Top News:
Benjamin Mullin / New York Times:
Email: The Messenger shuts down, effective immediately, citing economic headwinds; Jimmy Finkelstein launched the outlet in May 2023 and hired about 300 people — By closing less than a year after it launched, The Messenger is now one of the biggest busts in the annals of online news.
Discussion:
Axios, @jimlaporta, Digiday, Puck, @walsh_eli, @jhoffman, @dylanbyers, @maxwelltani, Semafor, @madelineanele, @alex, @jhoffman, @ericmgarcia14@threads.net, @mekosoff, The Information, @willsommer, @stephen_neukam, @noahshachtman@threads.net, @thestalwart, @kantrowitz, @willsommer, @coryschouten, @theinsneider, @mediaevan, @benmullin, @sherman4949, Wall Street Journal, @rafat, @alexsteigrad, @sokane1@threads.net, @sherman4949, Politico, @lmorello_dc, @walsh_eli, @benmullin, @knibbs, @weareyourfek, @clarajeffery, @asilbwrites, @willsommer, Washington Post, @iansherr, @benjaminopowers, @walsh_eli, @maxwelltani, @samleecole, CNN, @jimlaporta, @cameronwilson, @davidmackau, @corbinbolies, @dylanbyers, @sorayamcdonald@threads.net, @jason_koebler, @fredericl@threads.net, @karaswisher@threads.net, @jessicalessin, @makenakellyx@threads.net, Awful Announcing, @ike_saul, @maxwelltani, @dansinker@threads.net, @sbhamedy@threads.net, @benmullin, @mattyglesias, @justinbaragona, @brianstelter, @film_girl, @aidnmclaughlin, @sarafischer, @adambassofmass, @maxwelltani, @brucebartlett, TechCrunch, Shishira Sreenivas on LinkedIn, @stuartathompsonnyt …, The Hill, @scottnover, @lainnafader, @joshuaogundu, @digiphile, @scottnover, @cameronwilson, @sherman4949, @jeongpark52, Variety, @clarajeffery, @dkiesow@threads.net, @katie_robertson, @sarafischer, Saundra Latham on LinkedIn, @byalexazzi, @mikeisaac, Talking Biz News, @hanaatameez, @carrasquillo, @jason_koebler, @jason_koebler, Mediaite, @tim_bays, @jamesrbuk, @jeffjarvis, @chronotope, @tim_bays, New York Post, @josephfcox, @taylorbuley, @dsamuelsohn, Columbia Journalism Review, @macwbishop, @chronotope, @jason_paladino, The Wrap, @rafat, @klasfeldreports, @hbottemiller, @mediaevan, @bcmerchant, @jimvandehei, @jhoffman, @mediaevan, @dewalt, @malloriesullivan@threads.net, @bgrueskin, @tim_bays, @jamesrbuk, @geisler_jill@threads.net, @hermanywong@threads.net, @tomgara@threads.net, @semaforben@threads.net, Hollywood Reporter, @mattbrown.bsky.social, Talking Biz News, NBC News, The Wrap, Boston Herald, The Daily Beast and Deadline
Wall Street Journal:
Sources: Disney has reached a preliminary agreement to sell 60% of its Indian media business to Reliance-backed Viacom18 at a $3.9B valuation — Viacom18's purchase of 60% of Disney's India business reunites the company with two executives who built it — Disney has reached a preliminary agreement …
Discussion:
The Wrap, MediaNama, Livemint, Reuters, @adityakalra and TechCrunch
Jon Allsop / Columbia Journalism Review:
A look at press freedoms in Guatemala, as pro-press freedom and anti-corruption activist Bernardo Arévalo becomes the country's new president — In the summer of 2022, a unit of armed police officers in Guatemala raided the home of José Rubén Zamora …
Discussion:
@normajtorres, @jon_allsop and @sheilacoronel
Christina Couch / Nieman Lab:
How some small media outlets are trying to prevent reporter burnout by adopting work models that reduce workloads and prioritize time outside the office — Keeping reporters healthy over the long term often requires both systemic and behavioral changes, and getting buy-in often isn't easy.
Ashley Carman / Bloomberg:
Audacy plans to cut a number of positions in its Pineapple Street podcast division; a source says the layoff will affect 12 positions, or ~25% of the staff — Audacy Inc., a radio broadcaster reorganizing in US bankruptcy court, announced plans to cut a number of positions in its Pineapple Street podcast division.
Laura Wagner / Washington Post:
Journalists from Tribune publications, including the Chicago Tribune, plan a one-day strike on February 1 to protest cost-cutting by Alden Global Capital — To protest the cuts made by new owner Alden Global Capital, staffs plan walkouts Thursday at the Chicago Tribune …
Discussion:
@ctguild, The Wrap, WAVY-TV, @ctguild, @byjuliapoe, @greenhousenyt, @tvjedi, @chloehilles, @chitribkane, @royalpratt, @corbinbolies, Chicago Sun Times, @ctguild and Axios
Katie Campione / Deadline:
The Onion Union reaches a tentative agreement with G/O Media, with the negotiating committee making “important gains in wages and workplace protections” — The Onion Union employees have narrowly avoided a strike, reaching a tentative agreement with G/O Media just hours …
Discussion:
Hollywood Reporter, @wgaeast and @onionincunion
Jordan Moreau / Variety:
VFX workers at a Disney subsidiary vote to unionize with the IATSE, becoming the first group of “vendor-side” artists to unionize via an official NLRB vote — A group of visual effects artists who work on Disney's CGI-heavy “Avatar” films have voted to unionize with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees.
Discussion:
@iatse, @matthewloeb, @gkwillis6, @awesomington, @iatse, The Wrap and Hollywood Reporter
Dan Mangan / CNBC:
A US judge dismisses Disney's suit against Gov. Ron DeSantis claiming retaliation after Disney criticized Florida's “Don't Say Gay” bill; Disney plans to appeal — - A judge dismissed a lawsuit Disney filed against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis that alleged he retaliated against the company …
Discussion:
Variety, Politico, NBC Bay Area, @tedstew, @tedstew, The Daily Beast, Reason, @tedstew, NPR, Kotaku, The A.V. Club, @eriqgardner, Courthouse News Service, CNN, @tedstew, CBS News, Financial Times, Mediaite, Forbes, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Semafor, New York Times, The Hill, Los Angeles Times, NBC News, Bloomberg, United States District Court, Deadline, Reuters, Hollywood Reporter, CNN and The Wrap, more at Techmeme »
Alex Weprin / The Hollywood Reporter:
Email to subscribers: Hulu changed its agreement to ban sharing accounts outside of the user's household “unless otherwise permitted by your Service Tier” — The Disney-owned streaming service changed its subscriber agreement to ban sharing of accounts outside of individual households.
Discussion:
The Verge, @jbillinson@threads.net, The Wrap, TVLine, Cord Cutters News, UPROXX and Deadline, more at Techmeme »
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Alex Cooper releases her hit Call Her Daddy interview podcast on all major audio platforms, after its three year, $60M deal with Spotify ended — Daddy Gang, rejoice! … Full episodes of “Call Her Daddy” have been available only on Spotify since July 2021, under a three-year deal worth more than $60 million.
Discussion:
Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter
Mark Stenberg / Adweek:
LA Times, WSJ, and others are cutting their DC bureaus in an election year, as they focus on their core competencies that are likely better sources of return — An emphasis on subscriptions and changing coverage landscapes help explain — Both the Los Angeles Times and The Wall Street Journal …
Discussion:
@markstenberg3, @brittany_geneva and Media Nation
RELATED:
Committee to Protect Journalists:
A Minsk court sentences photojournalist Aliaksandr Ziankou to three years on extremism charges; Belarus was the world's third-worst jailer of reporters in 2023 — New York, January 30, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Belarusian authorities to stop using extremism laws …
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