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Local news network Patch is now profitable, with $20M in ad revenue a year, but wants to offer deeper coverage and is exploring AI, paid memberships, and more — Patch is reemerging as local newspapers decline. — Perhaps you've read that the future of media is in peril. But that's probably overstating the case.
Discussion:
Nieman Lab, Nieman Lab, @jasonabbruzzese and @mathewi

AMI sources: Lauren Sanchez's brother provided her texts with Bezos to National Enquirer; Bezos' security consultant says probe into who provided texts is over — Multiples sources tell The Daily Beast that Michael Sanchez, a Trumpworld associate and brother to Bezos' lover, gave the couple's texts to The National Enquirer.
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USA Today, Mediaite, Washington Post, Politico, Vanity Fair, ABC News, Fast Company, Wall Street Journal, Contemptor, The Guardian, Newser, Slate, CNBC, @helenkennedy, @alexzfinley, @justclaudia3, @profjeffjarviss, Business Insider, @abcpolitics, @bakari_sellers, @brianstelter, @malcolmnance, @laurenwern, @timobrien, @noahshachtman, @joshgreenman, @benmullin, @sdkstl, @hshaban, TechCrunch, Philly.com, New York Times, Fortune, @bluechoochoo and @swin24

Bob Costas, a sports broadcasting icon, on how his criticism of the NFL and its handling of the CTE scandal led to him leaving NBC — IN DECEMBER 2015, the movie “Concussion” was set for a Christmas Day release in nearly 3,000 theaters across America. The film told the story of the NFL's attempts …

Sources: GateHouse Media has quietly cut 60+ employees after buying a group of newspapers from Schurz Communications for $30M in late January — - GateHouse Media, owned by local newspaper giant New Media Investment Group, is quietly laying off journalists across the country.

Former Marketplace reporter Lewis Wallace, fired for refusing to take a post on journalistic objectivity down, is crowdfunding a podcast exploring the subject — The American journalism community fancies itself a completely neutral estate, the poster child for objectivity. But this conceit is, at best, ahistorical.
Discussion:
@chasdanner, @a_w_gordon, @will_bunch, @lewispants and @jayrosen_nyu

A.J. Calloway, a host on entertainment news show “Extra,” was suspended by Warner Bros. on Saturday amid growing number of sexual misconduct allegations — A.J. Calloway, a host on the entertainment news show “Extra,” was suspended by Warner Bros. on Saturday amid a growing number of accusations of sexual misconduct.
Discussion:
Associated Press, @tezlynfigaro and @thr

Jill Abramson continues to defend her book against plagiarism charges, says she gave Vice early excerpts of the book and invited the company's response — New York (CNN Business)Jill Abramson continues to claim that passages from her new book, “Merchants of Truth,” weren't plagiarized, but instead were improperly credited.
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@bgrueskin, @brianstelter, @brianstelter, @axios, @spytalker, @mjrowland68, @tripgabriel, @mjs_dc, @annelamott, @greenfield64, @jordanuhl, @bethanyshondark, @mathewi, @wakeup2politics, @jaraparilla, @jonathanvswan, @amandionair, @mcwm, @rtmannjr, @boobpunchtina, @piersmorgan, @jordgoldman, @cnn, @medialawprof, @anthonylfisher, @will_bunch, @jyuanathan, @mathewi, @benmullin and Axios
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Analysis of six years of Who Pays Writers? data: freelancers typically made $200 per article, 73% had to wait 4+ weeks to be paid, and print articles paid more — The website Who Pays Writers? was founded in 2012 as a public, anonymous forum for freelancers to share their experiences working for publications.
Discussion:
@sarphanuzunoglu, @awj_chicago, @jennygzhang, @jamesfdennin, @dlberes, @ryp__, @mariekshan, @niemanlab and @susie_c

Complex has licensed six of its shows to Netflix and another 10 to Hulu in 2019 — “QB1: Beyond the Lights” is a reality show that follows three star high school quarterbacks during their final season before they move on to play college football. Produced by Complex Networks with …
Discussion:
@digiday and @richantoniello
Business Wire:
Hearst Magazines President Troy Young has been named Vice Chairman of IAB's board for 2019, which a number of media execs have also joined — IAB today announced it has elected Rik van der Kooi, Corporate Vice President at Microsoft Advertising, as Chairman of the trade organization's Board of Directors.

William Branigin recalls Joe Alex Morris Jr, the LA Times Middle East correspondent, who was killed in the Iranian Revolution 40 years ago — Forty years ago, L.A. Times correspondent Joe Alex Morris Jr. and I headed into Tehran's chaos as the shah's regime teetered.
Discussion:
@amlwhere, @21timo, @keithrichburg, @eosnos, @postbaron, @jrubinblogger, @jbmoorephoto, @peterbakernyt, @jrezaian and @shelbygrad

Viacom's VidCon, a conference for online video creators, is launching in London this week as part of an expansion into international markets — “There is such a great group of creators in the U.K.,” says Jim Louderback, the CEO of the Viacom-owned events business that has been making an international push.