Top News:
Front Office Sports:
Sources: two execs of Sports Illustrated publisher Arena Group are out, following issues with AI-generated articles by fake authors; CEO Ross Levinsohn remains — One week after Sports Illustrated suffered an embarrassing artificial intelligence scandal, the company's latest leader laid down the law for his new employees.
Nicole Sperling / New York Times:
A look at the Obamas' Higher Ground, as the production company evolves from a feel-good brand to one focused on good storytelling about “tensions” in US society — With three new films on Netflix, Barack and Michelle Obama's production company, Higher Ground …
Discussion:
@that_rebecca@threads.net and The Messenger
Madeline Buxton / YouTube Official Blog:
YouTube recaps the top creators, songs, and trending topics in the US in 2023, including “the search for authoritative news” about the Israel-Hamas war — As the year comes to a close, it's time to look back at the trending topics and creators.
Discussion:
Madeline Buxton on LinkedIn, @youtubemusic, Billboard and Tubefilter
Press Gazette:
BBC Nations' director says the BBC is a “good neighbor” and its local news expansion won't harm existing media outlets, after concerns from local news outlets — Rhodri Talfan Davies says the BBC is not a neighbour from hell but a “good neighbour”.
Discussion:
HoldtheFrontPage and HoldtheFrontPage
Reuters:
Reuters temporarily removes its article titled “How an Indian startup hacked the world” to comply with an Indian court order, and plans to appeal the decision — Reuters has temporarily removed the article “How an Indian startup hacked the world” to comply with a preliminary court order issued …
Discussion:
@drsbaitso@infosec.exchange, @kimzetter, @kimzetter, @byrontau, @ajvicens, @tooba1917, @livinginsyn@infosec.exchange, 404 Media, @kevincollier.bsky.social, @josephcox@infosec.exchange, David Brumley on LinkedIn, Pramod Gosavi on LinkedIn, John Prendergast on LinkedIn, @newsguyusa@threads.net, Talking Biz News and @b9AcE@todon.eu
Shirley Zhao / Bloomberg:
Filing: Wanda Group's billionaire founder Wang Jianlin plans to transfer his 51% stake in Beijing Wanda Investment, which controls Wanda Film, to China Ruyi — - Wang Jianlin plans to sell control in Wanda Film to China Ruyi — Group has seen years of decline after debt-fueled expansion
Discussion:
Nikkei Asia, Caixin Global, Yicai Global and Variety
Ashley Carman / Bloomberg:
Sources: Tidal lays off ~40 employees, or 10%+ of its staff, including part of its playlist curation team, as part of parent company Block's austerity cuts — Tidal, the music streaming service once owned by recording artist Jay-Z, laid off more than 10% of staff as part of a wider round …
Discussion:
Digital Music News, @dnas.is and Variety
James Manning / Mediaweek:
Multiple men allege Australian broadcaster and columnist Alan Jones groped, assaulted, and inappropriately touched them without consent; Jones denies the claims — The Sydney Morning Herald has published a major investigation from journalist Kate McClymont that carries multiple allegations …
Discussion:
The Guardian, The Saturday Paper, B&T, NZ Herald, Sydney Morning Herald and @thatsodd.bsky.social
Samantha Cole / 404 Media:
Alibaba's paper on its Animate Anyone AI model goes viral after videos show the model can replace TikTok influencers after being trained on their videos — A team of researchers from Chinese retail and technology giant Alibaba released a paper this week detailing a new model, which they call “Animate Anyone.”
Discussion:
The Decoder
David Bauder / Associated Press:
A look at NewsNation, which bills itself as an unbiased rival to Fox News and MSNBC, as the network prepares to host the fourth GOP presidential primary debate — Fourth Republican presidential debate will feature four candidates, Trump skips again — By airing the fourth Republican …
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, The Hill, Washington Post, al.com, Adweek, CBS News, The Streamable, Columbia Journalism Review, Poynter, The Messenger, WHDH-TV, New York Times, TVLine, Variety and NPR
Alex Weprin / The Hollywood Reporter:
Disney adds a Hulu tile to Disney+'s app homepage, alongside brands like Marvel, Pixar, Disney, and Star Wars, available to subscribers of both Disney+ and Hulu — Hulu content is now available on Disney+ for subscribers to both services, with a wider rollout planned for March.
Discussion:
9to5Mac, The Walt Disney Company, Corley Stone on LinkedIn, Neowin, Benjamin Yin on LinkedIn, 9to5Google, Ashley Cooke on LinkedIn, CNBC, The Verge, MediaPost, Variety, Los Angeles Times, The Wrap, Reuters, MacRumors, Streaming Better, Bloomberg, The Streamable, Cord Cutters News and ScreenRant
Max Tani / Semafor:
The Allbritton Journalism Institute plans to launch News of the United States, or NOTUS, in January 2024, focused on Washington, DC and training young reporters — The Scoop — A high-profile nonprofit is launching a Washington D.C.-focused newsroom early next year that promises …
Discussion:
@nielslesniewski, @elisefoley, @orianabelike and @elisefoley