Top News:
Xander Richards / The National:
BBC concedes Jeffrey Epstein's lawyer Alan Dershowitz was “not a suitable person to interview as an impartial analyst” to discuss the Ghislaine Maxwell verdict — BBC admits fault after interview with Jeffrey Epstein's lawyer Alan Dershowitz — THE BBC has conceded …
Discussion:
@bbcnewspr, @caoilfhionnanna, Washington Post, Mediaite, The Guardian, @nadiawhittomemp, The Times, @mehdirhasan, @dry_observer, The Guardian, @anelsona, @dougsaunders, @jayrosen_nyu, @kimpossiblefact, @maxblumenthal, Rolling Stone, @palbint, @parismarx, @grady_booch, @aodespair, @craigmurrayorg, @sarahchurchwell, @bigblackjacobin, @tribelaw, @shujarabbani, @byyourlogic, @zevshalev, @mikegalsworthy, @emilygorcenski, @silkiecarlo, Los Angeles Times, @littledeekay, @jonfranks, @birgittaj, @aymanm, @claireatki, @jeffjarvis, The Hill, @paulmasonnews, @chardinetaylor, @charlesarthur, @robburl, @atrupar, @jamieojohnson, @mollyjongfast, @jolyonmaugham, @liamyoung, @louisstaples, @scottygb, @kimjohnsonmp, @roseschmits, @clancyreports, @owenjones84, @healthuntodeath, Defector, New York Times, Variety, Newser, Hollywood Reporter, @vrycoolandgood, New York Post, The Wrap, The Daily Beast, Insider, Deadline and Rolling Stone
Lindsey Ellefson / The Wrap:
Fox News ends 2021 as the top-rated basic cable channel for the sixth straight year with an average of 1.3M daily viewers, followed by MSNBC, CNN, ESPN, HGTV — End-of-year ratings are in and Fox News finished off 2021 as the top-rated basic cable channel for the sixth straight year, netting a lot of other wins along the way.
Discussion:
Media Matters for America
Lucas Shaw / Bloomberg:
Q&A with 10 media writers on the biggest and most overblown stories of the year, which streamer had the best year, predictions for 2022, and more — I'm sorry we didn't have a newsletter last weekend. I was dealing with a mild bout of Covid, time I used to catch up on Oscar movies.
Discussion:
@aherman2006 and @lucas_shaw
Reuters:
Court denies bail to two ex-Stand News editors; HK's Carrie Lam says actions against Stand News “have nothing to do with so-called suppression of press freedom” — Two former senior editors of Hong Kong's Stand News were charged with conspiring to publish seditious materials …
Discussion:
@reuters, @reuters, @reuters, 10 play, New York Post, Reclaim The Net and @michaelchongmp
RELATED:
Sky News:
Stand News, Hong Kong's last major pro-democracy outlet, says it is shutting down after police raided its office, froze its assets, and arrested senior staff — Stand News was the last prominent pro-democracy publication in Hong Kong - after the closure of the Apple Daily tabloid and the arrest of its publisherJimmy Lai.
Discussion:
@michaelgrantbks, @rrfalconer, @theprojecttv, @amandamilling, @jonathanlanday, @philgaimon, @ivisonj, @marykissel, @fridaghitis, @tleehumphrey, @senhawleypress, @rsf_inter, RAPPLER, @cnni, @politicoeurope, @paulwiggins, New York Times, @hk_watch, @melaniejoly, DW.COM, Committee to Protect …, @jason, Al Jazeera, @repandybarr, @ceccgov, @reuters, NPR, @popehat, @benedictrogers, @patrickcorrigan, @tmclaughlin3, @laurelchor, @nytmedia, Washington Post, @lucas_shaw, @anntelnaes, @feliciasonmez, @nycjim, @abramowitz, @jeffjarvis, Politico, Reuters, The Week, New York Post, The Guardian, Digital’s Newsletter, Globe and Mail, BBC, Associated Press and Financial Times
Brian Steinberg / Variety:
As subscriptions to streaming services stall, Comcast, Disney, and other media companies are roping in their news operations to attract subscribers — If a big story erupted at a random hour not too long ago, executives at big TV-news outlets would typically try to break …
Discussion:
TVNewser, @alexsalvinews, @bristei, @bristei and @bristei
CNN:
Sudanese security forces raid two broadcasters, confiscate equipment, and assault and detain staff, trying to censor coverage of mass anti-military protests — (CNN)At least four people were shot dead by Sudanese security forces during anti-coup demonstrations near the capital Khartoum on Thursday …
Heidi Chung / Variety:
Since BuzzFeed's SPAC merger, its stock has fallen more than 50%, as other digital media companies warily eye their own exit or consolidation moves — As 2021 draws to a close, there have been some wild last-minute moves from recognizable names in digital media.
The Moscow Times:
Russia's media regulator adds Netflix to its “audio-visual services” register, requiring it to offer 20 major Russian federal TV channels starting in March 2022 — Russia's state media watchdog will require Netflix to offer state television channels to its Russian customers …
Discussion:
@emmalbriant and @michaeldweiss, more at Techmeme »
Jack Suntrup / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Missouri's governor says he thinks a prosecutor will bring charges in the case of a St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter alerting the state to a data vulnerability — JEFFERSON CITY — Gov. Mike Parson on Wednesday expressed his opinion the Cole County prosecuting attorney would bring charges …
Jana Winter / Yahoo News:
US CBP and congressional committees are reviewing a secretive CBP division that ran database checks to investigate as many as 20 journalists — U.S. Customs and Border Protection is conducting a review of a secretive division that uses some of the country's most sensitive databases …
Discussion:
@weinbergersa, @davidlarter, @buddjenn and @isikoff
Variety:
Spider-Man: No Way Home's success could signal a better future for theaters, but signs are mixed as other holiday movies played in largely empty theaters — From shorter theatrical windows to simultaneous streaming releases, this year the cinema business was challenged like never before.
Discussion:
@didierperon, @variety and @variety
Dan Kennedy / GBH:
While a court said NYT doesn't have to destroy Project Veritas docs, an earlier ruling gave subjects of reporting new ways to stop investigations via lawsuits — What is New York Supreme Court Judge Charles D. Wood thinking? — On Christmas Eve, Wood issued an order forbidding …
Discussion:
@jkosseff and @dankennedy_nu
RELATED:
Michael M. Grynbaum / New York Times:
NY appeals court temporarily lifts an order requiring NYT turn over or destroy copies of Project Veritas documents; the NYT remains barred from publishing docs
NY appeals court temporarily lifts an order requiring NYT turn over or destroy copies of Project Veritas documents; the NYT remains barred from publishing docs
Discussion:
@dankennedy_nu, @freedomofpress, @boutrousted, @pnjaban, @grynbaum, @grynbaum, The Hill, Reuters, Politico and Axios