"No Stunts Today":
After criticizing the influence of Rupert Murdoch while noting the importance of press freedom on CNN's "Reliable Sources," New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio refused to answer a question from a New York Post reporter about a story that examined de Blasio's meetings with real estate lobbyists. A bodyguard allegedly removed the reporter from de Blasio's vicinity.
Demise:
The recent imposition of tariffs on Canadian newsprint by the Trump administration has "[hastened] the demise of local newspapers across the country, forcing already-struggling publications to cut staff, reduce the number of days they print and, in the case of Ohio's Jackson County Times-Journal, "shutter entirely." "The readers suffer when you cut a reporter position," said Crystal Dupre, publisher of the Bryan-College Station Eagle. "But it affects your local content. We won’t survive if we don’t have local content."
Concise:
Digital news startup Axios has "signed a deal with [...] HBO to produce a limited-run series of news documentaries timed to the midterm elections." According to co-founder Jim VandeHei, "Working with HBO gives us the chance to see if our obsession with the big trends reordering America and our shorter, smarter style translates to the big screen." Many digital and legacy publishers have begun to "bring their content to television or streaming platforms" to augment faltering ad revenue and build brand awareness.
Second Change:
Donerail Group, a new private equity firm led by former Starboard Value executive Will Wyatt, is in "advanced negotiations" to acquire Tronc. However, sources said the media company's board of directors might weigh an offer from the upstart firm with caution. More than 1,500 daily and weekly newspapers have "fallen in the hands of a private equity firm or a hedge fund" in recent years "as regional papers struggle with declining circulation amid the proliferation of online media."
"What A Time To Be Alive":
The presence of women of color on several magazine covers this month (Beyoncé's takeover of U.S. Vogue and Rihanna's cover at British Vogue) has elicited social media acclaim ("#blackgirlmagic") and an increased awareness of representation. According to writer Mikelle Street, "I'm returning to this to point out that last September they had Jennifer Lawrence on the cover. When they put Rihanna on in June, sis outsold. People are more interested."
"Similar To Rolodex":
The Roanoke Times filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday against former sports reporter Andy Bitter "for failing to relinquish control of his Twitter account" when he changed jobs. The newspaper has maintained that the account (which has 27,000 followers) was "passed on" to Bitter from its creator in 2010 and fell under the purview of "company-owned information assets" following its acquisition by BH Media in 2013.
"The Same Standard":
In a series of posts Tuesday, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey defended the company's decision to retain accounts from Alex Jones and his Infowars brand. "He hasn’t violated our rules," Dorsey said. "We’ll enforce if he does. And we’ll continue to promote a healthy conversational environment by ensuring tweets aren’t artificially amplified." Jones and Infowars recently were banned by Apple, Facebook, YouTube and Spotify for publishing content that allegedly employed hate speech.
"A Huge Impact":
Philanthropist H.F. "Gerry" Lenfest died on Sunday at the age of 88. Lenfest donated $1.3 billion over more than two decades to scores of cultural organizations in his adopted hometown of Philadelphia and elsewhere, including $155 million to Columbia, of whose Law School he was an alumnus. In 2013, Lenfest purchased the Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News under the auspices of the Philadelphia Media Network. Three years later, he donated the business to "a new nonprofit, the Institute for Journalism in New Media, now called the Lenfest Institute for Journalism."
"Not The Enemy Of The People":
The Washington-based Newseum on Saturday apologized for and "pulled the sale of a T-shirt bearing the message 'you are very fake news,'" following a litany of online criticism against the item, which echoed rhetoric "frequently employed by President Donald Trump to undermine journalists' work." The museum has continued to sell a "Make America Great Again" baseball cap alongside an array of miscellaneous items.
Fallout:
The National Enquirer has "made a conscious decision to pull back" on coverage of President Trump amid rapidly dwindling circulation and a federal inquiry into parent company American Media's preemptive purchase of "former Playboy model Karen McDougal’s story of an affair" with Trump. The company acknowledged circulation difficulties while maintaining that "any decisions about our covers are driven by proprietary data on what our readers are most interested in and what is most likely [to] perform well at the newsstand."
