Mediagazer: Several ABC News staffers say its Trump settlement sets a concerning precedent and sends a message that Disney is giving priority to its corporate interests (Wall Street Journal)

7:05 PM ET, December 18, 2024

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Pamela McClintock / The Hollywood Reporter:

Disney confirms pulling a transgender storyline from animated series Win or Lose, saying “many parents would prefer to discuss certain subjects” with their kids — The original animated show about a co-ed high school team debuts on Disney+ in February.

Discussion: Boing Boing, KTVU-TV, New York Times, RedState, Comic Book, San Francisco Chronicle, Townhall, Deadline, @cosmic_marvel, @discussingfilm, GB News, @harelliequinn, Inverse, PR Daily, @kaekaecurtis, @24framesofnick, @tinysquash, @esjesjesj, @lostmediabuster, @adequateemily, The Hill, The Playlist, @rwmead.bsky.social, BizPac Review, @sturgeons_law, @miiamustang@eliitin-some.fi, National Legal …, @zoerosebryant, @usa_polling, @spectrathegame, @danny8bit, @bennie.gay, @verdantsquare@mastodon.world, @zoerosebryant, @lostmediabuster, @rayme.bsky.social, @savequeerstories.bsky.social, Deseret News, The Root, PinkNews, AV Club, Transgender World, Metro.co.uk, UPI, @Catelli@mstdn.ca, The Present Age, New York Post, The Guardian, New Jersey Online, Raw Story, Variety, CNN, @spookalucca.games, @sarahoconnellshow.com, @thegabitype.bsky.social, @matbrunetvo.com, Twitchy, ElsaMaren will be the …, Washington Examiner, Entertainment Weekly, Fox News, The Gateway Pundit, Breitbart, World of Reel, Polygon, The Wrap, Screen Rant and TVLine

Brooks Barnes / New York Times:

Sources: Disney worried that it had a flawed case in Trump's ABC lawsuit, and fighting it could hurt the Disney brand and damage press protections for others — Talks started and finished on the same day, after Disney decided that fighting the lawsuit could potentially hurt the company and protections for the press.

Wall Street Journal:

Several ABC News staffers say its Trump settlement sets a concerning precedent and sends a message that Disney is giving priority to its corporate interests — Staffers question decision by Disney; company was looking to avoid protracted legal battle — Disney's decision …

Erik Wemple / Washington Post:

A look at GOP attacks on local news outlets across the US, including the Lancaster County Board of Commissioners' harrassment of LNP reporter Tom Lisi — Republicans claim Tom Lisi's reporting is lies to promote a liberal agenda. How should he respond? — On Feb. 1, Tom Lisi took a seat …

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Mark Kleinman / Sky News:

Letter: The Scott Trust's deal to sell the Observer to Tortoise came despite a last-minute bid from Ecotricity founder Dale Vince to thwart the deal — Ecotricity founder Dale Vince made a fresh bid on Wednesday morning to prevent the world's oldest Sunday newspaper from falling into Tortoise Media's hands, Sky News can reveal.

Discussion: The Times, London Evening Standard, RTÉ, City A.M. and Associated Press

Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:
Tortoise formally signs the deal to buy The Observer, appoints acting editor Lucy Rock as the title's print editor, and launches a voluntary redundancy scheme

Discussion: MediaPost, Byline Times, Financial Times, Axios, @tortoise, @carolecadwalla, @arusbridger, @mediaindustry_b, The Guardian, @carolecadwalla, The Independent, @tk.gg and @stagewrite.bsky.social

Harry McCracken / Fast Company:

Flipboard launches Surf, an app to create custom feeds from Mastodon, Threads, Bluesky, RSS, podcasts, and YouTube, in beta on iOS, Android, and iPadOS — Surf weaves Mastodon, Threads, Bluesky, RSS feeds, podcasts, and YouTube into something that wouldn't have been possible until recently.

Discussion: Engadget, @claeshs.bsky.social, @mntyfrsh.mastodon …, TechCrunch, @surf.social, @davidimel.com, @jejord.bsky.social, @quillmatiq.com, The Verge, @harrymccracken.com, @mike@flipboard.social, @michellemanafy.bsky.social, @harrymccracken@mastodon …, @mattnavarra.com, @davidpierce.xyz and @thinkyparts.bsky.social

Erik Hayden / The Hollywood Reporter:

The California Production Coalition, a group of 33 businesses and organizations including the MPA, organizes to lobby for state incentives for film and TV shows — The group, comprised of 33 businesses and organizations, is looking to push the narrative that voters in the state also care …

Discussion: Variety, Kirsty Robson on LinkedIn, Jennifer O'Brien on LinkedIn, Los Angeles Times and UPI

BBC:

Analysis of Facebook data: audience engagement for Palestinian news outlets fell 77% since October 2023; the outlets say Meta severely restricted their reach — BBC Arabic, BBC World Service & BBC Monitoring — Facebook has severely restricted the ability of Palestinian news outlets …

Discussion: Nadia Afrin on LinkedIn, Anette Novak on LinkedIn, @EndIsraeliApartheid …, @alanjstedman.bsky.social, @mgb5000.bsky.social, @grahambs.bsky.social, @brianwernham.bsky.social, @killianm97.bsky.social and @emilybell.bsky.social

Bloomberg:

Marc Benioff said there is “no deal on the table” to sell Time, which he has owned since 2018; a report in November said Antenna Group was in talks to buy it — “It's extremely important that we do have fair and balanced journalism, and that's why I'm very proud to be an owner of Time …

Discussion: MediaPost, The San Francisco Standard, @signalandnoise.bsky.social and Fortune

Michael Schneider / Variety:

Channing Dungey, incoming WBD CEO of US networks, names Brett Paul as COO and Howard Lee as chief creative officer; Dungey is succeeding retiring Kathleen Finch — That includes expanding duties for her top lieutenant at Warner Bros. TV Group, Brett Paul, who will now also serve as chief operating officer for U.S. networks.

Discussion: The Wrap, Reuters, TVNewsCheck, The Information, The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline

Katcy Stephan / Variety:

Amazon says Red One, which opened at just $32M in the US last month, had a record-breaking 50M worldwide viewers in its opening weekend on Prime Video — It's a December to remember for Prime Video. Per the streamer, the Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans Christmas flick “Red One” …

Discussion: @sleepykittypaw.bsky.social, @ryanhiggins.bsky.social, AV Club, StreamTV Insider, Benzinga, Rolling Stone, Forbes and New York Times

Mark Stenberg / Adweek:

The NYT's Wirecutter partners with Google to add buttons with phrases like “Shop nearby with Google” to 150 curated products from December 20 to December 26 — The partnership is the biggest to date for Wirecutter, which started advertising this spring

Discussion: Jessica Joseph on LinkedIn, Leilani Han on LinkedIn and @markstenberg3

CBS News:

SCOTUS says it will hear a challenge on January 10 to a new law that could lead to a TikTok ban in the US, ahead of the law taking effect on January 19 — Washington — The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it will take up a challenge to a new law that could lead to a ban on TikTok in the U.S …

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