Top News:
Winston Cho / The Hollywood Reporter:
Don Lemon is released from custody on a no money bond; Lemon's lawyer says he intends to plead not guilty — The government has accused the former CNN anchor of interfering with church-goers' rights to freely practice their religious beliefs. — Former CNN anchor Don Lemon has been released …
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April Rubin / Axios:
Journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort were arrested by federal agents on Jan. 29 and Jan. 30, respectively, for their coverage of a Minnesota church protest — Journalist Don Lemon was arrested by federal agents on Thursday night following backlash over his coverage of an anti-ICE protest …
Discussion:
CNN, @agpambondi, KARE-TV, Fox News, Committee to Protect …, The Guardian, Variety, Fox News, People, Washington Post, Poynter, The Wrap, BBC, Politico, Free Press Action Fund Feed, Facebook, CBS News, Arizona Republic, Washington Examiner, New York Times, Forbes, @cartersherman.bsky.social, Ben Iannotta on LinkedIn, @pamspaulding.bsky.social, @frankamari.bsky.social, NPR, The Hollywood Reporter, @repjeffries, Mississippi Free Press, @theintercept.com, TheGrio, @stoneballs.bsky.social, @christianthiels.bsky.social, Baller Alert, @monscience.bsky.social, @scanlon.house.gov, Financial Times, @freedom.press, @theletterhack.bsky.social, Columbia Journalism Review, @jaketapper, @pdehello@mastodon.social, KSTP-TV, Errin Haines on LinkedIn, Freedom of the Press …, Jodie Ginsberg on LinkedIn, MS NOW, Advocate, Page Six, American Greatness, Twin Cities, @nbedera.bsky.social, Boston.com, @cwebbonline.com, @acnewsitics, @arachnius.bsky.social, Democracy Docket, @jaketapper, @timodc, @jaketapper, @zackwhittaker@mastodon.social, @jamellebouie.net, The Contrarian, HuffPost, @mlcalderone, TheGrio, @b9AcE@todon.eu, Raw Story, The Independent, @irhottakes.bsky.social, Florida's Voice, New York Post, @jemelehill, @joshuaerlich.bsky.social, @emma-briant.co.uk, The Daily Caller, @jaketapper, @inn.org, @mcbridetd.bsky.social, @hrag.bsky.social, @jamellebouie.net, @TomSullivan@mstdn.social, @laurajedeed.bsky.social, New York Magazine, Mother Jones, @darnell@one.darnell.one, @emptywheel.bsky.social, @froomkin.bsky.social, @montealto.bsky.social, Mediaite, @jodieginsberg.bsky.social, @amerliberal.bsky.social, @juliannemcshane, Bossip, @mrsdeborahlynn.bsky.social, Business Insider, Los Angeles Times, Deadline, @divscotty.bsky.social, ZeroHedge News, The Independent, @ajnobles.com, @freedom.press, @kamimagic.bsky.social, @jonflan.bsky.social, @rusty.todayintabs.com, @mikehixenbaugh.com, The Cut, @donlemonofficial.bsky.social, @dmcharles.bsky.social, @jeremymbarr, @jaredhardd.bsky.social, @rephuffman.bsky.social, @socialmedialab.ca, @brianstelter, Hollywood Life, @pattymo.com, @timodc, FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul, Press Watch, @daveweigel.bsky.social, Wonkette, @jaketapper, @kathleenclark.bsky.social, @crankyoldcrackpot.bsky.social, @atrupar.com, @adamserwer.bsky.social, @chucktodd, Gay City News, The Hill, USA Today, Washington Blade, The Federalist, URL Media, Bloomberg, All Rise News, Just Jared, New Republic, Investigative Reporters …, New York Times and Representative Crockett
Richard Luscombe / The Guardian:
Press freedom groups denounce the arrests of journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort, saying the arrests are an “unequivocal attack on the First Amendment” — Groups say arrests of ex-CNN anchor and Georgia Fort are ‘extremely alarming’ and an ‘attack on the first amendment’
Discussion:
NABJ, The Atlantic, The Wrap, HuffPost, TMZ.com, Advocate, Capital B News, @freepress.bsky.social, @notaaroncraig.bsky.social, @cdarwin@c.im, Freedom of the Press …, The Bulwark, Out Magazine, @davidfolkenflik, Baller Alert, The Daily Signal, Asian American Journalists …, TheGrio, The Independent, KARE-TV, Forbes, Media Nation, The 19th, Mediaite and NewsMax.com
Wall Street Journal:
Sources: Bob Iger has told associates that he plans to step down as Disney CEO before December 31; the board plans to vote on his replacement next week — Disney's board is planning to meet next week, where it is expected to vote on a new CEO — Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger …
Discussion:
The Wrap, Variety, New York Post, CNBC, @aagave, The Ankler and Cord Cutters News
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Brooks Barnes / New York Times:
A profile of Josh D'Amaro, a front-runner for Disney CEO who oversees Disney parks, cruises, and video games; his unit supplied ~60% of Disney's 2025 profit — “Josh, can I get a quick one?” — It was the seventh time that Josh D'Amaro had been asked to pose for a photo as he wove his way through Disneyland.
Discussion:
Deadline, @mediaevan and @scottgustin
Bloomberg:
Sources: BMG, a division of Bertelsmann, is weighing a bid for music rights investor Concord in a deal that could value Concord as high as $7B — German record label BMG Rights Management is weighing a bid for Concord in a deal that could value the US music company as high as $7 billion …
Discussion:
Music Business Worldwide, CMU, Music Ally and Billboard
Bill Toulas / BleepingComputer:
Authorities led by Italian investigators seized three illegal IPTV services in Europe; the US DOJ also said it dismantled three pirate services in Bulgaria — The latest phase of the global law enforcement action resulted in seizing three industrial-scale illegal IPTV services.
Discussion:
US Department of Justice, CyberScoop, The Sun, Broadband TV News, Advanced Television and The Record
Sarah Scire / Nieman Lab:
Analysis of Apple News in the UK: Apple News+ has 1.7M subscribers generating ~$136M for outlets; national papers account for 55% of time spent on Apple News — Apple News shares revenue with news publishers and — as a preinstalled app on Apple products — reaches an astounding number of users.
Discussion:
MacTech.com and Simon Owens's Media Newsletter
Robert Channick / Chicago Tribune:
A look at Chicago alt-weekly The Chicago Reader as it scales back to a monthly publication under new EIC Sarah Conway and reverts to a for-profit business model — The Chicago Reader, the groundbreaking alternative weekly which has been on the brink of dissolution for years …
Discussion:
@royalpratt.bsky.social
Gene Maddaus / Variety:
Ahead of contract talks between SAG-AFTRA and studios beginning February 9, negotiators consider ideas such as an AI “tax” on studios that use synthetic actors — Call it the Tilly tax. — In the future, studios that use synthetic actors in place of humans might have to pay a royalty into a union fund.
Discussion:
@xpangler and Oh No They Didn't!
David Folkenflik / NPR:
Current and ex-VOA staff say a recent VOA interview by Kari Lake, who is calling herself USAGM deputy CEO, tramples on the firewall between the two agencies — Kari Lake, who oversees the parent agency of the Voice of America, has hit legal and political roadblocks in her drive to dismantle the government-funded broadcaster.
Discussion:
@newsguyusa, @kaedotcom and @maxboot.bsky.social
Wall Street Journal:
Sources: OnlyFans is in talks to sell a nearly 60% stake to Architect Capital in a deal that values the company at around $5.5B, including debt — Deal with Architect Capital would value the adult social-media platform at $3.5 billion — OnlyFans, the British online platform popular …
Discussion:
Axios, crypto.news, @laurenthomas and Benzinga
New York Times:
Sources: WaPo's layoffs may narrow its scope to topics of expertise and reader interest based on digital traffic, with politics and video becoming more central — The changes are expected to include significant layoffs in areas like sports and international coverage. — Fewer reporters are being sent to the Super Bowl.
Discussion:
Poynter, The Federalist, PR Daily, @gregpinelo.bsky.social, NPR, @perryvandell, @sallyjenki, @schadjoe, @siobhan_ogrady, @nosacredcowfla.bsky.social, @mrfahrenheit.bsky.social, @oliverdarcy.bsky.social, Awful Announcing, Barrett Media, Lawyers, Guns & Money, So What, Awful Announcing and The Gateway Pundit
RELATED:
Max Tani / Semafor:
To avert layoffs, WaPo's White House correspondents, not considered at risk, write a letter to Jeff Bezos highlighting collaborations among the paper's sections
Discussion:
@maxwelltani, Poynter, New York Post, CNN, @aaronwiener, @_hudsonc, @karyncaplan, @timmurtaugh, @tomfitton, @eugene_scott, @danpfeiffer, @ralph_grabowski, @jarvis_best, CNN, @escarry, @mlcalderone, @mediaevan, @mikesisak, @chucktodd, @siobhan_ogrady, @brianstelter, @chicoharlan, @ewong, @kemettler, @bsoloway, Grabien, The Independent and The Wrap
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