For the Record

"Nothing Common About It":

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette newsroom union has called for Publisher and Editor-in-Chief J. R. Block to be barred from the paper's offices following a Saturday incident in which he allegedly attempted to "force [his child] to have [a] picture taken in front" of a union sign criticizing the Block family's "refusal to cover a hike in health care costs for employees amid ongoing contract negotiations and the 13 years newsroom employees have worked without a raise." Block subsequently threatened to close the paper if the union refused to take down the sign. "He doesn’t get a free pass because he owns the place," said Mike Fuoco, an enterprise reporter who serves as president of the union.

"Maximize Value":

Digital First Media parent company Alden Global Capital disclosed in a 2018 court case that "it has a series of affiliated real estate companies" (most notably Twenty Lake Holdings) "whose business is focused primarily on efficiently buying, selling, leasing and redeveloping newspapers' offices and printing plants." Gannett has continued to rebuff Digital First's hostile takeover attempt.

Acquisitions:

According to MediaPost Senior Editor Alex Weprin, Meredith Corp. plans to "'finalize' the sales of Sports Illustrated, Money and the ad tech company Viant by the end of the fiscal year" in June. In 2018, the company sold Time to Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff and Fortune to Thai businessman Chatchaval Jiaravanon.

"Hard Shove":

BBC camera operator Ron Skeans "was violently shoved and abused" during President Trump's rally in El Paso Monday. It is believed that Skeans was "knocked off balance for around 10 seconds as he was filming Trump’s speech." Following his recovery, Skeans filmed an anti-press invective from a Trump supporter. "It was an incredibly violent attack," said BBC Washington Correspondent Gary O’Donoghue, who works with Skeans.

"Easter Egg":

The Butler (Pa.) Eagle no longer will carry the work of syndicated editorial cartoonist Wiley Miller after the journalist embedded a "vulgar" rebuke of President Trump as a "small, scribbled message" in his Sunday cartoon. "Neither The Butler Eagle nor any other newspaper that includes this strip had an opportunity to remove it even if they had discovered it before distribution," said publisher and general manager Ron Vodenichar.

"Obligation Isn't Enough":

CUNY-Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism professor Jeff Jarvis has predicted that "paywalls will not work for more than a few — and their builders often do not account for the real motives of people who pay and who don't." Citing the work of SUNY Oswego journalism professor Brian Moritz, Jarvis believes that 2019 will present a "subscription-pocalypse" as more outlets transition to the format.

"No Proof Of Financing":

Gannett "is facing a proxy battle with MNG Enterprises" (which does business as Digital First Media) "after rejecting a $1.36 billion bid from the company and describing the takeover proposal as not credible." The Alden Global Capital-owned company "will nominate six candidates to the board of Gannett," which will then "consider whether MNG is nominating these candidates to support its acquisition proposal, which the board has already rejected, and whether MNG’s proposed nominees are committed to acting in the best interests of all of Gannett’s shareholders, or are beholden to MNG."

"Terrible Judicial Precedent":

The Filipino Department of Justice has indicted Rappler CEO/Executive Editor Maria Ressa and former reporter Reynaldo Santos, Jr. on libel charges for publishing a 2012 story that "uncovered businessman Wilfredo Keng's alleged ties to a then-judge on the nation’s top court." Ressa also was charged with tax evasion in November. "The judicial harassment used by President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration to persecute Rappler's journalists is becoming grotesque," said Daniel Bastard of Reporters Without Borders.

"Personal Cost":

In a Medium post, Jeff Bezos alleged that the National Enquirer and its parent company, American Media, Inc., "threatened to publish intimate pictures of him unless he backed off an investigation of the tabloid." According to Bezos, the Enquirer requested that he issue a statement asserting that "AMI’s coverage was [not] politically motivated or influenced by political forces," potentially ensuring compliance with the company's non-prosecution agreement in the Karen McDougal case. Following the publication of Bezos's post, 2018 Public Service named contributor Ronan Farrow alleged that he "and at least one other prominent journalist" had received blackmail threats from AMI stemming from their reporting about the company. In a statement, AMI said that "that it acted lawfully in the reporting of the story of Mr. Bezos."

In Memoriam:

1992 International Reporting winner and 1997 Spot News Reporting contributor Patrick Sloyan died of cancer Monday at his home in Paeonian Springs, Va. He was 82. Sloyan served as Newsday's Washington bureau chief for many years and frequently sponsored the newspaper's Pulitzer entries. "Pat was a quintessential reporter, from the old school in many ways," said colleague James Klurfeld.