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| Scott Morrison |
Australian prime minister Scott Morrison has asked the country’s ambassador to the U.S. to look into the police treatment of two Australian journalists covering a Monday protest outside the White House. Tim Myers, a cameraman for Australia’s Channel 7 and reporter Amelia Brace were roughed up by police officers dispersing a crowd shortly before D.C.’s 7 p.m. curfew. Footage of the incident was aired live on WJLA, the city’s ABC affiliate. In a statement to the New York Times, Channel 7 spokesperson Craig McPherson called the police action toward Myers and Brace “nothing short of wanton thuggery.” Australian foreign minister Marise Payne said the country’s government will support Channel 7 if it lodges its concerns over the actions with U.S. authorities. The incident follows complaints from both Russian and German journalists claiming that police shot at them with rubber bullets while they were covering recent demonstrations.
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Adweek has been acquired by Shamrock Capital, a Los Angeles-based investment firm. The publication was previously owned by Beringer Capital, which purchased the title from Mediabistro Holdings in 2016. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. Current Adweek CEO Jeffrey Litvack will continue to lead the company, and its editorial and business operations are not expected to change. The deal also encompasses Adweek’s event, community and education portfolio. Shamrock currently has $1.9 billion of assets in the media, entertainment and communications sectors. “We look forward to working with Adweek to continue to drive strong growth, both organically and through acquisitions,” said Shamrock Capital partner Laura Held. Adweek says it has six million unique monthly visitors, 4.3 million social media followers and a print magazine readership of more than 150,000.
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BizBash, a media company that serves the event industry, has named Ashton Pike editor-in-chief and Claire Hoffman executive editor. Pike joined BizBash as senior editor in December, when Connect Meetings, a subsidiary of UK-based tradeshow company Tarsus Group, acquired the brand. She was previously editor-in-chief of Modern Luxury Medicine + Doctors Atlanta. In her new position, Pike will oversee the editorial team responsible for all content on BizBash.com and in BizBash magazine. Hoffman has been with Bizbash since 2013, most recently serving as West Coast bureau chief. "Ashton and Claire have already done an excellent job expanding our reach and power in the world of live experiences," said Bisbash president Matt Johnson.
Boston Globe Media acquires InstaTrac, a company that provides subscription-based services aimed at making government information easier to find, track, and understand... AARP names former New Republic CEO and publisher Michael Caruso as its SVP and chief content officer, unifying the organization's portfolio of media, live events and digital platforms... The Fund for American Studies, an educational nonprofit, awards its inaugural Journalism Excellence Fellowships.
Trump Media and Technology Group Corp. has replaced CEO and former California Congressman Devin Nunes with Kevin McGurn, a seasoned media sales executive.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is being bought by the Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism, a nonprofit that is the parent organization of the Baltimore Banner... The British Broadcasting Corporation is axing approximately 2,000 jobs, about 10 percent of its work force... Snap, the company behind Snapchat, is also succumbing to layoff fever, announcing plans to lay off 16 percent of its employees, about 1,000 people.
CBS News Radio will go off the air on May 22, part of the axe-swinging managerial plan put into play by CBS editor-in-chief Bari Weiss... The Economist, which was first published in 1843, is changing hands. Canadian billionaire Stephen Smith has agreed to acquire a 26.9 percent stake in the publication from Lady Lynn Forester de Rothschild, her family and family foundation... Nexstar Media Group says it has closed its acquisition of TEGNA, the broadcast, digital media and marketing services company that was formed in 2015, when the Gannett Company split into two publicly traded companies.
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. 
