twitter.com/...
@sfgate: “The editor said I was not going to get in any trouble because everyone had opinions in college,” Wilder said. “Then came the rest of the week.” Read more: https://www.sfgate.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Anna Lekas Miller / @agoodcuppa: Just pointing out that @JeffreyGoldberg has written publicly about serving in the IDF and has a thriving journalism career while @vv1lder was fired from @AP when Republican student groups dug up “pro-Palestine” social media posts to essentially blackmail her. https://twitter.com/...
Benjamin Wittes / @benjaminwittes: This is indefensible. In no sane world should one's views of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in college disqualify you from covering local matters in Arizona. The @AP should explain its behavior toward @vv1lder. https://www.sfgate.com/...
RELATED:
Ray Stern / Phoenix New Times:
AP has fired reporter Emily Wilder after conservative media wrote about her prior pro-Palestinian activism; AP told Wilder she violated social media policy
AP has fired reporter Emily Wilder after conservative media wrote about her prior pro-Palestinian activism; AP told Wilder she violated social media policy
Discussion:
Associated Press, @suhaunah, The Stanford Daily, New Republic, @glennkesslerwp, @mattdpearce, @dataeditor, @washingtonpost, @newsmediaguild, @islamphobiacow, @ryanlcooper, @mikesisak, @nickgillespie, @rmac18, @tomgara, @digiphile, @froomkin, @bgrueskin, @vermontgmg, @juliancastro, @lailaalarian, @sara__pequeno, @bazzinyu, @joyannreid, @ricsanchez, @anatpeled1, @emmavigeland, @amandabecker, Daily Herald, @ggreenwald, @mckinneykelsey, @normornstein, The Madison Leader Gazette, New York Post, @mattdpearce, The Wrap, @robpegoraro, @gabehoff, @markberman, @chick_in_kiev, @markberman, @joejsaltarelli and @jmshumway
Discussion:
Suhauna Hussain / @suhaunah: Associated Press staff received a memo this morning that @vv1lder is no longer with the company, after conservatives rallied to get her fired because she was part of Students for Justice in Palestine in college https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Georgia Rosenberg / The Stanford Daily: Alumna fired from Associated Press following SCR targeted social media attacks
Alex Shephard / New Republic: The Associated Press Gives in to Right-Wing Trolls
Glenn Kessler / @glennkesslerwp: Amazing how quickly a talented young reporter's career can be snuffed out by a Twitter mob that decided to feign outrage over some college tweets. And if @vv1lder somehow violated @AP's social-media rules, the solution is to offer guidance, not termination, to a new reporter. https://twitter.com/...
@mattdpearce: “They told me that I violated their social media policy and would be terminated immediately, but they never said which tweet or post violated the policy,” she said. “I asked them, ‘Please tell me what violated the policy,’ and they said, ‘No.’” https://www.sfgate.com/...
Steven Rich / @dataeditor: the punishment disparities between Chris Cuomo and Emily Wilder is a good example of how this industry often works
@washingtonpost: Emily Wilder started a new job at the Associated Press on May 3. Just 16 days later, she was called and told that she had been terminated for violating the company's social media policy. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
@newsmediaguild: The News Media Guild, which represents the rank-and-file members of The Associated Press' editorial and technology units, was notified today by The Associated Press of the firing of Emily Wilder. Here is our statement (1/4)
Keyvan / @islamphobiacow: this is just an absolutely unhinged thing to tweet https://twitter.com/...
Ryan Cooper / @ryanlcooper: always wild to me how conservatives can *instantly* pivot from a shrieking panic over “cancel culture” to getting people fired for thinking Palestinians are human beings https://twitter.com/...
Mike Sisak / @mikesisak: AP's story about AP firing an AP journalist for an alleged AP social media policy violation. Here's the AP report. https://apnews.com/...
Nick Gillespie / @nickgillespie: Doesn't the firing of Emily Wilder reflect most poorly on @AP, not right-wing jagoffs who are situational free-speechers/anti-cancelers at best? https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
@rmac18: Kinda telling that @vv1lder has enough guts to give an interview to the outlet that just fired her, while her bosses can't even specifically say what she was fired for. https://apnews.com/...
Tom Gara / @tomgara: Impressive to see AP saying they're worried that opinionated tweets about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict could “create dangerous conditions for our journalists” less than a week after their Gaza bureau was flattened by an F-16 https://apnews.com/...
Alex Howard / @digiphile: The @AP stressed to the @AP that it fired an @AP reporter because of what she tweeted while employed by the @AP, but would not tell the @AP what @vv1lder wrote that violated @AP policy: https://apnews.com/... Is the takeaway for all aspiring AP reporters to delete social media?
Dan Froomkin / @froomkin: The AP's @dbauder covers the AP's own mess: “Because I have an opinion about an issue that is deeply political and personal doesn't mean that I am incapable of fact-based, contextual and fair journalism,” said @vv1lder Good quotes from @janinezacharia https://apnews.com/...
Bill Grueskin / @bgrueskin: “What happens if you were a college activist and then decide you want to become a journalist? Does this mean you can't?” - excellent quote from @janinezacharia, on former student Emily Wilder, who was just fired from the AP after college posts surfaced https://apnews.com/...
Garrett M. Graff / @vermontgmg: To build on @janinezacharia's point — being a college activist, learning and recognizing injustice, is actually great motivation to become a journalist later and help make the world a better place. https://twitter.com/...
Julin Castro / @juliancastro: This is terrible from @AP. This is a media organization sacrificing their own journalist to a misinformed, right-wing media mob. She should be reinstated and formally apologized to. https://twitter.com/...
Laila Al-Arian / @lailaalarian: It's surprising to me that the chair of the Committee to *Protect* Journalists seems to be supporting the AP's firing of Emily Wilder. CPJ has supported journalists in other countries who've offered analysis https://apnews.com/...
@sara__pequeno: The firing of Emily Wilder, as another young female journalist, makes me really sad. I kept my mouth shut in college on a lot of things that the publication I work at now is vocal about. And I worry if I tried to move to a daily I'd be penalized for that.
Mohamad Bazzi / @bazzinyu: It's a bad sign for Washington Post journalists that their new executive editor, Sally Buzbee, buckled to right-wing pressure. In her current job as top AP editor, she presumably approved firing a young journalist who wrote tweets sympathetic to Palestinians https://twitter.com/...
@joyannreid: So right wing groups are now openly targeting journalists whose past views or present journalism or tweets they don't like, and getting them fired or their university tenure taken away. But cancel culture is bad, amirite? https://twitter.com/...
Ric / @ricsanchez: it's 2021. if your news organization's “social media policy” is based around punishing your employees — rather than protecting them — then you need to revise it immediately. https://twitter.com/...
Anat Peled / @anatpeled1: From what I saw in a journalism class that we took together at Stanford, @vv1lder is a passionate and talented young writer. She did not deserve to be fired. This piece includes some good quotes by our teacher @janinezacharia. https://apnews.com/...
Emma Vigeland / @emmavigeland: “[Wilder] said she was an active member of the pro-Palestinian groups Jewish Voice for Peace and Students for Justice in Palestine at Stanford University...On Sunday, she posted on Twitter her criticism of how the news media describes the situation in Sheikh Jarrah.” God forbid. https://twitter.com/...
Amanda Becker / @amandabecker: 👇 Chris Cuomo = seasoned, on-air CNN journalist who advised his governor brother on how to tamp down a sexual harassment scandal & no punishment Emily Wilder = young woman starting career at AP who was fired over involvement in a Palestinian-rights group IN COLLEGE. https://twitter.com/...
Glenn Greenwald / @ggreenwald: Wolf Blitzer used to work for AIPAC decades ago. Should he be fired by CNN or barred from reporting on Israeli issues? This is gross. https://twitter.com/...
Kelsey Mckinney / @mckinneykelsey: The message here seems to be that the only political view at any time that is acceptable is one that props up a powerful country and adopts the United States government's stance???? Which is literally the opposite of what journalism is supposed to do. https://twitter.com/...
Norman Ornstein / @normornstein: This is a huge stain on AP. What a cowardly move. https://twitter.com/...
Raymond Hicks / The Madison Leader Gazette: AP's Emily Wilder fired over ‘biased’ pro-Palestinian tweets
Joshua Rhett Miller / New York Post: AP rookie staffer Emily Wilder fired over ‘biased’ pro-Palestinian tweets
@mattdpearce: I don't know what this accomplishes other than signaling that it's open season for troll campaigns on AP journalists. AP must acknowledge it made a mistake and rehire @vv1lder.
Lindsey Ellefson / The Wrap: Associated Press Defends Firing of New Reporter, Says Social Media Rules ‘Keep Our Journalists Safe’
Rob Pegoraro / @robpegoraro: What my old colleague said. Plus this: @AP, this is chickenshit behavior. You will never convince ideologues like the Fox News commentariat of your objectivity until you hire mostly from their staffs, so giving them a heckler's veto only signals that you can be rolled. https://twitter.com/...
Gabe Hoffman / @gabehoff: Your attempt to make a false equivalence is pathetic. Emily Wilder is a documented CURRENT radical anti-Israel activist who posted cartoons that were “largely indistinguishable from classic Nazi Jew hatred” https://canarymission.org/... https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Mark Berman / @markberman: Embarrassing actions from the AP here https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Mark Berman / @markberman: Two media stories published today, just a few hours apart 1. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ... 2. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ... https://twitter.com/...
Joseph Saltarelli / @joejsaltarelli: Make no mistake. This happens in a lot of different contexts if you express opinions in support of Palestinians. This is deeply, deeply disturbing. Shame on @AP https://twitter.com/...
Julia Shumway / @jmshumway: In 2018, the Iowa AP bureau hired and then parted ways with a legislative relief reporter after the state GOP found her posts/articles about being a Democrat. I get the need for objectivity, especially at AP, but it sucks that AP let both reporters go through online firestorms. https://twitter.com/...
Washington Post:
Sources: Chris Cuomo took part in Governor Cuomo's strategy sessions on how to respond to harassment allegations; CNN says his involvement was a mistake
Sources: Chris Cuomo took part in Governor Cuomo's strategy sessions on how to respond to harassment allegations; CNN says his involvement was a mistake
Discussion:
Josh Dawsey / @jdawsey1: NEW: CNN anchor Chris Cuomo took part in a series of strategy calls with his brother and his brother's staff on how the governor should respond to misconduct allegations. Network says he shouldn't have participated and won't going forward. w/@sarahellison: https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Ryan Cooper / The Week: Why Emily Wilder got fired and Chris Cuomo didn't
Scott Morrow / ToMorrow's View: Episode 52: Danke Schoen
Clax: CNN anchor Chris Cuomo advised brother, the New York Governor, on COVID-19 and sexual harassments allegations
Marisa Sarnoff / Mediaite: CNN's Chris Cuomo, Facing Backlash Over Strategy Calls With Brother Andrew, Ranks Third at 9 P.M. in Thursday Ratings
Joseph Wulfsohn / Fox News: Chris Cuomo and his problematic year at CNN
Samuel Chamberlain / New York Post: ‘Highly inappropriate’: Journalism group rips Chris Cuomo, CNN over strategy talks with gov bro
Smita Barooah / @smitabarooah: Good to know that media is the same across the world. India doesn't carry the wretched burden alone https://twitter.com/...
Ron Fournier / @ron_fournier: What's worse? 1. CNN anchor promotes brother/Governor on air? 2. CNN anchor advises NY Governor + staff in scandal control? 3. CNN anchor dismisses credible sexual harassment allegations as “cancel culture.” 4. He's still a @CNN anchor https://twitter.com/...
Jack Shafer / Politico: The Cuomo/Trump Playbook for Surviving a Scandal
Ben Deeter / Off The Mall: Off The Mall: May 21, 2021 — Welcome back to Off The Mall. — Let's get to some news
Justin Baragona / The Daily Beast: The View's Sunny Hostin Defends Chris Cuomo: Fox News Does It Too!
Gene Park / @genepark: Chris Cuomo faces no penalties by CNN despite having engaged in an easily-fireable and inexcusable offense. The actual ethical rules of journalism don't matter when you're popular enough. When you're a star, you can get away with anything. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
CNN: Cuomo apologizes — A rare sight on cable news: On Thursday night CNN anchor Chris Cuomo apologized …
Jean-Michel Connard / @torriangray: Now this is the kind of thing someone should be fired for. https://twitter.com/...
@caro: The “Cuomo Brothers argue about which one's their mom's favorite on TV” stuff was cute and reassuring to a city under extreme duress, but in retrospect it wasn't just journalistically unsound, it was effectively covering up the truth. https://twitter.com/...
A.J. Katz / TVNewser: Chris Cuomo Confirms That He Advised His Brother on Responding to Sexual Harassment Allegations: ‘I Understand Why That Was a Problem for CNN ... I Am Sorry For That’
Adam Christensen / @ac4congress2020: I can't understand how Chris Cuomo wasn't fired by CNN for this https://twitter.com/...
The Information:
Sources: Axios is in talks to be acquired by Axel Springer, which owns Insider and is an investor in Group Nine Media — German media conglomerate Axel Springer is in talks to acquire Axios, according to people familiar with the matter, continuing a consolidation of the digital media sector.
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, MediaPost, @benmullin, @niubi, @will_bunch, @mathewi, @davewiner, @rafat, @markdistef, @travisbernard, @marcelweiss, @mathewi, @martinsfp, @fosadam, The Wrap, The Hill and Adweek
Discussion:
Benjamin Mullin / Wall Street Journal: Axel Springer in Talks to Buy Axios
Ray Schultz / MediaPost: Report: Axel Springer In Talks To Buy ‘Axios’
Ben Mullin / @benmullin: Following up on this nice @sizpatel and @jtoonkel scoop: Axios is seeking between $400 and $450 million in a deal https://www.wsj.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Bill Bishop / @niubi: if that valuation range is correct must drive them a bit mad that substack got a higher valuation in its recent round, though big difference between an exit and a funding https://twitter.com/...
@will_bunch: Axel Springer sounds like the 4th, forgotten early member of Spinal Tap https://twitter.com/...
Mathew Ingram / @mathewi: The last estimate I could find was that Axios was expected to make $60M in 2020, up 30% from 2019. Assuming it did grew another 30% this year, the price mentioned here would be about 5 times revenue, which seems reasonable https://twitter.com/...
Dave Winer / @davewiner: @mathewi @MediagazerChat axios is uniquely useful. hope they don't screw it up. ;-)
@rafat: Makes total sense, smart: Axel Springer Is in Talks to Buy Axios https://thein.fo/... via @theinformation
Mark Di Stefano / @markdistef: *clears throat*.......... Axios Springer. https://twitter.com/...
Travis Bernard / @travisbernard: The hollowing of media's “middle class” continues https://twitter.com/...
Marcel Wei / @marcelweiss: There it is, the worst possible outcome for Axios https://www.theinformation.com/ ...
Mathew Ingram / @mathewi: This seems like something so obvious that it will probably happen — but will Axel Springer overpay for Axios as much as it did for Business Insider? https://www.theinformation.com/ ...
Martin Sfp Bryant / @martinsfp: Interesting to buy Axios alongside already having Insider 🤔 https://twitter.com/...
Adam White / @fosadam: Interesting, but makes sense considering their other acquisitions. Essentially building a funnel to own a business-centric audience from college onward. Morning Brew ⤵️ Business Insider ⤵️ Axios Would imagine a sub-bundle too at some point for BI and Axios. https://twitter.com/...
Ross A. Lincoln / The Wrap: German Publisher Axel Springer in Talks to Buy Axios
Thomas Moore / The Hill: Report: Axel Springer negotiating to buy Axios
Columbia Journalism Review:
A Harvard study of link rot of “deep links” in NYT.com articles from 1996 to mid-2019 showed that 25% were completely inaccessible — Hyperlinks are a powerful tool for journalists and their readers. Diving deep into the context of an article is just a click away.
Discussion:
@zittrain, Search Engine Journal, @chris_levesque_, @zittrain, @zittrain, @zittrain, @internetarchive, @boonerang, @zittrain, @klonick, @zittrain, @internetarchive, @zittrain, @internetarchive, @doriantaylor, @zittrain, @permacc, @abziegler, @zittrain, @internetarchive, @baekdal, @zittrain, @bkcharvard, @zittrain, @mabatron, @zittrain, @bkcharvard, @waxy and The Verge
Discussion:
Jonathan Zittrain / @zittrain: With the help of the ace @nytimes digital team, we compiled a list of ~2.2 million externally-facing hyperlinks that had been used in https://nytimes.com/ articles since its launch in 1996. The goal was to discern how many of them had fallen victim to linkrot or content drift. https://twitter.com/...
Dr. Chris Levesque / @chris_levesque_: This is why I tell students that a URL without other identifying information is useless. https://twitter.com/...
Jonathan Zittrain / @zittrain: Which brings us back to the study we did with the help of the @nytimes digital team. Of the ~2.2 million URLs, we found that: 25% of deep links to specific content were completely rotted. It got worse over time: 6% of links from 2018 had rotted 43% from '08 72% from '98 https://twitter.com/...
Jonathan Zittrain / @zittrain: More than half of all articles in the New York Times that contain deep links have at least one rotted link. https://www.cjr.org/...
Jonathan Zittrain / @zittrain: Content drift is related to link rot — drift happens when the link functions, but what was there at the time the link was shared or embedded in, say, a news story or academic article, has vanished or, more confusingly, changed. Here's @NASA's web site during a gov't shutdown.(!) https://twitter.com/...
@internetarchive: Hyperlinks in digital news are a crucial way #journalists provide us with deeper context. But researchers from @Harvard_Law found that linkrot is corroding those links. https://www.cjr.org/...
Boon Sheridan / @boonerang: Linkrot is one of those problems you don't think about much until you're staring at a 404 page and cursing a bluestreak. Beyond news, it happens all the time for bands: band forms, buys domain, puts up info, band breaks up, no one renews the domain, band info vanishes. https://twitter.com/...
Jonathan Zittrain / @zittrain: We need to build flexible & open tools to fit existing publication workflows. From the actual process for a newsroom to archive web content, to the experience of a reader viewing a playback, current tools don't address the dynamics of the digital journalism space.
Kate Klonick / @klonick: “The internet is forever” https://twitter.com/...
Jonathan Zittrain / @zittrain: So, how to solve this? The @internetarchive and @brewster_kahle have done extraordinary — unparalleled, really — work to preserve and make available links over the course of decades. https://web.archive.org/. There can also be more tailored newsroom-specific solutions.
@internetarchive: 3/ 💡Solutions? “Newsrooms ought to consider adopting tools to suit their workflows & make link preservation a seamless part of the journalistic process. Partnerships between library & information professionals & digital newsrooms would be fruitful for creating these strategies.”
Jonathan Zittrain / @zittrain: Heartfelt thanks to co-authors @john_bowers_ and @clare__stanton, to @nicksrockwell, @sethcarlson, @mericson and the @NYTimes digital staff, and to our colleagues at @hlslib who assisted @HarvardLIL with the review of 4,500 links and their context for our content drift analysis.
@internetarchive: 4/ The @InternetArchive's @waybackmachine is a useful tool to combat linkrot, but together we can do more. We work with individual #journalists every day to back up their citations in the Wayback Machine. We'd love to work w/ entire newsrooms to automatically archive every link.
Dorian Taylor / @doriantaylor: hot take on @zittrain et al: • CMSes should remember all URIs that have ever been exposed on a domain • outbound link inventory and rolling analysis should be done by the CMS • content drift can be detected by non-cryptographic hashing à la GIFCT https://www.cjr.org/...
Jonathan Zittrain / @zittrain: There are differences in relative rates of rot for various sections of the paper, as well as different top level domains. Health does well; sports does not. This might help to identify particularly vulnerable web content so that newsrooms can be proactive about their linking. https://twitter.com/...
Perma.cc / @permacc: We partnered with the @nytimes to understand the scope & nature of #linkrot in their online publication. Thank you to their team for their partnership & willingness to explore this important topic in digital journalism! https://www.cjr.org/...
Adam Ziegler / @abziegler: Thrilled to share important new link rot study by colleagues @zittrain @john_bowers_ and @clare__stanton, published in the Columbia Journalism Review, which examines the entire NYT digital corpus and finds ... you guessed it ... a bunch of rotten links. https://www.cjr.org/...
Jonathan Zittrain / @zittrain: We know link rot is a real problem for academic articles and judicial opinions. How about for news articles? Well, @shootingthemess wrote a fascinating piece about how what's found at links in major media articles can be resold (!) for spam and fraud https://www.buzzfeednews.com/ ...
@internetarchive: 2/ This graph of “Linkrot over time” says it all. 🔗If you go back to @nytimes articles from 1998, 72% of the hyperlinks will be broken. ↙️"Content Drift" affects 13% of all links examined. https://twitter.com/...
Thomas Baekdal / @baekdal: I did a study about this for my site, and it showed that ‘link rot’ start to happen really quickly. Go back to 2005, and 93% failed to work. https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Jonathan Zittrain / @zittrain: A link “rots” when it no longer works — which can happen if the server hosting it is taken down, if a web site is reorganized (especially if it changes ownership), or if a takedown request or demand has eliminated access to that page. This happens a lot. https://twitter.com/...
Jonathan Zittrain / @zittrain: @doriantaylor Yeah, we've been playing with this at https://amberlink.org/
Mary Bakija / @mabatron: “Newsrooms ought to consider adopting tools to suit their workflows and make link preservation a seamless part of the journalistic process. Partnerships between library and information professionals and digital newsrooms would be fruitful for creating these strategies.” EXACTLY!! https://twitter.com/...
Jonathan Zittrain / @zittrain: A study I co-authored with @KendraSerra and @lessig (w/more thanks below to the many who helped!) in 2014 found that 50% of the links embedded in Supreme Court opinions since 1791 (well, 1996) no longer worked. 75% of the links in the Harvard Law Review no longer worked. https://twitter.com/...
@bkcharvard: 🔗🔗@john_bowers_, @clare__stanton, and @zittrain explore the substantial link rot and content drift found on the New York Times, exposing the fragility of the Web and the need for new practices, workflows, and technologies. Learn more via @CJR: https://www.cjr.org/...
New York Times:
Interviews with 18 people reveal details of the Discovery-WarnerMedia deal, including stock structure change and an awkward talk with WarnerMedia's Jason Kilar — An early-morning meeting at a Greenwich Village townhouse, under the watchful eye of Steve McQueen, was part of a monthslong campaign.
Discussion:
@reckless, @grynbaum, @edmundlee, @shannonpareil, @editorialiste, @jakesherman, @karlbode, @oliverdarcy, @mattbelloni, @brentalang, @annehummert, @karlbode, @dylanbyers, The Wrap, @karlbode, Vanity Fair and Wired
Discussion:
Nilay Patel / @reckless: Okay what I'm learning from this NYT piece is that media CEOs write flirty u up texts before deals https://www.nytimes.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Michael M. Grynbaum / @grynbaum: Private jets from the Hamptons! Steve McQueen with a revolver! Artisanal donuts! (yum) - how a big ol' media confection got made. w/ @koblin @edmundlee @LaurenSHirsch https://www.nytimes.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Edmund Lee / @edmundlee: How the @Discovery / @WarnerMedia deal went down: emoji emails, artisanal donuts, a rented West Village townhouse ... and Steve McQueen w/ @koblin @grynbaum @LaurenSHirsch @brooksbarnesNYT $t $disca #WeekendRead https://www.nytimes.com/...
@editorialiste: “Even the chief executive of WarnerMedia was kept in the dark while his company was being negotiated out from under him.” https://www.nytimes.com/...
Jake Sherman / @jakesherman: Best tick tock so far of discovery/Warner media. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Karl Bode / @karlbode: again I want you to notice how this NYT story on the AT&T deal has everything (artisanal donuts! secret code names! Steve McQueen!) but no reference at any point to the 54,000 employees fired in the wake of AT&T's $200 billion bungled merger spree. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Oliver Darcy / @oliverdarcy: “Code names were used to ensure secrecy. For AT&T, WarnerMedia was ‘Magellan’ and Discovery was ‘Drake.’ The Discovery side had its own cryptic handles, calling the deal ‘Project Home Run...’” https://www.nytimes.com/...
Matthew Belloni / @mattbelloni: Makes sense Allen Grubman is repping Jason Kilar on his abrupt WarnerMedia exit; he also repped Richard Plepler on HIS abrupt WarnerMedia exit. Lucrative specialty. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Brent Lang / @brentalang: Some day I'd like to be this rich: “Mr. Zaslav lives in Conan O'Brien's former apartment on Central Park West, but he bought a townhouse in Greenwich Village after his wife, Pam, grew weary of Mr. Zaslav's impromptu meetings at their home.” https://www.nytimes.com/...
Cynthia B. Meyers / @annehummert: @KarlBode News coverage of media mergers is usually like a movie: melodramatic plot twists! clashing executive personalities!—but rarely about what matters because audiences prefer movies anyway 😏
Karl Bode / @karlbode: also not even a passing mention of the parade of AT&T cockups, or the vast court, antitrust, and regulatory failures that let this $200 billion wrecking ball happen they're way more interested in the chittering of the rich and powerful
Dylan Byers / @dylanbyers: What a fantastic, fantastic piece. Great work @koblin @grynbaum @edmundlee @LaurenSHirsch https://www.nytimes.com/...
Karl Bode / @karlbode: @AnneHummert yep. NYT readers want Hamptons intrigue. but we keep repeating the same mistakes over and over again in part because the press can't accurately inform readers of the real human and market impact of these deals
Joy Press / Vanity Fair: “It's All-Out War”: WarnerMedia-Discovery Deal Ushers in New Era of Streaming Chaos
Angela Watercutter / Wired: WarnerMedia, Discovery, and the New Age of Media Consolidation
CNN:
President Biden says he won't let his DOJ seize phone records or emails from reporters, calling it “simply wrong”, following a CNN report on Trump's DOJ — (CNN)President Joe Biden on Friday told CNN he would not let his Department of Justice seize phone records or emails from reporters.
Discussion:
Alexandra Jaffe / NBC10 Philadelphia: Biden Won't Allow Justice Dept. to Seize Reporters' Records
Barbara Starr / @barbarastarrcnn: These were my records. https://www.cnn.com/...
@cnnpolitics: President Biden says he won't let DOJ seize phone records or emails from reporters: “It's simply, simply wrong” https://www.cnn.com/...
Kyle Griffin / @kylegriffin1: President Biden says he would not let his Department of Justice seize phone records or emails from reporters. “We should absolutely, positively— it's wrong, it's simply, simply wrong,” adding, “I will not let that happen.” https://www.cnn.com/...
Josh Feldman / Mediaite: Biden Says DOJ Seizing Reporters' Phone, Email Records Is ‘Simply Wrong’: I Will ‘Not Let That Happen’
Alex Horton / @alexhortontx: It didn't start and end there; my colleagues were also targeted, along with other outlets. It's revealing how many guardrails within DOJ needed to fail for officials to go along with this https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Emily Jacobs / New York Post: Psaki cites ‘Holder model’ as standard despite Obama AG's phone-dump woes
Ted Johnson / Deadline: Trump Era DOJ Secretly Obtained CNN Reporter's Phone Records, But Journalists Question If Biden Administration Will Condemn Practice
Parker Higgins / Freedom of the Press Foundation: Surveillance of CNN reporter underscores urgency of Justice Department ban on journalist spying
Paul Farhi / Washington Post:
Glenn Greenwald and The Intercept accuse each other of endangering journalists, and Intercept staff say he's cynically creating controversy for more subscribers — It all ended badly last October when Glenn Greenwald, the pugnacious, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, quit the investigative news site …
Discussion:
@oliverdarcy, @bgrueskin, @sonnybunch, @silvermanjacob, @karlbode, @karlbode, @antinewdems, @aweiss, @ehananoki, @maxboot, @markszaidesq, @4evernevertrump, @sonnybunch, @farhip and Glenn Greenwald
Discussion:
Oliver Darcy / @oliverdarcy: Intercept editor @betsyreed2: “I feel like Glenn has lost his moral compass and his grip on reality. He's done a good job of torching his journalistic reputation. He's a huge bully.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Sonny Bunch / @sonnybunch: (I assume this tweet will get me on a list of some sort, but it's worth it; his jihad against ZERO DARK THIRTY remains one of the more aggravating spectacles I've seen.)
Jacob Silverman / @silvermanjacob: This is a very tired explanation for why GG goes on Fox News, especially in his recent incarnation as someone obsessed with accusing journalists of being the real spreaders of disinformation. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ... https://twitter.com/...
Karl Bode / @karlbode: I love how they even make sure to include a link to his newsletter so it's as easy as possible for rubes taken in by his fascist apologist trolling dogshit to subscribe
Karl Bode / @karlbode: fact-averse millionaire egomaniac trolls entire internet for newsletter revenue, gets rewarded with massive spread in WAPO https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Sam / @antinewdems: I think the key insight @wapo's Paul Farni's missing is that we, the randos, have despised the media's tactics for the past 4 year. He is speaking for us. here's the critical piece about @ggreenwald: https://washingtonpost.com/... response: https://greenwald.substack.com/ ...
Aaron Weiss / @aweiss: A modest proposal: What if we just all ignored glemm from here on out? Trust me, your Twitter feed is better with him muted. https://twitter.com/...
Eric Hananoki / @ehananoki: “Greenwald offers no apologies, though he does allow that he may have come on a bit strong regarding Lee. 'I admit there's a personal element there,' he said, noting that Lee had criticized him and unfollowed him on Twitter.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Max Boot / @maxboot: “I feel like @ggreenwald has lost his moral compass and his grip on reality,” Betsy Reed, @theintercept editor in chief, said in an interview. “He's done a good job of torching his journalistic reputation. He's a huge bully.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Mark S. Zaid / @markszaidesq: Having sparred with Greenwald over last 15 years, he does epitomize schoolyard bully but reality is he's not even good at it. He's a hypocrite & cares mostly about his own self interests & image. I ignore him. https://twitter.com/...
@4evernevertrump: My favorite part of this feud is Greenwald criticizing the Intercept for being financed by a billionaire... Greenwald, as a co-founder of the Intercept, literally begged the billionaire to finance the Intercept. https://twitter.com/...
Sonny Bunch / @sonnybunch: I'm old enough to remember Greenwald writing like seventy eight thousand words a day about ZERO DARK THIRTY and attacking film critics for liking it before he had seen it, so the idea that he's an obsessive who bears weird grudges is not new to me. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Clay B. Morris / Poynter:
Nikole Hannah-Jones' tenure denial shows UNC is not committed to authentic learning, and it spits in the face of Black students, especially those in journalism — The decision is yet another reminder that for Black Americans, even working 20 times as hard still isn't enough
Discussion:
@ibwellssociety, Medium, The Atlantic, @kyle_ingram11, @uncnahj, @esmcintyre, @jelani9, @ncnewsworks, @cabj_unc, @ciaybmorris, @ahatcher54, @anisrao, @ciaybmorris, @sara__pequeno, @poynter, @jamesbazan, @joekillianpw, @wolfe321, @centercoopmedia, @jaspar, @jmckellogg, @kristenhare, The Hill, Columbia Journalism School, SPJ News, NC Local News Workshop and The Objective
Discussion:
Ida B. Wells Society / @ibwellssociety: The Ida B. Wells Society statement on UNC tenure status of co-founder Nikole Hannah-Jones https://idabwellssociety.org/ https://twitter.com/...
Adam Serwer / The Atlantic: Why Conservatives Want to Cancel the 1619 Project
Kyle / @kyle_ingram11: UNC Student Body President @lamarrichards_ calls for Board of Trustees to hold a vote in public session on Nikole Hannah-Jones' tenure: https://twitter.com/...
@uncnahj: Alongside @NABJ, @CABJ_UNC & @uncnahj stand in support of @nhannahjones. We call on @UNC & the UNC BOT to grant her tenure and stand with faculty & staff at @unchussman to demand answers from University officials. Sign our petition: https://docs.google.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Erin Siegal McIntyre / @esmcintyre: New piece on @Poynter by @UNCHussman's own rising junior @cIaybmorris: Why UNC's denial of Nikole-Hannah Jones' tenure devalues the degrees and work of Black student journalists: “...Even being 20 times as good still isn't good enough....” https://www.poynter.org/...
Jelani Cobb / @jelani9: The faculty & staff of Columbia Journalism School have released a statement in protest of the assault on academic and press freedom in the Nikole Hannah-Jones/UNC case. https://journalism.columbia.edu/ ...
@ncnewsworks: We support Nikole Hannah-Jones' tenured appointment: Statement from the NC Local News Workshop, https://www.elon.edu/... Part 1 of our response to issues raised by recent events. (1/2)
Cabj / @cabj_unc: Alongside @NABJ, @CABJ_UNC & @uncnahj stand in support of @nhannahjones. We call on @UNC & the UNC BOT to grant her tenure and stand with faculty & staff at @unchussman to demand answers from University officials. Sign our petition: https://docs.google.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Clay / @ciaybmorris: Thank you @barbara_allen_ and @Poynter for the opportunity to explain just how disgusted I am with this decision. Black students, and Black student journalists are always at least twice as good—and yet even being twenty times as good isn't good enough when it comes to racism.
Anthony Hatcher / @ahatcher54: A statement of support from @NCNewsWorks for @nhannahjones: “The NC Local News Workshop stands in support of Pulitzer-winning investigative reporter Nikole Hannah-Jones.” Read the full statement here: https://www.elon.edu/...
Anita Rao / @anisrao: Why UNC's denial of Nikole-Hannah Jones' tenure devalues the degrees and work of Black student journalists https://www.poynter.org/...
Clay / @ciaybmorris: NEW for @Poynter on @UNC's mishandling of @nhannahjones' tenure: “For the board of trustees to kowtow to criticisms of Hannah-Jones is not so much an admission of racism as it is a dedication to racism and its intention to distort, distract and destroy.” https://www.poynter.org/...
@sara__pequeno: I really want white UNC alumni to sit with this and think about all the posts you have made about how much you love your school and how much you loved college. https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@poynter: “For the board of trustees to kowtow to criticisms of Hannah-Jones is not so much an admission of racism as it is a dedication to racism and its intention to distort, distract and destroy.” https://www.poynter.org/...
Jim Bazn / @jamesbazan: Gerrymanding kills democracy, obviously, but also free speech, academic freedom, and historical honesty. And the gerrymanders have staked out their plans to do it again. https://twitter.com/...
@joekillianpw: Knight Chair professors of journalism from across the nation say UNC-Chapel Hill “should be ashamed” they did not approve Nikole Hannah-Jones for tenure, should do so now. #UNC #NCPol #UNCHussman #NikoleHannahJones https://dkiesow.medium.com/...
Lauren Wolfe / @wolfe321: “When an institution considered a bastion of higher ed that is intended to enrich rather than constrict the world's intellectual boundaries makes a decision rooted in maintaining white supremacy, what value does it have?” OnUNC denying @nhannahjones tenure https://www.poynter.org/...
@centercoopmedia: Why UNC's denial of Nikole-Hannah Jones' tenure devalues the degrees and work of Black student journalists - by Clay B. Morris https://www.poynter.org/...
@jaspar: Worth noting: Knight Chairs are supposed to come from industry. That's why she was being considered for a tenured position without having a traditional academic background. She wasn't getting special treatment. https://twitter.com/...
JulieAnn McKellogg / @jmckellogg: As a leader of @UNCHussman's alumni board, I can't keep quiet. Members of our board have issued the following statement urging the university's BoT to immediately consider @nhannahjones for tenure. This shouldn't be the case. Her credentials are more than enough. https://twitter.com/...
Marina Hyde / The Guardian:
Fleet Street's condemnation of the BBC over the Bashir interview is hypocritical given UK tabloids' own terrible behavior around Diana and her family — The BBC makes a convenient scapegoat when in reality all of us were part of the ecosystem that destroyed Diana
Discussion:
Tim Bale / @proftimbale: On a day when so much of the media has see-sawed between sorry and schadenfreude, some sanity at last from @MarinaHyde https://www.theguardian.com/ ...
Funmi Iyanda / @funmilola: “Millions bought insatiably into Diana's pain, and newspaper sales spiked for all the most obviously intrusive stories. The pall of blameless sanctimony that descended after her death was a stunning exercise in mass hypocrisy. ” Marina reigns 👌🏽 https://twitter.com/...
Rachel Clarke / @doctor_oxford: Blistering from @MarinaHyde on the tabloids, govt & assorted hangers-on revelling in a ferocious BBC pile-on while being some of the “most shameless hypocrites in human history”. The BBC was entirely wrong, but there's no moral high ground for this crowd. https://www.theguardian.com/ ...
Jim Pickard / @pickardje: “'Defund the BBC' was last night's pontification from former Sun editor Kelvin Mackenzie, who once put Diana's covertly recorded private phone calls on a premium-rate line so readers could ring in and have a listen.” https://www.theguardian.com/ ...
Alastair Campbell / @campbellclaret: Brilliant calling out of the self-serving sanctimonious hypocrisy in the phone hacking, Royal-chasing, Di-destroying print media this morning. You don't need to see how badly the BBC behaved over this to recognise that what was exceptional for them was commonplace for others https://twitter.com/...
Ayesha Hazarika / @ayeshahazarika: Absolute piercing brilliance from @MarinaHyde https://twitter.com/...
Alex von Tunzelmann / @alexvtunzelmann: This piece doesn't pull its punches and says exactly what I'd been thinking about the hypocrisy pouring out of some reactions to this Diana story. https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Alan White / @aljwhite: What a superb piece. “From Diana to Harry, damaged people do damaged and sometimes very damaging things. But it's important to remember, as far as the royal family is concerned, that the public likes it so much better that way.” https://www.theguardian.com/ ...
Richard Bartholomew / @barthsnotes: “Alas, we will spend the next few days hearing of the BBC's shame from some of the most shameless hypocrites in human history” https://www.theguardian.com/ ...
Nick Boles / @nickboles: The most honest bit of writing you'll read today. It should make all of us squirm. https://twitter.com/...
Marina Hyde / @marinahyde: My bit on Prince Harry, the Panorama's deceit of Diana, and getting moral lectures from the tabloids https://www.theguardian.com/ ...
Anstey Harris / @anstey_harris: '"Defund the BBC," was last night's pontification from former Sun editor Kelvin Mackenzie, who once put Diana's covertly recorded private phone calls on a premium-rate line so readers could ring in and have a listen.' https://twitter.com/...
RELATED:
Ben Quinn / The Guardian:
UK justice secretary says the government has to investigate “whether the governance of the BBC does need reform” after report on Bashir interview with Diana
UK justice secretary says the government has to investigate “whether the governance of the BBC does need reform” after report on Bashir interview with Diana
Discussion:
@pippacrerar, @justinmadders, New York Times, @mafevema, @tonyonthephone, @guardiannews, CNN and The Independent
Discussion:
Pippa Crerar / @pippacrerar: I'm not sure journalistic ethics are Boris Johnson's strong point 🤨 https://twitter.com/...
Justin Madders MP / @justinmadders: The Prime Minister now believes using deceit to achieve your goals isn't acceptable https://www.theguardian.com/ ...
Mark Landler / New York Times: 25 Years Later, BBC Apologizes for Diana Interview
@mafevema: All sadly predictable: the government will bring the BBC editorial board - already practicing self- censorship massively- under its total control., perhaps nominally though a supposedly “independent ” board packed with Brexiters. https://www.theguardian.com/ ...
Tony O'Shaughnessy / @tonyonthephone: I'm guessing a lot of BBC journalists who have never used fake bank statements to get interviews will now have to do an online course on how not to use fake bank statements to get interviews. https://www.theguardian.com/ ...
The Information:
Sources: Netflix is looking to hire an executive to oversee an expansion into video games, as it considers options including an Apple Arcade-like games bundle — Netflix is looking to hire an executive to oversee an expansion into videogames, a sign it is stepping up its efforts …
Discussion:
Game World Observer, @genepark, @zhugeex, @alexhern, @loudmouthjulia, Paste, @rameeztase, @loudmouthjulia, @loudmouthjulia, ScreenRant, Cord Cutters News, Insider, Kotaku and The Wrap, more at Techmeme »
Discussion:
Oleg Nesterenko / Game World Observer: Netflix reportedly looking to expand into video games
Gene Park / @genepark: Netflix is flirting with the idea of creating an “Apple Arcade”-like experience. Until I see some actual results (and then some), I'll be pretty skeptical, but maybe they'll do what Amazon and Google can't. https://www.theinformation.com/ ...
Daniel Ahmad / @zhugeex: Netflix is looking to hire an executive to oversee an expansion into video games. Reminds me of how iQiyi has been doing this in China for a while. https://www.theinformation.com/ ...
Julia Alexander / @loudmouthjulia: I love the beautiful irony of Epic and Apple lawyers spending nearly four weeks using Netflix as an example when debating whether something is a game or not, only to end with Netflix going, “Actually, we're gonna be a games company, too.” https://www.theinformation.com/ ...
Katherine Long / Paste - Recently Added: Netflix Is Reportedly Looking into Branching Out into Videogames
Rameez / @rameeztase: Media bundles of the future will be multi-media & audience-focused rather than multi-audience & medium-focused. It's a folly to assume video-only will prevail in a world where technology means distribution of video, audio, text, interactive can happen on the same surface. https://twitter.com/...
Julia Alexander / @loudmouthjulia: This week in news: AT&T is a phone company again Netflix is now a games company Disney is back to being a parks company And ViacomCBS is just honored to be considered https://twitter.com/...
Julia Alexander / @loudmouthjulia: Reed Hastings, June 2020: “Video games, a great and interesting area...But Ted's got big plans to spend future billions in our movies, in series, in animation. And so we've got lots of places to put the money. Netflix, today: https://www.theinformation.com/ ...
Desmond Brown / ScreenRant: Netflix Reportedly Expanding Into Video Games | Screen Rant
Philip Palermo / Cord Cutters News: (Update: Netflix Responds) New Rumors Suggest Netflix Could Be Eyeing Expansion into Gaming
Grace Kay / Insider: Netflix is reportedly looking to hire an executive to expand its gaming content
Sean Burch / The Wrap: Netflix Eyes Big Expansion Into Video Games (Report)
Bill Grueskin / Columbia Journalism Review:
A look at Project Veritas' defamation suit against NYT, which a NY judge denied a motion to dismiss, over how a NYT story in Sept. portrayed two Veritas videos — In a New York Supreme Court last November, the conservative website Project Veritas launched its defamation suit against the New York Times …
Discussion:
Bill Grueskin / @bgrueskin: RE the weaponization of college stuff: In its defamation suit vs the NYT, Project Veritas lawyers want to show that a Times reporter is biased vs conservatives because she wore an anti-Bush T-shirt *13 years ago* — when she had just started at Barnard https://www.cjr.org/... https://twitter.com/...
Mark Armstrong / @mrstrongarm: The NY Supreme Court is seeing Project Veritas as a possible victim of unethical journalistic conduct. The NY Times argues that it's OK for its reporters put “opinion” into their news stories. => https://www.cjr.org/... via @cjr #news #lawsuit #ethics #defamation @nytimes
Bill Grueskin / @bgrueskin: Veritas sued after the Times ran a story calling one of his videos — about alleged election fraud — “deceptive.” Within a few months, two NY Supreme Court justices — including the daughter of NY's chief judge — recused themselves from the case. https://www.cjr.org/...
Mathew Ingram / @mathewi: While working on this piece about a Project Veritas lawsuit, @BGrueskin heard a film crew from the group had entered the Columbia J-school “without advance notice and despite covid-related restrictions” and were “walking the halls, looking for me” https://www.cjr.org/...
Raju Narisetti / @raju: A good opinion on an “Opinion” Defamation Suit That Isn't Going Away for @nytimes Project Veritas, the New York Times, and a bitter defamation suit https://www.cjr.org/... via @cjr by @BGrueskin
Dan Froomkin / @froomkin: I'd been wondering how Project Veritas didn't get laughed out of court. @BGrueskin explains that a nutty Republican judge thinks reporters drawing well-founded conclusions should write, basically, “in my opinion.” (Remember that judge in “Good Wife”?) https://www.cjr.org/...