Top News:
Variety:
A look at AT&T's disastrous merger with WarnerMedia, an attempt to compete with big tech companies that cost tens of billions of dollars and thousands of jobs — The company had finally closed its $85 billion acquisition of Time Warner, after a protracted fight with the Department of Justice …
Discussion:
The Streamable, @timcarvell, @loudmouthjulia, @xpangler, @bristei and @brentalang
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Brian Stelter / CNN:
Discovery formally takes control of HBO, CNN, and Warner Bros., forming Warner Bros. Discovery led by CEO David Zaslav, to be publicly traded on Monday — New York (CNN Business)Discovery's merger with WarnerMedia took effect on Friday afternoon, creating a streaming media giant led by CEO David Zaslav.
Discussion:
Variety, Variety, Ad Age, Deadline, NewscastStudio, Adweek, Variety, @brianstelter, @oliverdarcy and @lamarrwilson
Josef Adalian / Vulture:
Interview with Jason Kilar, who spent almost two years as WarnerMedia's CEO, on paid subscriptions vs. free ad-supported services, measuring audiences, and more — This story first ran in Buffering, Vulture's newsletter about the streaming industry. Head to vulture.com/buffering and subscribe today!
Discussion:
Variety, @tinch, @mediadataequity, @nina_metz and Too Much TV Newsletter
Variety:
Source: JB Perrette will run Discovery's streaming businesses and Kathleen Finch will oversee its cable networks, except HBO, CNN, and Magnolia, post-merger
Source: JB Perrette will run Discovery's streaming businesses and Kathleen Finch will oversee its cable networks, except HBO, CNN, and Magnolia, post-merger
Discussion:
Discovery, Inc., Bloomberg, The Wrap, Engadget, MediaPost, Beet.TV, @sarafischer, @xpangler, Ad Age, @lucas_shaw, @crazyantguy1970, @xpangler, @pkafka, The Streamable, Adweek and TVNewser
Joshua Benton / Nieman Lab:
Q&A with New York Times executive editor Dean Baquet on the details behind the company's Twitter policy, as he encourages staffers to tweet less and report more — “Tweet less, tweet more thoughtfully, and devote more time to reporting,” says executive editor Dean Baquet.
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Choire Sicha / New York Magazine:
The New York Times' policy is right: Twitter offers feedback on journalists' value but can instill self-censorship and is where anecdotes are mistaken for data — Today, New York Times honcho Dean Baquet ordered a company-wide “reset” in how his staff should think about Twitter.
Discussion:
@anoushasakoui, @jdickerson, @alex_zee, @kendrawrites, @rachelsklar, @eliotwb, @markberman, @hhavrilesky, @niketa, @kendrawrites, @nickstatt, Supercreator, bookforum.com and @taylorlorenz
Steven Perlberg / Insider:
Memo: NYT's Dean Baquet tells staff Twitter presence is “purely optional”, to “meaningfully reduce” time on the site, and attacking colleagues is “not allowed”
Memo: NYT's Dean Baquet tells staff Twitter presence is “purely optional”, to “meaningfully reduce” time on the site, and attacking colleagues is “not allowed”
Discussion:
@sarahellison, @asymmetricinfo, @angelmendoza___, @perlberg, @taylorlorenz, @delia_cai, @jeffjarvis, @taylorlorenz, @taylorlorenz, @espiers, The Daily Beast, What's New in Publishing, @karlbode, @juddlegum, Newslit Daily, @sopandeb, Columbia Journalism Review, @genepark, @jeffjarvis, @wagatwe, @benjaminwittes, @taylorlorenz, @loudmouthjulia, @loudmouthjulia, @bigblackjacobin, @becketadams, @thrasherxy, @dkthomp, @hollyotterbein, @soledadobrien, @froomkin, @froomkin, @rottenindenmark, @christinapushaw, @nedryun, @taylorlorenz, @alexstamos, @noahpinion, @kantrowitz, @blackamazon, @jonahdispatch, @samoburja, @andizeisler, @moorehn, @meredithshiner, @swin24, @nikkimcr, @taylorlorenz, @jayrosen_nyu, @katewillett, @mattdpearce, @edzitron, @tomwatson, @tomgara, @fmanjoo, @alexmassie, @danigaravelli1, @danigaravelli1, @fmanjoo, @alexmassie, @barry, @sopandeb, @enbrown, @dangillmor, @tcarmody, @noturtlesoup17, @page88, @rcdimezzo, @soledadobrien, @karlbode, @ashleyfeinberg, @asymmetricinfo, @jill_jorgensen, @froomkin, @digiphile, @alistairmbarr, @maxwelltani, @jeffjarvis, @alexeheath, @lindseyboylan, @taylorlorenz, @thesarahkelly, @johnhatch237, @aud_bowler, @rottenindenmark, @msignorile, @aaronhuertas, @daveleeft, @rschooley, @lpolgreen, @asymmetricinfo, @tomgara, @taylorlorenz, @rachelsklar, @thejewishdream, @kamilumin, @tianathefirst, @perlberg, @maxkennerly, @dwaynefuhlhage, @joshschwerin, @tomgara, @julianrouth, @noahshachtman, @bgrueskin, @ellencarmichael, @michaelsocolow, @taylorlorenz, @jordanonrecord, @mattgertz, Mediaite, New York Post, The Kitchen Pundit and The Wrap, more at Techmeme »
The New York Times Company:
The New York Times adds two reporters to its media desk: Ben Mullin, from The Wall Street Journal, and Jeremy Peters, from The New York Times' politics section — Ben Mullin and Jeremy Peters are joining the media desk. Read more in this note from Ellen Pollock, Pui-Wing Tam, Rich Barbieri and Joe Plambeck.
Discussion:
@nytimespr, @benmullin, @haleighhoffman, @pkafka, @digitalshields, @dollydeighton, @puiwingtam, @froomkin, @gbrotman and @ourand_sbj
Elizabeth Dwoskin / Washington Post:
With Russian state news channels blocked in Europe and restricted globally, Kremlin propaganda is being routed through Chinese officials and state media outlets — Russian propaganda about the war in Ukraine cratered last month after Russian state news channels were blocked in Europe and restricted globally.
Discussion:
CNN, @willoremus, @kgosztola, @ajamubaraka, @seamusblackley and @klustout
New Jersey Hills:
The New Jersey Hills Media Group, which includes 14 print weeklies, converts to nonprofit ownership, assumed by the Corporation for New Jersey Local Media — The nonprofit Corporation for New Jersey Local Media (CNJLM) has assumed ownership of the New Jersey Hills Media Group …
Discussion:
@inn, Media Nation and The Rural Blog
CNN:
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences bars Will Smith from attending the Oscars for 10 years, due to his slapping of comedian Chris Rock on stage — Will Smith will not be allowed to attend the Academy Awards for the next 10 years, as a result of his slapping comedian Chris Rock …
Discussion:
New York Times, CNBC, CNET, Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, Insider, Bloomberg, @sholamos1, @fred_delicious, @brennanator, Irish Examiner, The Guardian, Us Weekly, Los Angeles Times, The Playlist, @kelechnekoff, @davidpsamson, @bcdreyer, @prestonmitchum, @daviddtss, @theeanxiousgay, @latimes, @miafarrow, @jasonrantz, @mattbelloni, @obrien, GoldDerby, @lucas_shaw, @farrahsafiakhan, @taylorespo, @awestruckvox, MovieWeb, @bosscatholic, @deathntaxesprof, Page Six and ET Canada
Sarah Scire / Nieman Lab:
A look at the creation of USA Today's short, free graphic novel, “An eviction crisis for Black women”, accompanying a 4,000-word subscriber-only investigation — There's been a lot of talk about the need to experiment with new forms in journalism, especially to reach younger and historically underserved audiences.
Discussion:
@sarahscire, @jago_kosolosky, @rominaadi, @sarahscire, @eyeseast, @swapnavenugopal and USA Today
Katie Kilkenny / The Hollywood Reporter:
The Parcast union reaches a tentative agreement with Spotify and Parcast management, averting a strike; the deal terms are expected to be similar to Gimlet's — The agreement seemingly averts a threatened strike, but now the bargaining unit and the Writers Guild of America, East Council must approve its terms.
Discussion:
Variety, insideradio.com and The Wrap
Hannah Murphy / Financial Times:
Sources: to diversify its revenue, Meta is exploring ideas like “creator coins” for Instagram influencers and “social tokens” to reward meaningful contributions — Meta has drawn up plans to introduce virtual coins, tokens and lending services to its apps …
Discussion:
@johnlegere, @only1nft, @smdiehl, @stomarova, Technicismi, ScreenRant, Kotaku, Protocol, Fast Company, New York Post, PC Gamer, U-Studio's Newsletter, Engadget, CNET, Input, Metro.co.uk, MediaPost, Insider, The Verge and CoinDesk