For the Record

Psychographic:

During the last two years, media companies "have rolled out ad products that they say can match ads to people in certain moods." The New York Times' Project Feels "lets advertisers target ads to content based on emotional responses the content is predicted to have," while ESPN "has been pitching a tool to target sports fans on its digital properties based on their changing emotional state during a game."

Downturn:

BuzzFeed News Vice President Shani Hilton announced Wednesday that the news organization is cutting its podcast production team "as it shifts resources away from audio and toward creating original shows similar to the ones its produced for Netflix, Twitter and Facebook." "We’ve decided to move to a production model that is more like our TV projects," Hilton wrote.

Insider:

Decades after the death of seminal pundit and two-time Pulitzer Prize recipient Walter Lippmann, journalists are still grappling with his legacy of governmental cooperation. According to Nicholas Lemann, "He really functioned throughout his life as part of that very elite little corner of the political system."

"Highly Contentious":

Ian Buruma resigned as editor of The New York Review of Books Wednesday "after he caused outrage by publishing and defending an essay" by journalist and musician Jian Ghomeshi that was "widely deemed to be at odds with the spirit of #MeToo." Buruma, a historian, replaced co-founder Robert Silvers following Silvers' death in 2017.

"Increasingly Bold":

The Justice Department has ordered two Chinese state-run press agencies to register as foreign agents under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. In the past year, Russian affiliates RT and Sputnik News also were required to comply with the law. First Amendment advocates have contended that such registrations are based on the cultivation of "an inappropriate distinction between propaganda and journalism" by national security officials.

Expansion:

New York magazine will spin off its Intelligencer blog into "a new destination covering politics, business, technology, media, and innovation" in October. The revamped site will feature "an expanded range of contributors" (including Josh Barro, Zak Cheney-Rice and Sarah Jones) alongside such mainstays as Olivia Nuzzi, Frank Rich and Andrew Sullivan.

"Lack Of Consent":

Former Los Angeles Times Beijing Bureau Chief Jonathan Kaiman resigned from the newspaper Tuesday "amid accusations of sexual misconduct." Kaiman, who initially was suspended in May after a colleague and a former housemate accused Kaiman of pressuring them into sexual encounters following nights of drinking, has disputed the allegations.

A Second Firm:

According to sources, The McClatchy Company has initiated "early stage" talks "to potentially acquire Chicago-based newspaper chain Tronc." The Donerail Group, a boutique New York-based investment firm, has been in negotiations to buy Tronc since early August. McClatchy "owns more than 30 newspapers in 14 states," including the Miami Herald and The Sacramento Bee. Tronc's holdings include the Chicago Tribune and the New York Daily News.

"Potential Solutions":

The Knight Foundation and the Lenfest Institute will donate $20 million to "a joint fund targeted at local news." The fund will use Philadelphia as a "live lab" while supporting a "technology resource hub" and investments toward ethnic media. "It’s not just an initiative — it’s an opportunity for others to join to address these challenges for local news, around the country and in Philadelphia," said Knight Foundation Vice President of Journalism Jennifer Preston.