Top News:


Sources: Paramount is in talks with Donald Trump to settle his $10B 60 Minutes lawsuit, believing a deal would persuade Trump to not block its planned merger — A settlement, if reached, would be an extraordinary concession by a major U.S. media company to a sitting president.
Discussion:
CNN, Status, Fox News, The Ankler, Adweek, Fortune, @brianstelter, @brianstelter, @brianstelter, @brianstelter, @brianstelter, @sherman4949, New York Post, Washington Examiner, Livemint, So What, The Independent, @briankrebs@infosec.exchange, @stevenbodzin@thepit.social, @whstancil.bsky.social, @notjessewalker.bsky.social, @artcandee.bsky.social, @kairyssdal.bsky.social, @joshsternberg.com, The Bulwark, @timkarr.bsky.social, @spignal.bsky.social, @dfriedman.bsky.social, @daveweigel.bsky.social, Associated Press, The Daily Wire, Mediaite, @jasonzinoman.bsky.social, Raw Story, @greenwell.bsky.social, @aricohn.com, @benmullin.bsky.social, The Wrap, @ianbassin.bsky.social, @reckless.bsky.social, @radleybalko.bsky.social, @coachfinstock.bsky.social, @davidenrich.bsky.social, Vanity Fair, Althouse and WPMT


WhatsApp says it disrupted a campaign in which 90 journalists and other members of civil society were targeted using spyware from Israel-based Paragon — Messaging app said it had ‘high confidence’ some users were targeted and ‘possibly compromised’ by Paragon Solutions spyware


Eric Reinhart, who wrote an op-ed for the LAT, says his lines highly critical of RFK Jr. were deleted and a misleading headline was added supporting RFK Jr. — A writer who penned an op-ed for the Los Angeles Times warning of the dangers of confirming Robert F. Kennedy Jr …


Chuck Todd is leaving NBC News after joining in 2007; in a memo, Chuck Todd said his podcast Chuck Toddcast would be “coming with me” — Chuck Todd, the former “Meet the Press” moderator, is leaving NBC News, he told colleagues in a memo issued Friday, a move he's making in order …
Discussion:
New York Times, CNN, The Guardian, Adweek, Washington Post, Axios, Daily Mail, New York Post, TVNewsCheck, Fox News, The Wrap, USA Today, E! Online, Hollywood Life, Newser, ZeroHedge News, RedState, Associated Press, The Mirror US, @noupside.bsky.social, TVLine, @chucktodd, @mannyfidel, @burackbobby_, @profmjcleveland, @ronfilipkowski, Deadline, Newsbusters, Los Angeles Times, @mattnegrin.bsky.social, @mattnegrin.bsky.social, The Gateway Pundit, The Hollywood Reporter, Daily Caller News Foundation, The Independent, @sarafischer, Barrett Media, New York Daily News, Ace of Spades HQ, Instapundit and The National Pulse


WBD and UK-based Cutting Edge Group strike a $1B+ deal to create a joint venture that will own and manage almost 100 years of film and television music — US company creates joint venture to own and manage almost 100 years of film and television music — Warner Bros Discovery has struck …
Discussion:
The Hollywood Reporter and Cutting Edge Group

The conservative news outlet The Dispatch is staffing up and expanding its ad business; the outlet has ~50K subs and generated between $5M-$10M in 2024 revenue — With a subscriber base of nearly 50,000, the center-right title is now taking a measured approach to building its ads business
Discussion:
@simonowens and @markstenberg3


LinkedIn says short-form video is its fastest-growing content category, and total video viewership grew 36% YoY between October 30, 2024 and January 29, 2025 — LinkedIn's ongoing efforts to woo video creators paid off in the past few months, according to new figures shared by the company.


Adobe Chief Strategy Officer Scott Belsky leaves the company to join A24 film studio as a partner; he co-founded Behance, which Adobe acquired for $150M in 2012 — Belsky is an entrepreneur, author and creator who in 2006 founded Behance, an online platform that is used by more than 50 million professionals …
Discussion:
The Adobe Blog, @scottbelsky, @dobata, @kayvz, @mignano, @om, The Verge, The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline and Bloomberg


Over 25 streaming partners including Disney+, Apple TV+, Netflix, and Prime Video simulcasted the FireAid fundraiser for Los Angeles, bypassing linear TV — Over 25 streaming partners will simulcast a mammoth five-and-a-half-hour FireAid benefit concert on Thursday to fundraise …
Discussion:
The Mirror, Fox News, @matthewkeyslive, @douglasemhoff, @tvmojoe.bsky.social, Deadline, Variety, CBS News, @coughlinbrett.bsky.social, @gregoryellwood.bsky.social, The Mirror US, Daily Mail, CNN, Page Six, CNN, Variety, The Independent, Time Out Los Angeles, New York Times, Just Jared, Los Angeles Times, The Wrap, Page Six, The Streamable, New York Post, Digital Music News, The Hollywood Reporter, USA Today, Deseret News, Rolling Stone, UPI, Fast Company, CBS News, Decider, Entertainment Weekly and WVEC


Experts say the Kremlin's throttling of YouTube is driving Russians to state-controlled platforms; Google data shows Russian traffic to YouTube is down ~66% YoY — The Kremlin is trying to cripple YouTube in Russia, internet experts say, pushing some people to state-controlled domestic alternatives.


Instagram and Facebook, which blocked news links in Canada, are hosting hundreds of scam ads pretending to be from news outlets ahead of Canadian elections — - Images of public figures and billionaire used in fake ads — Bogus ads fuel foreign interference fear before election
Discussion:
MobileSyrup


How resident-run Facebook groups in Colorado are filling the void left by shuttered local newsrooms; in three counties, Facebook groups are the only news source — TRINIDAD, Colo. — “Trinidad is a Facebook town,” said Karen Jo (KJ) Agnello, the founder and moderator of The Voice of Trinidad …
Discussion:
Simon Owens on LinkedIn and Sarah Stonbely, PhD on LinkedIn