Top News:
A.J. Perez / Front Office Sports:
The Arena Group tells Sports Illustrated staff that it will be “laying off staff that work on the SI brand” since Authentic Brands revoked the SI license — Staffers at Sports Illustrated were notified on Friday of massive layoffs—some immediately, others in short time.
Discussion:
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Todd Spangler / Variety:
Filing: the Arena Group “failed to make a quarterly payment” of ~$3.75M on January 2 to Authentic Brands, the license holder of Sports Illustrated — Sports Illustrated has been hit with mass layoffs — which will potentially eliminate the entire editorial team of the nearly 70-year-old sports media brand.
Hollywood Reporter:
Authentic Brands says it will ensure that Sports Illustrated and its editorial arm “continues to thrive”; Arena Group says it is still in talks with Authentic — The cuts are arriving after Arena Group Holdings failed to make a licensing payment to Authentic Brands Group, according to a securities filing.
Discussion:
@xpangler, New York Post, Awful Announcing, Associated Press and Bloomberg
Joe Lucia / Awful Announcing:
Ex-Arena Group CEO Ross Levinsohn resigns from the company's board, calling “the destruction of Sports Illustrated's storied brand and newsroom” the final straw
Discussion:
Ross Levinsohn on LinkedIn, @howardbeck, @rohannadkarni, @jerrybeach73, @cujorulesdtown9, @blakeruane, @rj_cfb and Barrett Media
Michael Schaffer / Politico:
Reuters' worldwide deletion of an article due to an Indian court order raises the issue of “forum shopping” by libel plaintiffs in a globalized news environment — Free speech on the internet took a huge hit when the news agency Reuters took down an important hacking investigation …
Discussion:
@natynettle
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Mathew Ingram / Columbia Journalism Review:
An interview with DDoSecrets' Emma Best, on the site's funding, handling potential lawsuits, and the Greenhouse Project, which distributes censored news — In November, Reuters published a special investigative feature headlined, “How an Indian startup hacked the world.”
Discussion:
mathewingram.com/work and Freedom of the Press …
Julia Jacobs / New York Times:
A grand jury in New Mexico indicts Alec Baldwin on a charge of involuntary manslaughter in the shooting of a cinematographer on the set of “Rust” in 2021 — A grand jury in New Mexico indicted the actor in the shooting death of the cinematographer on the film “Rust,” …
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times, Variety, Associated Press, @neilnevins, @sussexhenryviii, @yashar, @ragland1836, @steveweatherman, James P. Crowley on LinkedIn, The Hollywood Reporter, Vanity Fair, NME, Boing Boing, SlashFilm, E! Online, The Messenger, The Hill, The Wrap, The A.V. Club, CNN, Reuters, Hollywood Life, Washington Post, ComingSoon.net, MyStateline.com, New York Daily News, Sky News, ABC News, Fox News, TMZ.com, Associated Press, Hollywood Reporter, Rolling Stone, New York Post, CBS News and Mediaite
Katie Robertson / New York Times:
After concerns about Trump ally David Smith's purchase of The Baltimore Sun, a partner in the deal says personal politics would not affect The Sun's journalism — The news that David D. Smith, the executive chairman of the conservative Sinclair Broadcast Group, had bought The Sun has generated alarm inside and outside the newsroom.
Discussion:
@byjsong, @dshameer, @katie_robertson, Baltimore Sun, NewscastStudio and WNYC Studios
Christine Zhu / Politico:
The Los Angeles Times Guild staged the paper's first newsroom union work stoppage on January 19 to protest planned job cuts, with 300+ members participating — It's the first newsroom union work stoppage for the publication in its 142-year history. — Over 300 members of the Los Angeles …
Discussion:
@erinblogan, @ctguild, @apnewsguild, @jservantez, @benmullin, @katieporteroc, @erinblogan, The Wrap, @repjimmygomez, @austinnewsguild, @soudijimenez, @eleniforca, @alexpadilla4ca, @byalexzaragoza, @rokhanna, @kierafeldman, @barbaraleeforca, @repadamschiff, @smasunaga, @jason_koebler, SAG-AFTRA, @mattdpearce, Washington Post, LAmag, Associated Press, LAist, Courthouse News Service, @angiejaime, @nafeesasyeed, @joshpcain, @corbinbolies, @gerrickkennedy, @cassiermartin, @latguild, @cmonstah, The Wrap, The NewsGuild, The NewsGuild, Deadline, @imleor.bsky.social, The Messenger, Talking Biz News, Poynter and The Hollywood Reporter
Christopher Miller / Financial Times:
Ukrainian media association Mediarukh urges President Zelenskyy to “resolutely condemn” attacks and smear campaigns targeting prominent Ukrainian journalists — Online and physical attacks on journalists cast shadow on president's rule — A series of attacks …
Rick Reger / Local News Initiative:
The bipartisan Illinois Local Journalism Task Force recommends tax credits, exemptions, and more to boost local media; the state lost 232 newspapers since 2005 — Illinois task force suggests tax credits, incentives, other steps to boost local journalism — The bipartisan Illinois Local …
Discussion:
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MyStateline.com, Chicago Tribune and ISDC
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Ampere: the number of scripted series in the US fell 24% YoY to 481 in 2023; subscription streamers released 77 fewer seasons and broadcast TV 55 fewer seasons — Scripted TV output in the U.S. dropped sharply in 2023, thanks to a combination of twin Hollywood strikes and a pullback on content spending …
Discussion:
@televisionaryzw, @american_noona, The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, The A.V. Club, Media Play News, The Streamable, WORLD SCREEN and MediaPost
Bloomberg:
Sources: Apollo Global is considering making an offer for National Amusements, the Redstone family company that controls Paramount Global — Apollo is one of a number investors, both wealthy individuals and professional money managers, that have reached out in recent weeks to BDT & MSD Partners …
Discussion:
Deadline, @lucas_shaw, @richlightshed, @lucas_shaw and @mattbelloni
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