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
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 …
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
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.
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
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
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.
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
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.
Katie Robertson / New York Times:
Former THR co-president Janice Min and Richard Rushfield form Ankler Media, expanding The Ankler, Rushfield's paid Substack newsletter about Hollywood — Janice Min, a media executive in Los Angeles, is joining forces with Richard Rushfield, a show-business columnist, to start a new media business …
Discussion:
@richardrushfield, @katie_robertson, @lamag, @mattbelloni, @jbflint, @jasonrmcintyre, @kausmickey, @jakesherman, @akstanwyck, @niubi, @janicemin, @stevekrak, @hunterw, @chaykak, @claremalone, @hunterw, @noahshachtman, @joshsternberg, @jessicalessin, @anthony, @sethabramovitch, @nicsperling, Simon Owens's Media Newsletter and The Wrap