Overview: Coronavirus Poised to Devastate Old, New Media
USA Today: Newsrooms and news markets across the country are bracing for a sudden and potentially devastating broadside that could shutter or significantly hobble publications just as communities stricken by the coronavirus need them most. Be a real Media Star — help...
Fox Corp Fears Legal Action After Misleading News Viewers
Media Matters: Fox News insiders are genuinely concerned that the news channel's early downplaying of the coronavirus exposes the company to potential legal action by viewers "who maybe were misled and actually have died from this," says Gabe Sherman, special...
Disney Chief Waives Salary, CEO Takes Pay Cut Amid Crisis
Hollywood Reporter: Disney said Monday that executive chairman Bob Iger will forgo his entire salary, and recently named CEO Bob Chapek will take a 50 percent pay cut to his base salary amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to an email from Chapek sent to...
Comcast Gets Yet Another Plea to Shut Down NBC’s 30 Rock
CJR: Chris Hayes, who has been out in front of coronavirus reporting at MSNBC from the start, says: "You know, 30 Rock does not feel like the best place to be." He expressed worry that he was at risk of getting sick. The message urgently needs to be consistent. Be a...
ViacomCBS Offers Free Streaming Service During Pandemic
Motley Fool: Patrick Stewart, who plays Captain Picard on "Star Trek: Picard," announced on Twitter that ViacomCBS was giving consumers free access to its CBS All Access streaming video service for a month. CBS All Access hosts the "Star Trek" series. Be a real Media...
iHeartMedia CEO Forgoes Pay as Company Furloughs Staffers
Variety: iHeartMedia has joined the growing list of companies implementing sizable pay cuts for senior executives amid the upheaval caused by the coronavirus crisis. CEO Bob Pittman will forego his salary for the remainder of the year and give up his annual incentive...
Facebook Pledges $100 Million to News Outlets Hit by Virus
USA Today: Facebook is shelling out $100 million to help news outlets that are taking a revenue hit during the coronavirus. The tech giant announced a plan Monday to offer $25 million in emergency grant funding for local news outlets through its Facebook Journalism...
Tegna Loses TV-Station Sale Interest Due to Virus Outbreak
Reuters: Tegna said that two potential acquirers had ended deal discussions with the U.S. regional TV station operator following the “market dislocation” fueled by the global coronavirus outbreak. The two parties are said to be Gray Television and private equity firm...
Vice Media to Cut Pay for Top Earners Amid Belt-Tightening
Daily Beast: Vice Media will cut salaries for top staff and halt retirement benefit-matching following the economic downturn spurred by the coronavirus pandemic. In an all hands-meeting with staff on Monday, the company announced that it will no longer match staff...
Hearst Reports Deaths of Execs in Magazines, Newspapers
WWD: Terry Mansfield, the former head of Hearst's British magazine publishing arm, died Saturday at the age of 81. The cause of death was the coronavirus. San Francisco Chronicle: Lee Guittar, 88, a former top executive of Hearst Newspapers, died March 26 at home in...
Meredith, Hearst Magazines Create Virus Contingency Plans
WWD: To date, Conde Nast, Hearst and Meredith have not unveiled any changes to their publishing schedules due to the growing Covid-19 pandemic. Hearst Magazines is understood to be building contingency plans. Meredith Magazines, too, has a contingency plan in place if...
Conde Nast to Offer Free Digital Magazine Access in Britain
WWD: Conde Nast Britain hopes to light up the dark days of quarantine by offering free digital access to the May issues of its glossy titles. Readers will be able read for free the British digital editions of Vogue, GQ, Vanity Fair, House & Garden, World of...
American Media Faces Lawsuit Over Racy Photos of Bezos
Fox Business: Michael Sanchez, the brother of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’s girlfriend, Lauren Sanchez, has slapped the publisher of the National Enquirer with a lawsuit claiming the outlet defamed him by naming him as the person who leaked information about the...
Meredith Readies New Personal Finance Brand Called Millie
MediaPost: Last year, a team of Meredith content creators began work on a new multiplatform, multigenerational brand called Millie, exploring all aspects of personal finance and its role in the lives of women. Ahead of its debut, the brand has found a new mission amid...
Maven Media to Slash Jobs at Sports Illustrated, TheStreet
TheStreet: Maven Media Brands said it will be laying off employees and senior management will see a 30% reduction in their salaries as the pandemic impacts operations. Job cuts will be made in all departments, said CEO James Heckman, in a letter sent to employees. Be...
National Geographic Society Launches Fund for Journalists
MediaPost: The National Geographic Society has created an emergency fund for reporters worldwide covering the pandemic. A key focus is delivering hyper-local news to underserved areas. The company stated the fund will “distribute support ranging from $1,000–8,000...
Gannett Rolls Out Pay Cuts, Furloughs Across Newspapers
Daily Beast: One of the largest US newspaper companies announced furloughs and pay cuts across the company due to plummeting advertising revenue in the wake of the pandemic. In an email to staff, Gannett CEO Paul Bascobert said that the company will ask staff to make...
Times Publishing Cuts Print Frequency of Tampa Bay Times
Tampa Bay Times: The Tampa Bay Times says it will temporarily produce print editions only on Sundays and Wednesdays due to a steep drop in advertising because of the coronavirus pandemic. "Those are the days when circulation is biggest" The change starts April 6. Be a...
News Corp Opens Access to Online Newspapers in Australia
Sky News: News Corp Australia will give readers a free 28-day subscription for public access to premium content while the coronavirus forces many people into self-isolation. The offering will give readers access to digital news from the Daily Telegraph, Courier Mail,...
New York Times Journalist Details Personal Covid-19 Battle
New York Times: "On March 12 I got a fever that didn’t go away," writes Jeremy Egner, the television editor for the New York Times. "It hovered around 101 or 102 degrees for the next week, accompanied by severe fatigue and body aches. My office was already working...
Los Angeles Times Said to Reduce Number of Print Sections
@LAObserved: "LA Times cuts print sections, says 'most' advertisers have stopped. M-F: Main News and Business sections combined; California and Sports; and Calendar. Sundays: Main News and Business; California and Sports; Food; and Calendar and Arts & Books...
Group Nine Joins Digital Media Cutting Pay to Stem Losses
Digiday: Group Nine, publisher of Thrillist, The Dodo, Popsugar and others, announced on Monday that the executive leadership team is taking a pay cut of roughly 25% for the remainder of the year while CEO Ben Lerer will not be taking a salary for six months. Be a...
Disney Braces for ‘Unprecedented Pain’ from Coronavirus
Orange County Register: Disney theme parks in the United States face a potential $3.4 billion revenue loss due to the ongoing coronavirus closures at the Disneyland and Disney World resorts along with the economic recession projected to follow, warn analysts from...
ViacomCBS Eyes Cost Cuts, Drastic Measures Amid Crisis
Los Angeles Times: ViacomCBS is proving that it's a tough time to be the smallest major media company. The company alerted Wall Street analysts that it was abandoning its financial guidance for the year. "The impact of COVID-19 could be material to the company's...
Fox Corp Shakes Up News with Exit of Financial Chief, Host
The Wrap: Amy Listerman is stepping down as chief financial officer of Fox News Media and will be succeeded by Joe Dorrego. The news of Listerman's departure and Dorrego's new role came around the same time that Fox Business Network parted ways with on-air host Trish...
AT&T’s WarnerMedia Pledges $100 Million for Relief Efforts
Los Angeles Times: WarnerMedia has committed $100 million to help production crew whose livelihoods have been threatened by the coronavirus outbreak, said CEO John Stankey in a memo to staff. The disclosure comes as the pandemic has effectively brought Hollywood to a...
Comcast’s Roberts Family Gives $5 Million to Philly Schools
NBC10: Philadelphia students out of the classroom due to the coronavirus pandemic are getting access to virtual learning thanks to a $5-million donation from Comcast CEO Brian Roberts and his family. The gift of up to 50,000 Chromebook laptop computers will reach the...
ViacomCBS: Longtime CBS Newser Dies from Coronavirus
CBS News: CBS News is mourning the loss of Maria Mercader, a network veteran who covered breaking news for nearly three decades and, most recently, helped shape strategy for the network's correspondents and reporters. Mercader was 54 and died from coronavirus in a New...
Netflix Faces Possible Subscriber Losses as a ‘Non-Essential’
World Screen: In the near term, the coronavirus is expected to boost SVOD subscriptions. But as businesses shut down and individuals are laid off, consumers will be forced to make hard decisions about spending their money. Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ "are...
Quibi’s Short Videos Won’t Let Viewers Quarantine and Chill
Financial Times: Demand for online entertainment is soaring. But what use are "quick bite" five to 10-minute videos for people on the go when no one is going anywhere? In addition, isolated viewers stuck at home want escapism. Ten minutes may not be long enough. Be a...