Apple News+, LinkedIn, Morning Brew, The Washington Post, and others are increasingly turning to games and puzzles to retain subscribers and attract customers (Mike Isaac/New York Times)

Mediagazer: Apple News+, LinkedIn, Morning Brew, The Washington Post, and others are increasingly turning to games and puzzles to retain subscribers and attract customers (Mike Isaac/New York Times)

Top News:

New York Times:

Sources: Shari Redstone was irked that Skydance's revised Paramount terms reduced National Amusements' value from $2B to $1.7B, affecting her family's holdings— There were several hitches in the last week as Skydance, Paramount and its parent company, National Amusements, reached the final stages of negotiations.
Discussion:

Jessica Toonkel /
Wall Street Journal: Redstone's National Amusements Ends Deal Talks With Skydance

Callum Jones /
The Guardian: Paramount tycoon Shari Redstone pulls the plug on proposed Skydance merger

Alex Weprin /
The Hollywood Reporter: No Deal: Shari Redstone Ends Talks On Skydance Offer for Paramount Global

Ben Mullin /
@benmullin: How the Paramount deal died: Shari's lawyers emailed the special committee just as they were planning to vote — she was miffed that Skydance had lowered the value of National Amusements from $2 billion to $1.7 billion. W/@LaurenSHirsch $PARA https://www.nytimes.com/... [image]

Lucas Manfredi /
The Wrap: Paramount Special Committee Votes on Documentation of Skydance Deal

Erik Gruenwedel /
Media Play News: National Amusement's Shari Redstone Ends Acquisition Talks With Skydance Media

Meg James /
Los Angeles Times: Skydance talks for Paramount near finish line, but Redstone family decision looms

RELATED:

Wall Street Journal:

National Amusements ends talks with Skydance; sources: Shari Redstone will likely seek a sale of just National Amusements, without including Paramount directly— Redstone likely to pursue sale of National Amusements, the family company that controls Paramount, with other potential bidders

Discussion:

Todd Spangler /
Variety: Shari Redstone's National Amusements Says It Has Ended Talks With Skydance About Paramount Merger

Meg James /
@megjameslat: Paramount Global sale collapses after Shari Redstone pulls support for David Ellison's Skydance deal. Eleventh hour drama adds to the challenges facing media company. https://www.latimes.com/...

Julia Alexander /
@loudmouthjulia: This book is going to be so damn good. @richlightshed: @MattBelloni Hard position for a $PARA board member — if you vote for Skydance, even if you truly believe it creates superior long-term value, the near-term dilution ensures you will be spending a lot of time in Delaware Court [image]

Matthew Belloni /
@mattbelloni:

Tim Baysinger /
@tim_bays: Absolutely bonkers

Sahil Patel /
The Information: Shari Redstone's National Amusements Ends Sale Talks with David Ellison's Skydance

Anthony Pascale /
TrekMovie.com: Paramount/Skydance Deal Officially Dead; Yet Another Bidder Emerges

Phil Santiago /
@philthepill.wtf: Can't wait for Paramount to eventually be owned by the company behind Cuisinart. [embedded post]

Anthony D'Alessandro /
Deadline: David Ellison Thanks Skydance Team As Paramount Merger Talks End; Sets Sights On “Building A Next Generation Content Company On Our Terms”

Joe Flint /
@jbflint: Add another chapter! National Amusements ends slow dance with SkyDance from @jtoonkel

Lillian Rizzo /
CNBC: National Amusements stops discussions with Skydance on Paramount deal, sources say

Meg James /
Los Angeles Times: Paramount Global sale collapses after Shari Redstone pulls support for David Ellison deal

The Hollywood Reporter:

In an email to staff, Skydance CEO David Ellison acknowledges Paramount merger talks have ended, and says that Skydance is “stronger” because of the talks— “I have great respect for the legacy of Paramount, value our ongoing partnership and wish them the best,” he added in the note …

Discussion:
Deadline, Variety, Advanced Television, Financial Times, The Desk, New York Post, CBS News, Reuters, IndieWire, The Wrap and The Verge

Discussion:

Jill Goldsmith /
Deadline: Shari Redstone, Paramount End Merger Talks With Skydance As Two Sides Unable “To Reach Mutually Acceptable Terms”

Todd Spangler /
Variety: After Paramount Merger Talks Collapse, Skydance CEO David Ellison Tells Staff: ‘We Are Stronger Because of This Process’

Matthew Keys /
The Desk: Skydance Media merger with Paramount appears dead

Alexandra Steigrad /
New York Post: Shari Redstone kills Skydance bid for Paramount Global

Dawn Chmielewski /
Reuters: Shari Redstone ends talks with Skydance for Paramount merger, source says

Brian Welk /
IndieWire: Paramount-Skydance Isn't Happening — Shari Redstone just shut down what looked like a done deal.

Emma Roth /
The Verge: Paramount's rumored merger with Skydance is off

Washington Post:

The Baltimore Sun's union says the paper's new ownership has “tossed aside” ethical standards, reusing a below-standard Sinclair Broadcast Group story and more— “Ethical standards,” the Sun's union says, “have been tossed aside under new ownership.”

Discussion:
Popular Information, Washington-Baltimore …, @healthcarerenew, @jamieson, @strannik_reb45, @jamieson, @tvnuggetfinder, CNN and FTVLive

Discussion:
Popular Information: Sinclair injects deceptive attacks on Biden's age into dozens of local broadcasts @healthcarerenew:

Dave Jamieson /
@jamieson: Sinclair's David D. Smith bought The Sun earlier this year, bringing “more crime and conservatism” to the storied paper https://www.npr.org/... @strannik_reb45: The fact that the new Baltimore Sun owner has been putting nakedly partisan articles in the paper isn't exactly unexpected - no one would ever accuse Sinclair of respecting news ethics - but @WBNG32035 was right to call it out. https://wbng.org/...

Dave Jamieson /
@jamieson: Baltimore Sun Guild says in a statement that under new owners The Sun has been publishing articles from Sinclair without notifying Sun staffers. ‘We are concerned that the nature of the relationship between Sinclair and The Sun has not been made clear to us or to our readers.’ @tvnuggetfinder: Now that the evil Sinclair empire (@komonews in Seattle) owns the Baltimore Sun, it is forcing the paper to publish content from its Channel 45 there. The Guild is not happy! Nor should they be. Their demands: https://www.facebook.com/...

Chris Isidore /
CNN: UAW President Shawn Fain under investigation by federal monitor

Rolling Stone:

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito suggests partisan funding of ProPublica is to blame for its coverage of the court, in a secret recording at a recent dinner— In a new, secret recording, the Supreme Court justice suggests partisan funding is to blame for coverage of justices' undisclosed luxury gifts

Discussion:
The Daily Beast, @7im, @rollingstone, @eisingerj, @rollingstone, @markjacob16, @normornstein, @allysammarco@threads.net, @slackermom.bsky.social, @jstatepost@mstdn.social, @rollingstone, @eisingerj, Mediaite, @lawindsor, @justinelliott, @ernie.tedium.co, @macloo.bsky.social, @anatosaurus, @adamparkhomenko@threads.net, @JasonPerseus@mas.to, Boing Boing, Fox News, New Republic, NewsNation and New York Times

Discussion:

Steven Lubet /
The Daily Beast: Was Clarence Thomas Lying to Us Then or Now?

Tim Dickinson /
@7im: New audio: Alito lashes out at @propublica for its **checks notes... Pulitzer-prize winning ** coverage of Supreme Court corruption https://www.rollingstone.com/ ... @rollingstone: In a new recording, Justice Samuel Alito lashes out at the news organization ProPublica, describing their news coverage of the Supreme Court as driven by political animus, insisting: “They don't like our decisions.” EXCLUSIVE: https://www.rollingstone.com/ ... [image]

Jesse Eisinger /
@eisingerj: Read for yourself and see if ideological billionaires lavishing secret gifts to Supreme Court justices (for decades in Clarence Thomas' case) are just “any little thing”: https://www.propublica.org/...

@rollingstone:
Alito continued, “ProPublica gets a lot of money, and they have spent a fortune investigating Clarence Thomas, for example. You know, everything he's ever done in his entire life.” 🔗 https://www.rollingstone.com/ ... [image]

Mark Jacob /
@markjacob16: Clarence Thomas takes $4 million in gifts (much of it secretly) and his right-wing pal Alito rips ProPublica for investigating “any little thing they can find.” These people are shameless.

Norman Ornstein /
@normornstein: Corrupt to the core. Partisan hack. Unfit to wear any judicial robe.

Ally Sammarco /
@allysammarco@threads.net: New Audio: Alito Bashes ProPublica for Reporting on Supreme Court Ethics https://www.rollingstone.com/ ... @slackermom.bsky.social: I don't give a shit what this corrupt MAGA asshole thinks about media coverage. He needs to be impeached along with Thomas for corruption. [embedded post] @jstatepost@mstdn.social: @Mediagazer — 🥥 Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito is one bent mother redacted. 🥥

@rollingstone:
But Alito didn't stop there. He volunteered: “There are groups that are very well-funded by ideological groups that have spearheaded these attacks.” Asked to elaborate, Alito got specific. “ProPublica,” he said. More: https://www.rollingstone.com/ ... https://x.com/...

Jesse Eisinger /
@eisingerj: So everyone understands: -Donors get no say in which stories we do -Donors have no idea what stories we are working on -We hold any powerful actor accountable-left, right, Dem, GOP, or jus' plain greedy -We are rigorously fair. Nothing we reported was challenged for accuracy.

Tommy Christopher /
Mediaite: CAUGHT ON TAPE: Alito's Wife Made Jaw-Dropping Threats — Went On Anti-Pride Rant To Undercover Activist

Lauren Windsor /
@lawindsor: EXCLUSIVE UNDERCOVER AUDIO feat. the debut of my colleague @Ally_Sammarco: Alito v @ProPublica Justice Alito rants on ProPublica and minimizes Justice Thomas' extraordinary ethics breaches as “any little thing they can find” [video]

Justin Elliott /
@justinelliott: Our story on Justice Alito taking a luxury fishing vacation paid for in part by a hedge fund billionaire who later had cases at the court: https://www.propublica.org/...

Ernie Smith /
@ernie.tedium.co: Personally I trust ProPublica over ProSecretDinnerRantica [embedded post]

Mindy McAdams /
@macloo.bsky.social: The bent Justice thinks everyone else is bent too. [embedded post]

Anat Shenker-Osorio /
@anatosaurus: Who needs a Pulitzer when you can have this praise? Congrats @propublica. Can't imagine higher esteem than angering a man who is taking our freedoms and ruling for billionaires.

Adam Parkhomenko /
@adamparkhomenko@threads.net: ANOTHER Alito audio has dropped. This time featuring my better half @allysammarco: Justice Alito rants on ProPublica and minimizes Justice Thomas' extraordinary ethics breaches as “any little thing they can find”

Jason Perseus /
@JasonPerseus@mas.to: Upset he got caught, not because the underlying conduct makes him a corrupt piece of shit. — 🤷 ♂️ — Surprise! — https://www.rollingstone.com/ ... #uspol #politics #uspolitics #scotus #supremeCourt Boing Boing: Alito is even more radical than you think — Justice Alito isn't even pretending anymore. Fox News: ‘The View’ co-hosts say they're uncomfortable with Alito recordings, but concede someone has to ‘expose them’

Edith Olmsted /
New Republic: Alito's Wife Caught on Tape Spewing Venom at Everyone

New York Times:

Apple News+, LinkedIn, Morning Brew, The Washington Post, and others are increasingly turning to games and puzzles to retain subscribers and attract customers— What's a five-letter word for an activity that media and technology companies are increasingly relying on to gain subscribers and keep them coming back?

Discussion:
@katie_robertson

Mississippi Today:

Pulitzer-prize winning Mississippi Today appeals to the Mississippi Supreme Court following a lower court order to turn over documents amid a defamation suit— A judge ordered our newsroom to turn over privileged documents regarding our Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporting.

Discussion:
@stevenldoyle, Committee to Protect …, @freedomofpress and Poynter

Discussion:

Steven Doyle /
@stevenldoyle: So let me get this right: A former governor of Mississippi is suing the newspaper that won a @PulitzerPrizes for incredibly important work. The suit is NOT because he alleges something was wrong. He wants to know who said what to a reporter. Ridiculous. https://mississippitoday.org/ ... Committee to Protect Journalists: Pulitzer-winning Mississippi Today appeals order to turn over confidential source material @freedomofpress: The Mississippi Supreme Court must protect journalist-source confidentiality, so journalists can hold the government accountable. https://mississippitoday.org/ ...

Washington Post:

Sources: Jeff Bezos has been closely engaged with Will Lewis, as the WaPo's new publisher developed the plan to create a “third newsroom” for new audiences— Critics raise concerns about the values of a new team of executives. Meanwhile, the business woes are real. What does Jeff Bezos want?

Discussion:
New Republic, @ashleyrparker, @farhip, @washingtonpost, @farhip, @elaheizadi and Poynter

Discussion:

Ellie Quinlan Houghtaling /
New Republic: U.S. Journalism Is Turning to an Unlikely Savior. Will It Work?

Ashley Parker /
@ashleyrparker: Instead of all the breathless reporting, read this from @ElaheIzadi + @sarahellison on the current situation at The Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ... 🧵(1/2)

Paul Farhi /
@farhip: It's a credit to the Post's management that stories like this appear in the Post. No burying the bad news. @washingtonpost: Critics question the values of William Lewis and a new team of Washington Post executives. Meanwhile, the business woes are real. What Jeff Bezos wants from and for The Post has remained the compelling question through a week of internal turmoil. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...

Paul Farhi /
@farhip: Another great story about the ⁦@washingtonpost⁩ 's travails by ⁦@ElaheIzadi⁩ and ⁦@sarahellison⁩, this one summarizing the current state of play. Almost everything worth knowing is right here. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...

Elahe Izadi /
@elaheizadi: “The Post at a crossroads: Existential questions in a dire season for news” https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ... Our latest story takes a look at this moment for The Washington Post. With @sarahellison

The Boston Globe:

Current and former staff at Boston public media outlet GBH criticize top salaries after 31 people were laid off; nine execs earned $300K+ in base pay in 2023— When GBH laid off nearly three dozen workers last month, chief executive Susan Goldberg cited flat revenue and rising costs that left …

Discussion:
@dankennedy_nu, @chipgoines, @aidanfitzryan, Inside Radio and Radio Ink

Discussion:

Dan Kennedy /
@dankennedy_nu: While @GBH was laying off 31, the high salaries of 16 top execs were left untouched. Top-paid host Jim Braude, who makes $345k, tells @aidanfitzryan: “We all would've been willing to take pay cuts to save costs if we had been asked.” #journalism #boston https://www.bostonglobe.com/ ...

Chip Goines /
@chipgoines: For an apples-to-watermelons comparison, I looked up how many @boston_police officers made over $300k last year. There's 50 officers (Commissioner Cox is under the threshold by 4 cents) making that much and many still earning over $250k. #bospoli https://www.bostonglobe.com/ ...

Aidan Ryan /
@aidanfitzryan: Following cuts at GBH, employees have pointed out the pay gap between execs and rank-and-file staff, many of whom were among the 31 workers laid off. I dug into tax filings and spoke to employees about pay at GBH and in public media more broadly https://www.bostonglobe.com/ ...

Adweek:

Comscore: Roku is the most popular CTV OS by time spent, with 49% of the total market, and The Roku Channel is most popular FAST service by total hours— Roku leads Pluto TV and Tubi among free, ad-supported TV streamers — A new report from measurement firm Comscore has shed light …

Discussion:

Mark Stenberg /
Mark Stenberg on LinkedIn: New: A new Comscore, Inc. report found that The Roku Channel is the most popular FAST service, topping competitors like Tubi and Pluto. …

Sal Candela /
Sal Candela on LinkedIn: New Comscore, Inc. data sheds light on Roku's position as the leader in the streaming television landscape 📺, with over 80M households tuning in monthly, we are the ‘lead-in’ to streaming... …

David Eilenberg /
David Eilenberg on LinkedIn: Celebrating a terrific milestone for all of us here at Roku! Thrilled to be able to provide so many top-quality entertainment options to our viewers for free. …

Sydney Morning Herald:

Sources: News Corp Australia plans to cut up to 40% of its sales workforce, or about 80 roles, amid its ongoing restructuring— News Corp Australia will make up to 40 per cent of its sales workforce redundant, while editorial staff await their fate amid the media company's most significant restructure in more than a decade.

Discussion:
Crikey

Discussion:

Bloomberg:

Docs and sources detail how Russian operative Artem Kureyev helped run influence operations in Europe for years, including contacting journalists about Ukraine— - Agent had frequent contacts with journalists about Ukraine — US and EU are stepping up efforts to combat disinformation

Discussion:
Semafor, @GaryRLundberg@newsie.social, @KimPerales@toad.social and @rvps2001@mastodon.social

Discussion:

Marta Biino /
Semafor: Europe's right-wing rally could have unexpected implications for China and Russia

GaryRLundberg /
@GaryRLundberg@newsie.social: I hope this story gets picked up widely. — How a Russian Operative Worked to Shape Moscow's Story in Europe — “Artem Kureyev, identified as a Russian Federal Security Service agent in an Estonian court case in 2022, has had frequent contacts with at least half a dozen European journalists …

Kim Perales /
@KimPerales@toad.social: #Putin is succeeding, he knows how to recruit & the inducement to capture them (some US assets may have been bought cheaply). — Kureyev, an FSB agent, has had frequent contacts with at least half a dozen European journalists, covered travel costs for some of them to visit occupied territories in #Ukraine *appears to have offered to pay for planted articles. … @rvps2001@mastodon.social: 🇷🇺 🇪🇺 A Russian intelligence operative who's leading a Kremlin disinformation campaign in Africa has helped run influence operations in #Europe for years, according to documents seen by Bloomberg and government officials familiar with the matter. — https://www.bloomberg.com/... …