Mediagazer: Internal email: WWE President Nick Khan says Vince McMahon resigned as TKO Executive Chairman and from the TKO board, and no longer has a role with TKO or WWE (Alex Weprin/Hollywood Reporter)

11:10 PM ET, January 26, 2024

Top News:

Internal email: WWE President Nick Khan says Vince McMahon resigned as TKO Executive Chairman and from the TKO board, and no longer has a role with TKO or WWE — The WWE founder faced allegations of battery and sex trafficking by a former employee. … Following allegations of battery …

Khadeeja Safdar / Wall Street Journal:
Janel Grant, an ex-WWE staffer who received a payout from Vince McMahon and signed an NDA in 2022, files a lawsuit accusing WWE and McMahon of sex trafficking

Kate Knibbs / Wired:

A look at women's blog The Hairpin, which has been resurrected by a Serbian DJ after its 2018 shutdown and is now filled with SEO-optimized, AI-generated trash — Beloved women's website The Hairpin shut down in 2018. This month it returned from the dead to churn out AI clickbait.

Discussion: @lordravenscraft, @tomgara@threads.net, @sarahscire, @kellyconaboy, @seejanemarie, @ethangach, @lingerie_addict, @jayasax, @pjmaciak, @rick_paulas, @round, @mediaevan, @andyorin and Business Insider

Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:

Analysis: conservative calculations put media job losses at over 650 people so far in January, compared to around 983 journalism cuts in January 2023 — Big losses at likes of Los Angeles Times, Sports Illustrated and Mediahuis Ireland in the first weeks of 2024.

Discussion: @pressgazette and National Union of Journalists …

Mark Sweney / The Guardian:

A profile of Anna Jones, Telegraph Media Group's first female CEO, who took over at possibly the most tumultuous time in the rightwing title's 169-year history — The first woman to lead the Telegraph Media Group has been described as ‘extraordinarily energetic, motivated and driven’

Discussion: @pressgazette and Press Gazette

Mark Sweney / The Guardian:
Telegraph Media Group CEO Nick Hugh steps down as the UK prepares to launch a second probe into plans to transfer control of the titles to a UAE-backed group

Discussion: @j_a_warrington, The Wrap and Bloomberg

Cameron Joseph / Columbia Journalism Review:

As newspapers cut DC reporters, they can no longer pressure legislators on local issues or inform readers about their legislators' performance — This week sucked. — On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Times laid off 115 people, more than 20 percent of its total staff.

Discussion: Talking Biz News, @bgrueskin, Ed Joyce on LinkedIn, @cam_joseph, @nickriccardi, Nelson Guda, PhD on LinkedIn, @alexclearfield, @kirk_bado, @cam_joseph, The Guardian and The Wrap

Jason Koebler / 404 Media:

404 Media outlines the reasons it wants to reach readers directly via email, including social media fragmentation and AI spam making discoverability tougher — Join the newsletter to get the latest updates. — Success — Great! Check your inbox and click the link. — Error

Discussion: @josephfcox, @chronotope, @tnewmstweet, @shellsharks@infosec.exchange, @oh_that_courtney@hachyderm.io, @thebrianpenny@threads.net, @jason_koebler, @josephfcox, @neil@mastodon.neilzone.co.uk, @josephfcox, @jeffjarvis, @cwarzel@threads.net, Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai on LinkedIn, @jeffjarvis@threads.net, 404 Media, @josephfcox, @berkowitzbt and @josephfcox

Reuters:

A Moscow сourt extends the custody of WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich to March 30, 2024 as he awaits trial; Gershkovich can appeal within three days — A Moscow сourt extended the custody of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich by two months on Friday as he awaits trial on spying charges that he denies.

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, Committee to Protect …, Axios, 6abc, Fox News, Irish News and Voice of America

Alex Weprin / Hollywood Reporter:

Axios launches Axios Entertainment, a new studio division that will develop and produce original nonfiction films and TV shows — The company has projects in development with Tom Brady's Shadow Lion, Chrissy Teigen's Huntley Productions, Media Res, Guy Ritchie, Mark Wahlberg's Unrealistic Ideas, among others.

Discussion: The Wrap, @jimvandehei, @markhorowitz and @alex

Joseph Hudak / Rolling Stone:

A group of investors including country singer Morgan Wallen buy Field & Stream, with plans to relaunch it as a brand and biannual print magazine — The country stars will relaunch the hunting, fishing, and outdoors brand digitally, in print, and through a live music festival

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, @fieldandstream, @mediaevan, Variety and Billboard

Ben Thompson / Stratechery:

Q&A with Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters on not launching an app on the Apple Vision Pro, the WWE deal, content strategy, ads, competition, gaming, bundles, and more — I am pleased to welcome Netflix Co-CEO Greg Peters for a Stratechery Interview. Peters was named the co-CEO of Netflix …

Discussion: The Hollywood Reporter, MacRumors, @markgurman, Business Insider, @stevemoser, @markgurman, @loudmouthjulia, @markgurman, @loudmouthjulia, Benzinga, @mostly.borrowed.ideas …, @mostly.borrowed.ideas …, 9to5Mac, Gizmodo and AppleInsider, more at Techmeme »

Hanaa' Tameez / Nieman Lab:

How disagreements between the Los Angeles Times and the LA Times Guild over seniority protections resulted in more than 60 journalists of color being laid off — Disagreements between the LA Times and its Guild over seniority protections ended in more than 60 journalists of color being laid off.

Discussion: @suhaunah, @marinashutup, @stufalk, @tatecurtis, @raeoflion, @raminskibba, @suhaunah, @froomkin and @sarahscire

Winston Cho / Hollywood Reporter:

George Carlin's estate sues Dudesy over its comedy special featuring an AI George Carlin, alleging copyright infringement and right of publicity violations — “We have to draw a line in the sand,” says daughter Kelly Carlin, who sued creators of an hourlong special titled 'George Carlin: I'm Glad I'm Dead.'

Sara Salinas / CNBC:

In a memo, Paramount CEO Bob Bakish announces layoffs, citing a need to “operate as a leaner company and spend less”; he did not disclose the size of the cuts — - Paramount CEO Bob Bakish announced layoffs at the media company. — He did not disclose how many jobs the company would cut.

Discussion: Axios, Variety, Observer, NBC Bay Area, Yahoo Finance, Broadband TV News, NME, @weareyourfek, @madisonmills22, @tracytran, The Wrap, Benzinga, Adweek, Reuters, Deadline, Bloomberg, The Hill and The Messenger

Georg Szalai / The Hollywood Reporter:
In a memo, Paramount CEO outlines growth strategies for 2024, including “driving to streaming profitability” and “maximizing content with the biggest impact”

Discussion: Deadline, The Wrap, @paulvrea, @tvgrimreaper, Reuters and Next TV

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