 |
Tribune Publishing has put off posting its financial results for the first quarter of fiscal 2020 until June 5. The previously announced date was May 22. The company says it needs more time to assess the valuation of certain assets and determine if a non-cash impairment charge is required, primarily as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the past few weeks, Tribune has made a deal to furlough all unionized newsroom employees making $40,000 or more for a week in May, June and July, and canceled a $9 million quarterly dividend it was planning to award to shareholders.
 |
Facebook has launched a new feature that is intended to move it further down the path toward being a major online shopping destination and offer small businesses a way to find new buyers. Facebook Shops will let businesses set up product listings on their Facebook page, Instagram profile, Stories or in ads, the company says. Also planned are options that would let businesses sell products to customers through the chat features of WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram Direct. While Facebook has let businesses list products on Facebook and Instagram, with the new feature they can upload their catalogs once to make them accessible across Facebook’s apps. While the feature is free, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says the plan is for increased advertising by sellers to generate profits for the company. He also assures potential shoppers that the feature is secure. “We’ll also protect your privacy when you’re using this” he said in live chat posted on Facebook, “and we’re not going to share what you buy with friends or anyone else on our services without your permission.” Following the announcement of Facebook Shops, the company’s shares rose six percent, reaching an all-time high of $230.75 on May 20.
 |
The American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) has launched the ASJA Crisis Coverage Awards: COVID-19 Edition, which will recognize professional writers for their coverage of the COVID-19 outbreak. The contest is now open, and submissions will be accepted until July 3. Writers are invited to submit English-language articles, including self-nominations, published between January 1 and June 30. Submissions must fit into one of the following categories: Business & Economy, Education, Healthcare, Mental Health, Personal Essays, Politics & Government, Science, Social Adaptation and Technology. “ASJA is proud to recognize our colleagues’ vital work as they help audiences make sense of all aspects of the coronavirus pandemic,” said Janine Latus, chair of the ASJA Crisis Coverage Awards Committee. Writers may apply for multiple categories, but cannot use the same article more than once. Articles can be submitted by visiting http://asja.org/crisis-coverage-awards-covid-19. A portion of the entry fees will be contributed to ASJA’s Writers Emergency Assistance Fund. For more information, click here.
Michael Kaminer, who was responsible for the Observer’s “Power List” for the past 13 years, has cut ties with the publication... The New York Times Company continues the march toward its goal of 15 million subscribers by the end of 2027... The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is providing more than $6 million in funding to eight organizations working to address the challenges local news and information environments face along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Conservative outlets Fox News, Newsmax and the Daily Caller are holding back from signing Pete Hegseth’s edict restricting press access in the Pentagon... CBS News sees the first executive departure of the Bari Weiss era as head of standards and practices Claudia Milne exits... Indiana University shuts down the print version of The Indiana Daily Student.
Rothschild family plans to unload 26.7 percent stake in The Economist... STAT, a digital media company that focuses the life sciences, brings back Damian Garde, who anchored its biotech newsletter and podcast from 2016 to 2024... High Times officially resumes print publication (following its 2024 shutdown) with the release of a limited-edition, collectible 50th anniversary issue. 
CBS News is set to hand over its reins to The Free Press co-founder Bari Weiss as Paramount acquires her site for $155M... C-SPAN comes on board as an official media partner of the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission, which is charged by Congress to lead the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence... A new Gallup survey says that the level of trust that US audiences have in the media has hit a new low.
Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison has named Kenneth Weinstein, former head of the conservative Hudson Institute, as ombudsman for CBS News.
