Mediagazer: 404 Media outlines the reasons it wants to reach readers directly via email, including social media fragmentation and AI spam making discoverability tougher (Jason Koebler/404 Media)

8:35 AM ET, January 27, 2024

Top News:

Internal email: WWE President Nick Khan says Vince McMahon resigned as TKO Executive Chairman and from the TKO board, and no longer has a role with TKO or WWE — The WWE founder faced allegations of battery and sex trafficking by a former employee. … Following allegations of battery …

Khadeeja Safdar / Wall Street Journal:

Janel Grant, an ex-WWE staffer who received a payout from Vince McMahon and signed an NDA in 2022, files a lawsuit accusing WWE and McMahon of sex trafficking — Janel Grant files lawsuit saying McMahon pressured her into sex with him and other men at wrestling business, raising questions about 2022 board probe into CEO's payouts

Kate Knibbs / Wired:

A look at women's blog The Hairpin, which has been resurrected by a Serbian DJ after its 2018 shutdown and is now filled with SEO-optimized, AI-generated trash — Beloved women's website The Hairpin shut down in 2018. This month it returned from the dead to churn out AI clickbait.

Discussion: @lordravenscraft, @sarahscire, @kellyconaboy, @seejanemarie, @ethangach, @lingerie_addict, @jayasax, @pjmaciak, @rick_paulas, @round, @mediaevan, @andyorin, Business Insider and @tomgara@threads.net

The Wrap:

SAG-AFTRA calls for laws making the development and distribution of false AI images illegal, following the release of sexually explicit AI fakes of Taylor Swift — The Biden administration also spoke out on Thursday — Following the release of faked, sexually explicit images …

Discussion: Variety, Benzinga, New York Times, NME, Business Insider, CBS News, HuffPost, The Verge, Us Weekly, Bloomberg, The Hollywood Reporter, CNN, Rolling Stone, The Hill, Associated Press, Vogue, Billboard, Fox News, Irish News, Wall Street Journal, UPROXX, StyleCaster, New York Post, Page Six and Fast Company

Jason Koebler / 404 Media:

404 Media outlines the reasons it wants to reach readers directly via email, including social media fragmentation and AI spam making discoverability tougher — Join the newsletter to get the latest updates. — Success — Great! Check your inbox and click the link. — Error

Discussion: @josephfcox, @chronotope, @tnewmstweet, @jason_koebler, @josephfcox, @josephfcox, @jeffjarvis, @cwarzel@threads.net, @josephfcox, @berkowitzbt, @josephfcox, @thebrianpenny@threads.net, @shellsharks@infosec.exchange, @oh_that_courtney@hachyderm.io, Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai on LinkedIn, 404 Media, @jeffjarvis@threads.net and @neil@mastodon.neilzone.co.uk

Taylor Lorenz / Washington Post:

Supporters of Israel are using apps to mass report pro-Palestinian content online, raising questions for tech platforms over “citizen-led propaganda” campaigns — The apps raise questions for tech platforms over ‘citizen-led propaganda’ campaigns, experts say

Discussion: @attorneynora, @thackerpd, @clancynewyork and @washingtonpost, more at Techmeme »

Mark Sweney / The Guardian:

A profile of Anna Jones, Telegraph Media Group's first female CEO, who took over at possibly the most tumultuous time in the rightwing title's 169-year history — The first woman to lead the Telegraph Media Group has been described as ‘extraordinarily energetic, motivated and driven’

Discussion: @pressgazette and Press Gazette

Mark Sweney / The Guardian:
Telegraph Media Group CEO Nick Hugh steps down as the UK prepares to launch a second probe into plans to transfer control of the titles to a UAE-backed group

Discussion: Irish News, @j_a_warrington, Bloomberg and The Wrap

Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:

Analysis: conservative calculations put media job losses at over 650 people so far in January, compared to around 983 journalism cuts in January 2023 — Big losses at likes of Los Angeles Times, Sports Illustrated and Mediahuis Ireland in the first weeks of 2024.

Discussion: @pressgazette and National Union of Journalists …

Cameron Joseph / Columbia Journalism Review:

As newspapers cut DC reporters, they can no longer pressure legislators on local issues or inform readers about their legislators' performance — This week sucked. — On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Times laid off 115 people, more than 20 percent of its total staff.

Discussion: @bgrueskin, @nickriccardi, @cam_joseph, @cam_joseph, @alexclearfield, @kirk_bado, Nelson Guda, PhD on LinkedIn, Ed Joyce on LinkedIn, Talking Biz News, The Guardian and The Wrap

Reuters:

A Moscow сourt extends the custody of WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich to March 30, 2024 as he awaits trial; Gershkovich can appeal within three days — A Moscow сourt extended the custody of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich by two months on Friday as he awaits trial on spying charges that he denies.

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, Axios, Irish News and Voice of America

Alex Weprin / Hollywood Reporter:

Axios launches Axios Entertainment, a new studio division that will develop and produce original nonfiction films and TV shows — The company has projects in development with Tom Brady's Shadow Lion, Chrissy Teigen's Huntley Productions, Media Res, Guy Ritchie, Mark Wahlberg's Unrealistic Ideas, among others.

Discussion: @jimvandehei, @markhorowitz, @alex and The Wrap

Joseph Hudak / Rolling Stone:

A group of investors including country singer Morgan Wallen buy Field & Stream, with plans to relaunch it as a brand and biannual print magazine — The country stars will relaunch the hunting, fishing, and outdoors brand digitally, in print, and through a live music festival

Discussion: @fieldandstream, @mediaevan, Los Angeles Times, Variety and Billboard

Sara Salinas / CNBC:

In a memo, Paramount CEO Bob Bakish announces layoffs, citing a need to “operate as a leaner company and spend less”; he did not disclose the size of the cuts — - Paramount CEO Bob Bakish announced layoffs at the media company. — He did not disclose how many jobs the company would cut.

Discussion: Axios, Yahoo Finance, Observer, Broadband TV News, NBC Bay Area, NME, Variety, @weareyourfek, @madisonmills22, @tracytran, The Wrap, Benzinga, Adweek, Reuters, Deadline, Bloomberg, The Messenger and The Hill

Georg Szalai / The Hollywood Reporter:
In a memo, Paramount CEO outlines growth strategies for 2024, including “driving to streaming profitability” and “maximizing content with the biggest impact”

Discussion: @paulvrea, Deadline, @tvgrimreaper, Reuters and Next TV

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Who's Hiring in Media?

Commissioning Editor - Practical Law — Reuters

Energy Markets Reporter, London — WSJ

Asia Credit Reporter, Seoul — Bloomberg

Senior Social Media Specialist, NC — espnW

Courthouse Researcher, CA — Courthouse News

Associate Editor - Aviation, TN — Firecrown

Newsperson - State Govt. & Politics, CA — AP

Video Producer - YouTube, NY — Morning Brew

Climate Crisis Columnist — Prospect UK

Multimedia Journalist, CA — Paramount

Community Engagement Mgr., DC — Freedom Forum

Editor, MA — Nieman Reports

Team Editor - Breaking News, ON — Toronto Star

Senior Reporter & Event Host, NY/CA — Newcomer

Climate & Weather Reporter, MN — Star Tribune

Managing Ed. - Berks County, PA — Spotlight PA

News Editor - UK, Remote — The Verge

News Reporter, MA — Berkshire Eagle

Multimedia Journalist, PA — Observer-Reporter

Private Credit Reporter, NY — Debtwire

Service Journalism Editor, CA — Sacramento Bee

Reporter, PA — Tribune-Review

Los Angeles Issues Reporter, CA — CalMatters

Reporter - Middle East — Rest of World

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More News:

Hanaa' Tameez / Nieman Lab:
How disagreements between the Los Angeles Times and the LA Times Guild over seniority protections resulted in more than 60 journalists of color being laid off

Discussion: @suhaunah, @marinashutup, @stufalk, @tatecurtis, @raeoflion, @raminskibba, @suhaunah, @froomkin, @sarahscire and Los Angeles Times

Winston Cho / Hollywood Reporter:
George Carlin's estate sues Dudesy over its comedy special featuring an AI George Carlin, alleging copyright infringement and right of publicity violations

Deadline:
Marie Donoghue, former vice president of global sports video at Amazon's Prime Video, joins DraftKings as its chief business & growth officer

Discussion: Sports Media Watch, @austinkarp, @draftkingsnews, Awful Announcing, New York Post, DraftKings and Sportico

Ben Thompson / Stratechery:
Q&A with Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters on not launching an app on the Apple Vision Pro, the WWE deal, content strategy, ads, competition, gaming, bundles, and more

Discussion: MacRumors, Business Insider, @markgurman, @stevemoser, The Hollywood Reporter, @markgurman, @loudmouthjulia, @markgurman, @loudmouthjulia, Benzinga, @mostly.borrowed.ideas …, @mostly.borrowed.ideas …, 9to5Mac, Gizmodo and AppleInsider

Earlier Picks:

Katie Kilkenny / The Hollywood Reporter:
The WGA East files an unfair labor practice charge against G/O Media, alleging that G/O Media has been “bargaining in bad faith” in ongoing negotiations

Katie Kilkenny / The Hollywood Reporter:
The Directors Guild of America says it has secured the same streaming residuals and access to streaming platform viewing data that the WGA won

Discussion: Deadline, @tvgrimreaper, @joerussotweets, @katiekilkenny7, Variety, The Wrap and Deadline

Sara Fischer / @sarafischer:
Forbes CEO Mike Federle announces layoffs affecting less than 3% of staff, saying Forbes “must remain vigilant in our current economic environment”

Discussion: CNN, @taradublinrocks, @nyguild, @forbesunion, @redsteeze, @ethangach, @bill_shea19, @iamkylemullins, @alexrkonrad, @sarafischer, @dankennedy_nu@threads.net, @jayrosen_nyc@threads.net, Talking Biz News, @crumbler@threads.net, BNN Bloomberg and The Wrap

Amy Hawkins / The Guardian:
Documents reveal that several eligible sci-fi works were excluded from the 2023 Hugo Awards, held for the first time in China, raising censorship concerns

Discussion: @amyhawk_, @wang_maya, Chris Cottorone on LinkedIn, Ad Astra Science Fiction …, @cstross@wandering.shop, The Bookseller and @tess@mastodon.social

From Techmeme:

Forbes:
AI startup founders and VCs hope that a Trump administration will lead to lighter regulations and the return of real acquisitions, not “contorted” ones

Financial Times:
Sources: TSMC told Chinese customers it would no longer manufacture AI chips at advanced process nodes of 7nm or smaller as of this coming Monday

Ming-Chi Kuo:
Kuo: Apple plans to upgrade the high-end iPhone 18's wide-angle lens in 2026 to a variable aperture camera; Sunny Optical will be the primary shutter supplier

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