Top News:
New York Times:
Sources: WaPo is reversing course on its plans not to send any sports staffers to cover the Winter Olympics in Italy and now expects to send four journalists — The newspaper will send a small team of reporters to cover the Olympics after it informed sports journalists on Friday that the paper would not send a group.
Discussion:
New York Times, Awful Announcing, @maxwelltani, @benmullin, @cbrennansports, @richarddeitsch, @brendandarr, @benmullin.bsky.social, @maxwelltani, @stephstradley, @sturgissports, @bypatforde, @bruce_arthur, @sportingtrib, Sports Business Journal, @busbyj2.bsky.social, @mpjones1, @theaoster, @kevinmdraper, @mccartneywp, @benmullin, @kallesorbo, @jacobrubashkin, @joonlee, @tom_schad, @seungminkim, @devonheinen.bsky.social, @waywardwinifred, @daviddarmofal.bsky.social, @robpegoraro.com, @bryancurtis.bsky.social, @bgrueskin.bsky.social, @bgrueskin.bsky.social and New York Post
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Natalie Korach / Status:
Sources: WaPo is laying off up to 300 employees, including over 100 staffers in the sports, metro, and foreign teams; the sports desk may be shuttered entirely — In the spring of 2016, two years after Jeff Bezos acquired The Washington Post, the billionaire joined then-executive editor Marty Baron for an interview.
Discussion:
Mediaite, Status, Defector, AdExchanger, HotAir, @dcsportsbog, @passantino.bsky.social, @seamushughes, Puck, Semafor, @ignatiuspost, @jackshafer, @abigailhiggins.bsky.social, @nrarmour.bsky.social, @helaineolen, Sports Media Watch, The Wrap, @dylanbyers, @nataliekorach.bsky.social, Instapundit and Sports Business Journal
@erikwemple:
Foreign correspondents at WaPo send a letter to Jeff Bezos raising alarm over impending layoffs, which are expected to “land hard” on international coverage
Foreign correspondents at WaPo send a letter to Jeff Bezos raising alarm over impending layoffs, which are expected to “land hard” on international coverage
Discussion:
@maxwelltani, @dylanbyers, The Guardian, @siobhan_ogrady, @yjtorbati, @farhip, @ddiamond, @michaelbirnbaum, @christopherjm, @mcbyrne, @dankennedy.net, @richard_rsc, @shaneharris, @rachsieg, @mmkelly22, @peterbakernyt, @chicoharlan, @brianstelter, @ikhurshudyan, @leloveluck, @maxwelltani, @jillfilipovic, @giantwhispers.bsky.social, @joshuakeating, Mediaite, Bloomberg, @jakesherman, @steviemacsports, @sassovivente, Fox News, Deadline, @lizziejohnsonnn, Breitbart, Raw Story, The Wrap and Cord Cutters News
Max Tani / Semafor:
An interview with Minnesota Star Tribune editor Kathleen Hennessey about becoming the central hub of local information amid a surge of immigration operations — The biggest news organization in Minnesota is trying to serve as the sober counterweight to hysterical social media posts …
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New York Times:
How pro-Trump influencers and others on social media used misdirection and fabricated content to muddle the evidence of US agents killing a man in Minneapolis
How pro-Trump influencers and others on social media used misdirection and fabricated content to muddle the evidence of US agents killing a man in Minneapolis
Discussion:
Columbia Journalism Review, The Atlantic, CNN, Associated Press, Media Matters for America, @denisedwheeler.bsky.social, @meganders.bsky.social, Patrick Hughes on LinkedIn, @jenlucpiquant.bsky.social, @emilyschwing.bsky.social, NextDraft, @brianstelter, @edmundlee, Mediaite, Al Jazeera, Twin Cities and Wired
Ben Fritz / Wall Street Journal:
Zootopia 2 grossed $624.6M in China through Sunday, nearly as much as every other Hollywood movie released in the country in 2025 combined — The animated sequel outgrossed ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ to become Disney's top film release of 2025 — Walt Disney Animation Studios has been partying a lot since …
Discussion:
The Wrap, Comic Book, Variety, /Film and Media Play News
Emma Roth / The Verge:
UpScrolled, a platform for sharing photos, videos, and text that claims political impartiality, says user growth has surged since TikTok's US takeover — UpScrolled is a platform for sharing photos, videos, and text, and it aims to remain ‘impartial’ to political agendas.
Discussion:
Engadget, Wired, @realupscrolled, CNBC, BBC, 5Pillars, @majorlinux@toot …, @paulbiggar, Times Now, MacRumors, WeRSM, @guychristensen_, Ars Technica, @cthulhu_answers, ZDNET, Tech in Asia, Forbes, Washington Post, Social Media Today, @ecmclaughlin.bsky.social, TechCrunch, @teroterotero, Decrypt, @realupscrolled, Gizmodo, @taylorlorenz.bsky.social, primetimer.com, Just Jared and The Economic Times, more at Techmeme »
Michael Savage / The Guardian:
Outgoing BBC DG Tim Davie warns the BBC faces “profound jeopardy” unless it embraces significant changes to funding but rejects ads or subscriptions as options — Exclusive: Outgoing director general indicates support for update to licence-fee model as part of wider changes
Discussion:
Broadband TV News and @paulblinkhorn.bsky.social
Elizabeth H. Hughes / The Philadelphia Inquirer:
The Philadelphia Inquirer had an operating profit of several million in 2025, with its first YoY revenue growth since 2004; 70% of revenue is from readers — The news that the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette will soon cease publishing has, justifiably, sounded alarms across the media landscape.
Lexy Perez / The Hollywood Reporter:
First Lady Melania Trump and director Brett Ratner held a private screening of their controversial Amazon-funded documentary, Melania, at the WH on Saturday — The White House held a private screening of the doc on Saturday night that included black-tied VIPs, monogrammed popcorn tubs and a military band playing movie tunes.
Discussion:
The Guardian, @aoc, Benzinga, @dcherring, Gizmodo, @gregmitch, ARTnews, @ddiamond, The Wrap, The Movie Blog, AppleInsider, The Daily Beast, Bloomberg, @tysonbrody, 9to5Mac, Screen Rant, @prem_thakker, @business, Us Weekly, Rolling Stone, @matthewsitman, @paulrudnickny, The Cut, @nprinskeep, @lons, @joeypfeifer, @brianjohnglynn, @ddiamond, @michaelscherer, East Bay Times, @andyhutchins, crypto.news, Breitbart, @scarylawyerguy, Advocate, @imnotowned, RADAR, CNN, @ericmigi, Raw Story, @danpfeiffer, @therickwilson, @NiceBastard@social.tchncs.de, Los Angeles Times, Pixel Envy, HuffPost, Entertainment Weekly, MacDailyNews, People, Yahoo News, MacStories, Deadline, Times Now, Just Jared, Joe.My.God., Washington Post, The Indian Express, Page Six and One America News Network, more at Techmeme »
Ted Johnson / Deadline:
The US Senate committee hearing on the proposed Netflix acquisition of WBD is set for February 3; Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos is scheduled to testify — A Senate committee will examine the proposed Netflix acquisition of Warner Bros at a hearing scheduled for next week, with co-CEO Ted Sarandos scheduled to testify.
Etan Vlessing / The Hollywood Reporter:
An interview with Substack CEO Chris Best about the new TV app, how videos and livestreams complement editorial content, plans for audio posts, and more — On the heels of Instagram rolling out a Reels app for connected TV, newsletter creators can now offer videos and livestreams to subscribers via Apple TV and Google TV.
Discussion:
@hamishmckenzie and @hamishmckenzie
The Information:
Source: OpenAI targets ~$60 per 1,000 views for ChatGPT ads, on par with live NFL broadcasts and above Meta's sub-$20 CPM, while offering little conversion data — In its initial rollout of ads, OpenAI is charging prices that rival those for coveted video programs like the NFL …
Rick Porter / The Hollywood Reporter:
Amazon MGM TV Chief Peter Friedlander restructures the unit into genre-based teams, moving away from a structure around wholly owned series and co-productions — Laura Lancaster and Nick Pepper are leaving the studio, while Netflix alum Blair Fetter joins as head of genre series.
Discussion:
LAmag, Deadline, Variety, WORLD SCREEN, The Wrap and Advanced Television
Tyler Katzenberger / Politico:
California Gov. Gavin Newsom says he will launch a review into whether TikTok is violating state law by censoring content critical of President Donald Trump — In a separate X post Monday, the governor's press account said Newsom was launching the review after his office “received reports …
Discussion:
The Wrap, NPR, Los Angeles Times, @cagovernor, Reuters, The Independent, Channel NewsAsia, Deadline and @govpressoffice, more at Techmeme »
