Top News:
Mark Stenberg / Adweek:
Sources detail how a $300M investment from Blackstone, structured as a line of credit, became an albatross for Recurrent Ventures due to rising interest rates — The Blackstone investment was supposed to be a war chest. It became an albatross. — In May 2022, media company Recurrent Ventures announced …
Discussion:
Media Voices, @rafat, @markstenberg3, Jared Lake on LinkedIn and The Hollywood Reporter
Kurt Wagner / Bloomberg:
X plans to build a new “Trust and Safety center of excellence” in Austin, Texas, and hire 100 full-time moderators to fight child sexual exploitation material — - Employees will be full-time, primarily focused on CSE content — X CEO Yaccarino to testify before Senate committee next week
Discussion:
The Verge, The Information, Reuters, @kurtwagner8, @seesyous, @alexanotherone.bsky.social, The Messenger and Engadget, more at Techmeme »
Pete Croatto / Poynter:
A look at the 2003 film Shattered Glass on serial fabulist Stephen Glass, the people involved in his rise and fall, and its enduring appeal in journalism school — 25 years ago, Stephen Glass was exposed as a fabulist. In 2003, a classic film chronicled his deceit. Not everyone involved walked away unscathed.
Discussion:
Nick Hirshon on LinkedIn, @sonnybunch, @jonathanchait, @petecroatto, @williams_paige, @billyray5229, @petecroatto, @benmullin, @om and On my Om
The Intercept:
Sources: NYT pulled an episode of The Daily about sexual violence perpetrated by Hamas on October 7, amid an internal debate on the strength of its reporting — As the Times faces scrutiny for its coverage of Israel's war on Gaza, it has capitulated to the pro-Israel media watchdog CAMERA.
Cecilia Kang / New York Times:
A look at the US Copyright Office, which is in the spotlight as it plans to release three key reports in 2024 revealing its position on copyright law and AI — The office is reviewing how centuries-old laws should apply to artificial intelligence technology, with both content creators and tech giants arguing their cases.
Discussion:
@knibbs, @jeffplatsky, @dm_cooper, @toddbigphoto, @tvol, @stevelohr, Publishers Weekly and CMU
Reuters:
Report: Zee Media founder Subhash Chandra says his family plans to eventually raise its stake in Zee from 4% to 26% after a merger with Sony India collapsed — Zee Entertainment (ZEE.NS) founder Subhash Chandra's family will eventually lift their stake in the media house to 26% from 4% currently …
Discussion:
Livemint
The Hollywood Reporter:
Sources: former MGM executive Jonathan Glickman is in talks to join Miramax as its CEO, following Bill Block's departure last year — The former MGM executive, known for his work on ‘No Time to Die’ and ‘Creed,’ would step into a role vacated by Bill Block. — Miramax may have found its new leader.
Jay Rosen / @jayrosen_nyu:
[Thread] A look at the factors behind the news industry downturn: advertisers have other avenues to target users, lack of a direct connection with readers, more — Last week CNN asked me how I explain the downturn in the news industry: big layoffs, scant investment, no recovery in sight. A list of factors is not an explanation, I said. But that is what I have. So here's my thread. None of it should be news to people in the business. 0/
Discussion:
@tzmorsy, @matthewherper, @sulliview, @jayrosen_nyu, @jayrosen_nyu, @tonywinton@threads.net, @jason_kint, @moetkacik, @jayrosen_nyu, @laurarbelin, @karenkho, @pkafka@threads.net, @jayrosen_nyu, @mathewi@threads.net, @danackerman, @jayrosen_nyu, @davidfolkenflik, @jayrosen_nyu, @digiphile@threads.net, @localmediarocks, @cforman and @originalspin@threads.net
Alex Weprin / Hollywood Reporter:
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 …
Discussion:
Deadline, The Ankler, @wrestleops, @mailonline, CNN, The Sun, Daily Mail, Wrestlezone, TV Insider, Variety, @jessehawken, @wrestleops, @seanrosssapp, @jbflint, New York Times, Associated Press, Mediaite, TVLine, The A.V. Club, Awful Announcing, Wrestlezone, POST Wrestling, The Daily Beast, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, CNBC, New York Post, ESPN, CNN, The Wrap, UPROXX, USA Today and The Messenger
Ben Smith / Semafor:
Q&A with Washington Post CEO Will Lewis about his plans for the newspaper, including making its footprint bigger, lack of a Trump Bump, media layoffs, more — On Sir Will Lewis' 17th day as CEO of the Washington Post, Washington media celebrated him in its particularly small-town way …
Sam Roberts / New York Times:
Jon Franklin, a pioneer of literary journalism who won two Pulitzer Prizes for stories published in The Baltimore Evening Sun, died on January 21 at age 82 — He won two Pulitzer Prizes by transforming accounts of doctors at work into in-depth, narrative articles that read like dramatic short stories.
Tim Harford / Financial Times:
With high-stakes elections in 2024, some experts are worried that a piece of disinformation potentially involving a deepfake might soon have a calamitous impact — Fakes, forgeries and the meaning of meaning in our post-truth hellscape — Not long after Eric Hebborn was murdered …
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