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Sources: a group of buyers, including Fortress, plans to acquire Vice Media out of bankruptcy for $225M; of all the bids, only Fortress' was deemed “qualified” — The company was part of a group of bidders that offered $225 million to acquire the bankrupt media company.
Discussion:
The Wrap, Axios, CNBC, The Information, @sherman4949, @rafat, @elaheizadi, @elaheizadi, @danprimack, @scottnover, @mediaevan, @benmullin and @benmullin


Q&A with Christopher Nolan, the director of Oppenheimer, on AI improving images in filmmaking, the parallels between nuclear weapon development and AI, and more — The Oppenheimer director says AI is not the bomb. His new movie might still scare you shitless.
Discussion:
Screen Rant, Variety, @metaplexmovies, Comic Book, The Wrap and Boing Boing


Geraldo Rivera says his last appearance on Fox News' The Five will be next week and “growing tension” wasn't worth it; he plans to remain a Fox correspondent — Geraldo Rivera has quit as one of the lonely liberal voices on Fox News' popular political combat show “The Five,” …
Discussion:
@geraldorivera, Mediaite, Adweek, @mattgertz, @errollouis, @yesnicksearcy, UPROXX, @rokhanna, Newser, FTVLive, The Wrap, TVLine, New York Daily News, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Los Angeles Times, The Hill, Deadline and The Daily Beast


As Spotify's podcast strategy of focusing on exclusives and celebrity hosts continues to falter, the company seems to be shifting its attention to selling ads — The company is entering the ‘next phase’ of its podcast strategy — but will it learn from its mistakes?
Discussion:
@michellemanafy, @jason_kint, @askhalid, Inside Radio and Los Angeles Times, more at Techmeme »


BBC Studios acquires Copenhagen-based production company STV, helping the BBC grow its presence in Scandinavia; STV will be rebranded under BBC Studios moniker — BBC Studios has acquired pan-Scandinavian production company STV. — The acquisition will help the British production …
Discussion:
Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter


A profile of UK gossip newsletter Popbitch, which has 300K subscribers, and co-founder Camilla Wright, as she considers becoming “part of a bigger organization” — “I'm starting to wonder, for the first time, whether it would be a good time to be part of a bigger organisation.”
Discussion:
@mediaevan, @pressgazette, @fd, @the_fence_mag and @wturvill


Advertisers can fight the collapse of newsrooms by bringing back $1B to news, discarding fear of ads alongside hard news, and rebranding news as an ESG effort — The news business is in trouble. This month, hundreds of the remaining journalists still employed by Gannett …
Discussion:
@lmoses, @loupas, @sawickipedia, @learmonth, @adfontesmedia and @davidclinchnews

Ron Wyden, Mike Lee, and Richard Durbin reintroduce the bipartisan PRESS Act to shield journalists from government surveillance; a similar House bill is planned — Bill Defends Reporters' Communication Records Against Government Seizure To Protect Confidential Sources and Promote Accountability …


Secret Invasion credits creator Method Studios says “no artists' jobs were replaced” when using AI and the tools “complemented and assisted our creative teams” — Method Studios clarifies reports that sparked a social media backlash, stating AI tools “complemented and assisted our creative teams.”
Discussion:
ComingSoon.net, @blackamazon, The Daily Beast, Comic Book, PetaPixel, The A.V. Club, ET Canada, UPROXX, Metro, Deadline, Forbes, Digital Trends, Screen Rant and Polygon


Bookforum, a literary criticism magazine that closed in December 2022, plans to return in August 2023 with The Nation as its publishing partner — The literary magazine will be back in print in August, with a new publishing partner: The Nation. — Bookforum, a literary criticism magazine …
Discussion:
Publishers Weekly and @yoloethics


NYC-based newsletter platform beehiiv raised a $12.5M Series A led by Lightspeed and says the service has 7,500 active newsletters with 350M monthly impressions — The world took a double take at the potential of newsletters after Substack started to blow up a few years ago.
Discussion:
beehiiv Blog, @denk_tweets, @schwartz6694, @brickywhat, @alexandernorman, @chrisjjosephs, @rileybeans_eth, @socialleverage, @andykozik, @kendallbaker, @rblooms, @nathanlands, @bmorrissey, @thisiskp_, @kinseygrant, @caspar_lee, @jaycodon, @ericholthaus, @damengchen, @austin_rief, @jack_raines, @productizeguy, @luke_beehiiv, @jack_raines, @rafat, @gannonbreslin, @adamsinger and @stephenkaraolis, more at Techmeme »


[Thread] US Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito uses a Wall Street Journal op-ed to respond to ProPublica questions for a report, instead of issuing a statement — Justice Alito appears to be trying to get out ahead of a new ProPublica report that will address a trip he went on with billionaire hedge fund manager Paul Singer. Weirdly, it is published as an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal: https://www.wsj.com/...
Discussion:
New York Times, ProPublica, The Hill, @johncarreyrou, Washington Post, Reason, @senwhitehouse, @nhannahjones, MSNBC, Poynter, @spj_tweets, Fox News, @rwpusa, @bgrueskin, @jmacnyc, @washtimes, @rwpusa, @clarajeffery, @elivalley, @tedlieu, Politico, @samstein, @leahlitman, @brianstelter, @markfollman, @ronfilipkowski, @jdawsey1, @sarahellison, Wall Street Journal, @orinkerr, Diane Ravitch's blog, New Republic, New York Times, @matthewschafer, @rottenindenmark, @kaitlancollins, @nycsouthpaw, @markpaoletta, @w7voa, @jmart, @matt_levine, Financial Times, NBC Bay Area, @jayfarnold, @nickkristof, Insider, @imillhiser, @hiltzikm, @brianros1, @imillhiser, Mediaite, @senwhitehouse, @senwhitehouse, @senwhitehouse, @stevesilberman, @jillian_swaine, @jamescdownie, @jamescdownie, @clancynewyork, @johnjharwood, @lawrencehurley, @lawrencehurley, @steveguest, @lawrencehurley, @lawrencehurley, @7im, @7im, @leahlitman, @7im, @leahlitman, @radleybalko, @leahlitman, @elivalley, @jaywillis, @battaglini.bsky.social, Reuters, Forbes, Washington Times and The Daily Beast