Disney Chiefs Seek ‘Real Change’ After George Floyd Killing
WDWNT: Disney's top executives released a statement to its employees regarding the murder of George Floyd and the ongoing protests. The letter is signed by Bob Iger, Bob Chapek and Latondra Newton. "There's something unique about what's...
AT&T’s WarnerMedia CEO Advises Learning from Killer Mike
Deadline: Jason Kilar sent a WarnerMedia-wide memo to convey his reaction to protests in the wake of the death of George Floyd. The CEO recommended staffers read or watch four stories, one of which was a speech by rapper Killer...
ViacomCBS Brands to Go Dark as Tribute to Racism Victims
Deadline: ViacomCBS announced that all entertainment and youth brands and platforms will be going dark for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, which marks the time in which George Floyd was killed. The time will serve to recognize all victims of...
Netflix, Amazon Among Media Supporting Black Lives Matter
Hollywood Reporter: Netflix stood in solidarity with nationwide protests over the death of George Floyd on Saturday by sharing on its social accounts the "duty to our Black members, employees, creators and talent to speak up."...
Google-YouTube Star Faces Backlash for Mall-Looting Video
BuzzFeed: Jake Paul turned up in social media videos on Saturday night during the looting of the Fashion Square Mall in Scottsdale, Arizona. The YouTube personality denied participating in the vandalism. "I do not condone...
Report: Journalists Targeted in Attacks as US Protests Rage
Reuters: Over a three-day period, organizations that track press violence documented about two dozen attacks. What seemed like isolated attacks on the press at rallies and protests over the last few years has intensified as trust in media...
Comcast Mulls Addition of Right-Wing Talk Shows at CNBC
New York Times: NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell is said to be considering turning CNBC's prime-time hours, currently occupied by "Shark Tank" reruns and business-focused reality programming like "The Profit," over to right-wing talk...
Fox Corp Boosts Stake in Sports-Wagering Company Flutter
Casino: Fox Corp. has increased its stake in FanDuel owner Flutter Entertainment, the world’s largest online gaming company. "Fox is bullish about the opportunities in the digital sports wagering market," said Fox CEO Lachlan...
Netflix Closes Deal to Buy Historic Hollywood Movie Theater
Los Angeles Times: Netflix has closed its long-in-the works deal to buy the Egyptian Theatre for an undisclosed sum from American Cinematheque. The deal marks the beginning of a new era for one of Los Angeles' oldest cinema...
Microsoft News Cuts 50 Editorial Employees at MSN Website
Seattle Times: Microsoft won't renew the contracts for dozens of news production contractors at MSN and plans to use artificial intelligence to replace them. The roughly 50 workers were told that their services would no longer be needed beyond June...
Conde Nast’s Wintour Wants a Woman of Color for Biden VP
The Hill: Anna Wintour called for Joe Biden to pick a woman of color as his running mate as soon as possible amid a wave of protests over the death of George Floyd. Biden must "assume the mantle of president in waiting," Wintour wrote in a Vogue...
Meredith Unveils #BeTheKind Campaign to Inspire Audiences
MediaPost: Meredith has launched a company-wide campaign called #BeTheKind, in an effort to bring its audience’s attention to acts of kindness during difficult times. The campaign was inspired by and builds upon content produced by Meredith...
Forbes Media Reveals Own Bad Reporting in ‘Billionaire’ Flap
Showbiz411: Forbes has unmasked its own bad reporting, publishing an article that contradicts its original piece, from 2019, declaring Kylie Jenner "the youngest billionaire" in the world. What the new article fails to admit is that Forbes started all this in the...
Conde Nast, Hearst Delay September Issues of Fashion Mags
WWD: Some publishers are pushing back the release dates of their most crucial issues of the year from August to September, allowing more time for ads to roll in. It will also give editors additional time to shoot models and celebrities, a difficult task during...
Hearst OKs Home Voting for Magazine Union Election in July
WWD: Hearst magazine staffers will get their election eight months after revealing their goal of unionizing. Staffers will be able to vote by mail, with ballots being sent out on June 12 as most employees work from home. The deadline to send them back is July...
BuzzFeed News Union Inks Work-Share Deal to Rescue Jobs
The Hill: The BuzzFeed News Union has reached a deal to cut salaries in an attempt to save jobs during the coronavirus pandemic. The agreement will allow staffers to work 20 percent reduced weekly schedules with a 20 percent cut in pay through the end of...
Roundup: Media Pros See Subscriptions as Unlikely Panacea
Vanity Fair: News outlets with robust subscription businesses are feeling less pain in the current moment. But the model is unlikely to be a long-term solution, media professionals say. Advertising isn't "going away as a business model," says Vox Media CEO Jim...
Twitter War Escalates as Trump’s Order Takes On Social Media
Associated Press: President Trump escalated his war on Twitter and other social media companies Thursday, signing an executive order challenging the lawsuit protections that have served as a bedrock for unfettered speech on the internet. The president aims to rally...
Facebook, Twitter CEOs Clash Over Roles as ‘Arbiters of Truth’
Fox News: Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey fired back at Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who criticized the tech giant's decision to fact-check President Trump's tweets about mail-in voting. "We'll continue to point out incorrect or disputed information," Dorsey...
Google Relief Fund to Aid 5,000 Local Newsrooms Worldwide
Press Gazette: Google's emergency relief fund for journalism will stretch into the tens of millions, providing assistance to more than 5,300 local newsrooms across the globe during the coronavirus crisis, the internet giant has...
AT&T New Streamer HBO Max Trails Rivals in App Downloads
Bloomberg: AT&T's big bet on its new streaming platform, HBO Max, depends on luring fresh customers who aren't just converting from existing HBO services. It's off to a soft start in that regard. About 90,000 people downloaded the mobile app on its first...
Amazon Studios Indie Film Champion Exits as Movies Co-Head
Los Angeles Times: Amazon Studios co-head of movies Ted Hope, a cheerleader for prestigious indie film at the tech giant, is stepping down from his executive role. Hope will enter a producing deal with the studios June 2 that will allow him to produce movies for the...
Google Ready to Premiere Global Film Festival Under YouTube
Reuters: The 10-day "We Are One: A Global Film Festival," starting Friday on YouTube, will feature new and classic movies, talks with directors, and music and comedy curated by 21 festivals including those in Berlin, Cannes, Venice, Toronto and New...
Disney Taps Netflix Alum for Head of Cable Network Freeform
Variety: Freeform, the young-adult cable network, has named Tara Duncan as its new president. She will step into the role on June 8, overseeing strategic planning, brand development, content strategy, original programming, production, scheduling, and...
ViacomCBS Layoffs Impact Leading National Reporters at CBS
TheWrap: Top national reporters at CBS News are among the hundreds of ViacomCBS staffers laid off this week. A source with knowledge of the layoffs says that the cuts affected 300 people, of whom 75 were in news, “including reporters at top...
Fox Corp’s News Channel Viewers ‘Less Fearful’ of Coronavirus
Daily Beast: Americans on lockdown are more than twice as likely to cry during MSNBC reports than during Fox News shows—specifically, 23 percent of MSNBC viewers have been wet-eyed and choking up versus just 10 percent of Fox News...
News Corp’s Australia News Overhaul Results in 500+ Job Cuts
Mumbrella: More than 100 of News Corp's regional and community titles in Australia will no longer produce print editions and instead move to digital-only formats. In addition, 14 titles will cease to exist. There are reports this amounts to more than 500 job...
ViacomCBS Names Books Veteran as CEO of Simon & Schuster
Associated Press: Jonathan Karp, who has worked with authors ranging from Sen. Edward Kennedy to Susan Orlean, has been named the new CEO of Simon & Schuster. He replaces Carolyn Reidy, who died two weeks ago. Karp joined the company in...
Conde Nast, Penske Brands Join Fund Partnership from TikTok
MediaPost: TikTok announced last month that it would pledge $250 million in support during the Covid-19 pandemic, with $50 million of that going to its Creative Learning Fund, developed to support creators producing content that educates and...
Meredith Unveils New Podcasts from Digital, Magazine Brands
MediaPost: Meredith is launching four new podcasts from Allrecipes, Parents, Travel + Leisure, and Southern Living. Each series will launch with 12 episodes that range in length from 20 minutes to 40 minutes. They will be available via Apple Podcasts, Spotify and...