Mediagazer: Over half of the journalists at France-based Sunday newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche resign after their strike didn't prevent the arrival of a far-right editor (Jon Henley/The Guardian)

4:10 PM ET, August 7, 2023

Top News:

Max Tani / Semafor:

Sources: the NYT placed Baghdad bureau chief Jane Arraf on leave earlier in 2023 during a probe into her possible misuse of funds, like overpaying non-US staff — The Scoop — The New York Times fired its second Baghdad bureau chief in five years in a bizarre saga that has infuriated some of the paper's staff in the Middle East.

Discussion: @andrey4mir, The Wrap, @wrodgers2, @markamesexiled, @maxwelltani, @davidclinchnews, @aramithek, @semaforben, @ozkaterji, @lailaalarian, @willwainewright, @nkulw, @rjsalame, @rimaanabtawi, @glcarlstrom, @reglash, @farnoushamiri and @w7voa

Alex Sherman / CNBC:

Sources: WBD has targeted the beginning of the MLB playoffs to debut a sports tier for Max, branding it with the Bleacher Report name to target young audiences — - Warner Bros. Discovery plans to simulcast live games on cable TV and Max streaming in October.

Discussion: The Streamable, The Desk, Front Office Sports, Media Play News, @nkulw, @sherman4949 and Cord Cutters News

Financial Times:

A profile of German millionaire Holger Friedrich, who has been engulfed by controversies since acquiring and leading a turnaround of the daily Berliner Zeitung — East German entrepreneur has been engulfed by a string of controversies since buying historic Berliner Zeitung

Discussion: @laurapitel, @a_reader_ft, @rubenanguiano and @tonytassell

New York Times:

Shoddy self-published guidebooks, which appear to be compiled with the help of generative AI and promoted via deceptive reviews, are proliferating on Amazon — In March, as she planned for an upcoming trip to France, Amy Kolsky, an experienced international traveler who lives in Bucks County …

Discussion: @kchoudhu, @jordannovet, @rosenzweigjane, @seangraf, @ianbetteridge@writing …, @davidluekens, The Hill, @sethkugel, @sahiltner, @kevglobal, @harrymccracken, Insider, @afinetheorem, @waldoj@mastodon.social, @tim@phire.place, @rafat and @kashhill, more at Techmeme »

Lesley Goldberg / Hollywood Reporter:

Peacock makes the first three episodes of Killing It season one available on YouTube and TikTok, as SAG-AFTRA strike bars its stars from promoting season two — Without star Craig Robinson to promote the return for season two, NBCUniversal is turning to other alternatives.

Discussion: The Streamable, UPI and Deadline

Jon Henley / The Guardian:

Over half of the journalists at France-based Sunday newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche resign after their strike didn't prevent the arrival of a far-right editor — Bitter strike at Journal du Dimanche ends with staff exodus - and arrival of Geoffroy Lejeune, a supporter of leading xenophobe Eric Zemmour

Discussion: @photos_floues@bagarrosphere …, @helfriedcarl, @ariadne@climatejustice.social and @nycjim

Mia Sato / The Verge:

TikTok unveils Gimme the Mic, a music competition hosted on livestreams where the US winner receives 50K Diamonds, the USD conversion rate for which is unclear — TikTok will host a music contest similar to popular talent shows like The Voice, the company announced today.

Discussion: TechCrunch and TikTok

New York Times:

Sources: Paramount plans to announce an agreement to sell Simon & Schuster to private equity firm KKR as soon as August 7, valuing Simon & Schuster at ~$1.62B — The deal with KKR, a private equity firm, is said to be valued at roughly $1.62 billion, and could be announced as soon as Monday.

Discussion: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, @maris.bsky.social, Financial Times and The Wrap

Alex Weprin / Hollywood Reporter:

RedBird IMI, led by CEO Jeff Zucker, makes its first media investment in EverWonder, a new non-fiction content studio led by former Time Studios COO Ian Orefice — The ex-Time Studios chief says that EverWonder Studio will be hiring journalists and filmmakers, with an eye toward content that could launch new IP or brand extensions.

Discussion: The Wrap, Yahoo Finance, @lmoses, @kerrymflynn, @alexweprin and @danprimack

Dominic Ponsford / Press Gazette:

UK broadcast regulator Ofcom launches four impartiality investigations into GB News, after upholding two Mark Steyn COVID-19 coverage complaints earlier in 2023 — Broadcaster faces four Ofcom investigations over impartiality. — GB News is facing four new impartiality investigations from broadcast regulator Ofcom.

Discussion: The Desk, Financial Times, The Guardian, @gbnewsspin, @jake_kanter, Deadline, @matthewkeyslive, @iburrell, Broadband TV News, Ofcom, @andyhardy40, Advanced Television, @pressgazette, @dli_odoir, @ofcom and The i Paper

Sara Fischer / Axios:

Comscore: Barbie earns $1B+ in worldwide box office sales 17 days after its release, becoming the first movie solely directed by a woman to cross the threshold — “Barbie” has earned more than $1 billion in worldwide box office sales, according to Comscore.

Lesley Goldberg / The Hollywood Reporter:

Q&A with The CW Entertainment President Brad Schwartz on the importance of owning all show rights, quickly expanding into sports, producing originals, and more — Brad Schwartz joins the 'TV's Top 5' podcast to discuss why big studio shows like ‘Riverdale’ won't work as the network shifts its focus to becoming broader (and older).

Discussion: Deadline, @tvgrimreaper, @tvgrimreaper, Variety, @snoodit and @mandyttcarr

Reuters:

Elon Musk claims X will fund the legal bills of people who have been “unfairly treated” by their employer “due to posting or liking something on this platform” — Elon Musk has said his X social media platform will fund the legal bills of people who have been treated unfairly …

Richard Lawler / The Verge:
X delays its Ads Revenue Sharing program's payouts that were set for the week of July 31, saying the volume of people signing up “has exceeded our expectations”

Discussion: MediaPost, New York Post, The Overspill, The Hill, @elonmusk, @rjcc, @chrisparkx, @enriquebrgn, @helenkennedy, @bestofdyingtwitter …, Insider, @mho@social.heise.de, @carnage4life@mas.to, Techlusive, @hunterwalk.com, @caseynewton.bsky.social, @rjcc.bsky.social and Daring Fireball

Khadijah Khogeer / NBC News:

Journalists at Vancouver-based IndigiNews and Ontario-based The Sarnia Journal say Meta's news block is reducing their sites' visitors and hurting their outlets — Meta recently began blocking news from Instagram and Facebook in Canada in response to the Online News Act.

Discussion: @tehuti88

Canadian Association of Broadcasters:
North American broadcasters say Meta's news ban in Canada is “monopolistic” and urge lawmakers to support rules letting publishers negotiate with tech platforms

Discussion: New York Times, Next TV, Inside Radio, Radio & Television … and RADIO ONLINE

Archived Page Info:

This is a snapshot of Mediagazer at 4:10 PM ET, August 7, 2023.

View the current page or another snapshot:

Who's Hiring in Media?

Accounting Specialist Editor, Remote US — Reuters

Senior Correspondent - Wealth, NY — WSJ

Asia Credit Reporter, Seoul — Bloomberg

Senior Social Media Specialist, NC — espnW

Associate Editor - Aviation, TN — Firecrown

Assistant Editor - Digital, NC — SBJ

Video Producer - YouTube, NY — Morning Brew

Senior Managing Ed. - Daily Desk — The Athletic

Multimedia Journalist, CA — Paramount

Content Managing Editor — Freedom Forum

Editor, MA — Nieman Reports

Team Editor - Breaking News, ON — Toronto Star

Senior Reporter & Event Host, NY/CA — Newcomer

Associate Editor, Remote — Tech Policy Press

Retail Reporter, MN — Star Tribune

Managing Ed. - Berks County, PA — Spotlight PA

News Editor - UK, Remote — The Verge

News Reporter, MA — Berkshire Eagle

Multimedia Journalist, PA — Observer-Reporter

Service Journalism Editor, CA — Sacramento Bee

Content Director, Remote — Campaigns & Elections

Los Angeles Issues Reporter, CA — CalMatters

Reporter - Middle East — Rest of World

Executive Editor, OR — Lookout Local

California Playbook Writer, CA — Politico

Senior Media Editor — Digiday

National Investigative Reporter, NY — HuffPost

Lexington County Reporter, SC — The State

Reporter - Offshore Wind — Canary Media

General Assignment Reporter, FL — County Record

Staff Reporter, CA — Daily Kos

Data Editor, NY — ProPublica

Add your company here

See Also:

Mediagazer: site main

Mediagazer River: reverse chronological Mediagazer

Mediagazer Mobile: for phones

Mediagazer Leaderboard: Mediagazer's top sources

Subscribe:

Mediagazer RSS feed

Mediagazer on X

Mediagazer on Mastodon

More News:

Dominic Ponsford / Press Gazette:
UK regional media group National World debuts Shots!, a 24/7 Freeview channel showing short videos by its staff around the themes “real UK”, football, and crime

Discussion: HoldtheFrontPage

Josef Adalian / Vulture:
As broadcasters make fewer scripted shows, streaming services that need such content can avoid churn and a catalog crisis by making series with more episodes

Discussion: @nina_metz, @royal_suitor, @nymag, @dfriend, @tvmojoe, @dougwyman425, @juleswritesblog, @ct_ford and @ethanmayj

Thomas Wilde / GeekWire:
Dungeons & Dragons publisher Wizards of the Coast plans to ban generative AI-made illustrations, after fans spotted signs of AI art in an upcoming sourcebook

Discussion: Media Voices, Associated Press, @onyrica, @gontijodesign, @evilcleverdog, @aarantheartist, @nevernotdm, Decrypt, Comic Book, Boing Boing and Gizmodo

Nilesh Christopher / Rest of World:
Some designers say AI tools have made them anxious about the YouTube thumbnail microeconomy's future; creators like MrBeast pay up to $10K for a video thumbnail

Discussion: @carnage4life@mas.to, @restofworld, @restofworld, @nilchristopher and @TechDesk@flipboard.social

Earlier Picks:

Meduza.io:
Meduza, an outlet covering Russian news, says Apple Podcasts removed its flagship podcast and then restored the show two days later without providing reasons

Discussion: @timsweeneyepic, @abarbashin, @kmartynov, @sambreazeale2, @marielle_w_, @meduza_en, @abarbashin, @kevinrothrock@infosec … and @Marielle_W@mastodon.social

New York Times:
Investigation: US tech entrepreneur Neville Roy Singham, who funds left-wing outlets globally, works closely with Chinese government media to spread propaganda

Discussion: @anneapplebaum, @jason, @fahrenthold, @michaeldweiss, @brianhioe, @justinhendrix, @pekingmike, @paulg, @davidfolkenflik, @rotnroll666@mastodon.social, @donaldcclarke.bsky.social, @kerim@zirk.us and @brainwane@social.coop

The Wrap:
Memo: the WGA says the two sides remain too far apart after the August 4 meeting with the AMPTP, accusing the AMPTP of violating its own media blackout request

Christopher Mathias / HuffPost:
Investigation: Richard Hanania, a Substack writer also published in WaPo, NYT, WSJ, and more, wrote for white supremacist outlets in the 2010s using a pen name

Discussion: @calebscoville, @sethcotlar, @ggreenwald, @parismarx, @mikeisaac, @oneunderscore__, @garbageape, @oneunderscore__, @bodhipaksa@mastodon.scot, @AnarchoDoggo@kolektiva.social, @alexwild@mastodon.online, Richard Hanania's Newsletter, @ositanwanevu, @martinsfp, @danprimack, @amandamarcotte.bsky.social, @letsgomathias, @david_j_roth, @letsgomathias, @letsgomathias, @david_j_roth, @letsgomathias, @letsgomathias, @letsgomathias, @paulstewartii, @paulstewartii, @paulstewartii, @paulstewartii, @katzonearth, @letsgomathias.bsky.social, @emilybell.bsky.social, @exador23@m.ai6yr.org, @tomscocca.bsky.social, @philipncohen@mastodon.social, @acdha@thepit.social, @lolgop.bsky.social, @socprof@masto.ai, @mmasnick.bsky.social, Mediaite, @mmasnick.bsky.social, @chadloder.bsky.social, @ddayen.bsky.social, @timnitGebru@dair …, @mattsheffield@mastodon.social, @timcarvell.bsky.social, @michellegoldberg.bsky.social, @tomscocca.bsky.social, @KimPerales@toad.social, @dandrezner.bsky.social, @jacobtlevy.bsky.social, @sethcotlar.bsky.social, @alexwild@mastodon.online, @strangestrings.bsky.social, @stevesilberman@newsie.social, @jsthrill.bsky.social and @charliearchy@mstdn.social

From Techmeme:

Bloomberg:
Sources: Canadian authorities arrested Alexander “Connor” Moucka, who is allegedly behind hacks in June and July of up to 165 Snowflake customers including AT&T

Juli Clover / MacRumors:
The second developer beta of iOS 18.2 shows a “daily limit” for free access to “advanced” ChatGPT via Siri and an option to upgrade to ChatGPT Plus in Settings

Mark Gurman / Bloomberg:
Sources: Apple is exploring a push into smart glasses by conducting an internal study, codenamed Atlas, to gather employee feedback on products on the market

Sister Sites:

Techmeme
Top news and commentary for technology's leaders, from all around the web

memeorandum
What US political commentators are discussing online right now

WeSmirch
The top celebrity news from all around the web on a single page