Teeing Ground:
Condé Nast has sold Golf Digest to Discovery, the companies announced Monday. According to Marc Tracy of The New York Times, "two people with knowledge of the matter who were not authorized to discuss it publicly said the sale price was $35 million." Discovery will retain the magazine's editorial staff and continue publishing a print edition.
"Really Exciting":
According to Bloomberg, Facebook announced Monday that it "will give raises to most of its U.S. contract workers," citing the insufficency of its $15-an-hour minimum wage in San Francisco and other metropolitan areas. Content moderators who reside in the San Francisco, New York and Washington areas will now earn at least $22 per hour, while other contractors (including bus drivers and administrative staffers) will earn at least $18 per hour.
"Continue To Invest":
Seven years after launching as a free publisher, Quartz implemented a metered paywall last week due to a steep decline in web traffic. Users who wish to view the news organization's full array of content must join the Quartz Membership program, which costs $100 per year or $15 per month. The membership also includes access to live events and exclusive interviews with business leaders, including Bill Gates and Eric Schmidt.
"Virtuous Circle":
Former Pulitzer Prize Board member Warren Phillips died Friday at his home in Bridgehampton, N.Y. He was 92. A native New Yorker known for his long association with The Wall Street Journal, Phillips served as chairman (1978-1991) and CEO (1975-1991) of Dow Jones and Co. "To Warren, news and opinion were separate 'courses,' like meat and dessert, and news journalists should have no agenda beyond serving their readers and the broader public with honest and reliable information," said 1972 International Reporting winner and former Pulitzer Board member Peter Kann, who was Phillips's successor.
"Misunderstood Profession":
A recent George Washington University School of Nursing report designed as a follow-up to the landmark 1998 Woodhull Study on Nurses and the Media has revealed that nurses only account "for 2% of health news sources," marking no statistical change since the original survey. "Journalists may be stuck in old stereotypes of nurses and do not have a clear understanding of the range of a nurse's knowledge, skills and work," said Diana Mason, a nurse and health policy professor who served as lead author on the report.
"Safer than Previous Generations":
According to The New York Times, RT America, a news network owned by the Russian government that frequently showcases critiques of American policy, "has been exaggerating the health hazards posed by 5G networks" despite scientific consensus on the safety of the technology. The network often has relied on the expertise of David O. Carpenter, a professor of public health at SUNY Albany and "prominent 5G critic" who has frequently "warned of cancer risks for people living near high-voltage power lines, although federal studies have failed to find credible evidence that would support his claims."
"Exacting, Authoritative And Closely Read":
Longtime New York Times Washington correspondent Robert Pear died at his home in Rockville, Md. on May 7. He was 69. A graduate of Harvard College, Balliol College, Oxford and the Columbia Journalism School, Pear was best known for his authoritative coverage of health care policy. "Robert knew as much about health care policy as any politician, official, congressional staffer or supposed expert, and he let them get away with nothing," said Adam Liptak, The Times’s Supreme Court correspondent.
"Era of Accountability":
In a Thursday op-ed for The New York Times, Facebook co-founder and former New Republic owner Chris Hughes called for the federal government to break up the technology platform. "Facebook is the perfect case on which to reverse course [on antitrust litigation], precisely because Facebook makes its money from targeted advertising, meaning users do not pay to use the service," he said. "But it is not actually free, and it certainly isn’t harmless." "Facebook accepts that with success comes accountability," Nick Clegg, Facebook’s vice president for global affairs and communication, said in response. "But you don’t enforce accountability by calling for the breakup of a successful American company."
"Muddying the Waters":
A Wednesday press conference convened by conspiracy theorist Jacob Wohl and lobbyist Jack Burkman in an Arlington, Va. driveway about their accusations of sexual assault by Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg vexed many attendees, who debated the newsworthiness of the event before electing to cover it. "It's like going to a pro-wrestling match," said Daily Dot reporter Alex Thomas. "You know it's not real."
"The Way Forward":
Although for-profit news organizations (including the Tampa Bay Times and the Philadelphia Inquirer) have transitioned to nonprofit ownership, Paul Huntsman's proposed direct conversion of the Salt Lake Tribune to nonprofit status may prove to be a test case for the IRS. "The sort of for-profit-but-owned-by-a-nonprofit compromise structures you see with other outlets have been intentionally designed as compromises that the IRS could accept," said Christine Schmidt and Joshua Benton of NiemanLab.
