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Experts say a Florida bill that would make some bloggers register with the state is unconstitutional; DeSantis spurred other bills to weaken defamation defenses — Rules for bloggers who write about elected officials raise First Amendment concern. — A proposed law in Florida …
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End Citizens United PAC files a complaint with the FEC arguing that Rupert Murdoch broke the law by showing Biden's ads and debate strategy to Jared Kushner — A progressive group wants the Federal Election Commission to investigate Fox Corp. and former President Donald Trump's 2020 campaign for breaking campaign finance laws.
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Dominion-Fox lawsuit filings show at least four journalists faced internal backlash in 2020 for calling out election lies; Lachlan Murdoch prompted one scolding — “News guys have to be careful,” Lachlan Murdoch warned after on-air journalists cast doubt on Trump conspiracy theories, internal documents show.


Filings: Rupert Murdoch claims he delegates “everything” at Fox News to CEO Suzanne Scott as hosts claim no one at Fox Corp. gave election coverage instructions — Back in 2021, Fox Corp. chairman Rupert Murdoch was described by President Joe Biden as the “the most dangerous man in the world …
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CNN, Financial Times, Politico, Mediaite, @jayrosen_nyu, FTVLive, Deadline, Vicky Ward Investigates, Media Matters for America and The Guardian


Filing: Paramount Global plans to pay $122.5M to settle shareholder lawsuits arising from the 2019 Viacom-CBS merger, pending court approval — Shareholders brought the suit in 2019, alleging that CBS overpaid for Viacom, at the urging of Shari Redstone.
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Variety, Deadline, The Wrap, Los Angeles Times and Bloomberg


John Malone and ex-colleagues on Charter's board agree to an $87.5M settlement of claims that Malone unfairly benefited from the 2016 Time Warner Cable purchase — John Malone and his former colleagues on Charter Communications Inc.'s board agreed to a $87.5 million settlement of claims …
Discussion:
The Wrap, The Hollywood Reporter, @blaw and Too Much TV Newsletter


Sources: CNET lays off around a dozen people, or ~10% of its staff, including several longtime employees, after revelations the outlet used AI to write articles — Just weeks after news broke that tech site CNET was quietly using artificial intelligence to produce articles …
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Variety, The Wrap, Insider, @gloria_sin, @edzitron, @xoxogossipgita, @qwongsj, @rachelmetz, @bigmeaninternet, Futurism, @greene_dm, @cpautoscribe, @scalzi, @vikkie, @scottnover, @zemotion, @jessicalessin, @sdw, @klawls, @chrishayner, @chrishayner, @bcmerchant, @jaredbkeller, @stevenewing, @karlbode, @karlbode, @karlbode, @jake_k, @paleofuture, @miarsato, @miarsato, @miarsato and Talking Biz News
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Two US senators and 11 US House members write to Star-Ledger and NJ Advance Media executives, protesting their decision to close their Washington, DC bureau — Lawmakers: ‘"Our constituents rely on this coverage to be informed participants in our democracy’


Wired publishes its generative AI rules, saying the outlet won't publish text written or edited by AI but may use AI for headlines, social media, or story ideas — Some publications are already using text and image generators. Here's how WIRED will—and won't—use the technology.
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@emilybell, @waltmossberg, @ndiakopoulos, @mtrc, @martinstabe, @pkedrosky, @mediaevan, @rifish, @nickstatt, @laurengoode and @glichfield


A look at the projection issues ruining movie theaters, where the use of aging digital projectors and worn-out light bulbs contribute to poor picture quality — Multiplexes are failing at their most basic function: delivering a bright, sharp image. — Michelle Pfeiffer and Jonathan Majors look like crap.


Sources: ESPN in talks with sports leagues and media partners about offering a live sports guide with direct links, possibly in exchange for a subscription cut — - ESPN has talked with major sports leagues and media partners about launching a feature that would link users directly …
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@sherman4949, @chrisnickinson, MediaPost, The Streamable, Observer, Broadband TV News, @sarthakgh, @sallyjenkinswa1, @sallyjenkinswa1, @ourand_sbj, @bachscore, @dalter, @rltsports, @andy_staples, @jacobfeldman4, @pkafka, @tim_bays, @sherman4949, @great_katzby, @keitholbermann, @mediumbuying, @sportstvratings, @sherman4949, Awful Announcing and Barrett Media


Meta, Twitter, and Snapchat's subscription fees and features are aimed at professional creators filling social feeds because regular users post too infrequently — Monthly fees for Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat are not for ordinary users. They're for the professionals who've taken over the feeds.
Discussion:
Slate and Insider Intelligence


UMG CEO Lucian Grainge says the company is working with Deezer on a “new model” for paying artists streaming royalties, similar to its earlier Tidal partnership — The partnership, which follows a similar collaboration with TIDAL, was announced by UMG CEO Lucian Grainge on an earnings call.
Discussion:
Complete Music Update, @dada_drummer and Digital Music News
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Universal Music Group reports 2022 revenue up 22% YoY to €10.34B, subscriptions and streaming revenue up 19% to €5.32B, and operating profit up 15% to €$1.6B
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Digital Music News, tools.eurolandir.com, Music Business Worldwide, Variety, Reuters and The Hollywood Reporter