Mediagazer: Finding philanthropic support for media in small, poorer communities is a problem without an easy answer but such news deserts shouldn't be ignored (Richard J. Tofel/Second Rough Draft)

2:20 PM ET, March 21, 2022

Top News:

An AP journalist recounts their harrowing experiences covering Mariupol under Russian attack; the two AP journalists, the last in Mariupol, have now left — MARIUPOL, Ukraine (AP) — The Russians were hunting us down. They had a list of names, including ours, and they were closing in.

Elahe Izadi / Washington Post:

How two Ukrainian AP journalists documented the war's devastation while managing sporadic contact with editors and dealing with Russian government smears — If it were not for two Associated Press journalists in the besieged city of Mariupol, the world might not have learned what has been happening …

Discussion: Financial Times, @maxseddon, Thats Another Fine Mess, @natashabertrand, The Week, @maxseddon, @vanityfair, @yurikageyama, @photospice, @verambergen, @miriamelder, @miriamelder and WHDH-TV

Brian Steinberg / Variety:

Media-measurement giant Nielsen says it has turned down a bid by a private equity consortium, after reports of a potential acquisition caused its stock to soar — Nielsen Holdings PLC has turned down a bid by a private-equity consortium to buy the media-measurement giant …

Discussion: Axios, insideradio.com, MediaPost, @danprimack, @mediaevan, Adweek, The Wrap, Deadline, Barrett Media and Hollywood Reporter, more at Techmeme »

Alex Sherman / CNBC:

A look at the fallout between Bob Chapek and Bob Iger as Disney restructures for a world where streaming dominates and legacy distribution models fade away — Bob Iger, left, and Bob Chapek of Disney — April 12, 2020. That's the day former Disney CEO Bob Iger's relationship …

Wall Street Journal:
Disney CEO's initial neutrality toward Florida's Don't Say Gay bill worsened staff and fan resentment towards him amid theme park cost cuts and a falling stock

Discussion: @wsj, CNN, @jayrosen_nyu, @benfritz, @erichschwartzel, @robaeprice, @lizrappaport, @jbflint, @saraheneedleman and @richardhanania

Max Tani / Politico:

Sources: Reuters staff are frustrated by Reuters' partnership with Tass, a Russian wire service that's published unverified information about the war in Ukraine — Employees at one of the most well-known news wire services are privately fuming over their company's ongoing partnership …

Discussion: @zoryalondonsk, Columbia Journalism Review, @maxwelltani, @melaniepodolyak, @jgriffiths and @runasand

Megan Graham / Wall Street Journal:

Adtech company TripleLift will acquire Zurich-based 1plusX, which helps clients reach audiences using first-party data, for around $150M — Switzerland-based business helps companies use first-party data, which they have collected themselves—an increasingly important strategy amid tightening privacy regulations

Discussion: Next TV and @aripap

John Gruber / Daring Fireball:

Apple drops the option to buy and rent content in the Apple TV app for Android TV and Google TV; sources: until recently Apple was exempt from Google's IAP cut — Rasmus Larsen, writing for FlatpanelsHD: … I can confirm via, as they say, sources familiar with the matter …

Discussion: FlatpanelsHD, The Streamable, @drbarnard, @johnkoetsier, Cord Cutters News, The Verge, Gizmodo, MacRumors, @reckless, @reckless, 9to5Google and 9to5Mac, more at Techmeme »

Max Seddon / @maxseddon:

Russia's Channel One responds to Marina Ovsyannikova's on-air protest, saying she is a British spy who “betrayed [her] country and all of us ... for a bonus” — Channel One has finally responded to Marina Ovsyannikova's on-air protest. Kirill Kleimyonov, head of the news division, accuses her of being a British spy. He said she has “betrayed [her] country and all of us ... coldly, duplicitously, for a bonus.” https://twitter.com/...

Discussion: The Wrap, @kevinrothrock, @jeffgoodell, @paulachertok, @jonsopel, @juliaioffe and @jackeparrock

Brian Steinberg / Variety:

DirecTV, which plans to drop OANN, starts offering Fox Nation as a “premium add-on” to its subscribers; Fox Weather will debut on DirecTV Stream on March 29 — Satellite-distributor DirecTV, which weeks ago unveiled plans to drop conservative outlet OAN, still wants to offer viewers right-leaning content.

Discussion: Next TV, TVNewser and The Wrap

William Turvill / Press Gazette:

BBC says it had a weekly non-UK news audience of 456M in 2021, up 18M from 2020, and is set to hit 500M this year, which marks its hundredth anniversary — The BBC is on track to reach a weekly non-UK news audience of 500m this year, according to an executive tasked with North American growth.

Philipp Reissfelder / Associated Press:

German broadcaster RTL hires a Ukrainian presenter to host a daily 10-minute Ukrainian-language news show for those who fled their homeland after Russia invaded — German broadcaster RTL has hired a Ukrainian presenter to host a daily news show for others who have fled their homeland after the Russian invasion

Discussion: @brianstelter, @joyhenningsenmd, @ninatypewriter and Mediaite

Jane Harper / Virginian-Pilot:

Sierra Jenkins, a 25-year-old reporter for The Virginian-Pilot, was among those killed in the crossfire during a shooting in downtown Norfolk on Saturday — Saturday would have been Sierra Jenkins' turn to cover the breaking news shift for The Virginian-Pilot.

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More News:

Bron Maher / Press Gazette:
About 30 independent Australian news sites will have a 24-hour “news freeze” on Tuesday as part of a “Waiting On Zuck” campaign asking Meta to make news deals

Discussion: OUTInPerth and The Drum

Bloomberg:
Sources: the UK will pick a new Ofcom chair this week; candidates include Conservative House of Lords members Ed Vaizey, Stephen Gilbert, and Michael Grade

Discussion: @martinsfp, @martinsfp and @kitty_donaldson

Sasha Urban / Variety:
A look at the Academy's Screening Room, its site for Oscar voters globally to stream films in contention, as members from 82 countries sent in ballots this year

Ruby Cramer / Politico:
A profile of Ukraine-based Black US journalist Terrell Starr, who has gained thousands of Twitter followers by giving highly personal accounts of the war

Discussion: @maximeristavi, @atlanticcouncil, @juliaioffe, @ameshiacross, @drcolleenmurphy, @politico, @jayrosen_nyu, @maragay, @gregjaffe, @terrelljstarr, @alivelshi, @roxyleestone and @joyannreid

Andrew McCormick / Columbia Journalism Review:
Eight journalists, including the AP's Kathy Gannon and filmmaker Sebastian Junger, reflect on covering the war in Afghanistan and lessons learned

Discussion: @declassifiedaus, @pagossman, @pagossman, @rafiazakaria, @azmatzahra, @joegermuska, @priyankaboghani, @kathygannon, @arianapekary, @pagossman, @pagossman, @heatherbarr1, @maijaliuhto, @msrmichaelson, @pagossman, @siafzali and @docshah786

Earlier Picks:

Richard J. Tofel / Second Rough Draft:
Finding philanthropic support for media in small, poorer communities is a problem without an easy answer but such news deserts shouldn't be ignored

Discussion: American Press Institute, @johnarnoldfndtn, @evanasmith, @melissamdaniels, @annala7680, @donnerkay and @bobmoorenews

Ted Johnson / Deadline:
US federal judge dismisses Project Veritas' defamation lawsuit against CNN, says an on-air statement about Veritas did not rise to level of an actionable claim

Discussion: @gabrielmalor, @electproject, @howodd69 and @deadline

Josef Adalian / Vulture:
Interview with Mike Moon, who oversees Netflix's work in animation aimed at adult viewers, on competition, talent, and global reach as the genre booms

Discussion: ScreenRant, Episodic Medium and @vividfoundry

CNN:
The White House is “appalled” over an Axios article that it believes was based on a fabricated letter purportedly written by Ukraine's top nat sec official

Discussion: @oliverdarcy, PRESS RUN, @oliverdarcy, @nastyoldwomyn, @jason_kint, @xlprofessor, @dangillmor, @thecorollary, @robinwigg, @brianstelter, @omanreagan, @vandalay_inc, @yeswecan4us, @aaschapiro and @froomkin

Lexi Lonas / The Hill:
NYT editorial board is criticized for “both-sidesism” after announcing a project to identify threats to free speech from the political left and right in the US

Discussion: @tzimmer_history, The Philadelphia Inquirer, @will_bunch, Salon, @nycsouthpaw, @adamdavidson, @jmchangama, @coreypein, @matthewstoller, @jayrosen_nyu, @pashulman, @rossbarkan, @bgrueskin, Words & Deeds, Freddie deBoer, @nfergus, @sulliview, @sorayamcdonald, @froomkin, @neoavatara, @monetaristmaia, @seanspicer, @ericboehlert, @derfbackderf, @leonardpittsjr1, @coreyrobin, @nataliemj10, @manunderbridge, @coreystoughton, @eladnehorai, @yottapoint, @nausjcaa, @itaisher, @coreyrobin, @epicciuto, @paulmsherman, @dceiver, @_eric_reinhart, @popehat, @joyannreid, @davidakaye, @lemieuxlgm, @conor64, @tomwatson, @rudepundit, @tedlieu, @froomkin, @jayrosen_nyu, @sifill_ldf, @eric_alterman, @karenattiah, @franklinleonard, @kevinmkruse, @pbump, @aidanctweets, @amandamarcotte, @adamdavidson, @jeffjarvis, @dynamicsymmetry, @letsgoayo, @pbump, @moeednj, @karnythia, @jordanbpeterson, @keitholbermann, @brenttoderian, @waltshaub, @theradr, @theradr, @aoc, @usconst_amend_i, @chsommers, @theauthorguy, @ameliatd, @geoffreyvs, @nataliemj10, @astrokatie, @nycsouthpaw, @nataliemj10, @astrokatie, @nataliemj10, @nataliemj10, @_cingraham, @wolfrum, @kagrox, @kagrox, @aricohn, @kairyssdal, @govtrack, @helenkennedy, @normative, @popehat, @timcarvell, @gabrielmalor, @popehat, @popehat, @popehat, @popehat, @juliabacha, @juliabacha, @juliabacha, @juliabacha, @popehat, @juliabacha, @juliabacha, @rickhasen, @giladedelman, @jkosseff, @davidakaye, @andreagrimes, @drvolts, @millicentsomer, @jamesgleick, @seanmcarroll, @teri_kanefield, @shelleypowers, @tzimmer_history, @tzimmer_history, @tzimmer_history, @rottenindenmark, @rottenindenmark, @rottenindenmark, @bgrueskin, @rottenindenmark, @tomwatson, @rottenindenmark, @amandamarcotte, @petersgoodman, @amandamarcotte, @amandamarcotte, @froomkin, @ramshornstudios, @butnotthecity, @dystopiabreaker, @ggreenwald, @upulie, @stonekettle, @kimballscott, @cathyyoung63, @theradr, @antheabutler, @jeffjarvis, @hsherman, @dalgoso, @jeffjarvis, @juliaioffe, @adamdavidson, @adamdavidson, @conor64, @adamdavidson, @adamdavidson, @adamdavidson, @froomkin, @rottenindenmark, @hholdenthorp, @cathyndavidson, @jkosseff, @froomkin, @tomwatson, @antheabutler, @froomkin, @froomkin, @atrupar, @politicalelle, @mathewi and @theplumlinegs

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