Top News:


Source: Nelson Peltz has sold his full Disney stake; in April, Peltz' Trian Partners lost a proxy battle after trying to elect Peltz and Jay Rasulo to the board — Activist investor Nelson Peltz has sold his entire stake in Disney, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Discussion:
The Ankler, Axios, New York Times, 24/7 Wall St., Deadline, Yahoo Finance, The Wrap, Gizmodo, Reuters, Variety and The Hollywood Reporter


UK banker Crispin Odey sues the Financial Times for libel over its June 2023 publication of allegations that Odey had sexually assaulted multiple women — FT issued with legal claim almost 12 months after investigation published. — Former City banker Crispin Odey is suing the Financial Times …
Discussion:
Talking Biz News, Telegraph, London Evening Standard, Financial News and City A.M.


Reality TV is facing a slowdown as jobs become scarce, budgets get crunched, and executives take fewer risks, coming as a surprise to some industry insiders — Development and production have been sluggish since the strikes, leaving desperate workers in the lurch: “All of a sudden the faucet just turned off.”
Discussion:
Becca Gross on LinkedIn and Steve Katz on LinkedIn


Researchers: an ex-Florida deputy sheriff who received asylum in Russia is behind a growing network of 160+ fake news sites mimicking US, UK, and French outlets — In 2016, Russia used an army of trolls to interfere in the U.S. presidential election. This year, an American given asylum …
Discussion:
Media Nation, Sun-Sentinel, @davidcorndc, Florida Politics, @ecgreaves, The Overspill, @spaceyg, @authorpmbarrett, @recordedfuture, @ai6yr@m.ai6yr.org, Sarah Brandt on LinkedIn, Daniel Volker on LinkedIn, Recorded Future on LinkedIn, @WarnerCrocker@mastodon.social, @briankrebs@infosec.exchange and NewsGuard, more at Techmeme »


An investigation finds seven Russian and Belarusian journalists and activists who were targeted and/or infected by Pegasus between August 2020 and January 2023 — Summary — In a joint investigation with Access Now, we found that seven Russian and Belarusian-speaking independent journalists …
Discussion:
The Guardian, Bloomberg, Committee to Protect … and Access Now


A survey of 2,008 US adults who identified themselves as “sports viewers”: 42% are likely to subscribe to Venu Sports, assuming a price point of $35-$40/month — Are legions of youthful consumers ready to sign up for the sports streaming joint venture, regardless of what its price ends up being?
Discussion:
Horowitz Research, Horowitz Research, The Streamable, Media Play News and The Desk


The Atlantic and Vox Media sign multiyear licensing and product deals with OpenAI; The Atlantic plans an experimental Atlantic Labs with OpenAI's and other tech — - The Atlantic has been publishing content since 1857. … - Both agreements also allow OpenAI to tap into the respective …
Discussion:
Awful Announcing, Engadget, Columbia Journalism Review, Poynter, @vox_union, Vox Media, @stephentotilo, @xpangler, The Atlantic, @emilybell, @nxthompson, @vox_union, @edmundlee, @pranavdixit, @rafat, @jeffjarvis, @tsuvik, @tomwarren, @nkulw, @edmundlee, The Hollywood Reporter, @openai, VentureBeat, @attackerman.bsky.social, Bloomberg, @WarnerCrocker@mastodon.social, The Verge, @quillmatiq@threads.net, @daveleebbg@threads.net, @kylie.robison@threads.net, @reckless1280@threads.net, @jbillinson@threads.net, The Information, Variety, The Wrap, The Drum, @dandock.bsky.social, @dandock.bsky.social, The Hill and @chrismvasq.bsky.social, more at Techmeme »
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Q&A with Kira Lerner, democracy editor at the Guardian US, on trying to avoid stories that play on people's fears, focusing on service journalism, and more — As the 2024 presidential election approaches, Poynter spoke with The Guardian US's democracy editor about the beat
Discussion:
Poynter Institute on LinkedIn and @kira_lerner


A look at the future of TNT's Inside the NBA, which started in 1989 and hired Charles Barkley in 2000, after WBD did not secure NBA rights beyond next season — Next season could be the last for TNT's influential and beloved studio show, and Charles Barkley, for one, will not be going quietly.


Illinois legislators included in their budget new tax credits for newsrooms that hire or retain local reporters, allocating $25M over five years, and more — The State Legislature's budget provisions support local news through employment tax credits, a 120-day delay on selling local newspapers …


Sources: writers at iHeart's 100-member podcast unit prepare to strike if a contract deal isn't reached by the end of May; they unionized 2+ years ago — EXCLUSIVE: More than two years after unionizing through the WGA East, the writers at iHeartPodcasts still don't have their first deal with the network.
Discussion:
@iheartpodunion and @iheartpodunion


Apple is seeking a senior engineer to help build a TV and sports app for Android, a sign the company is bringing its TV+ service to the rival platform — - Company is seeking Android engineer to help build new app — It's rare for Apple to develop software for rival platform
Discussion:
The Streamable, Lowpass, The Sun, @anni_sen, 9to5Google, The Information, Digital Trends, BGR, AppleInsider, The Verge and 9to5Mac, more at Techmeme »


Sources: Netflix is developing new music-competition shows similar to The Voice, to expand the breadth of its programming with brand-safe, family-friendly TV — Netflix is ready to jam. The streaming giant is developing new music-competition shows in the image of long-running broadcast hits like …
Discussion:
@asharma, @jtoonkel and @theonlyjdb.bsky.social