Top News:
Emma G. Fitzsimmons / New York Times:
The Times of London takes down a story about former NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio criticizing Zohran Mamdani, after de Blasio says the outlet fabricated his comments — The former New York City mayor said comments attributed to him about Zohran Mamdani, reported in The Times of London on Tuesday, were fabricated.
Discussion:
The Hill, Washington Post, The Wrap, New York Magazine, @justinbaragona.bsky.social, @sturgeons_law, @sallygold, The 19th, The New World, New York Sun, IJR, @pourmecoffee, @nahmias, @emmagf, @drstrangetwit, @billyfreelandny, @billdeblasio, @billdeblasio, @sethmpk, @daveweigel, @ericlach, Blaze Media, @freedlander, @pblest, @daveweigel, @maggieserota, @shaifalip, @mikebeauvais, @katie_honan, @jbillinson, @jbarro, @grahamstarr, @daveweigel, Gothamist, HuffPost, RedState, New York Post and New York Post
RELATED:
Zachary Leeman / Mediaite:
The Times of London says its “reporter had been misled by an individual falsely claiming to be” Bill de Blasio; it took down its story after two hours — The Times of London was duped by a Bill De Blasio impersonator, with the former New York City mayor saying he was “appalled” to see the false quotes published.
Discussion:
@bencjacobs, @daveweigel and @petertwinklage
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Paramount Skydance lays off ~1,000 staff, mostly in the US; in a memo, David Ellison says the cuts “are necessary to position Paramount for long-term success” — Paramount Skydance, aiming to get leaner and meaner, today is laying off about 1,000 employees, mostly in the U.S. David Ellison …
Discussion:
New York Times, The Guardian, Fox Business, The Hill, The Wrap, @maxwelltani, TVNewsCheck, NBC News, UPI, Dow Jones Newswires, Business Insider, Washington Times, @jamesfaris_, Paula Lauzon on LinkedIn, The Hollywood Reporter, Washington Post, @bostonjerry.bsky.social, WPXI-TV, @scottnover, Bloomberg, Fortune, GamesRadar, Barrett Media, Deadline, @variety, @aram@aoir.social, NewsMax.com and Breitbart
RELATED:
Los Angeles Times:
Sources: Paramount layoffs will affect CBS, CBS News, and cable channels including MTV and Comedy Central — - Paramount began laying off 1,000 workers this week with another 1,000 planned later on as new owners pursue $2 billion in expense cuts across the company.
Discussion:
CNN, Adweek, @samthielman.com, Newsweek, Axios and New York Sun
Scott Nover / Washington Post:
Radio Free Asia CEO Bay Fang says RFA will stop publishing on October 31 and close its bureaus across Asia, amid a crisis brought on by US federal funding cuts — The government-funded nonprofit, a staple of U.S. soft power in the region since 1996, is facing nearly total closure …
Discussion:
New York Times and @scottnover
Financial Times:
Sources: John Malone steps down as chair of F1 owner Liberty Media and Liberty Global; he remains the shareholder with the most voting rights — Tycoon is relinquishing board roles at Liberty Media and Liberty Global after buccaneering 50-year career — John Malone is stepping down as chair …
Discussion:
The Hollywood Reporter, Bloomberg, Reuters and @brianstelter
Hanaa' Tameez / Nieman Lab:
RISJ survey across 24 countries: news creators and influencers gain more attention in countries with struggling traditional media and high social media usage — A new report highlights how “messy, fragmented, and loosely defined news sources have become for many people.”
Winston Cho / The Hollywood Reporter:
A US judge turns down Dr. Phil's bid to proceed under Chapter 11 bankruptcy for his media startup Merit Street and converts the case to a Chapter 7 liquidation — A court determined that the TV host improperly filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to protect his own interests, with the intention of paying certain creditors over others.
Discussion:
@joshgerstein, Hollywood Life, Variety, Entertainment Weekly, Deadline, The Wrap and al.com
The Hollywood Reporter:
Sources detail how Paramount's Taylor Sheridan partnership fell apart, even as NBCU's Donna Langley courted him; Paramount never made an offer to retain him — David Ellison has the deepest pockets in Hollywood. Sheridan has the best track record in streaming. Why the most obvious deal in TV didn't happen.
Discussion:
Daily Mail, New York Post, /Film, NewsMax.com, IndieWire, The Wrap, Mirror, Advanced Television, The A.V. Club, Wall Street Journal and Screen Rant
Liam Scott / Columbia Journalism Review:
Newspaper archives are at risk in the US, most commonly lost when papers shutter, move, or are purchased; some partner with libraries to preserve their archives — Archivists worry in particular about photographs that have never been digitized. — The Smokehouse Creek Fire burned through …
Discussion:
Penny Riordan on LinkedIn, @samlitzinger.bsky.social and @scottnover.bsky.social
Olivia Poh / Bloomberg:
Publicis agrees to acquire Singapore-based Hepmil Media Group, which works with 3K+ creators to make memes and content for 450+ brands, for an undisclosed sum — Advertising giant Publicis Groupe SA agreed to buy Singapore's Hepmil Media Group to bolster its social-media expertise in Southeast Asia's rapidly growing online market.
Discussion:
campaignlive.com, TNGlobal, The Business Times, The Straits Times and Tech in Asia
Jess Weatherbed / The Verge:
YouTube is using AI to upscale videos uploaded at between 240p and 720p to HD on TV screens, but users can opt out, and plans 4K upscaling “in the near future” — The platform is optimizing its TV experience with new resolution upscaling and shopping features.
Discussion:
TechCrunch, Thurrott, Digital Trends, Cord Cutters News, YouTube Official Blog and Tubefilter, more at Techmeme »
