Top News:
Brooks Barnes / New York Times:
Sources: Disney worried that it had a flawed case in Trump's ABC lawsuit, and fighting it could hurt the Disney brand and damage press protections for others — Talks started and finished on the same day, after Disney decided that fighting the lawsuit could potentially hurt the company and protections for the press.
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Wall Street Journal:
Several ABC News staffers say its Trump settlement sets a concerning precedent and sends a message that Disney is giving priority to its corporate interests — Staffers question decision by Disney; company was looking to avoid protracted legal battle — Disney's decision …
Richard J. Tofel / Columbia Journalism Review:
ABC needs to answer questions about its $16M settlement with Trump in a libel case, especially whether it is changing accountability coverage of those in power — As someone who practiced press law for more than twenty years, and served as a senior executive of news organizations for just as long …
Discussion:
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Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
Some US groups are building resources to defend against Trump lawsuits, and should gather lawyers, money, and people who know how to respond to performance art
Discussion:
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Pamela McClintock / The Hollywood Reporter:
Disney confirms pulling a transgender storyline from animated series Win or Lose, saying “many parents would prefer to discuss certain subjects” with their kids — The original animated show about a co-ed high school team debuts on Disney+ in February.
Discussion:
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Jacqui Shine / Wall Street Journal:
As demand for ghostwriters grows, high-end writers see higher salaries and more complex deals; survey: one in three reported earning more than $100,000/year — Shifts in the book industry have been a boon to writers who work quietly behind the scenes — Reality stars don't typically pride themselves on their literary prowess.
Discussion:
Dan Gerstein on LinkedIn and Gotham Ghostwriters
Lucas Manfredi / The Wrap:
Roku partners with X Games to stream X Games Aspen, founded by ESPN but sold to MSP Sports in 2022, on the recently launched Roku Sports Channel in 2025 — The platform will be home to X Games Aspen and a summer X Games event next year as it continues to expand its sports portfolio
Discussion:
The Streamable, The Desk, Variety, Radio & Television …, The Verge, Deadline, WORLD SCREEN and The Hollywood Reporter
Arthur Macmillan / Columbia Journalism Review:
An in-depth look at The Telegraph's sale and British-born publisher Dovid Efune's attempts to buy it, as the newspaper becomes a test case in media valuations — A storied London broadsheet is for sale—again. The latest bidder, right-wing media proprietor Dovid Efune, is struggling to raise the money.
Discussion:
@cjr
Aisha Counts / Bloomberg:
eMarketer expects Instagram to hit $32B in US ad revenue in 2025, or 50% of Meta's ad sales; filings: Instagram was ~30% of Meta's global business in early 2022 — - Video-sharing app estimated to reach $32 billion in ad revenue — Instagram users spend majority of their time watching videos
Nicole Sperling / New York Times:
Some streamers now believe that releasing movies in theaters, promoted by expansive marketing and PR campaigns, helps makes movies successful on their platforms — Just a few years ago, media executives thought theatrical releases didn't benefit their streaming services. Now, many of them think the opposite.
Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:
Tortoise formally signs the deal to buy The Observer, appoints acting editor Lucy Rock as the title's print editor, and launches a voluntary redundancy scheme — Tortoise Media has formally signed a deal to buy The Observer and appointed the newspaper's next editor.
Dominic Ponsford / Press Gazette:
Media news outlet Press Gazette partners with Flip-Pay to roll out a registration wall to read its content, and says readers must give an email and job title — Press Gazette has launched a registration wall to read our online content. — This title is the most popular commercial online …
Discussion:
@myflippay, @bron_maher and @mediaevan
Todd Spangler / Variety:
YouTube sues Ganjingworld, which runs the Gan Jing World video-sharing website, alleging that it has been “automatically vacuuming up YouTube user channels” — YouTube filed a lawsuit against Ganjingworld, which operates the Gan Jing World video-sharing site, alleging that it has been …
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