Top News:
ESPN:
Chris Mortensen, an award-winning journalist who reported on the NFL for ESPN since 1991, died on March 3 at age 72; Mortensen was diagnosed with cancer in 2016 — Chris Mortensen, an award-winning journalist who reported on the NFL for ESPN for more than three decades, died Sunday morning at the age of 72, his family announced.
Discussion:
@espnpr, TVLine, @wojespn, @patmcafeeshow, @nfl, @espn, @notthefakesvp, @mysportsupdate, @adamschefter, Us Weekly, UPROXX, TMZ.com, NBC Bay Area, Sports Media Watch, Variety, Barrett Media, CNN, The Hollywood Reporter, New York Post, Deadline, CBS News, Fox News, The Wrap, Awful Announcing and WTOL-TV
Lucas Shaw / Bloomberg:
While HBO hit streaming DTC profitability under David Zaslav, via licensing to Netflix, slashing marketing, layoffs, and more, WBD's stock is down 25%+ YTD — They chased Netflix and then they cut costs. Neither has worked. — Good afternoon from Las Vegas; I am here for The Netflix Slam …
Discussion:
@lucas_shaw, @masasoncap, @lucas_shaw and @tvgrimreaper
Tyler Pager / Washington Post:
A look at Joe Biden's media diet, which includes MSNBC's Morning Joe, CNN, Fox News, the Financial Times, the Apple News app, and the rare book for leisure — After conversations with his grandchildren, fellow churchgoers and Delaware neighbors, the president brings their worries to the Oval Office
Ax Sharma / BleepingComputer:
An India-based content farm impersonates 60+ major media outlets, including the BBC and CNN, reposting articles and selling advertorial slots for press releases — BleepingComputer has discovered a content farm operating some 60+ domains named after popular media outlets, including the BBC …
Discussion:
@BleepingComputer …
Reece Rogers / Wired:
As music from Universal Music Group artists disappears from TikTok, creators turn to royalty-free, almost-contextless sound clips — More Universal Music songs are disappearing from TikTok as the two companies fail to reach new agreements. Sound clips are ready for their big break.
Discussion:
@wiredculture, @crowslabyrinth@threads.net, @wired, The Atlantic and Music Ally, more at Techmeme »
Marah Eakin / Wired:
A profile of Lanny Smoot, Disney's only research fellow, who holds 100+ patents and has built an omnidirectional HoloTile Floor to allow users to walk in VR — If you've ever seen a lightsaber at a Disney park or marveled at BB-8, you've seen Lanny Smoot's work.
Discussion:
Business Insider, Observer and Variety, more at Techmeme »
@tdsnewsguild:
[Thread] The Desert Sun NewsGuild says it has reached an agreement for its first contract with Gannett, and its strike is now set to end on March 3 — BREAKING: The Desert Sun NewsGuild has reached an agreement for its first contract!!! We're thrilled to have a deal with immediate, life-changing raises for many of our members, annual raises for every member, and crucial workplace protections. More details to come, but first:...
Discussion:
@tdsnewsguild, @tdsnewsguild, @tdsnewsguild, @tdsnewsguild, @mattdpearce, CBS News and The NewsGuild
Scott Nover / Slate:
Semafor media reporter Maxwell Tani talks about cord-cutting, the importance of niches for digital media, threats from AI, and how it feels to break bad news — Maxwell Tani is known for his work on an obituary beat of sorts. A media reporter at Semafor, he always seems to be the first person …
Discussion:
@niemanlab, @hbottemiller, @amonck, @annasale, @dannygroner, @scottnover, @maxwelltani, @scottnover@mas.to, @drewkerr and @scottnover
Thomas Germain / Gizmodo:
A look at AARoads, a dedicated US roads and highways wiki site started by a group of Wikipedia editors, after years of frustration over Wikipedia's rules — A group of Wikipedia editors wrote 15,000 articles on US roads and highways. But after a fight over the platform's rules, they went rogue.
Discussion:
@sanjaymehta, @thomasgermain and @robmv, more at Techmeme »
Mark Harris / New York Times:
An analysis of Hollywood's grim status in 2024, recovering from a year of downsizing and strikes; supply lines will take at least a year to flow at capacity — The Academy Awards ceremony, which this year will take place on March 10, traditionally provides a reliable moment of optimism for a perennially anxious industry.
Discussion:
@AnnemarieBridy@mastodon …, Stephane David on LinkedIn, @sternbergh and @jeffjarvis
David Bauder / Associated Press:
A look at the decline of cable TV networks like USA Network, Discovery Channel, and MTV; MTV's 2023 average prime-time audience was 256K, down from 807K in 2014 — The list of memorable characters and personalities who entered popular culture through cable television is long: Honey Boo Boo.
Discussion:
Gemma Jordan on LinkedIn and @knittingknots2@mstdn.social
Anthony Crupi / Sportico:
Diamond Sports files its bankruptcy reorg plan, which includes ending its Bally naming rights deal for RSNs, and says cord-cutting led to 22M fewer subscribers — Almost a year to the day after Diamond Sports filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, the operator of the 19 Bally Sports-branded RSNs …
Discussion:
@crupicrupicrupi, Sportico, Awful Announcing and Awful Announcing
Nic Fildes / Financial Times:
Australia's PM threatens action against Meta after it said it would stop paying media companies; News Corp says it threatens the viability of small media groups — Prime minister pledges to respond to move that News Corp says threatens viability of some media groups
Discussion:
ABC, Media Voices, Australian Financial Review, Crikey and Wall Street Journal
RELATED:
Bloomberg:
Meta plans to deprecate the Facebook News tab in the US and Australia in early April 2024 and stop signing deals for traditional news content in those countries
Discussion:
The Guardian, Meta, Media Makers Meet, Digital Journal, @jeffjarvis, @daedalus@eigenmagic.net, @realdrbrendan, @brianstelter, @jason_kint, @cameronwilson, @markdistef, @bloodiedwombat, @cameronwilson, @joshbutler, Beth Ashton on LinkedIn, The Hill, Alexandra Wake on LinkedIn, New York Post, Fast Company, The Desk, The Verge, MediaNama, Gizmodo, Alan Soon on LinkedIn, William Easton on LinkedIn, TechCrunch, @snurb@aoir.social, The Wrap, @parismarx@threads.net, CNBC, Al Jazeera, Australian Financial Review, Reuters, Mumbrella, @alansoon73@threads.net and @camwilsonreporter@threads.net
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