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Hightimes Holding, the publisher of High Times magazine, warned shareholders in its most current SEC filing that the company may have to shutter the 45-year-old publication. Citing “recurring operating losses, net operating cash flow deficits, and an accumulated deficit,” the filing says there is “substantial doubt” that High Times will be able to publish for another year. According to the New York Post, the company has engaged Toronto-based Lazer & Lazer to help it find a new backer that can help resolve $105.2 million in debt. It reported a net loss of $11.9 million for the six months ended June 30. High Times is not the only cannabis-focused media outlet to be having difficulties. Online platform Civilized Life laid off its staff in anticipation of its purchase by analytics company New Frontier Data, and social network MassRoots went offline recently, after reporting a net loss of $774,638 for the second quarter.
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The Pulitzer Prize Board is adding a new category, audio reporting, for its 2020 awards. The new prize will recognize “a distinguished example of audio journalism that serves the public interest.” Producers of radio programs and podcasts will be able to submit entries for awards consideration, in addition to US newspapers, magazines, wire services and online news sites that publish regularly. “The renaissance of audio journalism in recent years has given rise to an extraordinary array of non-fiction storytelling,” said Pulitzer administrator Dana Canedy. The board will start accepting nominations for the new award, as well as for those in the other 14 journalism categories, on Dec. 16, with a deadline of Jan. 24, 2020.
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| Jane Bradley |
The New York Times has hired Jane Bradley to be its new UK investigative correspondent, based in London. Bradley comes to the Times from BuzzFeed, where she was a member of the platform’s investigative team. At BuzzFeed, she was the lead reporter on a six-part investigation into allegations of bullying and sexual misconduct against the self-help guru Tony Robbins, as well as being a Pulitzer finalist as part of a team that investigated a string of mysterious deaths of Russians in London. Bradley was previously a producer at the BBC. She will start at the Times in early January.
USA TODAY brings on Jamie Stockwell as VP of news, effective March 30. Stockwell was most recently deputy managing editor of news for the Washington Post... YouTube expands its likeness detection capabilities to a pilot group of government officials, journalists and political candidates... The AP Fund for Journalism adds 50 news organizations to its local news program, bringing the total number of participating newsrooms to 100. 
Versant Media Group, the NBCUniversal cable TV spin-off, today reported its first financial results as 2025 revenues dipped 5.3 percent to $6.7B and standalone EBITDA dropped 9.1 percent to $2.2B.
Trump Media & Technology Group is discussing a spin-off of the Truth Social platform following the expected closing of its $6B merger deal with TAE Technologies... Condé Nast sells off Them, the digital LGBTQ-focused platform it launched in 2017, to Equalpride, publisher of Out, The Advocate, Out Traveler, Health PLUS Wellness and Pride.com... CBS News has parted ways with longevity influencer Peter Attia, one of the 19 contributors that editor-in-chief Bari Weiss brought on as part of her plan to present a wider variety of voices on the platform. 
Symbolic.ai forms a partnership with News Corp to begin using the company’s AI-native publisher platform in the newsrooms of News Corp publications to augment research, writing and publishing... Mediaite launches a newsletter that promises to give readers a summary of—media newsletters... The Fund for American Studies launches the Journalism Excellence Fellowship, a program that will provide promising young journalists the opportunity to work alongside top writers, reporters, and media professionals.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, which has roots going back to 1786, is going out of business, the paper’s owners, Block Communications, announced on Jan. 7... GQ editor Will Welch is stepping down to take on a new Paris-based role with the musician Pharrell, who is also men’s creative director at Louis Vuitton... Semafor says it has raised $30 million on a $330 million valuation, following its first profitable year. 
