Mediagazer: A look at Chris Licht's plans to turn CNN around, as the executive says it is “bullshit” and a big misconception that his vision is to be a “vanilla” centrist (Financial Times)

11:20 AM ET, November 21, 2022

Top News:

The Walt Disney Company's board announces Bob Chapek will step down as CEO and be replaced by Bob Iger for two years effective immediately; stock jumps 8%+ — Disney's board of directors announced the move Sunday evening.

Discussion: New York Times, Deadline, Variety, Wall Street Journal, The Walt Disney Company, Puck, CNBC, The Wrap, Insider, The Streamable, Deadline, @theankler, Observer, CNET, The Wrap, Bloomberg, @scottgustin, @jacobrubashkin, Associated Press, Axios, @stevekopack, @mgsiegler, @mgsiegler, Bounding Into Comics, @claireatki, @nkulw, @davidlsims, @bosnerdley, GoldDerby, Decider, @radrappy, @sherman4949, New York Post, @joannastern, @cgasparino, The A.V. Club, @jeffrey_cane, TVNewsCheck, Next TV, Billboard, KRDO, @carnage4life, @sherman4949, @micaburton, @latimes, @davejorgenson, @brianstelter, @big_business_, Gizmodo, @panzer, Broadband TV News, @rickporter, Digital Journal, @edmundlee, CNN, @zemthings, @morgantremaine, Hot Girl Cinema, @santucci, @gtwscar, @sdkstl, @jeff_delgado, @carnage4life, Popculturology, TVLine, @anthony, The Information, Media Play News, Reuters, @richlightshed, @laurenthomas, @reckless, Adweek, @levie, Skift, ScreenRant, Vanity Fair, The Verge, @mattbelloni, @nycjim, Forbes, @karaswisher, @bmccandless, @thr, Financial Times, @scottnover, @reedhastings, SlashFilm, @kimmasters, @parismartineau, @molliedamon, @drewtailored, @jbflint, Digital TV Europe, @karaswisher, The Week, @sarafischer, @carnage4life, @thatrebecca, Mediaite, @lucas_shaw, @lucas_shaw, Transistori, Ad Age, IndieWire, ABC7, The Daily Beast, Fortune, The Hill, Sportico, Barrett Media and TechCrunch, more at Techmeme »

Reuters:

Twitter reinstates Trump's account, after Elon Musk ran a Twitter poll where 51.8% of 15M+ users voted yes on reinstatement, saying “the people have spoken” — Donald Trump on Saturday said he had no interest in returning to Twitter even as a slim majority voted in favor …

Discussion: @elonmusk, @elonmusk, Observer, MediaPost, New York Times, Fox News, Mediaite, The Guardian, Insider, Semafor, FOX News Radio, @davidsacks, @aoc, Digital Journal, National Review, CNET, ScreenRant, Slate, @repjimmygomez, Comical Opinions, Vanity Fair, Super-Probably Relevant …, Forbes, @shelbytalcott, @micaheadowcroft, @mediaite, @hankgreen, Reclaim The Net, @sivavaid, @bajarin, @amanbatheja, @dangillmor, @mcuban, @brianklaas, @karaswisher, @nouriel, @maryltrump, @adamkinzinger, @brianstelter, @reuterstech, @mcuban, @nandoodles, @bgrueskin, @realsaavedra, @markos, @ibishblog, @reuters, @leogarnier, @scclemons, @penamerica, @frankfigliuzzi1, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, TechCrunch, KRDO, The Information, The Wrap, TMZ.com, Insider, Wall Street Journal, Variety, Mediaite, New York Post, The Verge, Axios, The Shortcut, New York Daily News, SheKnows, Oleg Dulin, The Hill, Bloomberg and @elonmusk, more at Techmeme »

Brian Steinberg / Variety:

Memo: Michael Bass, CNN's longtime programming chief who was one of three executives who led CNN after Jeff Zucker's ouster, plans to leave at the end of 2022 — His departure was revealed to staffers at the Warner Bros. Discovery-backed outlet's daily news meeting Monday.

Discussion: The Wrap, Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter, @claireatki and @anthony

Financial Times:

A look at Chris Licht's plans to turn CNN around, as the executive says it is “bullshit” and a big misconception that his vision is to be a “vanilla” centrist — Chris Licht, the network's recently appointed chief executive, is preparing a fresh approach to news and deep job cuts after a slump in revenues

Discussion: @hayekmg, @michaelsocolow, @frank_giustra, @annaknicolaou, @benmullin and @soutikbbc

James B. Stewart / New York Times:

Interviews with more than 24 people involved in the AT&T/Time Warner merger, including Jeff Bewkes and Randall Stephenson, detail how it went disastrously awry — At Time Warner, executives saw AT&T as just a “big phone company from Texas.” At AT&T, they thought Hollywood would play by their rules.

Reuters:

Sources: Simon & Schuster owner Paramount Global declines to join Penguin Random House in appealing the ruling blocking their merger; deal will likely collapse — Book-publishing powerhouse Simon & Schuster's owner will let its $2.2 billion sale to Penguin Random House collapse on Monday …

Discussion: New York Times, Publishers Weekly, Bloomberg Law, @liz_a_harris, @billineastala, @benmullin, @adribbleofink and The Bookseller

Jim Waterson / The Guardian:

The BBC's Qatar World Cup coverage ignored the opening ceremony, instead criticizing the treatment of migrant workers, corruption, and homosexuality bans — Coverage kicks off with focus on treatment of migrant workers and gay people, and corruption at Fifa

Taylor Lorenz / Washington Post:

The ordeal of an University of Arizona student journalist highlights the growing threat of online harassment to young journalists, driving some of them out — Young reporters are forced to contend with waves of abuse and harassment, driving some out of the industry before they even get started.

Discussion: @taylorlorenz, @michaelbolden, @queenkv, @smaclellan, @malbertnews, @carolafrediani, @smaclellan, @privacydigest, @sivavaid, @jhengstler, @ijbailey, @jeffjarvis, @tom_mallory and @lutzfernandez

Pew Research Center:

A survey of US teens on social media: 80% feel closer to friends, 71% like showing creativity, 59% think its impact is neutral, and 38% are overwhelmed by drama — Majorities of teens credit social media with strengthening their friendships and providing support while also noting the emotionally charged side of these platforms

Discussion: @lrainie, @pewinternet and The Hill

Freddie deBoer:

Twitter is probably not going anywhere, and writers bemoaning its demise are overestimating the importance it has to their work and careers — and Twitter is probably not going anywhere — So: I don't think Twitter is going anywhere, and I don't think the vast majority of Twitter users are going anywhere.

Discussion: Nieman Lab, Poynter and @dsilverman

Laura Hazard Owen / Nieman Lab:
A look at things journalism could lose if Twitter dies: real-time feedback on stories, news outlets being publicly called out, DMs as a reporting tool, and more

Paul Tassi / Forbes:

Twitter's automated copyright strike system appears to be broken, as users upload full movies; some accounts with viral tweets were later suspended — While Twitter, the website, remains online and has not simply collapsed after the vast majority of workers were fired or resigned under Elon Musk …

Discussion: @briannawu, 9to5Mac, @lanceulanoff, @bdsams, TheGamer, @tomwarren, Insider and The Verge, more at Techmeme »

Max Tani / Semafor:

Meduza has millions of readers in Russia despite being blocked there, after boosting its Telegram following and using censorship-resistant tech in its app — The biggest stories in media usually follow the money. Today, Max looks at one of the biggest shifts in the business of media …

Discussion: New York Times and @semaforben

Liz Neisloss / GBH:

Boston-based public media outlet GBH names former National Geographic Editor-in-Chief Susan Goldberg as its next CEO, starting December 1 — The GBH Educational Foundation announced Monday that Susan Goldberg has been chosen as its next president and CEO, bringing a veteran journalist …

Discussion: The Hollywood Reporter, @singernews, @gbhnews, @alexweprin and @davidfolkenflik

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More News:

Elsa Keslassy / Variety:
Sources: French TV networks TF1 and M6 plan to sell their stakes in streaming service Salto, after deciding that the antitrust obligations are too cumbersome

Discussion: Too Much TV Newsletter, Deadline and Broadband TV News

Max Tani / Semafor:
Sources: some WaPo opinion writers were taken aback when their new editor David Shipley recently suggested publishing editorials as Instagram comments or haikus

Discussion: @semafor and @beachwoodreport

Press Gazette:
Associated Newspapers will pay “substantial damages” to Koo Stark, an ex-girlfriend of Prince Andrew, for calling her a “porn star” in a 2019 Daily Mail article

Discussion: The Guardian

American Press Institute:
Media Insight Project examines what topics Americans between 16 and 40 look for when seeking “hard news” and “news you can use” and which platforms they use

Discussion: @jimmacmillan, @kevinloker and @spj_tweets

Laura Pellicer / WUNC:
Over 70% of Charlotte's WFAE content staffers sign a petition to unionize via SAG-AFTRA; it could be the first public radio station in the Carolinas to unionize

Discussion: @lauraplive, @lauraplive, @matthewkeyslive, @lauraplive, @matt_rasnic, @wunc, The Charlotte Observer, Radio Ink, WFAE 90.7, Inside Radio and Current

Earlier Picks:

Gabby Miller / Columbia Journalism Review:
Parliamentary hearings for Canada's Online News Act restarted on Friday, where the committee was expected to begin clause-by-clause consideration

Discussion: @__gabbymiller, NewsLab, @chris_bittle, @paulvieira, @mgeist, @mediamorphis and @emilybell

Charles Pulliam-Moore / The Verge:
Former DC Films President Walter Hamada joins Paramount Pictures to oversee the studio's upcoming horror projects, after leaving Warner Bros. in October 2022

Mitchell Clark / The Verge:
Robin Wheeler, Twitter's head of ad sales, seems to have left the company, a week after Elon Musk reportedly convinced her to stay; sources say she was fired

@insiderunion:
Insider's union says members will not be disciplined for “failure to meet arbitrary metric goals” as of December 1, due to bargaining amid a newsroom reorg

Discussion: @harrisj, @bwdbwdbwd, @bwdbwdbwd, @bethanybiron, @dubsrewatcher, @tanyachen, @julianamkaplan, @ungarino, @tekendraparmar, @esmemazzeo, @mattdpearce, @sndrsndh and @ben__tobin

From Techmeme:

Mark Gurman / Bloomberg:
Sources: Apple is working on a smart doorbell system with advanced facial recognition that can wirelessly connect and unlock third-party smart locks

Kyle Wiggers / TechCrunch:
Donald Trump announces that Sriram Krishnan, until recently a general partner at a16z, will serve as senior policy advisor for AI at the White House OSTP

Financial Times:
Sources: Palantir and Anduril are in talks with OpenAI, SpaceX, and more to form a consortium to bid for US defense contracts and plan to announce it in January

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