Top News:
Oliver Darcy / CNN:
Memo: the production company behind RT America, the US version of Russian state-funded RT News, lays off most of its staff and ceases production — New York (CNN Business)The production company behind the American version of the Russian state-funded network RT laid off most of its staff on Thursday …
Discussion:
TALKERS magazine, CNBC, TVNewser, Mediaite, Protocol, Variety, Insider, The Hill, The Daily Beast, Axios, @exumam, Deadline, @glemgreenwald, @eliothiggins, @bendreyfuss, @tonyajoriley, @hopeseck, The Kyiv Independent, @therickwilson, Hollywood Reporter, @billprady, @karlbode, @sarafischer and @jkarsh
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Sheila Dang / Reuters:
Russian-backed RT News says it will begin broadcasting on Rumble, a video platform popular with right-wing users — Russian state-controlled news network RT said on Thursday it will begin broadcasting on Rumble, a YouTube-like video site, after tech companies including Meta Platforms (FB.O) …
Discussion:
@rumblevideo, Engadget, @gpingersoll, @amandacarpenter, @therickwilson and @mattpalumbo12
Gene Maddaus / Variety:
DOJ unseals an indictment charging former Fox News producer Jack Hanick with working for a sanctioned Russian oligarch to build TV networks in Russia and Europe — Jack Hanick, a onetime producer at Fox News, has been indicted on charges of working for a sanctioned Russian oligarch …
Discussion:
Justice News, The Wrap, Bloomberg, @jricole and The Daily Beast
Variety:
Netflix promotes Marian Lee to CMO, replacing Bozoma Saint John, who joined the company in 2020 after senior roles at Uber and Apple — She replaces Bozoma Saint John, who boarded the streaming giant in 2020 after serving in senior executive roles at Uber and Apple.
Discussion:
The Wrap, Adweek, Ad Age, Deadline and Hollywood Reporter
Angela Fu / Poynter:
Tech workers at The New York Times vote 404-88 to unionize as the New York Times Tech Guild, becoming the largest US unit of tech workers with bargaining rights — The new unit, which is organized by the NewsGuild, is now the largest unit of tech workers with bargaining rights in the country.
Discussion:
HuffPost, The NewsGuild, @katie_robertson, @greenhousenyt, @greenhousenyt, @katie_robertson, @nytguildtech and @greenhousenyt
Stephen Battaglio / Los Angeles Times:
A look at plans for CNN+, scheduled to launch the last week of March despite the turmoil at CNN, initially for $2.99 per month; a bundle with HBO Max is planned — The show must go on, even in streaming video. — Employees at CNN are keeping that adage in mind as they prepare to launch …
The Moscow Times:
Two days after being taken off the air for spurning Kremlin-approved terms, liberal radio station Ekho Moskvy has been dissolved by its board of directors — Russia's iconic liberal radio station Ekho Moskvy (Echo of Moscow) has been wound up after falling afoul of Russia's censorship of coverage of the war in Ukraine.
Discussion:
@kevinrothrock, @juliaioffe, Committee to Protect …, @cliffordlevy, @antontroian, @sbg1, @orlovakarine, @murphymike, Committee to Protect … and CNN
K.J. Yossman / Variety:
ITV buys out BBC's share of BritBox UK ahead of the launch of its streaming service; BritBox International will remain a 50/50 joint venture between ITV and BBC — ITVX will integrate BritBox U.K. although the latter best-of-British offering will remain a “separate entity” within the app and require a paid subscription.
Discussion:
Radio Times and The Streamable
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MIT Technology Review:
An investigation details Operation Safety Net, a sprawling surveillance program in Minnesota to track protesters and journalists after George Floyd's murder — An investigation by MIT Technology Review reveals a sprawling, technologically sophisticated system in Minnesota designed for closely monitoring protesters.
Discussion:
@ziibiing, @aoc, @reillymj, @haymarketbooks, @taterymo, @ilhanmn, @breenewsome and @mat, more at Techmeme »
Sharon Knolle / The Wrap:
Serena Williams urges The New York Times to “do better” after the paper labeled a photo of her sister Venus as “Serena Williams” in Wednesday's print edition — Tennis superstar Serena Williams urged The New York Times to “do better” after an article …
Discussion:
@serenawilliams, CBS News, CNN, @nytimesbusiness, @rgay, New York Post, @joyannreid, @tressiemcphd, @alex_abads, @rennaestubbs, @franklinleonard, @boriskodjoe, Newser, @rebel19, @alexisohanian, @jelani9, @garrytan, @rembert, @phil_lewis_, @_cingraham, Front Office Sports, The Cut, Daily Mail, The Hill, Free Press Journal, Fox News and Sports Illustrated
Marina Adami / Global Investigative Journalism Network:
Q&A with Bellingcat's Christo Grozev on the outlet's current goal of documenting war crimes in Ukraine, the impact of digitization on wartime reporting, more — Editor's note: Christo Grozev is an investigative journalist and the executive director of GIJN member Bellingcat …
Discussion:
@gijn
Voice of America:
Russia's media regulator warns it will block VOA's Russian site if the outlet doesn't remove coverage of Russia's invasion of Ukraine; VOA's director declines — Today the Russian government warned the Voice of America of its intention to block the VOA Russian language service's news website …
Discussion:
Nieman Lab, @w7voa, Axios, @a_picazo, @bubbaprog, @w7voa, @w7voa, @davidfolkenflik, @phildstewart, @voadirector, @w7voa and The Hill
Eduardo Suárez / Reuters Institute for the Study …:
Q&A with Guardian's Head of Editorial Innovation Chris Moran on covering breaking news and fine-tuning the newspaper's live blogs to meet users' needs — Head of Editorial Innovation Chris Moran explains how he and his team have shaped the newspaper's live blog to meet users' needs
Discussion:
@anthony, @chrismoranuk, @badams, @niemanlab, @risj_oxford and @risj_oxford