Bloomberg Industry Group Lays Off 21 Business Staffers
MediaPost: Some 21 people are losing their jobs at Bloomberg Industry Group, which publishes Bloomberg Law, Bloomberg Tax and Bloomberg Government. Most of those being let go are on the business side. CEO Josh Eastright says that the group has hired nearly 200 new...
New York Times Debuts Feature to Unmask ‘Distortions’
Nieman Lab: In an effort to cover misinformation responsibly, the New York Times has debuted a new feature that will debunk and contextualize misleading information after it has gone viral or created “offline harms.” Daily Distortions will appear as a swipeable...
McClatchy Newspapers Unlikely to Endorse Candidates
New York Times: Readers of newspapers like the Miami Herald and the Kansas City Star will probably have to choose a presidential candidate in November without the help of their local editorial boards, according to a memo circulated by the company that owns the...
BuzzFeed Unveils File Trove Claiming Global Corruption
New York Times: A cache of thousands of reports shows that top banks helped suspected terrorists, drug dealers and corrupt foreign officials move trillions of dollars around the world. The documents were obtained by BuzzFeed News and shared with a worldwide consortium...
Opinion: Publishers at Risk from Deals with Tech Giants
The Information: "You don't need to look far to find examples of tech companies refusing to pay publishers, even while they are striking one-off deals ... It would be naive to assume that stronger financial ties between publishers and tech platforms won't change...
Facebook CEO: Social Giant ‘Likes’ the Republican Party
Bloomberg Businessweek: Mark Zuckerberg seems keenly aware of the risks of President Trump losing reelection. He has told employees that Facebook is likely to fare better under Republicans. Facebook’s internal data shows that conservative voices are consistently the...
Amazon’s Shelved Woody Allen Film Coming to Theaters
Associated Press: After being shelved for two years, Woody Allen's "A Rainy Day in New York" will finally land in US theaters next month. MPI Media Group and Signature Entertainment announced that the companies will release "Rainy Day" in North American theaters on...
AT&T’s WarnerMedia Restarts ‘The Batman’ After Covid
Associated Press: The UK production of "The Batman" is starting up again after being shut down earlier this month when an individual tested positive for Covid-19. Filming has resumed after a hiatus for quarantine precautions. The studio has not identified the person...
Discovery Nears Debut of Global Pay-Streaming Service
TheWrap: Discovery chief David Zaslav says his company is "very close" to launching its own global pay-streaming service — like a Disney+ for Mike Rowe, Bobby Flay and "90 Day Fiancé" fans. "You'll hear from us soon. I think one of the keys is getting partners to...
ViacomCBS Pays to Help Younger Americans Vote Early
Axios: MTV will pay for the printing and postage of any ballot application requested through websites linked to its new voter initiative campaign. Studies shows that many Americans want to vote early given the limitations of the pandemic, but some may not be familiar...
Comcast, ViacomCBS News Brace for US Election Chaos
Vanity Fair: Newsrooms are preparing for an unprecedented November, with Americans voting in a pandemic and a conspiracy-addled president sowing distrust. "It's hard to imagine a more consequential moment for our country," says NBC News head Noah...
AT&T’s WarnerMedia CEO ‘Concerned’ About TMZ, ‘Ellen’
BuzzFeed: WarnerMedia executives on Thursday addressed allegations of workplace misconduct made by former and current employees against executives at the studio's "Ellen DeGeneres Show" and TMZ. "I am both concerned and disappointed," says WarnerMedia CEO Jason...
Netflix Star Arrested on Charge of Producing Child Porn
Chicago Tribune: Jerry Harris rocketed to fame earlier this year as the breakout star of the Netflix docuseries "Cheer," parlaying his contagious exuberance into talk show appearances, an Oscars gig and more than a million Instagram followers. But the young star's...
Quibi New Series ‘Wireless’ Lets Viewer Become Editor
Associated Press: The series "Wireless" on the mobile-platform Quibi employs an ingenious way to tell a story on a smartphone: You see different things on the screen depending on whether you hold your phone vertically or horizontally. That means each viewer sees a...
ByteDance Circles Instagrammer for New CEO of TikTok
New York Times: TikTok is hunting for a permanent CEO to replace Kevin Mayer, who resigned in late August, citing the changing political pressures of the role. Among those whom TikTok has talked to about the job is Kevin Systrom, a founder and former CEO of Instagram....
Imagine Entertainment Secures Funding for Accelerator
TechCrunch: Imagine Impact, a content accelerator that launched two years ago under production powerhouse Imagine Entertainment, has raised a Series A round of funding from Benchmark, the venture capital firm that has backed Uber, Twitter, Dropbox, Snapchat and many...
Paradigm Talent Agency Permanently Cuts 180 Staffers
Los Angeles Times: Paradigm Talent Agency says it will permanently lay off 180 employees, roughly 70% of the staffers who were temporarily let go from their jobs in March. The layoffs are the latest sign of the economic stress in the agency business, which has been...
Chernin’s Barstool Sports Introduces Fans to Gambling
Bloomberg: Barstool Sports faces its first challenge to turn loyal followers into devout gamblers with the debut of its online betting app. The sports and pop-culture outlet's Barstool Sportsbook is capping off a three-day test in Pennsylvania ahead of an official...
Verizon-Hearst’s Complex Appoints New Editor in Chief
Billboard: Complex Networks has named a new editor-in-chief to oversee its news and editorial operations: Maurice Peebles, who will take over the job beginning Oct. 5. Peebles, who most recently was digital editor-in-chief at SportsNet New York for two years, replaces...
Hearst Spends Millions on Real Estate in San Francisco
San Francisco Business Journal: Hearst is spending $52 million to buy a leased office building in San Francisco, as the media giant goes bullish on commercial real estate in the city. Hearst and developer JMA Ventures plan to transform a 13-story office building at 5...
Thomson Reuters Gives Staffers Mental Health Day Off
Talking Biz News: "At Thomson Reuters, we intend to place increased long-term focus on mental health," says CEO Steve Hasker. "So I am happy to announce that all associates who are currently eligible for company holidays will be given a Mental Health Day...
Conde Nast Preps New Recipe for Video at Bon Appétit
Business Insider: Plans for Bon Appétit's comeback video are coming together. The food magazine's popular video channel has not released new content since June 5. The comeback video is not expected to be released until October and will likely feature three new...
Meredith Lays Off 180 Staffers Amid Covid Ad Declines
WWD: People magazine publisher Meredith has laid off 180 staffers. The Des Moines, Iowa-based publisher confirmed that 50 staffers had been laid off at its national media group, which includes brands such as People, InStyle and Entertainment...
Lee Enterprises Cuts Jobs at North Carolina Newspapers
Indy Week: North Carolina journalism has taken a hit with major layoffs at the Greensboro News & Record and the Winston-Salem Journal. The cuts were issued by parent company Lee Enterprises, which publishes 75 daily newspapers. The papers just changed hands in...
Media Recruiters Say Industry Hiring Starting to Pick Up
Business Insider: Headhunters say their media clients -- from early-stage startups to large conglomerates -- are starting to hire again, even amid the economic uncertainty. But many are also looking outside of media, to industries like technology, fintech, or...
BuzzFeed Deletes Email Accusing Staffer of Harassment
Daily Beast: Someone earlier this week emailed dozens of BuzzFeed staffers alleging harassment by one of their co-workers. Less than a day later, the email was gone from all company inboxes, leaving staff confused and disturbed. "We have not corroborated the...
Amazon’s Music Service Expands Into Original Podcasts
Wall Street Journal: Amazon's music service is launching into podcasting, becoming the latest entrant to the rapidly expanding medium. While the company is joining a competitive field, executives say the service can tack differently from rivals -- as it has with music...
Facebook Teams with Ray-Ban Maker on Smart Glasses
CNBC: Facebook is unveiling a partnership with Luxottica, the maker of Ray-Ban, to release its first pair of smart glasses in 2021. "I can’t go into full product details yet," says Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, "but they’re really the next step on the road to...
Twitter Altered Video of Biden Circulates Despite Label
Associated Press: A video altered to make it appear as though Joe Biden played a song disparaging the police was viewed more than 4.5 million times on Twitter by Wednesday afternoon, its spread fueled by President Trump, who tweeted it —...
Report: Engagement Soaring with Video, Social Content
Ad Age: People are engaging with publisher videos and influencer content during the pandemic like never before. The clicks, comments and shares are rising much faster than the views. People working or schooling from home appear to feel much freer to comment or...