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Filing: Newsmax paid $40M in 2024 to settle the Smartmatic defamation lawsuit over false claims that the voting machine company helped rig the 2020 US election — Newsmax Media has agreed to pay $40 million to settle allegations it defamed Smartmatic by reporting false claims …
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The Hill, The Independent, NBC News, Deadline, Newser, @mickwest, @rosselderwrites, @jayshams, @jeremymbarr, The Indian Express, Axios, Lawyer Monthly, The Wrap, CNBC, TVNewsCheck and @mikescarcella.bsky.social


Food52 reduces its workforce from 140 to ~90 employees, primarily affecting staff in its marketplace business, as part of a restructuring at the media outlet — The food and lifestyle publisher Food52 reduced its headcount by around 40% on Friday, a sweeping round of layoffs that are part …

Kari Lake, who joined the USAGM in February, says she is canceling the agency's contracts with news services including AP, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse — A senior advisor to President Donald Trump said Thursday she was moving to cancel long-established contracts between three international …
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The Desk, TVNewsCheck, @maynereport, @buynevich and @karilake


John Feinstein, a Washington Post sportswriter who wrote more than 40 books including A Season on the Brink, about basketball coach Bob Knight, has died at 69 — He had a long affiliation with The Washington Post and wrote books including “A Season on the Brink,” about Indiana University men's basketball coach Bob Knight.
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New York Times, Awful Announcing, UPI, Fox News, Associated Press, TMZ.com, Deadline, Washington Monthly, KSDK-TV, @knoxrob1.bsky.social, The Hollywood Reporter, @tommytomlinson.bsky.social, @lukerussert.bsky.social, @sallyjenx.bsky.social, Awful Announcing, New York Post, Barrett Media, @sethemerson.bsky.social, @bfquinn.bsky.social, @petegain.es, @lukedecock.bsky.social, @norlander.bsky.social, @jadande.bsky.social, New York Daily News, PBS NewsHour and r/Journalism


Dazn announces a multi-year deal to stream LIV Golf in Japan, Canada, and several European countries, alongside the LIV Golf+ service — LIV Golf's broadcast reach will extend to Japan, Canada and much of Europe thanks to a multiyear partnership with London-based sports entertainment platform DAZN …


Reuters journalist Raphael Satter sues the Indian government for revoking his Overseas Citizen status, after he wrote about hack-for-hire company Appin in 2023 — Raphael Satter had his OCI card taken away after publishing a story critical of an Indian businessman


Bill Ackman's Pershing Square is raising about $1.4B from the sale of a ~2.7% stake in UMG; after the sale, UMG will be about 17% of Pershing's portfolio — A group of Universal Music Group NV shareholders affiliated with billionaire Bill Ackman's hedge fund Pershing Square is set to raise …
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Billboard, @billackman, Variety, Music Business Worldwide, Digital Music News and Reuters


CNBC is expanding its CNBC Sport brand by adding a weekly TV series, live events, and launching a series of long-form CNBC Sport-branded productions — CNBC Sport, launched by reporter Alex Sherman, will add a weekly TV series and launch a series of long-form docs (starting with a Steph Curry special) in the coming weeks.
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@2xaught7.bsky.social


WGA begins talks with CBS News for a new union contract, focusing on AI and using the recently ratified contract at ABC News as a foundation for bargaining — Artificial intelligence is taking center stage in yet another set of union negotiations as the Writers Guild of America began talks …


How Chalkbeat and Maine's Midcoast Villager use AI tools to help reporters find sources, stay informed about public meetings, and expand the scope of coverage — Chalkbeat and Midcoast Villager have already published stories with sources and leads pulled from AI transcriptions.
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@tongli.bsky.social and @carriemelago.bsky.social


A look at the success of Chinese animated movie Ne Zha 2, grossing $2B+ globally, and its impact on the Chinese film industry and Hollywood's future in China — Chinese blockbuster Ne Zha 2 recently became the first non-Hollywood movie to cross $2B worldwide, and in so doing joins …
Discussion:
@deadline and @thedragonfeeder


Comcast and the International Olympic Committee sign a $3B deal to keep NBC and Peacock as the TV and streaming homes for the Olympics through 2036 — The deal with the IOC also includes technical and advertising support surrounding the games. — In a major deal, Comcast …
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The Streamable, Associated Press, WORLD SCREEN, Broadband TV News, The Verge, @tvgrimreaper, NBCSports.com, @loudmouthjulia, @alexweprin, @alexweprin, @brianstelter, The Desk, Quartz, Front Office Sports, Sportico, Axios, Media Play News, The Guardian, @kevdgrussing.bsky.social, The Information, CNBC, Deseret News, Sports Video Group, Los Angeles Times, Barrett Media, The Hill, KING-TV, TVNewsCheck, Reuters, The Wrap, Awful Announcing, Cord Cutters News, Variety, Bloomberg, Deadline and WTOP News


Google releases its proposals for White House's AI Action Plan, arguing that “fair use and text-and-data mining exceptions” are “critical” to AI development — Google, following on the heels of OpenAI, published a policy proposal in response to the Trump Administration's call for a national “AI Action Plan.”
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In its proposal for White House's AI Action Plan, OpenAI calls for a strategy that preserves “American AI models' ability to learn from copyrighted material”
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@rnaudbertrand, @dorialexander, @natfriedman, @ednewtonrex, @stevesi, @shakeelhashim, @andrewcurran_, @kortizart, @kywhitney, @stevesi, @chombabupe, Music Ally, @pankraru.bsky.social, @chup.blakereid.org, @dalonso@mas.to, @kint.bsky.social, @edzitron.com, Ars Technica, The Wrap, TechCrunch, @kdkorte@fosstodon.org, Fortune, OpenAI, TechCrunch, Benzinga and Bloomberg, more at Techmeme »

Meta plans to test Community Notes on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads in the US from March 18; Joel Kaplan says notes will not have “distribution penalties” — Chief Global Affairs Officer Joel Kaplan says in exclusive interview community notes won't penalize users
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