Top News:
Sara Fischer / Axios:
CNN CEO Chris Licht confirms he plans to step down after 13 months, following a damning Atlantic profile last week and the Donald Trump town hall in May 2023 — Chris Licht, the embattled CEO of CNN, plans to step down, he confirmed to Axios on Wednesday. Licht has been on the job for 13 months.
Discussion:
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Discussion:
Oliver Darcy / @oliverdarcy: Bulletin: Chris Licht is out at CNN.
Dylan Byers / @dylanbyers: 🚨 SCOOP @PuckNews: CNN C.E.O. Chris Licht will soon step down. Amy Entelis will serve as interim leader. Announcement could come as early as today. Full story: https://puck.news/...
Dylan Byers / @dylanbyers: UPDATE @PuckNews: Chris Licht comms chief Kris Coratti cleaned out office last night and has told staff she expects to leave. Veteran CNN P.R. guru Matt Dornic also likely out. Licht's biz chief Chris Marlin and CoS Devan Cayea likely out this week as well https://puck.news/... https://twitter.com/...
David Folkenflik / NPR: Chris Licht ousted at CNN after a year of crisis
Loree Seitz / The Wrap: Chris Licht Says Tumultuous CNN Tenure Was ‘Exciting but Incredibly Challenging’ in Post-Exit Statement
Brian Stelter / @brianstelter: A little bit of backstory here. @TheAtlantic story about Chris Licht shocked many staffers, but the people who worked closest with Licht weren't surprised, they were relieved. They felt like the “absolute truth” had finally been compiled and would now have to be addressed.
Stephen Battaglio / Los Angeles Times: Chris Licht ousted as CNN chairman as network faces leadership crisis
Brian Stelter / @brianstelter: Licht went to Iowa for Sunday's town hall and declared on Monday that he would “fight like hell” to regain the staff's trust. Some high-level CNNers thought it was strange since they already knew his days were numbered. And they were right. What a sad story.
Dylan Byers / @dylanbyers: UPDATE: CNN PR leaders Kris Coratti & Matt Dornic are now officially out. @PuckNews https://twitter.com/...
Sara Fischer / @sarafischer: 3/ Zaslav: “For a number of reasons, it didn't work out. And that's on me, I take full responsibility.” “We have put a transition team in place. It's effective immediately ... The acting leadership team will be Amy Entelis, Virginia Moseley and Eric Sherling.
Justin Peters / Slate: Chris Licht Failed at CNN. And So Did His One Big Idea.
@semafor: Licht's departure is on its surface a management debacle, @semaforben writes. But it's also a strategic debacle in which cheap talk about shifting CNN from anti-Trump confrontation toward an imagined center simply didn't find an audience. https://www.semafor.com/...
Ben Smith / @semaforben: My take on the big picture of CNN, and the decline of cable as a cultural force https://www.semafor.com/...
Jeet Heer / The Nation: How CNN Went From Bad to Worse
Michael M. Grynbaum / @grynbaum: Chris Licht's CNN career ended in Central Park this morning, on a 7 a.m. walk with his neighbor David Zaslav. Our full @nytimes report: https://www.nytimes.com/...
Brian Steinberg / @bristei: NEW: Kris Coratti, CNN's chief spokesperson, is said to be leaving, according to two people familiar with the matter. WBD may make other announcements regarding staffing and public relations I am told
Sara Fischer / @sarafischer: Confirming @DylanByers report. Licht plans to step down as CEO. Story coming in @axios
@lauralesliewral: Pretty sure The Atlantic piece by @TimAlberta was the final straw. What a fantastic story. Maybe Licht's successor could be someone who actually knows something about political news for 2024? (Unrelated, please bring back Tucci in Italy, CNN.) https://twitter.com/...
Dylan Byers / @dylanbyers: MORE: David Zaslav confirms @PuckNews scoop on CNN's 9 a.m. call: “I met with Chris and he will be leaving CNN. We are in the process of conducting a wide search internally and externally for a new leader. The intention is that it will take a while.” https://puck.news/...
Jamie Stelter / @jamiestelter: I was in the car with @brianstelter last weekend — we drove over 10 hours total, 9+ of those were filled with former colleagues from CNN calling him to vent, saying there is no way this guy could stay. I knew by Sunday that Licht was out.
Wesley / @wesleylowery: chris licht: the latest in a line of media leaders who burned their own house down with their determination to be antiwoke and prove their “independence” from liberals who criticize them on twitter
Brian Stelter / @brianstelter: CNN's 9am editorial call is starting a little bit late. Top lieutenants learned of Chris Licht's exit earlier this morning. So there's obviously a lot going on.
Dylan Byers / Puck: Sources: Chris Licht plans to step down as CNN CEO in the next 48 hours, replaced by Amy Entelis for an interim period
Dave Itzkoff / @ditzkoff: i know someone looking for an opportunity at a struggling media empire [image]
Oliver Darcy / @oliverdarcy: Zaslav says that, effective immediately in the interim, the acting CNN leadership team is Amy Entelis, Virginia Mosely, and Eric Sherling. David Leavy will continue on business side as COO. “I have great confidence in this group,” Zaslav says.
Oliver Darcy / @oliverdarcy: Notably, there has been no comment from Licht. The press release from WBD doesn't have one from him and Zaslav made the announcement on CNN's editorial call, not Licht.
Ahmed Baba / @ahmedbaba_: Chris Licht flew too close to the media malpractice sun. He held on to familiar 2015-2016 media misconceptions—a weird false objectivity that, in effect, leans right. A total misread of the political moment and misunderstanding of what the media ecosystem needs. Good riddance. https://twitter.com/...
@mattdpearce: Licht managed to alienate everybody at CNN and people might think giving a magazine profile access was fatally stupid, but my experience of the media industry says all of this would have been irrelevant to a boss' longevity if he had made ratings go up instead of down.
Tom Jones / Poynter: Chris Licht is out at CNN
James O'Brien / @mrjamesob: I find this stuff so much more interesting since Succession! https://twitter.com/...
Brian Stelter / @brianstelter: “Chris has had an amazing career,” Zaslav says, and “poured his heart and soul into this job.” He admits that “for a number of reasons, it didn't work out” and “I take full responsibility.” Zaslav says “We wish him every success and all the best.”
Margaret Sullivan / @sulliview: Once the @TimAlberta story dropped, it was all over but the shouting. And likely would have been anyway https://twitter.com/...
Martin Pengelly / The Guardian: CNN chief Chris Licht to leave cable news network days after Atlantic profile
Richard Bacon / @richardpbacon: Especially when you read the Atlantic article about Licht https://twitter.com/...
Brandon Katz / @great_katzby: CNN can still be a valuable brand for Warner Bros. Discovery. CNN+, despite its short lifespan, was an embryonic step in figuring out how to make news work on streaming, which no one has fully cracked yet. Streaming is intent based while linear is still very much channel surfing
Ben Jacobs / @bencjacobs: I volunteer as tribute to half run CNN—have already programmed it in the group texts and ready to bring my vision to the world https://www.semafor.com/... [image]
Oliver Darcy / @oliverdarcy: Zaslav started seriously mulling relieving Licht of his duties as CNN chief over the weekend, after The Atlantic's brutal profile had crystalized existing concerns about his leadership, I'm told. The final decision was made earlier this week. Licht was informed Wednesday morning.
Sara Fischer / @sarafischer: FWIW-Sources told Axios that WBD doesn't plan to sell CNN, which was valued at ~$10B in late 2020 —Now, w declining ratings, slowed ad market, & non elex yr, it's likely valued much less —If they were to ever consider selling — which again, no plans rn — it's not the right time
Josh Eidelson / @josheidelson: my lukewarm take is that getting an interview with a powerful person can be a sign of how good or how bad a journalist is, and so bragging about *either* getting or not getting interviews with powerful people, in and of itself, is not a great idea
Alex Sherman / @sherman4949: I can confirm — CNN CEO Chris Licht out after Trump town hall, Atlantic article https://www.cnbc.com/...
Jay Rosen / @jayrosen_nyu: His friends Joe Scarborough and Stephen Colbert both told him not to take the job. He thought he knew better. https://twitter.com/...
Brian Stelter / @brianstelter: Over the weekend, Chris Licht still claimed there was a path forward for him at CNN. Some people politely tried to tell him that there was no coming back. No recovering. He did not, or could not, believe it.
John Johnson / Newser: CEO Chris Licht Is Out at CNN
Richard Signorelli / @richsignorelli: MAGA David Zaslav, CEO of CNN's parent, Warner Bros, needs to go next. Still will not watch. Chris Licht Is Out at CNN, Ending a Brief and Chaotic Run https://www.nytimes.com/...
Saagar Enjeti / @esaagar: By all metrics Chris Licht was pretty bad at his job but he will always be a legend for nuking CNN+ on his first day and humiliating everyone at the brand who thought it would work We salute you Chris 🫡
@emptywheel: Lesson #2,482,520 that nothing good can come with association with Donald Trump. https://twitter.com/...
Erik Gruenwedel / Media Play News: CNN Boss Chris Licht Stepping Down After 13 Months; Tucker Carlson Bows New Show on Twitter to ‘Huge’ Numbers
Alex Sherman / @sherman4949: Game of Thrones style, Tim Alberta should become CEO. https://twitter.com/...
Scott Nover / @scottnover: This is kind of glossed over in the Atlantic profile, but my impression is that Chris Licht had a stellar reputation in no small part for turning CBS This Morning into a serious news broadcast. https://www.theatlantic.com/ ... [image]
Eugene Scott / @eugene_scott: 👇🏿 https://twitter.com/... [image]
Steve Inskeep / @nprinskeep: This article mentions in passing that at CNN, with ratings way down and cable TV generally in peril, profits were way down last year to a mere $750 million. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Jeet Heer / @heerjeet: The main problem with CNN wasn't Chris Licht, it was the Warner Bros Discovery board. And no one can fire that board.
@philipterzian: The problem runs deeper than Chris Licht's presence or Don Lemon's absence: Long ago @CNN switched from being a cable-news version of the old @AP to an upscale facsimile of @MSNBC. Its long, slow, inevitable demise cannot (and should not) be reversed. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Emily Rooney / Media Nation: Chris Licht is out at CNN
Benjy Sarlin / @benjysarlin: This @semaforben take on Licht within broader fragmentation of media is so good. Side note, many outlets (including CNN under Zucker) thought “Huh, how can we incorporate MAGA contributors to broaden our appeal?” There's a reason it's never worked! https://www.semafor.com/...
@modestproposal1: idea CNN has standalone value outside of the bundle protection it receives from the NBA/March Madness on Turner is laughable. If an independent CNN went to MSOs with its viewership, they'd be like you should pay us for carriage, not get $1/mo. Nothing against CNN, just reality. https://twitter.com/...
Brendan Morrow / The Week: CNN CEO Chris Licht steps down after damaging Atlantic profile
Ben Collins / @oneunderscore__: The lesson to learn from the last year, if you're a news executive, is that no one wants the half-way point between what “people are saying” and the truth. They just want the truth, even if it's temporarily politically inconvenient to call out one side more than the other.
David Rothkopf / @djrothkopf: Not a moment too soon. And yet, still too late. https://twitter.com/...
Matthew Belloni / @mattbelloni: Amy is great and her CNN Films division was gutted by Licht. Revenge! https://twitter.com/...
Maria Shriver / @mariashriver: Big media news https://twitter.com/...
Ahmed Baba / @ahmedbaba_: Chris Licht was fired because the viewers spoke. The ratings drop in the aftermath of the Trump town hall was steep. Viewers unmistakably showcased that they won't tolerate the same kind of nonsense coverage we endured during the 2016 election. Money talks. Now Chris Licht walks.
Sara Fischer / @sarafischer: 2/ Sitting in the NY conference room right now: — WBD CEO David Zaslav (speaking highly of Chris now) — David Leavy, Amy Entelis, Athan Stephanopoulos, Ryan Kadro, Eric Sherling, Jim Murphy, others
Mark Jacob / @markjacob16: If Chris Licht quits, CNN will replace him with someone who wants to paper over anti-democratic threats and both-sides the news just like Licht did. The replacement will simply try to do it more subtly. https://twitter.com/...
Brian Stelter / @brianstelter: Major announcement expected at @CNN later this morning.
Brian Stelter / @brianstelter: NYT describes when/where/how Licht was fired: https://www.nytimes.com/... [image]
Karl Bode / @karlbode: pandering to this country's surging authoritarian movement with feckless reporting that softsells fascism in a bid for illusory symmetry is not the path forward for US journalism, episode 7,000 https://twitter.com/...
Dylan Byers / @dylanbyers: MORE: Chris Licht learned that he'd be leaving CNN early this morning, shortly before we broke the news ahead of the 9 a.m. all-hands meeting. @PuckNews https://twitter.com/...
Sara Fischer / @sarafischer: 1/ THREAD: CNN's morning call, just started, here's what's happening: — So far, a source said, over 750 people have joined (Anyone at the company can technically join the call.) That's a lot more than typically joins. https://twitter.com/...
Dorian Lynskey / @dorianlynskey: When an embarrassing profile turns out to be an exit interview https://twitter.com/...
Max Tani / @maxwelltani: Per a source, David Zaslav is on the editorial call this morning, and is addressing CNN staff now https://twitter.com/...
Sar Haribhakti / @sarthakgh: The only acceptable climax to this drama is CNN bringing back Zucker the way Disney brought back Iger https://twitter.com/...
Brian Stelter / @brianstelter: When the profile hit, I called someone in Licht's inner circle and asked, “How can he possibly stay on?” I meant practically speaking. Even if Warner Bros. Discovery thought Licht was the perfect leader for CNN, how could he still lead this staff? The exec was quiet. They knew.
Ana Milicevic / @aexm: Just a perfect, succinct analysis from @DylanByers summing up not just CNN but all of the legacy Media Men struggling to come up w/ what comes after linear. And, of course, the disaster cleanup job now goes to a woman + the ‘interim’ title for likely the most capable exec there. https://twitter.com/...
Alex Sherman / @sherman4949: Licht was JUST thrown a lifeline in David Leavy last week. The next day, The Atlantic profile hit. That killed him. https://www.cnbc.com/...
Andrew Feinberg / @andrewfeinberg: I was thinking this but now that Kara has said it I don't feel as stupid over it. https://twitter.com/...
Madeline Berg / Insider: Chris Licht's tumultuous 13-month run as CEO of CNN: Layoffs, anchor drama, and that really bad Atlantic profile
Stephen L. Miller / @redsteeze: Lol Dornic. https://twitter.com/...
Dylan Byers / @dylanbyers: As noted in here, many of Chris Licht's hand-picked direct reports are likely to follow him out the door, including business strategy chief Chris Marlin, chief of staff Devan Cayea & comms chief Kris Coratti... https://twitter.com/...
Brandon Katz / @great_katzby: CNN, like every other TV brand, is also in a pickle bc if they bring all of their A-list material to streaming, they're cannibalizing linear (which still pays the bills, but is declining) and if they don't then it's hard to train audiences to seek out news on streaming. [image]
Judd Legum / @juddlegum: With this shocking news, the American public can continue not knowing who Chris Licht is
Sara Fischer / @sarafischer: Zaslav: “I have great confidence in this group and I will fully support them until a new CEO is named. As I said, we're in no rush.”
Quinta Jurecic / @qjurecic: inspiring ...... journalism really can make a difference https://twitter.com/...
Jeremy Barr / @jeremymbarr: Official announcement: Chris Licht is out. David Zaslav, who picked him without really considering anyone else, now says: “The job of leading CNN was never going to be easy, especially at a time of huge disruption and transformation, and he has poured his heart & soul into it.”
Brian Stelter / @brianstelter: Zaslav: The CEO search “will take months, because I think it's important that things settle down, and we've gotta get it right. We [will] find a great leader, from inside or outside, and off we go.” Notably, Zaslav did not consider inside candidates when he picked Licht last year
Matthew Zeitlin / @mattzeitlin: the media business is like the nba in that a few sufficiently high profile workers can essentially fire their boss https://www.wsj.com/... [image]
Eric Haywood / @erichaywood: Is Anderson Cooper gonna come on TV and scold the audience again https://twitter.com/...
Andrew Lawrence / @ndrew_lawrence: wow i cant believe his plan to draw viewers who have been conditioned for years to hate his network and also demand their tv news person tell ridiculous lies didnt work out https://twitter.com/...
Brian Stelter / @brianstelter: “They'll be joined on the commercial operating side by David Leavy, who is the COO. That's a group of four. They have full responsibility, effective immediately, for running this great organization that we all love so very much” -Zaslav
Brian Stelter / @brianstelter: Strong coverage by @OliverDarcy today and every day. Reporting on CNN *on* CNN, he says Chris Licht's ouster caps a year of “shrinking profits, programming missteps and low employee morale,” and the interim leadership team wants to “get back to the news,” not be the news. [video]
Joe Concha / @joeconchatv: Chris Licht out at CNN, per Dylan Byers. The internal and external coup is complete. https://twitter.com/...
Aaron Rupar / @atrupar: now that Chris Licht is out at CNN, he's free to pursue his true passion: roaming the countryside in search of various Republicans he can interview
Dylan Byers / @dylanbyers: Very insightful piece on the CNN news from @semaforben & co: https://www.semafor.com/...
Julia Alexander / @loudmouthjulia: I feel very similarly to Dylan, who has masterfully reported on and moved the story forward at every turn, on this note about the lack of foresight into what CNN needs to become, not lean into what it may have been. [image]
Alex Sherman / @sherman4949: @brianstelter The way I'd describe it — The Atlantic piece lost him his job, but it's not **why** he lost his job.
@jeffjarvis: Again, once trust is lost, it cannot be reclaimed. It might be earned but that is difficult. It certainly cannot be fought for, not like hell. https://twitter.com/...
Kara Swisher / @karaswisher: I like media reporters unleashed. Kudos to @oliverdarcy for doing his job without fear or favor. Give him a raise stat. https://twitter.com/...
Brian Stelter / @brianstelter: Quoting a CNN veteran: “Things have been bad for a long, long time. The Atlantic took the secret and put it out in the world.” https://twitter.com/...
Ben Mullin / @benmullin: .@jaketapper, to me: “I want the coverage of CNN to be on our journalism.” https://www.nytimes.com/...
Tori Otten / New Republic: Chris Licht Is Out at CNN, After “Centrist” Journalism, Trump Town Hall, and Tanked Ratings
Sara Fischer / @sarafischer: Over 800 people joined that. Normally around 200-400 people join — Zaslav appeared to be reading those remarks from a script. — Now most people have left. Call is not over but now they are going into normal 9am call. — Licht was not in the room. DIdn't get any remarks.
Cheri Jacobus / @cherijacobus: Zucker started ruining CNN in 2015 by bowing to Trump — even conspiring with him. Licht merely continued it. Remember this? Zucker banned me for Trump after hundreds of appearances over the years. He was covering for Trump. It was sickening. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ... https://twitter.com/...
Kara Swisher / @karaswisher: Ok just spitballing on next plot move on Succession: CNN and I say the jaw dropper move is to bring back Zucker. https://twitter.com/... [image]
James Ball / @jamesrbuk: Suspect the new CEO won't be giving extensive access for an in-depth profile piece. https://twitter.com/...
Peggy Mollson / @molllllusk: tom wambsgans I can see your future https://twitter.com/...
Eugene Scott / @eugene_scott: “Licht's departure is on its surface a management debacle ... But it's also a strategic debacle in which cheap talk about shifting CNN from anti-Trump confrontation toward an imagined center simply didn't find an audience.” https://www.semafor.com/...
Dylan Byers / @dylanbyers: + Zaslav says interim team will be led by Amy Entelis along with Virginia Moseley, Eric Sherling and David Leavy.
Scott Nover / @scottnover: Chris Licht lasted 12 CNN+s
Taylor Popielarz / @taylorpopielarz: Big development in the cable news world, following weeks of tough headlines about Chris Licht's time as the head of @CNN. (And a story @DylanByers covered meticulously from the start) https://twitter.com/...
Tanzina Vega / @tanzinavega: Whoa. Entelis is a former ABC exec who had led CNN original content for a few years and is part of the senior leadership team at CNN. (Was hired under Zucker) https://twitter.com/...
Brian Stelter / @brianstelter: David Zaslav is now addressing the CNN staff. He says “I met with Chris and he will be leaving CNN. We're in the process of conducting a wide search, internally and externally, for a new leader.”
Dominick Mastrangelo / The Hill: CEO Chris Licht to leave CNN
Matthew Keys / The Desk: Chris Licht to step down as president of CNN
Loree Seitz / The Wrap: Chris Licht Out at CNN Amid Trump Town Hall Fallout, Ratings Plunge and Staff Uproar
Brian Steinberg / Variety: Chris Licht Out at CNN After Tumultuous Reign as CEO
RELATED:
Peter Kafka / Vox:
CNN's next manager and its owner need to be realistic about what the company can do and stop pretending a political pivot will fix structural cable news issues — Ever after its CEO's firing, CNN remains stuck in no man's land. — Technically, the news is that CNN CEO Chris Licht was pushed out this morning.
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, Sydney Morning Herald, Fortune, The Wrap, Insider, @goldietaylor, @jadubin5, Media Matters for America, Fox News, @stevesi, @jayrosen_nyu, Rolling Stone and Deadline
Discussion:
Loree Seitz / The Wrap: A Timeline of Chris Licht's Shaky Tenure at CNN
Aaron McDade / Insider: 'That's on me': Warner Bros Discovery CEO sends email to CNN employees taking responsibility for Chris Licht disaster
@goldietaylor: They are truly looking for “neutrality.” They want Fox News w/o the stench of hate speech. https://twitter.com/...
Yaya Dubin / @jadubin5: Correct. https://www.vox.com/... [image]
Matt Gertz / Media Matters for America: Outgoing CNN CEO Chris Licht did exactly what was expected of him
Steven Sinofsky / @stevesi: Firing Chris Licht won't fix CNN by @pkafka https://www.vox.com/... // There's something interesting about the blowback from within the ranks over giving all candidates for president the same type of forum or trying to be neutral.
Semafor:
Chris Licht managed CNN anchors poorly and his push to the political center failed, but the fundamental issue is that cable news is in a broad, secular decline — Chris Licht will be stepping down as the CEO and Chairman of CNN. His departure was first reported by Puck News early Wednesday.
Discussion:
@pkafka, Associated Press, Politico, @mollyknight.bsky.social, @katie_robertson, @azi, @moorehn, @bryancurtis, Mediaite, @evanhandler, @pkafka, @madge1428, @lucysonit, @darthbluesky.bsky.social, @richburroughs.dev, @benjysarlin, @buddaprotocol, RADAR, @oneunderscore__, @amlwhere, @susanbordson, @benjysarlin and @jbillinson
Discussion:
Peter Kafka / @pkafka: “Which puts Zaslav in an uncomfortable position someone ought to ask him about next time he speaks on the record: Did he truly believe that CNN was crushing it as recently as last month — and that it took a story from another media outlet to convince him he was deeply wrong?” https://twitter.com/...
Jack Shafer / Politico: The Real Reason Chris Licht Got Fired
Molly Knight / @mollyknight.bsky.social: This sociopath told Donald Trump to “have fun” before that CNN town hall. — The “center” of hell.
Katie Robertson / @katie_robertson: Smart analysis in here on the CNN/Licht mess from @semaforben https://twitter.com/...
@azi: the illusion of authority “Talk into something that looks like a microphone and you're TV as far as Twitter and TikTok are concerned.” via @semaforben https://www.semafor.com/...
Heidi N. Moore / @moorehn: Wait, is Chris Licht not only gone from CNN but totally out of the Warner/Discovery leadership? “We wish him all the best” is very final. They're not moving him to another part of the company, just pushing him out totally? Brutal. https://www.semafor.com/... [image]
Bryan Curtis / @bryancurtis: “A bank of simultaneous cable feeds used to mean you were in some plugged-in news hub like the White House lower press office. Now it usually means you're at a gym.” https://twitter.com/...
Ken Meyer / Mediaite: BREAKING: Chris Licht Out at CNN
Evan Handler / @evanhandler: Because “far right” is not the center. Bad aim, I guess. https://twitter.com/...
Peter Kafka / @pkafka: New from me: The problem the next Chris Licht can't solve. https://twitter.com/...
Madge / @madge1428: @mediagazer Licht was not trying to shift CNN to the center. He was pushing it to the far right.
@lucysonit: @mediagazer It wasn't a push to the center. It was a push to the right cause John Malone wanted it that way. Licht may be gone but as long a Zaslav & Malone are there @CNN is doomed.
Rich Burroughs / @richburroughs.dev: That was not a push to the center lol. It was already in the center. That was a push to the right.
Benjy Sarlin / @benjysarlin: People made fun of the “interviewing Trump voters in diners” genre, but a major reason it was so prevalent is that it's extremely hard to convey that viewpoint with contributors or columnists who can fit basic media standards AND accurately represent those voters.
@buddaprotocol: @mediagazer Push to the center? BS. It's an ongoing push to hard right by executives above him. He executed poorly and the overall strategy is a corporatist play that hopefully sinks them all
Connor Surmonte / RADAR: CNN CEO Chris Licht Resigns From Network After Staff Revolt
Ben Collins / @oneunderscore__: Once again, the problem is that these guys are fundamentally misreading what the “center” and what the “median voter” is in the United States now. Americans are all over the place ideologically now, which is both true and has the fun side effect of being really interesting. https://twitter.com/...
Ann Marie Lipinski / @amlwhere: Smart analysis from @semaforben on why this is about more than Chris Licht. “Cable news is in a broad, secular decline. Even the best managers and executives won't be able to reverse that.” https://www.semafor.com/...
Susan Bordson / @susanbordson: A line from @semaforben of @semafor re management at CNN “...who will want to half-run it” with David Zaslav? I believe having white men as the owners—who feel less threatened by loss of human rights & are motivated by corporate & personal tax avoidance—impacts the work product https://twitter.com/... [image]
Alex Griffing / Mediaite:
CNN has also let go of Chris Licht's top executives, including comms chief Kris Coratti, head of strategic comms Matt Dornic, and chief of staff Devan Cayea — After news dropped on Wednesday morning that CNN's CEO Chris Licht had been fired from the ratings-beleaguered network …
Discussion:
Nicholas Carlson / Insider: The PR pros at CNN just got fired along with CEO Chris Licht, even though that disastrous Atlantic profile was his passion project
A.J. Katz / Adweek: CNN Cuts Ties With Its Top PR Executives
Alexandra Stone / RADAR: CNN in Crisis: Network's Senior PR Execs Fired After Chris Licht Was Brutally Slammed in Scathing Atlantic Profile
Sara Fischer / @sarafischer: Chris Licht's PR chief Kris Coratti is officially out at the company, as is longtime CNN spox Matt Dornic, per source familiarwith the changes. https://twitter.com/...
Sara Fischer / Axios: Chris Licht out at CNN
Lucas Manfredi / The Wrap:
Internal memo: WBD CEO David Zaslav addresses CNN CEO Chris Licht's departure saying, “I take responsibility” and “things did not work out the way we had hoped” — Licht, who was handpicked by the Warner Bros. Discovery CEO, was shrouded in criticism from former and current network staffers alike
Discussion:
New York Post, Mediaite, New York Magazine, RADAR, Financial Times, National Review, @thewrap, HuffPost, The Hill, Broadband TV News, Fox News, IndieWire, Insider and Page Six
Discussion:
Alexandra Steigrad / New York Post: ‘House on fire’: CNN staffers celebrate Chris Licht exit but fear the future
Shawn McCreesh / New York Magazine: Was Everybody Always Out to Get Chris Licht?
Alexandra Stone / RADAR: Ousted CNN CEO Slammed: Chris Licht's ‘Tenure Was Marked’ by ‘Series of Severe Missteps,’ Claims Oliver Darcy
Anna Nicolaou / Financial Times: Chris Licht out as CNN chief after series of stumbles
Jeff Zymeri / National Review: Chris Licht Out as CNN CEO as Staffers Rebel against Efforts to Revamp Network's Image
@thewrap: David Zaslav said in a memo to CNN staff of Chris Licht's ouster, “Unfortunately, things did not work out the way we had hoped - and ultimately that's on me. I take responsibility.” https://www.thewrap.com/...
Marita Vlachou / HuffPost: Behind Chris Licht's Fall From Grace At CNN
Chris Dziadul / Broadband TV News: Chris Licht to leave CNN
Tony Maglio / IndieWire: Chris Licht Out at CNN
Trisha Gopal / Insider:
Amy Entelis, one of CNN's four interim leaders, joined in 2012, led the original series and documentary unit, and served on the interim team after Jeff Zucker
Discussion:
Mediaite, Daily Mail, @raminsetoodeh, @bristei, Al Jazeera, New York Post and Observer
Discussion:
Jamie Frevele / Mediaite: Who Is CNN's New Interim CEO Amy Entelis?
Claudia Aoraha / Daily Mail: Who is the new CNN leader Amy Entelis? …
Ramin Setoodeh / @raminsetoodeh: Very smart story about Amy Entelis, a potential successor for the top job at CNN, by @bristei. https://variety.com/...
Brian Steinberg / @bristei: Some people only get one chance to run CNN. Amy Entelis is about to embark on her second..... https://variety.com/... via @variety
Shannon Thaler / New York Post: Trio of interim execs to replace CNN CEO Chris Licht during search for new boss
Rachyl Jones / Observer: CEO Chris Licht Is Out, CNN Exec Team Takes Over
Brian Steinberg / Variety:
WBD CEO David Zaslav has a history of tearing down and renovating what he considers to be underperforming cable assets, but this strategy might not work for CNN
Discussion:
New York Times, @karaswisher, Deadline, Wall Street Journal, The Hollywood Reporter, @brianstelter, @karaswisher, @brianstelter, New York Daily News, @karaswisher, New York Post, @megynkellyshow, @thebiglead, @richarddeitsch, @nash076, @lawindsor, @jbflint, @davidclinchnews, @bristei, @brianstelter, @thesimonetti, CNN, @bristei, @bristei, @bristei and New York Times
Discussion:
Benjamin Mullin / New York Times: David Zaslav Picked Chris Licht to Revamp CNN. Now What?
Kara Swisher / @karaswisher: Just my 2 cents, but this will he stay or go agonizing has to end by Friday, so CNN can get on with its actual business, which is breaking real news by its talented reporters and not engaging in pointless media drama. My prediction: It's done already. https://www.wsj.com/...
Ted Johnson / Deadline: What's Next For CNN: Network's Challenges Remain Even After Chris Licht's Departure
Brian Stelter / @brianstelter: “Mr. Zaslav is hopeful Mr. Licht's departure will grant the company a brief respite from wall-to-wall critical coverage, according to a person who has spoken to him in recent days. But Mr. Zaslav views the situation at CNN as his problem to fix.” https://www.nytimes.com/...
Kara Swisher / @karaswisher: Happening because: 1. These man-made (always men) disasters have the same playbook over and over 2. Staff in major uproar and now not hiding it — I mean, why should they? 3. Trouble getting far too close to the king (Zaslav). https://twitter.com/...
Brian Stelter / @brianstelter: The only person who hates bad press more than Chris Licht is... David Zaslav. https://twitter.com/...
Jessica Schladebeck / New York Daily News: CNN Chair, CEO Chris Licht leaving beleaguered network: report
Kara Swisher / @karaswisher: This one aged well. (These dudes are entirely predictable.) https://twitter.com/...
Ariel Zilber / New York Post: CNN overlord David Zaslav mocked over Chris Licht failure, ‘takes full responsibility’
@megynkellyshow: “If I were David Zaslav, I'd be pulling an Elon Musk. I'd fire a lot of people, on-air and off...” @megynkelly on CNN CEO Chris Licht's shock firing today, and whether CNN can even be saved. Watch below, and download: https://podcasts.apple.com/... https://www.youtube.com/...
@thebiglead: David Zaslav fired Chris Licht from CNN during a walk in Central Park. This is news media's version of Lane Kiffin getting fired on an airport tarmac. https://www.thebiglead.com/...
Richard Deitsch / @richarddeitsch: As a former Time-Inc staffer, I have a ton of experience being told by the golden handcuffs brigade that it's sunny outside as snow is pounding away. The only people I feel bad for are rank and file CNNers. Sucks working under this kind of executive dysfunction and uncertainty. https://twitter.com/...
@nash076: The best part, the funniest part, is that this is being published on CNN's site. https://view.newsletters.cnn.com/ ... [image]
Lauren Windsor / @lawindsor: How much of CNN sucking is Chris Licht's fault and how much is David Zaslav's?
Joe Flint / @jbflint: The anger inside CNN isn't exclusively aimed at Licht. There is also concern about what some staffers and talent say is the high level of involvement by Zaslav, who has been much more hands-on than previous owners of CNN. https://www.wsj.com/...
David Clinch / @davidclinchnews: +1. But who will do the job? What kind of guarantee could a serious newsroom leader, who could steer the network in the right direction, get that Zaslav and team would provide the needed resources but not interfere editorially? #MediaRevenue https://twitter.com/...
Brian Steinberg / @bristei: ‘Zaslav has swung the wrecking ball time and again in his years leading the company once known as Discovery Communications, a collection of cable networks that specialized in so-called ‘unscripted’ programming.’ https://variety.com/...
Brian Stelter / @brianstelter: Inside CNN, there is also concern about corporate interference: Zaslav “has been much more hands-on than previous owners of CNN, some current and former network employees said.” He's also heavily involved with Max, the movie studio, etc. Full story: https://www.wsj.com/... [image]
Isabella Simonetti / @thesimonetti: Jake Tapper, Erin Burnett and Anderson Cooper are among the CNN personalities who have voiced their concerns about Licht's leadership, according to people familiar with the matter. https://www.wsj.com/...
Brian Steinberg / @bristei: Come for the trenchant analysis of the chaos around CNN... Stay for the references to Discovery's Planet Green network and Jeff Zucker's ‘CNN Quiz Show’.... https://variety.com/... via @variety
Brian Steinberg / @bristei: ‘Warner Bros. Discovery has only so much time to find a working plan for CNN. The 2024 presidential election looms, an event which gives rise to a news cycle that typically draws bigger audiences, generates higher ratings, and wins new sponsorships...’ https://variety.com/...
Axios:
Letter: Fox News tells Tucker Carlson's lawyers he “is in breach” of his contract after he launched his Twitter show; Carlson's lawyers cite the First Amendment — Fox News Wednesday notified Tucker Carlson's lawyers that the former prime-time anchor violated his contract …
Discussion:
Mediaite, HuffPost, The Hill, Insider, The Wrap, Observer, RADAR, @chadwick_moore, UPROXX, Deadline, Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair and Media Matters for America
Discussion:
Aidan McLaughlin / Mediaite: Fox News Accuses Tucker Carlson of Breaching Contract With Twitter Show
Sara Boboltz / HuffPost: Fox News Tells Tucker Carlson His New Twitter Show Violates Contract: Reports
Samantha Benitz / RADAR: War: Fox News Threatens Tucker Carlson With Legal Action, Claims he Breached his Contract With New Twitter Show
Chadwick Moore / @chadwick_moore: “Fox defends its very existence on freedom of speech grounds. Now they want to take Tucker Carlson's right to speak freely away from him because he took to social media to share his thoughts on current events,” said Carlson's lawyer, Bryan Freedman https://www.axios.com/...
UPROXX: And Just Like That, Fox News Has Accused Tucker Carlson Of Breach Of Contract One Day After Bowing His Twitter Show
Dominic Patten / Deadline: Tucker Carlson Debuts Twitter Show To Big Numbers; Threatens To Leave Elon Musk-Owned Platform If Anyone Calls Him Out
Nikki McCann Ramirez / Rolling Stone: Tucker Carlson's Twitter Show Is a Sad Shadow of His Primetime Production
RELATED:
Dominick Mastrangelo / The Hill:
Tucker Carlson posts the first episode of his new show, Tucker on Twitter; the episode is just over 10 minutes long and appears to be from his rural Maine home
Discussion:
@tuckercarlson, Mediaite, The Desk, @loudmouthjulia, Deadline, RADAR, The Guardian, Washington Post, @elonmusk, Rolling Stone, New York Times, @mehdirhasan, @brianstelter, Newser, Insider, @loudmouthjulia, Variety, @kyleworton, @rudygiuliani, @zaleskiluke, @patel_patriot, Forbes, @zaleskiluke, @zaleskiluke, @jessicalburbank, @oneunderscore__, @michaeldweiss, @rolandsmartin, @jay_beecher, @diamondandsilk, @bolsonarosp, @amandacarpenter, @a_newsman, @seanmdav, Mediaite, Daily Mail and The Wrap
Discussion:
Tucker Carlson / @tuckercarlson: Ep. 1 [video]
Alex Griffing / Mediaite: Tucker Carlson Slammed For Pushing ‘Antisemitic Tropes’ in First Episode of Twitter Show
Matthew Keys / The Desk: Fox takes issue with Tucker Carlson's Twitter show
Julia Alexander / @loudmouthjulia: Part of Tucker C's success was lending offline authenticity to deep online conspiracy theories because he was a national primetime news anchor. Remove that audience (audience conversion is ??), and authenticity, is he just another person on the internet with a video?
Aaron Johnson / RADAR: Tucker Carlson's Low Budget Twitter Show Premiere Gets More Than 60 Million Views After Bombshell Fox Firing
Martin Pengelly / The Guardian: Tucker Carlson peddles conspiracy theories on Twitter debut from barn
Elon Musk / @elonmusk: Would be great to have shows from all parts of the political spectrum on this platform! https://twitter.com/...
Nikki McCann Ramirez / Rolling Stone: Fox Accuses Tucker Carlson Of Violating Contract Over ‘Tucker on Twitter’: Report
James Poniewozik / New York Times: ‘Tucker on Twitter’ Is Equal Parts Fox News and Fox Mulder
Mehdi Hasan / @mehdirhasan: I kid you not but Tucker Carlson's first episode of his new Twitter show - basically him doing a monologue & scrolling through his own teleprompter - said we should be asking more questions about what happened on 9/11 & insisted we have proof that UFOs are real. I kid you not.
Brian Stelter / @brianstelter: “Tucker on Twitter” is how @TuckerCarlson's video is branded. Notice his right hand in the wide shot: He's using a TelePrompTer controller to run the prompter himself [image]
Polly Davis Doig / Newser: Tucker Carlson Is Back and ‘Grateful’
Hasan Chowdhury / Insider: Tucker Carlson's first Twitter show went big on UFOs and Ukraine war conspiracy theories. Musk must know that spells disaster.
Julia Alexander / @loudmouthjulia: There's an air of cautious belief, especially amongst the core (dwindling) cable news audience — and doubly so Fox's audience — that if it's airing, there's semblance of authenticity. Because it's on TV, and it's labeled news. On Twitter it's more noise in a sea of endless noise.
Stephen Rodrick / Variety: Without Fox News, Tucker Carlson Takes Man Cave Rants to Twitter Show — to Smaller Results
Kyle Orton / @kyleworton: Tucker Carlson's shit often gets called “dark”, but this is straightforward antisemitic incitement of a kind that even most antisemites at the present have moved on from, or pretend to have. https://twitter.com/...
Rudy W. Giuliani / @rudygiuliani: Count us in, @ElonMusk. We're proud of the fact that we've had our show, “#AmericasMayorLive” livestreaming every night on Twitter since October 2022. We've stayed consistent, with tonight being Episode 163. Thank you Mr. Musk for saving Twitter and protecting free speech! https://twitter.com/...
Luke Zaleski / @zaleskiluke: Once they convince you everything is a lie you'll believe anything they say and you belong to them. You're a mark, MAGA https://twitter.com/...
Jon Herold / @patel_patriot: If only @elonmusk actually believed this. Why is there a search suggestion ban on @badlandsmedia_ How come stuff like this only seems to happen against one “part of the political spectrum on this platform?” https://twitter.com/... [image]
Mark Joyella / Forbes: Tucker Carlson Debuts Twitter Show Saying The News Media Lies, Cites As An Example ‘UFOs Are Actually Real’
Luke Zaleski / @zaleskiluke: In 6 months Elon has attacked all mainstream news, labeled NPR as propaganda, platformed trump and every election/vaccine denier and bad faith anonymous rightwing disinformationist and liar possible, and handed the nightly Elon State News Desk to white nationalist Tucker Carlson. https://twitter.com/...
Luke Zaleski / @zaleskiluke: it should trouble every american that the right wing and trump are in absolute sync (and have been) with putin. their talking points and anti-democratic actions and agendas are antagonistic to the rule of law and ongoing—and have led to two impeachments and an attack on congress https://twitter.com/...
Ben Collins / @oneunderscore__: I am better than he is at this. Give me a TV show. https://twitter.com/...
Michael Weiss / @michaeldweiss: Carlson cost Fox News almost $800 million for spreading lies he didn't believe. He lost his job. His first Twitter episode (yes) is all about blaming Ukraine for blowing up the Kakhovka dam, which he falsely describes as “effectively Russian,” and Russia's “own infrastructure.” https://twitter.com/...
@rolandsmartin: Nope @elonmusk. Twitter is awful for video shows. I can get far larger views, and more importantly - REVENUE! - on @Youtube. This app is NOT designed for live or VOD. https://twitter.com/...
Jay Beecher / @jay_beecher: Yes, it would be great... but unfortunately, while you're busy promoting pro-Putin conspiracy theorists like Tucker Carlson, your platform is also actively and unjustifiably censoring the accounts from journalists here in Ukraine, including mine - hiding them behind sensitive... https://twitter.com/...
@diamondandsilk: .@ElonMusk If you truly believe your statement, my page would NOT have restrictions and people who follow my page would be able to see my page content. Especially since I'm paying the monthly fees! https://twitter.com/...
Eduardo Bolsonaro / @bolsonarosp: 🇺🇸 1º programa de @TuckerCarlson no Twitter após sua saída da Fox News. https://twitter.com/...
Amanda Carpenter / @amandacarpenter: I remember talking to @brianstelter for the Vanity Fair podcast a few weeks ago about Tucker's forthcoming Twitter show and how hard it is for people to replicate all the glossy production that Fox provides. Also, why is he wearing a suit in a garden shed? https://twitter.com/...
@a_newsman: For context that's five times more viewers than CNN's highest rated hour... in 45 minutes. https://twitter.com/...
Sean Davis / @seanmdav: Already 2.5 million views, and the hour's not even over yet. https://twitter.com/...
Charlie Nash / Mediaite: Tucker Carlson Drops First Episode of ‘Tucker on Twitter,’ Rips ‘Sweaty and Rat-Like’ Zelensky
Casey Newton / Platformer:
How Twitter, YouTube, and Meta gave up on removing lies about the 2020 US presidential elections, after having briefly banded together to do the right thing — For a time, they fought the good fight — but not any more — I. — On tech platforms these days you can get away with just about anything …
Discussion:
Sara Fischer / Axios: Big Tech rolls back misinformation measures ahead of 2024
Yael Eisenstat / @yaeleisenstat: Let's be clear: social media co's won't prioritize democracy because “it's the right thing to do”. I saw it firsthand when I worked at Facebook and was very vocal about it when I left. We must change the economic & political incentives. This is dangerous👇🏽https:// www.axios.com/...
@ttp_updates: New from @CaseyNewton, on the ripple effects of Twitter's ugly backslide: “One function Musk now serves in the tech ecosystem is to give cover to other companies seeking to make unpalatable decisions.” https://www.platformer.news/ ...
@iododds: “We are in for an ugly time. And should the worst happen, I hope we remember this: the moment when tech platforms, having briefly banded together to do the right thing, looked each other in the eye and one by one all gave up.” https://www.platformer.news/ ...
George Washington Initiative / @gw_initiative: Big tech companies like @YouTube and @Meta are reopening the floodgates of misinformation, saying “that the risk of harm no longer outweighs the benefits of political dialogue.” https://www.axios.com/...
@cendemtech: .@BostonJoan: “The problem isn't that election #misinformation exists, but rather that social media as a product amplifies misinformation-at-scale, which makes it everyone's problem now:” https://www.axios.com/... #elections
@platformer: For all followers today: - The platforms give up on 2020 lies - For a time, they fought the good fight — but not any more - Good tweet about the PGA https://www.platformer.news/ ...
Casey Newton / @caseynewton: I wrote about how YouTube, Facebook and Twitter collectively gave up on removing lies about the 2020 election — and what that means for 2024 https://www.platformer.news/ ... [image]
Charles Mok / @charlesmok: Only in this country. Just when you need it the most, you roll it back. Big Tech rolls back misinformation measures ahead of 2024 https://www.axios.com/...
Karl Bode / @karlbode: protecting democracy, truth, and marginalized communities is an expensive undertaking, and might upset authoritarians who could someday be in power, so it's better to be feckless little chickenshits https://www.axios.com/...
Scott Monty / @scottmonty: The @PGATOUR teams up with LIV Golf. Tech platforms decide to give up on doing the right thing with respect to misinformation. 2023 is where integrity goes to die. https://open.substack.com/... via @CaseyNewton @platformer
Tim Karr / @timkarr: “We are now two years into the amplification of that Big Lie,” writes @CaseyNewton. “And one of the last checks on its viral promotion — the willingness of tech platforms to deny their services to those who endorsed it — has now fallen.” https://www.platformer.news/ ... [image]
@whotargetsme: Good from @CaseyNewton - platforms are giving up on policies they developed around the US 2020 election, with Twitter taking the lead and others all too happy to follow. https://www.platformer.news/ ... [image]
@martinsfp: “One function Musk now serves in the tech ecosystem is to give cover to other companies seeking to make unpalatable decisions.” https://www.platformer.news/ ...
@metacurity@infosec.exchange: “We are now two years into the amplification of [the] Big Lie. And one of the last checks on its viral promotion — the willingness of tech platforms to deny their services to those who endorsed it — has now fallen.” — The platforms give up on 2020 lies — https://www.platformer.news/ ...
Dan Gillmor / @dangillmor@mastodon.social: A particularly good @caseynewton commentary on how social media companies, which once pretended to care about their responsibility for helping spread misinformation, have now become allies of the people who want to bring down our democracy. — https://www.platformer.news/ ...
Meg James / Los Angeles Times:
The Los Angeles Times cuts 74 newsroom jobs, or ~13% of its total staff, including editors, photographers, audio producers, and the audience engagement team — The Los Angeles Times is cutting its newsroom staff, becoming the latest news organization to contract amid economic pressures brought …
Discussion:
New York Times, @katie_robertson, NPR, Variety, The Desk, MediaPost, @taylorlorenz, Poynter, @noahpollak, Deadline, Associated Press, @haleaziz, @jason, @chrismegerian, @jacquiecharles, @jbflint, @jason_kint, @jessicaperezla2, @loisbeckett, @kimseverson, @jeffsharlet, @niemanlab, @dhiott, @lailalalami, The Daily Beast, @royalpratt, @katekilla, @jakeanbinder, @kenbensinger, @dabeard, The Wrap, @katie_robertson, @mackenziemays, @cristymsilva, @gerrickkennedy, @dmastrull and @genepark
Discussion:
Katie Robertson / New York Times: Los Angeles Times to Cut More Than 10% of Newsroom
Katie Robertson / @katie_robertson: NEW: The Los Angeles Times just told newsroom staffers that it's cutting 74 positions
David Folkenflik / NPR: ‘Los Angeles Times’ to lay off 13% of newsroom
Matthew Keys / The Desk: Los Angeles Times to lay off 74 journalists
Ray Schultz / MediaPost: ‘Los Angeles Times’ Cuts Newsroom Staff By 13%
Taylor Lorenz / @taylorlorenz: Why does it feel like all of media is in a free fall https://twitter.com/...
Angela Fu / Poynter: Los Angeles Times executes largest layoffs under billionaire Soon-Shiong's ownership
Noah Pollak / @noahpollak: I live in Los Angeles and cannot recall a single instance in which this newspaper did or said anything that mattered. It's a leftist paper whose mission is to support one-party leftist state and local government. It chooses to be irrelevant and I hope it collapses. https://twitter.com/...
Tom Tapp / Deadline: Los Angeles Times Lays Off 13% Of Newsroom Staff; First Major Cuts Under Billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong's Ownership
Associated Press: The Los Angeles Times is cutting 74 jobs and 13% of newsroom positions as a top editor says they must do more to become a ‘self-sustaining enterprise’
Hamed Aleaziz / @haleaziz: This industry, man. https://twitter.com/...
@jason: Media layoffs continue at a blistering pace... while media unions go on strike at exactly the wrong time The pie is shrinking and folks are battling over the crumbs in a recession (or whatever we're calling this down market) Perfect time to innovate https://twitter.com/...
Chris Megerian / @chrismegerian: The Los Angeles Times just won two Pulitzer Prizes. Now the bosses want to cut 13% of the newsroom. https://www.latimes.com/...
Jacqueline Charles / @jacquiecharles: Very sad news: Los Angeles Times to cut 74 newsroom positions amid advertising declines https://www.latimes.com/...
Joe Flint / @jbflint: This bums me out. As a former reporter there I have a lot of love for the people who have toiled under storm clouds for decades now. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Jason Kint / @jason_kint: I've got state and federal antitrust lawsuit answers for your question. Plus some legislation that the Senate Leader sat on. https://twitter.com/...
Jessica Perez / @jessicaperezla2: This came as a surprise to the newsroom. No words. Lots of essential jobs eliminated including on my old team the news desk, the copy desk and the audience engagement team https://www.latimes.com/...
Lois Beckett / @loisbeckett: Solidarity with the excellent reporters of the @latimes, as yet another news organization faces the prospect of having to do more with less in the face of escalating crises on every beat: https://www.latimes.com/...
@jeffsharlet: Horrific news. This, as much as any outrageous Trumpian rhetoric, bodes I'll for the hope of democracy. And I say that with full awareness of the paper's history & its diminishment. https://twitter.com/...
@niemanlab: The @latimes will cut 74 jobs — about 13% of its newsroom “Reporting positions are expected to be spared but support staff will be trimmed, including editors on the news and copy desks as well as the audience engagement team.” https://www.latimes.com/...
Debbie Hiott / @dhiott: Billionaires are not a sustainable business model for local news (even if they are better than soulless shareholder owned corporations like Gannett). As we learned with the Cox family, even billionaires hit a point where the mission is outweighed by the financial loss. https://twitter.com/...
Laila Lalami / @lailalalami: So many layoffs across print media this year. Twitter and Facebook scaling back on promoting news articles are contributing to the trend. https://twitter.com/...
Corbin Bolies / The Daily Beast: Los Angeles Times to Lay Off Dozens of Staffers in Latest Media Bloodbath
Gregory Pratt / @royalpratt: Patrick Soon-Shiong made roughly $160 million screwing Tribune Publishing by letting Alden have the company. Now this. https://twitter.com/...
Kate Tuttle / @katekilla: We need the news more than ever. This is another unfolding tragedy I'm afraid. https://twitter.com/...
Jake Anbinder / @jakeanbinder: the only profession doing worse than the one I chose is the other one I would've chosen https://twitter.com/...
Ken Bensinger / @kenbensinger: Sad news of layoffs at the LAT; no reporters apparently going but lots of editors, copy editors, curation and audio folks. https://www.latimes.com/...
David Beard / @dabeard: The announcement of layoffs comes just weeks after the @latimes celebrated two Pulitzer Prizes. https://www.latimes.com/... @MegJamesLAT
Katie Robertson / @katie_robertson: The Los Angeles Times cuts amount to more than 10% of its newsroom (which will be ~500 ppl after this). Exec editor Kevin Merida said in an email they needed “more radical transformation in the newsroom for us to become a self-sustaining enterprise” https://www.nytimes.com/...
Mackenzie Mays / @mackenziemays: The hallmark of good journalism is sustained outrage and buddy is it sustained today https://www.latimes.com/...
Cristina Silva / @cristymsilva: Los Angeles Times to cut 74 newsroom positions amid advertising declines. This is heartbreaking. As a local and a Latina, I love seeing my community in these stories. https://www.latimes.com/...
Gerrick Kennedy / @gerrickkennedy: This hurts to read. https://twitter.com/...
Jessica Toonkel / Wall Street Journal:
Sources: Amazon plans to launch an ad-supported Prime Video tier and is talking with WBD and Paramount about adding their ad-based tiers to Prime Video Channels — Discussions come as ad buyers have been pushing for more access to premium shows and movies — Amazon is planning to launch …
Discussion:
The Verge, Screen Rant, CNET, The Information, NBC 7 San Diego, Neowin, Insider, TechCrunch, Los Angeles Times, Axios, The Wrap, The Streamable, Comic Book, @elamin88, Reuters and @jbflint, more at Techmeme »
Discussion:
Carrie Mihalcik / CNET: Amazon to Launch Prime Video Plan With Ads, Report Says
Martin Peers / The Information: The Real CNN Drama is Cable News' Growing Irrelevance
Steve Bennett / Neowin: Amazon Prime Video is reportedly working on an ad supported tier
Nathan McAlone / Insider: Amazon is reportedly plotting an ad tier for Prime Video — and that means you could end up paying more money
Lauren Forristal / TechCrunch: Amazon is reportedly planning to launch an ad-supported tier on Prime Video
Lucas Manfredi / The Wrap: Amazon Plans to Launch Ad-Supported Prime Video Tier (Report)
David Satin / The Streamable: Are Ad-Supported Tiers of Max, Paramount+ Coming to Prime Video Channels?
Aaron Perine / Comic Book: Amazon Planning Prime Video Ad-Tier Streaming Service
@elamin88: Every streaming network be like “what if we invented... television” https://twitter.com/...
Sahil Patel / The Information:
Sources: BuzzFeed is exploring selling Complex Networks, which the outlet acquired when going public in late 2021 for nearly $300M; Complex's revenue has fallen — BuzzFeed is exploring a potential sale of Complex Networks, a digital media firm it acquired when going public in late 2021 …
Discussion:
Robert Carnevale / The Wrap: BuzzFeed Mulls Sale of Complex Networks 2 Years After Acquisition (Report)
Amrita Khalid / The Verge:
Spotify combining Gimlet and Parcast into a single unit signals the company moving away from pricey originals to amateur podcasters and creator partnerships — When Spotify announced yesterday that it would lay off 200 employees from its podcast unit and combine Gimlet and Parcast into a single operation …
Discussion:
Amrita Khalid / @askhalid: “Our shows and content are very different,” said one Gimlet worker who was laid off. “The fact that Spotify is merging [...Parcast and Gimlet] so clumsily only further illustrates that they never really understood or appreciated either of us fully.” https://www.theverge.com/...
Amrita Khalid / @askhalid: I spoke to former employees who were a part of Spotify's podcast layoffs yesterday. It was both a surprise, and not a surprise: https://www.theverge.com/... [image]
Tiago Dias / @tiagodf: The blame is at least partly due to Spotify's inability to fully understand what it was buying for a combined total of roughly $300 million. Unifying Parcast and Gimlet was a good example of that. https://www.theverge.com/...
@intelinsider: 🎙 “Advertisers will welcome this decision in the sense that it may give them more inventory to advertise against, possibly at a more attractive price.” - Max Willens, senior analyst at @IntelInsider, via @verge https://www.theverge.com/... #spotify #spotifylayoffs #advertising
Romain Dillet / TechCrunch: Spotify will cut 200 jobs in its podcast unit
Financial Times:
Sources: Lloyds puts B.UK, a holding company controlling Telegraph titles and The Spectator, into receivership over the Barclay family owing almost £1B in debt — UK bank to seek sale of media group over almost £1bn in debts owed by Barclay family
Discussion:
The Guardian, @rasmus_kleis, BBC, Sky News, @swansonian, @arusbridger, @shentonstage, @ohgodwhatnowpod, The Guardian, @brexit_sham, @michaelwhite, @henrymance and @jamesrbuk
Discussion:
Rasmus Kleis Nielsen / @rasmus_kleis: So the Telegraph sale is happening There are three basic kinds of buyers currently, namely those who 1) Want asset to milk/strip 2) Want news outlet for political clout (for ideological or biz reasons) 3) Believe in long-term biz of news and will invest https://www.theguardian.com/ ...
Mark Kleinman / Sky News: Lloyds to launch £600m Telegraph auction after seizing control
@swansonian: The only thing is some other sacks of arseholes will just buy it and nothing will be learned. Still quite funny considering they said this definitely wasn't happening a day ago. https://twitter.com/...
Alan Rusbridger / @arusbridger: Farewell to the Barclays, perhaps the oddest press barons of recent times (and they didn't even become barons). https://www.theguardian.com/ ...
Mark Shenton / @shentonstage: The @Telegraph titles — “the house organ of @Conservatives” — to be put up for sale after holding company of Barclays brothers owners put into receivership. https://www.theguardian.com/ ...
@ohgodwhatnowpod: Back us on Patreon to help us buy the poor confused Telegraph and relaunch it as a sensible newspaper that campaigns for Britain to rejoin the EU. https://www.ft.com/...
@brexit_sham: Lloyds calls in receivers at The Telegraph over debts of almost £1bn. The Telegraph was once a respected broadsheet before employing Boris Johnson, becoming embroiled in the Brexit cult and giving a platform to Thatcherite bellend, Nile Gardiner. https://www.ft.com/...
@michaelwhite: Sad to see Telegraph in chaos, once exemplar of old fashioned Tory values. Will any readers ponder links between its economic mismanagement and its persistent policy folly over Boris+Truss+budget, climate, Brexit, PartyGate, etc etc https://www.theguardian.com/ ...
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