Top News:

Unwilling to attack grieving students, the NRA turns to Trump's playbook, attacking the news media with claim that media “love mass shootings” — One of the more outrageous assertions in a week overrun with them was Dana Loesch's outright lie that journalists relish massacres of children.
Discussion:
@porter_anderson, @prrosado, @30bike, @andrewgraham88 and @joshtpm
RELATED:

Study: Number of fact-checking projects up 3x over the last four years, with 149 projects in 53 countries; funding comes from membership, donations, syndication — A new report from the Duke Reporters' Lab offers a snapshot of the evolving fact-checking ecosystem around the world.
Discussion:
Nieman Lab

After claims that CNN scripted words for a Florida student for town hall, CNN releases emails showing student was asked to use a question he submitted — CNN appears to have had enough. — On Friday afternoon, the network released email correspondence between one of its producers …
Discussion:
Vox, @alexwitt, iMediaEthics, Slate, The Daily Caller, Deadline, Business Insider, @erikwemple, True Pundit, @jaketapper, @upstreamism, @heidiprzybyla, Mediaite, @erikwemple, TVNewser, @erikwemple, PolitiFact, Washington Examiner, @erikwemple, @erikwemple, @erikwemple, Mediaite and Variety

Current and former Newsweek staff on how an editorial strategy prioritizing clicks amid IBT Media's troubles led to firings and embarrassing editorial missteps — It stands accused of improper ties to a religious institution. Its newsroom has been gutted by firings and resignations.
Discussion:
iMediaEthics

Due to vague YouTube guidelines and unpredictable demonetization actions some YouTube creators promote the Brave browser, where users can tip via Brave Payments — Cryptocurrency hits YouTube — It's a scary time for YouTubers: YouTube's community guidelines are changing seemingly on the fly …

Group of public radio stations is buying assets of Gothamist, LAist, DCist, and DNAInfo, funded by 2 anonymous donors; Gothamist to post new stories this spring — AFTER BILLIONAIRE JOE Ricketts announced the shuttering of local news organizations Gothamist and DNAInfo last fall …
Discussion:
The A.V. Club, Bwog, www.wnyc.org, @bwlogan, 89.3 KPCC, RAIN News, NPR, Crain's New York Business, @nycspeakercojo, Engadget and Editor & Publisher
Sahil Patel / Digiday:
NBC Sports and Refinery29 partner for a yearlong editorial and marketing Instagram project telling stories about women in sports called On Her Turf — NBC Sports and Refinery29 are embarking on a yearlong social editorial and marketing partnership focused on telling stories about female athletes and other women in sports.

Judge dismisses coal baron Bob Murray's defamation suit against John Oliver and HBO, which was filed in response to a Last Week Tonight segment criticizing him — A West Virginia judge dismissed a coal mogul's defamation lawsuit this week against cable television host John Oliver and HBO.
Discussion:
Mashable, @billinportland, The Daily Caller, @eshap, @mike_stark, @garymwalters, The A.V. Club, Paste and Connecticut Post

Facebook says it will drop 20, or 10%, of its metrics for advertisers that were redundant or outdated, will label metrics not derived directly as “estimated” — Social giant will more clearly label its data and remove about 10% of its metrics that it deems irrelevant
Max Willens / Digiday:
Media outlets' partnerships with Scroll, Invisibly, and Brave signal return of micropayments as solution to ad-blocking, poor user experience, low revenue — With digital ad revenue harder to come by, a growing number of publishers are considering micropayments again, albeit from different angles.

The Bay Journal, which covers Chesapeake Bay environmental issues, is suing the EPA, alleging the EPA cut the outlet's funding because of its coverage — The Thomas Point Shoal Light in the Chesapeake Bay. (Photo by Pete Milnes/United States Coast Guard)

YouTube removed Infowars video from The Alex Jones Channel claiming Florida student was paid actor; source: first of 3 strikes before YouTube terminates account — Shooting survivor: I'm not a crisis actor — (CNN)InfoWars, a far-right media organization run by Alex Jones and known …
Discussion:
USA Today, Mediaite, @nytimesbusiness, Fortune, New York Times, @cwarzel, @profcarroll, @darth, @davkat43, BetaNews, @kylegriffin1, @bruce_arthur, KFOR-TV, Hollywood Reporter, GOOD, CNET and The Next Web