Top News:
Jason Gurwin / The Streamable:
Universal Pictures to make digital rentals of some new movies now in theaters available for $20 from March 20, and upcoming Trolls World Tour on its release day — In light of the movie theaters being brought to a standstill, Universal Pictures is changing the game.
Discussion:
Hollywood Reporter, New York Times, @awallenstein, @kylebuchanan, Business Insider, Deadline, Slate, @shujaxhaider, @davidmullings, @thr, @htranbui, @richdemuro, @larryowenslive, @lucas_shaw, @mattgoldberg, @aaronsagers, @louispeitzman, @alexmonney, Multichannel News, MediaPost, NME, /Film, Always Be Watching and Broadcasting & Cable, more at Techmeme »
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Rebecca Rubin / Variety:
North American box office plunged to around $55.3M this weekend, its worst weekend since sales of $54.5M from September 15 to 17 in 2000
Discussion:
Hollywood Reporter, Jezebel, The Daily Beast, Mumbrella, Hollywood Reporter, @ecareyo, @variety, @ewagmeister, @ecnalhanid, The Wrap, Fortune, /Film, The Guardian, CNN, The Playlist, MediaPost, Wired, Vanity Fair and New York Times, more at Techmeme »
Hollywood Reporter:
Movie theater chains, including Regal Cinemas, Landmark Theatres, and Alamo Drafthouse, are temporarily closing their cinemas across the US until further notice
Discussion:
The Playlist, @erik_hayden, @thr, @brianstelter, @carriecoon, @thr, @erik_hayden, Deadline, /Film, 9to5Mac, INSIDER, The Verge and WFLA-TV
Washington Post:
Fox News hosts have quickly shifted their tone on the COVID-19 pandemic from media conspiracy to crisis, after Trump declared it a national emergency on Friday — For weeks, some of Fox News's most popular hosts downplayed the threat of the coronavirus, characterizing it as a conspiracy …
Dorrine Mendoza / Lenfest Institute for Journalism:
Facebook, Lenfest, Local Media Association partner to offer a total of $1M in grants of up to $5K for local newsrooms in US, Canada for costs linked to COVID-19 — Today, the Facebook Journalism Project is partnering with the Lenfest Institute for Journalism and the Local Media Association …
Discussion:
@lenfestinst, @ckrewson and @melaniesill
RELATED:
Poynter:
Facebook partners with the International Fact-Checking Network to offer $1M in grants of up to $50K to support fact-checkers working on COVID-19 misinformation — The International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) and Facebook have partnered to support the fact-checking community working …
Discussion:
Axios
Stefanie Murray / Nieman Lab:
A look at some of the collaborative efforts by independent newsrooms in states like Oregon, North Carolina, and New Jersey to cover the COVID-19 pandemic — Having access to accurate information can mean the difference between life and death during a crisis.
Discussion:
Columbia Journalism Review, Oregonian, @thenewsan, @edercampuzano, @jtierney6, @johnupton, @niemanlab and @niemanfdn
Catalin Cimpanu / ZDNet:
Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Reddit, Twitter, and YouTube say they're working with each other and healthcare agencies to tackle misinfo about COVID-19 — Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Reddit, Twitter, and YouTube put out joint statement promising to fight COVID-19 fraud and curb misinformation.
Max Willens / Digiday:
Some Spider Studios, a publisher that owns parenting sites Scary Mommy and The Dad, acquires media startup Fatherly — Some Spider Studios, a profitable social-focused publisher that owns parenting sites Scary Mommy and The Dad and employs close to 100 people, has acquired Fatherly …
Discussion:
Adweek
Margaret Sullivan / Washington Post:
How reporters at the Plain Dealer in Cleveland, Ohio are struggling with deep staff cuts while reporting on COVID-19's spread in the state — News organizations everywhere are under immense pressure as a pandemic sweeps the globe. — Reporters scurry to cover an eruption of breaking news …
Discussion:
@jeremylittau, @davidfolkenflik, @benpershing, @kimmasters, @gchristcle, @alanmillernlp, @annabruchez, @sulliview, @mmlederman1 and @blmckean
Tmera Hepburn / Cord Cutters News:
Acorn TV, AMC's film and TV streaming service with a focus on British content, extends its free trial from 7 days to 30 days for a limited time — The streaming service Acorn TV is giving new members a 30-day free trial, up from its usual 7-day free trial so you can start binge-watching new shows while you're cooped up inside.
Discussion:
ComingSoon.net
Tim Ingham / Music Business Worldwide:
Tencent Q4: ~$1.03B in total online music revenue, of which $160M from music subscribers, up 60.1% YoY; paying music subscribers up 47.8% YoY to 39.9M — Tencent Music Entertainment, parent of China's biggest streaming music platforms, ended 2019 with 39.9m paying users worldwide.
Discussion:
Tencent Music, Billboard, Reuters and Seeking Alpha
Jamie Lang / Variety:
European media firms are navigating the loss of live sports during COVID-19 lockdown with replays of old games, free content, reduced prices of sports packages — A continent mad about sports has gone mad without sports. This past weekend was the first in which nearly …
Rachel Abrams / New York Times:
Inside The Seattle Times' COVID-19 coverage, as nearly all of its 58 reporters cover a pandemic affecting their neighbors and friends while trying to stay safe — “That's what local papers are meant to do”: The journalists at The Seattle Times have been aggressively covering the coronavirus as it affects their neighbors and friends.
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