Top News:
A.J. Perez / Front Office Sports:
The Arena Group tells Sports Illustrated staff that it will be “laying off staff that work on the SI brand” since Authentic Brands revoked the SI license — Staffers at Sports Illustrated were notified on Friday of massive layoffs—some immediately, others in short time.
Discussion:
@si_union, New York Daily News, Business Wire, @vtuss, Awful Announcing, @anthony, Axios, Washington Post, @morgan_sung, @pkafka@threads.net, @paularzooman@threads.net, @thepatriciaclark@threads.net, @trengriffin, Dan Kahn on LinkedIn, @mattdpearce, @benmullin, Louanne Welgoss on LinkedIn, @mitchgoldich, @henderson_mark, @adamduerson, @jemelehill, @lindseyadler, @lindseyadler, @broderick, @bgrueskin, @greg_price11, @centraloregonng, @sherman4949, @ashleyrgold, @ethangach, @sarahspain, @chrisvannini, @kyle_feldscher, @originalspinstr, @bostonjerry, @rwesthead, @kysportsradio, @mediaevan, @byajperez, @justinbaragona, @danprimack, @leanderalphabet, @adamschefter, @ben_alterman, @joepompliano, @benaxelrod, @jjones9, @barry, @scottnover, @lppny, @davidfolkenflik, CNN, Aaron Eisman on LinkedIn, Mike Fazioli on LinkedIn, @mbrauchli@threads.net, @reckless1280@threads.net, Cory R. Cox on LinkedIn, Rodrigo Brancatelli on LinkedIn, UPROXX, HuffPost, New York Post, @lukethomasnews@threads.net, Josh Spiegelman on LinkedIn, Newser, Page Six, Los Angeles Times, @obrien_kat@mastodon.world, @tomjackman111@threads.net, @mattlombardonfl@threads.net, @oneunderscore__@threads.net, Wall Street Journal, NPR, Defector, New Jersey Online, @miasato.2@threads.net, Vibe, @JosephMenn@infosec.exchange, New York Times, Benzinga, The Hill, CTV News, ABC News, The Athletic, New York Post, @david_ingram@threads.net, @seth_w_emerson@threads.net, Mediaite, @edmundlee@threads.net, The Messenger, Barrett Media, nyguild.org, CBS News, KNSD-TV, Media Nation and 6abc
RELATED:
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Filing: the Arena Group “failed to make a quarterly payment” of ~$3.75M on January 2 to Authentic Brands, the license holder of Sports Illustrated
Hollywood Reporter:
Authentic Brands says it will ensure that Sports Illustrated and its editorial arm “continues to thrive”; Arena Group says it is still in talks with Authentic
Discussion:
@xpangler, New York Post, The Information, Awful Announcing, Chicago Sun Times, Bloomberg and Mediaite
Joe Lucia / Awful Announcing:
Ex-Arena Group CEO Ross Levinsohn resigns from the company's board, calling “the destruction of Sports Illustrated's storied brand and newsroom” the final straw
Discussion:
@howardbeck, @rohannadkarni, @jerrybeach73, @cujorulesdtown9, @blakeruane, @rj_cfb, Ross Levinsohn on LinkedIn and Barrett Media
Carl Franzen / VentureBeat:
Nightshade, a free tool that lets artists “poison” AI models being trained on their artwork without permission, is now available to download for Mac and PC — It's here: months after it was first announced, Nightshade, a new, free software tool allowing artists to “poison” …
Discussion:
@indianshrekt, @sini4ka111, @the_row_house, @eballai, @theglazeproject, @kellyannerodak, @theglazeproject, @rahll, @alexjc, @theglazeproject, @jadel4w, @theglazeproject, Nightshade, @signbeetle, @kat_loveland, @theglazeproject, The Decoder, AI Agenda, @theglazeproject, @theglazeproject, @theglazeproject, IGN, Glaze, @palomamcclain, @theglazeproject, @seanb@mstdn.ca, @grammargirl@zirk.us and The Register, more at Techmeme »
Liam Scott / Voice of America:
CPJ: China leads the world in imprisoned media workers; of the 44 journalists imprisoned in the country in 2023, 19 are Uyghurs — Nearly half of the 44 journalists imprisoned in China in 2023 were Uyghurs, according to a report released Thursday. — Data from the Committee to Protect Journalists …
Discussion:
LatAm Journalism Review
Michael Schaffer / Politico:
Reuters' worldwide deletion of an article due to an Indian court order raises the issue of “forum shopping” by libel plaintiffs in a globalized news environment — Free speech on the internet took a huge hit when the news agency Reuters took down an important hacking investigation …
Harry McCracken / Technologizer:
In an unpublished manuscript, David Bunnell, the co-founder of PC Magazine, PC World, and Macworld, details the origins of the enduring media brands in 1980s — Introduction by Harry: David Bunnell (1947-2016) didn't create the idea of computer magazines. But he may have done more than anyone to turn them into a big business.
Discussion:
@harrymccracken and Harry McCracken on LinkedIn
Sam Potter / Bloomberg:
An interview with crypto skeptic James Block, whose damning critique of Signature Bank on his newsletter, Dirty Bubble Media, became the best short call of 2023 — - Doctor whose hobby is debunking crypto made top bearish call — Report on Signature Bank appeared two months before collapse
Discussion:
@mcelarier
Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:
How Business Insider UK became one of the country's biggest business news brands by audience, growing its newsroom from 7 in 2014 to 70 journalists now — Business Insider UK bureau chief and deputy executive editor say brand has got more creative and mature.
Discussion:
James Cape on LinkedIn, @pressgazette, @charlottetobitt, @pcsltd1 and Media Voices
Katie Robertson / New York Times:
After concerns about Trump ally David Smith's purchase of The Baltimore Sun, a partner in the deal says personal politics would not affect The Sun's journalism — The news that David D. Smith, the executive chairman of the conservative Sinclair Broadcast Group, had bought The Sun has generated alarm inside and outside the newsroom.
Discussion:
@katie_robertson, @byjsong, @dshameer, NewscastStudio, Wall Street Journal and WNYC Studios
Sarah Scire / Nieman Lab:
An interview with The Guardian US director of consumer revenue about how the publisher raised a record $2.2M in its 2023 year-end fundraiser — Roughly one-third of all digital reader revenue at The Guardian now comes from the United States. — Earlier this month, The Guardian U.S. announced …
Mathew Ingram / Columbia Journalism Review:
An interview with DDoSecrets' Emma Best, on the site's funding, handling potential lawsuits, and the Greenhouse Project, which distributes censored news — In November, Reuters published a special investigative feature headlined, “How an Indian startup hacked the world.”
Discussion:
@howelloneill@infosec.exchange and mathewingram.com/work
Christine Zhu / Politico:
The Los Angeles Times Guild staged the paper's first newsroom union work stoppage on January 19 to protest planned job cuts, with 300+ members participating — It's the first newsroom union work stoppage for the publication in its 142-year history. — Over 300 members of the Los Angeles …
Discussion:
@jservantez, @ctguild, @erinblogan, @apnewsguild, @benmullin, @katieporteroc, @erinblogan, @repjimmygomez, @austinnewsguild, @soudijimenez, @eleniforca, @alexpadilla4ca, @byalexzaragoza, @rokhanna, @kierafeldman, @barbaraleeforca, @repadamschiff, @smasunaga, @jason_koebler, @mattdpearce, @angiejaime, @nafeesasyeed, @joshpcain, @corbinbolies, @gerrickkennedy, @cassiermartin, @latguild, @cmonstah, The Wrap, SAG-AFTRA, Washington Post, LAmag, Associated Press, LAist, Courthouse News Service, The Wrap, The NewsGuild, The NewsGuild, Deadline, @imleor.bsky.social, The Messenger, Talking Biz News and Poynter
Christopher Miller / Financial Times:
Ukrainian media association Mediarukh urges President Zelenskyy to “resolutely condemn” attacks and smear campaigns targeting prominent Ukrainian journalists — Online and physical attacks on journalists cast shadow on president's rule — A series of attacks …
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