Top News:
Jane Mayer / New Yorker:
Since Trump was elected, Fox News has swerved from being a partisan news network to the closest thing the US has to state TV — Fox News has always been partisan. But has it become propaganda? — In January, during the longest government shutdown in America's history …
Discussion:
@theplumlinegs, @hadas_gold, Washington Post, TVNewser, Multichannel News, Mediaite, Recode, @gabrielsherman, @tedlieu, @maggienyt, The Guardian, The Wrap, The Daily Caller, The Hill, Jezebel, Vanity Fair, @janemayernyer, @neal_katyal, CNN, Politico, @azalben, @adamgoldmannyt, @brianschatz, @garossino, Media Matters for America, @brizzyc, @jeffjarvis, The Week, @ange_amene, @nycsouthpaw, @lolgop, @janemayernyer, The Daily Beast, BloombergQuint, @wilson__valdez, Newser, @repadamschiff, @mehdirhasan, Contemptor, @bretstephensnyt, Variety, @chriscuomo, @cfidd, @renato_mariotti, @joycewhitevance, @athertonkd, @mollymckew, Boing Boing, @tribelaw, @scout_finch, Splinter, @kazweida, Fast Company, @brianklaas, @fawfulfan, @goldietaylor, @karpmj, @anneapplebaum, @sifill_ldf, @mattwaxman1, @dandrezner, @ianbremmer, @peterbakernyt, @maggienyt, @eliothiggins, @jwgop and kottke.org
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Ronn Blitzer / Law & Crime:
Report: former FoxNews.com reporter Diana Falzone settled lawsuit with Fox News, after suing following demotion over Stormy Daniels story which was spiked — A massive New Yorker report on the ongoing and evolving relationship between Fox News and President Donald Trump included details …
Discussion:
@janemayernyer, Mediaite, @michaelavenatti, @zevshalev, @drdenagrayson, Contemptor, @carolecadwalla and @bobcywinski
Cynthia Littleton / Variety:
Q&A with Bob Greenblatt, chairman of WarnerMedia Entertainment, who has been tasked with leading AT&T's forthcoming streaming service — AT&T has just handed the keys to WarnerMedia's most high-profile business initiative to Bob Greenblatt, the seasoned TV executive whose resume includes helping …
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, MediaPost, The Verge and @benmullin
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Lesley Goldberg / Hollywood Reporter:
Bob Greenblatt named as chairman of WarnerMedia Entertainment; Jeff Zucker named chairman of WarnerMedia News & Sports and remains President of CNN — The former NBC Entertainment chairman will have oversight of television programming operations including HBO and Turner.
Discussion:
Variety, Variety, TechCrunch, Vanity Fair, Observer, @bristei, Ad Age and @melsil
Brooks Barnes / New York Times:
Luminary, a subscription-based podcasting app, has just emerged from stealth with $100M in funding and shows from Conan O'Brien, Lena Dunham, and more — LOS ANGELES — Patti LuPone as a bebop-singing junkie nun in John Cameron Mitchell's musical follow-up to “Hedwig and the Angry Inch.”
Discussion:
Variety, The Wrap, Observer, @nytimes, American Press Institute, @jbenton, MediaPost, Deadline, RAIN News, @rafat, @eliotwb, @niemanlab, @dansinker, @zachstafford, @neonhummedia, @nytimesbusiness, @samebnhpr, @phyllisstein, @brooksbarnesnyt, @leoncrawl, @mijustin, @happierman, @hearluminary, @michaelbatnick, @letsgoayo and Engadget, more at Techmeme »
Snopes.com:
GOP political consultants, some working for PACs, are running a network of fake news sites targeting conservative voters ahead of the 2020 election — On 6 February 2017, a website of uncertain origin named “The Tennessee Star” was born. At the time, it was unclear who funded or operated this …
Meg James / Los Angeles Times:
Disney names Fox Networks Group CFO Ravi Ahuja as president of its business operations and CFO of Walt Disney television — Walt Disney Co. is continuing to bolster its television team with Fox executives, this time bringing over Ravi Ahuja to serve as president of business operations …
Discussion:
Variety, Multichannel News and Broadcasting & Cable
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Dade Hayes / Deadline:
SEC filings show Disney has cut CEO Bob Iger's pay by $13.5M, contingent on the close of the acquisition of 21st Century Fox — UPDATED with Iger statement. Disney has adjusted the compensation of CEO Bob Iger to account for when a new contract is set to begin, which …
Discussion:
Observer
New York Post:
Agents and producers working on streaming projects for Apple complain about how involved and “intrusive” execs, including Tim Cook, have been, leading to delays — Apple's push into Hollywood is off to a rough start — thanks in part to “intrusive” tech executives, including Tim Cook, The Post has learned.
Discussion:
/Film, @annehelen, CNET, VentureBeat, @sternbergh, MacRumors, 9to5Mac, @atnickvega, Fortune and Business Insider, more at Techmeme »
Gabriel Sherman / Vanity Fair:
Source: Jeff Bezos' security chief is preparing a 90-page investigative report that alleges The Enquirer published exposé to curry favor with Saudi investors — “At the end of this, we're all going to look really, really bad,” says Michael Sanchez. — Improbably, given all that's happened, they're still together.
Discussion:
Business Insider, more at Techmeme »
Max Willens / Digiday:
More than a year after saying it would introduce a metered paywall, The Atlantic's subscription efforts have faced delays, with no clear timetable for launch — In December 2017, The Atlantic said it was on the verge of putting up a metered paywall. Just a few months earlier …
Discussion:
@janebsinger, @digiday and @digiday
Rene Chun / The Daily Beast:
When AMI moved all company operations to its HQ in FL, only three Star staffers out of 61 made the move, some citing poor job security and Pecker's bad temper — A previously unpublished profile captures the Enquirer boss at start of his reign as gossip king. ‘He likes people walking around in fear,’ says one worker.
Discussion:
@noahshachtman, @thedailybeast, @therickwilson, @thedailybeast and @saysdana