Top News:
Lydia Moynihan / New York Post:
Sources: as part of the merger, Group Nine was valued at $225M, down from $585M in 2016, and Vox was valued at ~$672M, down from $1B in 2015 — Vox Media and Group Nine are keeping the value of their merger private — and that may be because the number isn't as eye-popping …
Discussion:
Axios and Wall Street Journal
Ben Fox / Associated Press:
AP Executive Editor Julie Pace urges DHS to say why it investigated reporter Martha Mendoza and assure that the “apparent abuse of power” will not continue — WASHINGTON (AP) — The Associated Press sought answers Monday from the Department of Homeland Security on its use …
Discussion:
Politico, Reason, @ap, @zachsdorfman, @jpritchardap, @penamerica, @spj_tweets, @mendozamartha and Freedom of the Press …
Axios:
The Guardian has 1.6M+ paying readers, of which 1M make recurring payments for digital content, 100K are print subscribers, and 500K make one-off donations — The Guardian now has 1 million people that pay for its digital content on a recurrent basis, Axios has learned.
Lillian Rizzo / Wall Street Journal:
A look at the Christmas TV movie battle between Hallmark and upstart channel GAC Family, which is run by Hallmark's former boss and often hires the same actors — GAC Family, a channel run by Hallmark's former boss, also makes Christmas fare, often hiring the same actors; ‘definitely confusing’
Discussion:
@johnjurg and @digitalshields
Ashley Carman / The Verge:
With podcasts selling for millions of dollars, smaller advertisers say they're getting priced out as ad costs soar and relationships become more impersonal — This story is part of a group of stories called — Füm is the type of product that traditionally sells well through podcast ads.
Discussion:
@cbalfe, @ashleyrcarman, @ahhensel, @russellbrandom, @bergmayer, @matt and @mattbrownep
Sara Guaglione / Digiday:
Q&A with Sara Silverstein, TheStreet's new EIC, on plans to broaden the audience of investors for The Arena Group's financial publication, and more — Last week, former Business Insider (now Insider) editor at large Sara Silverstein headed to TheStreet, the financial publication owned by The Arena Group …
Discussion:
@ichartny
The Guardian:
Soe Naing, a freelance photojournalist in Myanmar, dies in military custody after being arrested last week while covering protests — Soe Naing was arrested in Yangon while taking photos of a ‘silent strike’ protest against military rule — A freelance photojournalist in Myanmar has died …
Discussion:
Reuters, @hninyadanazaw, @jm_beck and @niccijsmith
Rick Edmonds / Poynter:
Stock in Lee Enterprises climbed from $18/share before Alden's bid to over $36/share at Tuesday close, possibly helping the newspaper group remain independent — It suggests Lee's newsrooms, which have worried for the last months about deep cuts if Alden takes over, may instead see a fairly stable 2022.
Discussion:
@sarafischer, @kerrymflynn and @itsren
New York Times:
How China helps foreign influencers in the country who spread pro-China messages, funding their travel and generating lucrative, likely inauthentic, traffic — We are on the outskirts of Shanghai today at the most incredible hotel we've ever stayed at. — It's the first in the world built inside a quarry.
Sarah Ellison / Washington Post:
Joe Nocera sues former employer Bloomberg News, seeking earnings from The Shrink Next Door, an Apple TV+ series based on his podcast of the same name — Joe Nocera seemed to be living a journalist's dream, with a story turned hit podcast bought by Hollywood.
Discussion:
@amyargetsinger, @sarahellison, @jeremymbarr, @opinion_joe, @alderlaneeggs and The Wrap
Gavin Bridge / Variety:
Analysis: political news and opinion programming across CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC made up 83% of the 5,000 most watched cable shows in 2021, up from 57% in 2016 — Over the past six years, the cable TV landscape has experienced a contraction in what is being watched by subscribers.
Jeremy Barr / Washington Post:
Fox News hosts Laura Ingraham, Sean Hannity, and Brian Kilmeade texted Mark Meadows on January 6, urging him to get Trump to tell people to leave the Capitol — Laura Ingraham, Sean Hannity, Brian Kilmeade expressed alarm, concern, according to messages shared during House select committee hearing.
Discussion:
CNN, emptywheel, @oliverdarcy, Mediaite, Washington Post, @justinbaragona, The Atlantic, Raw Story, The Guardian, @jeremymbarr, @davidfolkenflik, @atrupar, @atrupar, @theplumlinegs, @bgrueskin, @asharangappa_, @theplumlinegs, @jannwolfe, @sarahlongwell25, Vox, Vanity Fair, New York Daily News, @emptywheel, @amandacarpenter, @cliffordlevy, @anneapplebaum, @billkristol, @steve_vladeck, @therickwilson, Public Notice, The Week, American Press Institute, @maggienyt, @timodc, @brianrayguitar, @brianrayguitar, @timodc, @justinbaragona, @sykescharlie, @davidfolkenflik, @ser1897, @joyannreid, @samstein, @chrismegerian, @mehdirhasan, @peltzmadeline, @juliettekayyem, @tonypaul1984, @casssemyon, UPROXX, Newser, The Hill, The Daily Beast, The Bulwark, Letters from an American, Four Freedoms, Politico, Fox News, NPR, The Daily Beast, The Independent, NBC News, HuffPost, Mediaite, Yahoo News, UPROXX, Insider, The Wrap, Rolling Stone, Boing Boing, Hollywood Reporter, Raw Story, Deadline, Mediaite, New York Post and Insider
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