Top News:
New York Times:
Court docs detail a smear campaign against actor Blake Lively via media articles and social media posts after she accused director Justin Baldoni of misconduct — Last summer, as the release of “It Ends With Us” approached, Justin Baldoni, the director and a star of the film, and Jamey Heath …
Discussion:
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Ankush Khardori / Politico:
Trump may erode press protections but the ABC case is not evidence of that as the decision to settle appears reasonable given Stephanopoulos' imprecise remarks — It doesn't mean the press is caving to Trump. — Donald Trump's antagonism toward the media takes many forms, but until recently …
Discussion:
The Guardian, The Hill, emptywheel, Politico, Alternet.org, American Thinker, Orlando Sentinel and The Federalist
Jessica Toonkel / Wall Street Journal:
A deep dive into Paramount's sale to Skydance; sources: Skydance may integrate Pluto into Paramount+, and CBS head George Cheeks is expected to be head of TV — An $8 billion deal Shari Redstone struck with Skydance Media must go through the FCC next year; new owners seek over $2 billion in cost cuts
Discussion:
New York Post, @mattzeitlin, @nkulw, @tvgrimreaper, @jtoonkel and TVNewsCheck
New York Times:
In a first, Telegram is set to be profitable in 2024, with $1B+ in revenue, up from ~$350M in 2023, and 12M subscribers; source: 50%+ of its revenue is from ads — Even as Telegram faces legal scrutiny and grapples with billions in debt, it is set to be profitable for the first time as it tries cryptocurrencies, subscriptions and ads.
Discussion:
The Wrap, Beyond Search, @durov, @qui_oui@mastodon.social, TechCrunch and Bloomberg, more at Techmeme »
Gene Maddaus / Variety:
The Animation Guild ratifies a contract with big studios, without AI demands such as letting members opt out of using AI or having AI train on their work — The Animation Guild has ratified its contract with the major studios, despite concerns from some about protections against artificial intelligence.
Discussion:
The Wrap, Los Angeles Times, The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, @animationguild, @regulartweetsuk and @dtvanews
Ryan Christoffel / 9to5Mac:
A viral YouTube video from MegaLag claims PayPal's Honey browser extension often doesn't show users the best coupon codes and steals creators' affiliate revenue — Honey is a popular browser extension owned by PayPal that's at the center of a big new controversy.
Discussion:
MegaLag on YouTube, Fortune and The US Sun, more at Techmeme »
Kimberly Nordyke / The Hollywood Reporter:
News Corp and Telstra agree to sell Australian pay TV company Foxtel Group to sports streaming platform DAZN in a deal worth ~$2.1B — The Foxtel Group is owned 65 percent by News Corp. and 35 percent by Telstra. … Under the terms of the agreement, shareholder loans in the amount …
Discussion:
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Ben Smith / Semafor:
A look at Trump's defamation lawsuit against the Pulitzer Prize board, which has gone from a curiosity to a source of real concern in some top US newsrooms — There's an unusual tradition in Florida courts: a judge deciding on a motion will sometimes ask each party to submit their own version of the ruling.
Discussion:
Mediaite, @semaforben, @brianstelter and Alternet.org
Financial Times:
SEC filings: senior Spotify executives have sold $1.25B in stock in 2024, including CEO Daniel Ek selling ~$350M and co-founder Martin Lorentzon selling $550M+ — Company co-founders reaped $900mn in gains this year — Senior Spotify executives and board members have sold $1.25bn worth …
Discussion:
Benzinga, more at Techmeme »
Jamie Heller / Business Insider:
Business Insider hires Rick Brooks as Standards Editor; Brooks most recently served as a standards editor at The Wall Street Journal — I'm excited to share that Rick Brooks is joining Business Insider as Standards Editor. — I worked with Rick for more than two decades at The Wall Street Journal …
Jack Dunn / Variety:
Trump appoints Mark Burnett, the British TV executive who created and produced the reality show The Apprentice, as a special envoy to the UK — Donald Trump has appointed British television producer Mark Burnett, who produced the president-elect's reality show “The Apprentice,” as a special envoy to the United Kingdom.
Discussion:
TVLine, @realDonaldTrump …, CBS News, Newsbusters, Twitchy, Daily Mail, GB News, Politico, WTSP, New York Times, Raw Story, The US Sun, Mediaite, HuffPost, NBC News, New York Post, @cynblogger@sfba.social, USA Today, Washington Examiner, TVNewsCheck, UPI, @1gregtodd.bsky.social, The Wrap, Bloomberg, Deadline, RedState, Fox News, The Hill, The Post Millennial, The Hollywood Reporter and djt.nucleusemail.com
Om Malik / On my Om:
AI platforms are unlikely to become a major source of traffic or ad revenue for media outlets, with content deals offering only a short-term revenue boost — I recently wrote about the future of the browser and Surf, a new app from the creators of Flipboard.
Discussion:
@om.co, Media Play News, @dwightsilverman.com and Nieman Lab, more at Techmeme »