Interfax: Russia's FSB files criminal charges against a DW reporter and a journalist for Ukraine's 1+1 TV channel for illegally crossing the border into Kursk (The Moscow Times)

Mediagazer: Interfax: Russia's FSB files criminal charges against a DW reporter and a journalist for Ukraine's 1+1 TV channel for illegally crossing the border into Kursk (The Moscow Times)

Top News:

New York Times:

Edgar Bronfman Jr. drops his 11th-hour bid to take control of Paramount and buy National Amusements; sources: Bronfman couldn't offer proof of financing in time— Mr. Bronfman has frantically put a bid together over the last week even as Paramount raised questions about his financing.
Discussion: The Guardian, Financial Times, Bloomberg, CBS News, Broadband TV News, Business Insider, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters, Cord Cutters News, @benmullin, Variety, @benmullin, @royprice, @sarafischer, The Wrap, Screen, The Desk, Wall Street Journal, Deadline, @mediaevan, @oliverdarcy@threads.net, Axios, @beckyquick, TVNewsCheck and Media Play News

Discussion:

Kalyeena Makortoff /
The Guardian: Path clears for Paramount merger with Skydance after Bronfman drops bid

Anna Nicolaou /
Financial Times: Edgar Bronfman Jr abandons $6bn Paramount bid

Hannah Miller /
Bloomberg: Edgar Bronfman Drops Out of Bidding War for Paramount Global

Robert Briel /
Broadband TV News: Edgar Bronfman withdraws bid for Paramount

Shubhangi Goel /
Business Insider: Edgar Bronfman drops his $6 billion Paramount bid

Zoe G. Phillips /
The Hollywood Reporter: Edgar Bronfman Drops Paramount Bid

Dawn Chmielewski /
Reuters: Media exec Bronfman pulls out of race to acquire Paramount

Luke Bouma /
Cord Cutters News: SOLD Pluto TV & Paramount+ Have Been Sold to Skydance As All Other Bidders Drop Out

Cynthia Littleton /
Variety: Paramount Global Closes Door on ‘Go-Shop’ Period as Edgar Bronfman Jr. Drops Last-Minute Bid for Studio

Ben Mullin /
@benmullin: 🚨 statement from Edgar Bronfman Jr. 🚨 story here w/@LaurenSHirsch: https://www.nytimes.com/... [image]

Roy Price /
@royprice: Congratulations to the Ellisons and Redbird. Time for Paramount to move ahead. Their first project can be a miniseries based on the sale process!

Sara Fischer /
@sarafischer: That was a wild ride ... Edgar Bronfman Jr. dropping his bid for @paramountco / NAI after 11th hour Hail Mary. Statement below: [image] The Wrap: Edgar Bronfman Jr. Drops Out of Paramount Bidding Process, Leaving Skydance as Winner of Hollywood Studio

Jeremy Kay /
Screen: Edgar Bronfman Jr. withdraws Paramount Global offer, paving way for Skydance Media

Lauren Thomas /
Wall Street Journal: Edgar Bronfman Drops Bid for Paramount, Paving Way for Skydance Deal

Evan DeSimone /
@mediaevan: Welp, that was fun for a minute. https://www.nytimes.com/...

Oliver Darcy /
@oliverdarcy@threads.net: News: Edgar Bronfman Jr. backs out of bid to acquire Paramount: “Tonight, our bidding group informed the special committee that we will be exiting the go-shop process. It was a privilege to have the opportunity to participate.”

Sara Fischer /
Axios: Edgar Bronfman Jr. drops bid for Paramount

Becky Quick /
@beckyquick: BREAKING NEWS: Edgar Bronfman Jr. is dropping out of the bidding for Paramount. $PARA Statement from him tonight: “Tonight, our bidding group informed the special committee that we will be exiting the go-shop process. It was a privilege to have the opportunity to participate. We

Erik Gruenwedel /
Media Play News: Edgar Bronfman Jr. Drops $6 Billion Bid to Acquire Paramount Global

RELATED:
Bloomberg:

Sources: Paramount is moving ahead with asset disposals, including a potential sale of 12 TV stations that it considers non-core, which could fetch $500M to $1B— - Independent stations could fetch $500 million to $1 billion — Paramount remains the subject of an ongoing takeover saga

Discussion:
The Desk, Cord Cutters News, @matthewkeyslive, The Wrap and @michellef_davis

Discussion:

Matthew Keys /
The Desk: Paramount hires bank to weigh sale of non-core TV stations

Matthew Keys /
@matthewkeyslive: Paramount has hired an investment bank to consider selling 12 independent and low-power TV stations, including outlets in San Francisco, Seattle, Indianapolis, Tampa, Philadelphia, New York City, Boston and Detroit https://thedesk.net/... $PARA

Lucas Manfredi /
The Wrap: Paramount Exploring Sale of 12 Local TV Stations | Report

Michelle F. Davis /
@michellef_davis: scooplet: Paramount has hired a bank to help it find buyer(s) for a dozen independent TV stations, some which used to be The CW Network affiliates. The potential sale is part of a plan to dispose of noncore assets to raise cash. story with @chrispalmeri https://www.bloomberg.com/...

Reuters:

Reuters says a strike on a hotel in eastern Ukraine killed Ryan Evans, who was a safety adviser for the agency, and two journalists were hospitalized— Ryan Evans, a member of the Reuters team covering the war in Ukraine, was killed and two Reuters journalists were injured in a strike …

Discussion:
Reuters, Washington Post, Press Gazette, @mjluxmoore, @nsc_spox, pravda.com.ua, Byline Times, BBC, Committee to Protect …, London Evening Standard, @zelenskyyua, @tggrove, Reporters Without Borders, Al Jazeera, TVNewsCheck, @reuterszengerle, New York Post, @beaking_news, @christopherjm, @kyivindependent_official …, Deadline, @marikakatanuma, @williamsjon, Associated Press, The Wrap, @w7voa@journa.host, Voice of America, CBS News, Financial Times, Metro.co.uk, Bloomberg and Talking Biz News

Discussion:

Rachel Armstrong /
Reuters: Reuters journalist in critical condition after strike on Ukraine's Kramatorsk

Rachel Pannett /
Washington Post: Reuters safety adviser killed, journalists injured in hotel strike in Ukraine Press Gazette: Journalists under attack in Ukraine: Reuters security adviser killed and journalists injured

Matthew Luxmoore /
@mjluxmoore: Another Russian strike on a Ukrainian hotel used by journalists covering the war - that's 2 in a week & at least 5 in recent months. A Reuters security advisor died this week in a missile attack on a Kramatorsk hotel. Today's scenes in Krivyi Rih, where at least 2 people died [image]

Sean Savett /
@nsc_spox: Over the weekend, Russia attacked a hotel in Ukraine in a missile strike, injuring multiple journalists and killing one. We condemn this attack in the strongest of terms and extend our deepest condolences to @Reuters on the loss of one of their own. https://www.reuters.com/...

Mel Frykberg /
Byline Times: Israel Accused of Killing Palestinian Journalists in ‘Unprecedented Numbers and Targeting Their Families’

Nick Beake /
BBC: Reuters journalist missing after strike in Ukraine Committee to Protect Journalists: Reuters safety adviser killed, three journalists injured in Ukraine

David Hughes /
London Evening Standard: Lammy ‘saddened’ by death of Briton working as Reuters safety adviser in Ukraine @zelenskyyua: Today in Kramatorsk, the entire day was spent clearing the rubble after a Russian missile strike. Among the injured were journalists - a Reuters film crew, citizens of Ukraine, America, and Britain. A regular city hotel was destroyed by a Russian “Iskander” missile. Deliberately. [video]

Thomas Grove /
@tggrove: What's heartbreaking is that the many people who help us gather the news are rarely recognized, even while putting themselves in harm's way. So sorry to hear this. Reporters Without Borders: Ukraine: RSF condemns Russian attack leaving two Reuters staff injured and one killed

Patricia Zengerle /
@reuterszengerle: Aug 25 (Reuters) - Ryan Evans, a member of the Reuters team covering the war in Ukraine, was killed and two Reuters journalists were injured in a strike on a hotel in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk, the news agency said on Sunday. [image]

Nick Beake /
@beaking_news: Many condolences to the family and colleagues of Ryan Evans - the British man killed in a missile strike in Ukraine last night. He was a safety advisor for Reuters, doing invaluable work looking after his team of journalists. https://www.bbc.com/...

Christopher Miller /
@christopherjm: An unfortunate update to this story: The office of the prosecutor-general of Ukraine said on Sunday evening that the body of a UK citizen had been recovered from the debris of the hotel. I understand this person was a Reuters security advisor. Awful news. Thoughts with his family @kyivindependent_official@threads.net: ⚡️UPDATE: Reuters safety adviser killed, 6 others injured in Kramatorsk strike. Ryan Evans, a member of the Reuters team reporting on the war in Ukraine, was killed, and two other Reuters journalists were injured in a Russian missile strike on Kramatorsk that occurred late at night on Aug. 24, the news agency said.

Caroline Frost /
Deadline: Reuters Team Member Missing, Two In Hospital, After Strike On Hotel In Ukraine

Marika Katanuma /
@marikakatanuma: > The journalists, ages 38 and 40 years, suffered concussion, broken limbs, cuts and other wounds, Ukrainian officials said. The third is missing in debris as search efforts continue.

Jon Williams /
@williamsjon: Dreadful news: thoughts with friends @Reuters after missile hits hotel in eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk - one of team missing, two others hospitalised. Reminder, if needed, of terrible toll 2024 taking on journalists - from #Gaza to #Ukraine & beyond. #protectjournalists Associated Press: Russian missile strike on hotel in eastern Ukraine kills British safety advisor embedded with journalists

Steve Herman /
@w7voa@journa.host: Update: The body of Reuters safety advisor Ryan Evans has been found under the rubble of the Hotel Sapfir in Kramatorsk. — [image]

Christopher Miller /
Financial Times: Reuters team member killed in Russian missile attack on Ukraine hotel

Kateryna Chursina /
Bloomberg: Reuters Journalists Wounded in Russian Strike on Kramatorsk

Chris Roush /
Talking Biz News: Reuters staffer missing in Ukraine after strike

Politico:

Sources: the Harris-Trump negotiations for the ABC debate on September 10 have hit an impasse; the Harris campaign says they want open mics during the debate— With help from Eli Okun, Garrett Ross and Bethany Irvine — DRIVING THE DAY — SCOOP: IS THIS THING ON?

Discussion:
Washington Post, Fox News, Mediaite, The Hill, Poynter, emptywheel, @nbcpolitics, CNN, @brianefallon, HuffPost, KVUE-TV, @katesullivandc, The Guardian, Raw Story, @yair_rosenberg, Black America Web, @tommyxtopher, Vanity Fair, New Republic, @blueboxdave, @vincecoglianese, Fortune, The Daily Beast, Rolling Stone, New Jersey Online, @scarylawyerguy, @keithboykin, Mother Jones, @kneerecon, @selinawangtv, @kaitlancollins, @maxkennerly, @selinawangtv, Deadline, @skylerforny, New York Post, @metzgov, @sahilkapur, New York Times, @samstein, @eugenedaniels2, @justinbaragona, The Wrap, CBS News, @brianefallon, Al Jazeera and Forbes

Discussion:

Marianne LeVine /
Washington Post: Trump suggests he might skip ABC debate with Harris Fox News: Kamala Harris touted as centrist candidate by media after DNC: ‘Sounded a little bit more like’ Reagan

Tommy Christopher /
Mediaite: CNN Anchor Amused At Kamala Harris Poultry-Themed Trump Debate Dis @nbcpolitics: .@jake__traylor: “Would you want the microphones muted in the debate whenever you're not speaking?” Donald Trump: “We agreed to the same rules. I don't know, doesn't matter to me. ... The agreement was that it would be the same as it was last time. In that case, it was muted.” [video]

Brian Fallon /
@brianefallon: Trump should honor his commitment to debate VP Harris on ABC on Sept 10 and he should reject his handlers' attempts to muzzle him via a muted microphone. The VP is ready to debate Trump live and uncensored. Trump should stop hiding behind the mute button https://www.politico.com/...

Kate Sullivan /
@katesullivandc: Trump tells @jake__traylor he'd rather keep the mics on during the debate despite his campaign pushing to keep the same rules as the last debate when mics were muted except when it was the candidate's turn to speak. “Doesn't matter to me, I'd rather have it probably on.”

Richard Luscombe /
The Guardian: Donald Trump threatens to pull out of 10 September presidential debate

Yair Rosenberg /
@yair_rosenberg: The Harris team wanting to unmute Trump's debate mic so he can interrupt her suggests they may have finally learned the lesson liberals until now have not: the key to beating Trump is not muzzling him, but letting voters hear him unfiltered so they remember why they dislike him.

Zack Linly /
Black America Web: Kamala Harris Campaign Wants To Keep Trump Debate Mics On At All Times Amid Allegations He's Scared To Face Her @tommyxtopher: CNN's Kaitlan Collins Says Trump Really Doesn't Want To Debate Kamala Harris — Trump Sources Tell Her He's ‘Struggling’ https://mediaite.com/a/bxldj via @mediaite [video]

Ellie Quinlan Houghtaling /
New Republic: Panicking Trump Scrambles for New Reason Not to Debate Harris

David Marcus /
@blueboxdave: I guess, what's the difference who the candidate is, is out the window now. “The rules for the CNN debate were never agreed to by Harris' campaign; they happened when Biden was still the candidate.” https://www.politico.com/...

Vince Coglianese /
@vincecoglianese: I'm for open mics, but it's pretty obvious the Kamala camp is pining for another “I'm speaking” moment — a quick hack to secure corporate media headlines

Stephanie Lai /
Fortune: Harris campaign says Trump's team is afraid to let him debate without mute button

Clay Walker /
The Daily Beast: Don't Silence Me! Trump ‘On Steroids’ Fights With Aides Over Debate Mics

Nikki McCann Ramirez /
Rolling Stone: Trump Hints He May Ditch Debate as Rules Negotiations Stall @scarylawyerguy: Harris's team probably wants the mics to be open b/c it was clear from the Trump/Biden debate that the moderators let Trump lie continually w/o fact checking him and she's going to need to do that b/c reporters refuse to, in addition to making her own case for election.

Keith Boykin /
@keithboykin: I don't think Trump wants to debate Kamala Harris, but I think he will. He craves attention, and he's not getting it. The debate over debates gives him some attention, and the debate, itself, gives him a much needed audience as his campaign loses steam. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...

Julianne McShane /
Mother Jones: Trump's Campaign Sure Doesn't Seem to Want People to Hear Him at the Debate

Karl Rosenfeld /
@kneerecon: Trump now suggests he may back out of Harris debate. Says he doesn't trust ABC hosts. Maybe the people he's practicing with are too tough on him. Or, more likely, our orange laden strongman is concerned that a Black woman will ‘light’ him up.

Selina Wang /
@selinawangtv: Harris campaign: “We suspect Trump's team has not even told their boss about this dispute because it would be too embarrassing to admit they don't think he can handle himself against Vice President Harris without the benefit of a mute button”

Kaitlan Collins /
@kaitlancollins: Trump's post about “staying tuned” for the ABC debate isn't a huge surprise to those around him given how he's been talking about it privately.

Max Kennerly /
@maxkennerly: Sometimes I wonder if Trump is trying to look afraid of debating Harris because that will lower expectations for his performance at the debate, which will inevitably be an old angry dude with a bad brain ranting about nonsense.

Selina Wang /
@selinawangtv: Harris campaign says they want mics hot during the entire ABC News debate on Sept 10, adding “Our understanding is that Trump's handlers prefer the muted microphone because they don't think their candidate can act presidential for 90 minutes on his own”

Ted Johnson /
Deadline: “Stop Hiding Behind The Mute Button”: Kamala Harris' Campaign In Debate Dispute With Trump Campaign Over Shutting Off Mics

Skyler Johnson /
@skylerforny: Wow. Trump's own people do not trust that he can stay quiet while Kamala Harris is speaking. Why are they afraid of the American people hearing what their candidate really thinks?

Josh Christenson /
New York Post: Trump takes up Harris campaign's dare to debate without ‘muted microphones’

Bryan Metzger /
@metzgov: I think the specifics of who's reneging on what are less significant than the fact that Harris's campaign thinks having Trump unmuted will benefit her, while Biden's campaign did not think that.

Sahil Kapur /
@sahilkapur: 👀 New post from Donald Trump attacking ABC and raising the prospect of backing out of the Sept. 10 presidential debate that he agreed to: “why would I do the Debate against Kamala Harris on that network?” He ends it with a “Stay tuned” [image]

Matthew Cullen /
New York Times: Harris and Trump Squabbled Over Debate Rules

Sam Stein /
@samstein: Harris camp argued Trump was reneging on the debate deal when he initially backed out of the debate he and Biden agreed to. Now Harris camp is trying to change the specifics of that deal by saying there should be no mic cut off. And the argument is, they were never party to

Eugene Daniels /
@eugenedaniels2: FIRST IN PB: Negotiations over the Harris-Trump debate have hit a speed bump over ... A muted mic. The Trump camp wants the CNN rules while the Harris folks want them to be open the whole time just in case he has “an intemperate outburst.” Deets 👇🏾👇🏾 👇🏾 https://www.politico.com/...

Justin Baragona /
@justinbaragona: So definitely looks like Trump is laying the groundwork to pull out of the ABC News debate. [image]

Natalie Korach /
The Wrap: Kamala Harris and Donald Trump Tussle Over Muted Microphones at ABC News Debate

Brian Fallon /
@brianefallon: Trump said unmuting the mics “doesn't matter to me.” Always suspected it was something his staff wanted, not him personally. With this resolved, everything is now set for Sept 10th.

Siladitya Ray /
Forbes: Trump Signals He May Skip ABC News Debate After Bashing Network

The Verge:

Gannett is shutting down its product reviews site Reviewed, sources say on November 1; staff previously accused Gannett of publishing AI-generated reviews— Newspaper giant Gannett is shutting down Reviewed, its product reviews site, effective November 1st, according to sources familiar with the decision.

Discussion:
@jeremymbarr, @ckrewson, @andyorin, Dan Ackerman on LinkedIn, Marshall Nyman on LinkedIn, @danack@threads.net, @miarsato, @loudmouthjulia, NewsGuild of New York, @jaronschneider@threads.net, The Overspill, @daveleebbg@threads.net, @baekdal, @loudmouthjulia, @michaelbishop.me, @thomasgermain and @jhilburg, more at Techmeme »

Discussion:

Jeremy Barr /
@jeremymbarr: News: Gannett has decided to shutter its Wirecutter-like reviews operation, Reviewed. “Google's constant algorithm changes have degraded our current business model, and our ability to operate Reviewed effectively,” a Gannett exec says in a memo. Employees will be “impacted.”

Chris Krewson /
@ckrewson: (In 2023) Michael E. Reed made $3,862,232 in total compensation. https://www1.salary.com/.... But yeah, the algorithm.

Dan Ackerman /
Dan Ackerman on LinkedIn: Shocked to hear that that Reviewed.com from Gannett is shutting down. Like so many others, they got saddled with some weird third-party and/or AI content …

Marshall Nyman /
Marshall Nyman on LinkedIn: This is some very big news that Reviewed is being totally shut down. Google algorithm changes and the FTCs recent ruling on fake reviews likely had an impact on the decision. …

Dan Ackerman /
@danack@threads.net: Shocked that http://reviewed.com/ from Gannett is shutting down. Like so many others, they got saddled with weird third-party AI content, but there were also good hands-on reviews of things that very few outlets can really handle, like refrigerators. https://www.theverge.com/...

Mia Sato /
@miarsato: Scoop: Gannett is shuttering Reviewed, the product reviews site that staff said published AI-generated articles last year. The unionized employees were critical of the content, which was produced by a third party marketing firm. https://www.theverge.com/...

Julia Alexander /
@loudmouthjulia: Reviews, which Google Overview AI/Perplexity/Chat GPT can summarize as “pros and cons” lists directly within their search engines, is a perfect example of the coverage most in danger of being bulldozed via article lifting. Especially if you don't have an NYT audience of 10M subs. NewsGuild of New York: STATEMENT: THE NEWSGUILD OF NEW YORK RESPONDS TO GANNETT SHUTDOWN OF REVIEWED.COM

Jaron Schneider /
@jaronschneider@threads.net: This fucking sucks. This was a good publication with great people and solid integrity ruined by a shitty publisher.

Charlesarthur /
The Overspill: Start Up No.2276: Gannett shuts AI-inflected review site, ChatGPT v author, Finland's pine deaths, science's killer fraud, and more

Thomas Baekdal /
@baekdal: It's always sad when a publisher site closes, but if they were indeed using AI, I'm really happy to see it go. AI's can't, by definition review products. It just pretends to, so any publisher doing this is an offense against everything journalism stands for.

Julia Alexander /
@loudmouthjulia: Summaries won't carry context or nuance of a professional reviewer's article, but it's just good enough for someone who wants a top line breakdown. It's what happens when the first link on Google is replaced by Google. Publishers should band together, demand, and fight for $$$$.

Michael Bishop /
@michaelbishop.me: AI slop not profitable, news at 11 [embedded post]

Thomas Germain /
@thomasgermain: Everyday is a reminder that Google has *unilateral* authority to decide whether most online businesses live or die. If your business model doesn't align with Google's ever-shifting algorithm, kiss your job goodbye

Jonathan Hanukkahburg /
@jhilburg: Lol just found out they're dissolving the company and I'm unemployed as of November 1st

Ars Technica:

A US district judge orders Missouri's AG to halt his probe into Media Matters' November 2023 report on X ads, after a similar order against Texas' AG in April— Judge: Missouri AG's actions chill speech about extremist content on Musk's X. — A federal judge ordered Missouri's attorney general …

Discussion:

Justin Baragona /
@justinbaragona: Media Matters president Angelo Carusone released the following statement after a federal judge blocked Missouri AG Andrew Bailey's Elon-inspired retaliatory “investigation” into MMFA: [image] @arstechnica@mastodon.social: Missouri AG's legal war against Media Matters shot down by federal judge — Judge: Missouri AG's actions chill speech about extremist content on Musk's X. — https://arstechnica.com/... [image] @thedailybeast: A federal judge on Monday ordered Missouri's attorney general to stand down on an investigation into Media Matters for America launched in the wake of a lawsuit filed against the progressive watchdog last year by X owner Elon Musk. https://www.thedailybeast.com/ ... US District Court for the District of Columbia: Media Matters For America, et al. v. Andrew Bailey, AG of the State of Missouri, et al.

AJ McDougall /
The Daily Beast: Judge Kills Missouri AG's Elon Musk-Inspired War Against Media Matters

Eugene Volokh /
Reason: Judge Preliminarily Blocks Missouri AG's Enforcement of AG's Investigative Demand Against Media Matters

Mike Masnick /
Techdirt: Judge Blocks Missouri AG's Elon-Inspired Censorial Vindictive ‘Investigation’ Into Media Matters

Ted Johnson /
Deadline: Judge Halts Missouri AG's Elon Musk-Triggered Investigation Of Media Matters

Kurt Erickson /
St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Judge halts Missouri attorney general's probe of media advocacy group Media Matters for America: Media Matters statement on winning injunction against Missouri AG Andrew Bailey in federal court @chrisgeidner: NEWS: Missouri AG Bailey's little-brother-to-Texas attempt to go after Media Matters was shut down for now earlier today, as Judge Mehta (Obama appointee) issued a preliminary injunction blocking the investigation: https://storage.courtlistener.com/ ...

Angelo Carusone /
@goangelo: Media Matters won our lawsuit against Missouri AG Andrew Bailey. Bailey (at Musk's encouragement) launched an investigation into Media Matters. We sued asking court to bar him from proceeding; court just granted our injunction. We won similar case against Paxton in April.

Matthew Chapman /
Raw Story: Republican AG smacked down by judge for trying to silence journalists

Wall Street Journal:

In a letter to Rep. Jim Jordan, Mark Zuckerberg says he regrets Meta wasn't more outspoken about Biden administration pressure to restrict some COVID-19 content— Meta CEO also says he won't repeat 2020 efforts to fund local elections, which Republicans criticized as ‘Zuckerbucks’

Discussion:
Financial Times, @judiciarygop, ComingSoon.net, Fortune, Raw Story, Silicon Republic, @stevesi, @joshuasteinman, @nicoperrino, @loganclarkhall, @geoffmanne, @nic__carter, @richardgrenell, @nicksortor, Social Media Today, @mdbreathe, New York Post, @realalexjones, @pattyisright, The Daily Beast, @johnny_joey, @judiciarygop, Politico, @chrispavlovski, @jeffereyjaxen, BGR, Bloomberg, Reclaim The Net, Mediaite, @shaunmmaguire, @mtaibbi, The Hill and Semafor, more at Techmeme »

Discussion:

Hannah Murphy /
Financial Times: Mark Zuckerberg says White House pressured Meta over Covid-19 content @judiciarygop: Mark Zuckerberg just admitted three things: 1. Biden-Harris Admin “pressured” Facebook to censor Americans. 2. Facebook censored Americans. 3. Facebook throttled the Hunter Biden laptop story. Big win for free speech. [image]

Disheeta Maheshwari /
ComingSoon.net: What Did Mark Zuckerberg's Letter Say About the Biden-Harris Administration?

Eleanor Pringle /
Fortune: Zuckerberg blasts Biden administration for pressuring Meta to censor COVID content

Leigh Mc Gowran /
Silicon Republic: Zuckerberg says US pressured Meta to censor Covid-19 content

Steven Sinofsky /
@stevesi: Saying any of these happened was determined to be misinformation. This shows the limits of such policing or even criticizing.

Joshua Steinman /
@joshuasteinman: Zuck has access to a real-time global human sentiment machine. If you think he's coming clean about what Kamala & co have been doing just for the sake of doing the right thing, you aren't paying attention. He knows what's coming.

Nico Perrino /
@nicoperrino: In which Mark Zuckerberg says the feds “repeatedly pressured our teams for months to censor certain COVID-19 content, including humor and satire ... I believe the government pressure was wrong, and I regret that we were not more outspoken about it.”

Logan Hall /
@loganclarkhall: oops sorry we accidentally rigged the election and installed a senile vegetable to the highest office in the world ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Geoffrey Manne /
@geoffmanne: We already knew this, but before it was inferred from documents; now it's confirmed. I'm not even sure the WH denied it — I think they said it was justified. Regardless, it's a good reminder that, yeah, the gov't absolutely does (unconstitutionally) censor speech it doesn't like. [image]

Richard Grenell /
@richardgrenell: . @facebook should face serious consequences for this.

Nick Sortor /
@nicksortor: 🚨 JUST IN: Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg says he “regrets” censoring information on behalf of the Biden Harris regime It's a little late for that, Zuck. Meta and Zuckerberg should be held accountable for interfering in our elections. DON'T LET THEM OFF THE HOOK! They KNEW what [image]

Andrew Hutchinson /
Social Media Today: Zuckerberg Raises Questions Over Government Suppression Requests

Mary Talley Bowden MD /
@mdbreathe: “Mea culpa” doesn't cut it. Put this man in prison.

Victor Nava /
New York Post: Zuckerberg admits Biden admin pressured Facebook to censor COVID content, says it was wrong to suppress The Post's Hunter laptop coverage

Alex Jones /
@realalexjones: JUST IN - Zuckerberg regrets working with the Biden-Harris administration to censor Covid era information online. The rats are fleeing the sinking ship. This is huge. Humanity is turning the tide! https://x.com/...

AJ McDougall /
The Daily Beast: Zuckerberg Says Meta Was ‘Pressured’ by Biden to Censor COVID Content

Joey Jones /
@johnny_joey: The letter is a win for the campaign trail if Republicans can use it correctly.

@judiciarygop:
Mark Zuckerberg also tells the Judiciary Committee that he won't spend money this election cycle. That's right, no more Zuck-bucks. Huge win for election integrity.

Chris Pavlovski /
@chrispavlovski: This is explosive and damning. In 2021 during Covid, Rumble told the media to pound sand, we told tech companies threatening to cancel us to pound sound, we did not fold, and we had balls of steel. Meta had no balls.

Jefferey Jaxen /
@jeffereyjaxen: Admitted censorship of this scale should garner steeper legal, financial and/or regulatory penalties. “I regret we were not more outspoken about it” is NOT enough from Zuckerberg/Meta

Andy Meek /
BGR: Mark Zuckerberg now says Meta shouldn't have complied with White House Covid censorship requests

Dan Frieth /
Reclaim The Net: Mark Zuckerberg Confirms Biden Administration Pressured Facebook on Censorship, Admits to Throttling Hunter Biden Story

Charlie Nash /
Mediaite: Mark Zuckerberg Says Biden Admin ‘Repeatedly Pressured’ Facebook To ‘Censor’ Content, ‘Including Humor and Satire’

Matt Taibbi /
@mtaibbi: MARK ZUCKERBERG DETAILS GOVERNMENT PRESSURE TO “CENSOR” “In 2021, senior officials from the Biden administration, including the White House, repeatedly pressured our teams for months to censor certain COVID-19 content, including humor and satire...”

Julia Shapero /
The Hill: Zuckerberg says he regrets not being more outspoken about ‘government pressure’

Tom Chivers /
Semafor: Zuckerberg says Biden administration ‘pressured’ Meta to censor COVID-19 content

Financial Times:

How Mexico became one of the world's most dangerous countries for journalism, as crime groups grow and President López Obrador fuels hostility towards reporters— Crime groups collude with local authorities as leftist leader López Obrador fuels hostile environment for reporters

Discussion:
@gideonrachman, Voice of America, Washington Post and European Federation …

Discussion:

Gideon Rachman /
@gideonrachman: Excellent, alarming piece by @chrissiemurray The courage of journalists in dangerous parts of the world is pretty humbling for those of us lucky enough to work in safe democracies https://www.ft.com/... via @ft Voice of America: Crime in Mexico's most dangerous states can be fatal — for the reporters covering it, that is. The country's federal safety net isn't always enough to help.

The Moscow Times:

Interfax: Russia's FSB files criminal charges against a DW reporter and a journalist for Ukraine's 1+1 TV channel for illegally crossing the border into Kursk— Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said Tuesday that it has filed criminal charges against a Deutsche Welle reporter …

Discussion:
Agence France-Presse, Deutsche Welle, @cforcd, @rsf_inter, Reuters, TASS, Mediaite and The Daily Beast

Discussion:
@cforcd: ⚡️ How russian propaganda justifies the killing of a British news agency employee in Kramatorsk [image] @rsf_inter: 🔴 #RUSSIA: “I felt a terrible pain in my abdomen.” Russian journalist Irina @Babloyan fell ill very suddenly in late 2022. While the medical results were lost, the symptoms are consistent with poisoning. She testifies for #RSFTalks ⬇️ [video]

Reuters:
Russia opens criminal cases against two more foreign journalists in Kursk region, Interfax says

Nicholas Simon Connolly /
TASS: FSB launches investigations into two more reporters for illegally crossing Russian border

Kipp Jones /
Mediaite: Russia Puts CNN Reporter On ‘Wanted List’ After Accusing Him of Crossing Its Border

Variety:

Sony India and Zee Entertainment reach a comprehensive, non-cash settlement to resolve all disputes related to their planned $10B merger, halted earlier in 2024— The agreement brings an end to the legal proceedings that had been ongoing at the Singapore International Arbitration Centre …

Discussion:
Reuters, Bloomberg, The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline

Discussion:

Georg Szalai /
The Hollywood Reporter: Sony, Zee Entertainment Settle Legal Disputes Over Scrapped $10B India Merger

Variety:

Jason and Travis Kelce sign a deal with Amazon's Wondery for rights to their popular New Heights podcast; a source says the three year deal is worth $100M+— Three-year pact gives Wondery rights to ad-sales, distribution and more to NFL stars' weekly show

Discussion:
Page Six, Deadline, New York Post, The Hollywood Reporter and USA Today

Discussion:

Francesca Bacardi /
Page Six: Travis, Jason Kelce sign ‘New Heights’ podcast deal worth more than $100M

Justin Terranova /
New York Post: Jason and Travis Kelce land ‘New Heights’ podcast deal with Amazon for over $100 million

Caitlin Huston /
The Hollywood Reporter: Travis and Jason Kelce's ‘New Heights’ Podcast Moves to Wondery in Nine-Figure Deal

The Hollywood Reporter:

Memo: ESPN outlines a reorganization, including promoting David Roberts to oversee sports news and entertainment, and plans to cut “a few dedicated colleagues”— The Disney-owned sports media giant promoted Mike McQuade and David Roberts to oversee sports, news …

Discussion:
Awful Announcing, Sports Media Watch, The Wrap, @bristei, Variety, Sportico, Deadline and Front Office Sports

Discussion:

Ben Axelrod /
Awful Announcing: ESPN announces reorganization, including Mike McQuade as EVP of sports production

Lucas Manfredi /
The Wrap: ESPN Restructures Content Division, Elevates Mike McQuade to Sports Production EVP

Brian Steinberg /
@bristei: Just in: ESPN named Mike McQuade evp of sports production, a new role that puts him in charge of all sports-specific studio programs. Shows that span a wider array of topics, including First Take and The Pat McAfee Show, are now under David Roberts

Brian Steinberg /
Variety: ESPN Elevates Mike McQuade, David Roberts in Content Overhaul

Anthony Crupi /
Sportico: ESPN's Burke Magnus Overhauls Network's Management Structure

Dade Hayes /
Deadline: ESPN Unveils Vast Reorg Of Exec Ranks, Promoting Mike McQuade To Key New Production Role

Michael McCarthy /