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McClatchy has announced that it is closing seven newsrooms across its network of newspapers. Poynter reports that employees in McClatchy newsrooms in Miami; Charlotte; Washington, D.C.; Columbia, SC; and Modesto, Merced and San Luis Obispo, CA will be expected to continue to work from home until sometime in 2021. A statement from the company said that it will exit its leases in those locations and “focus our resources where it matters: on saving jobs and delivering on our mission of producing strong, independent local journalism for the communities that we serve.” The company says it plans to look for new offices next year, but that those newsrooms could be much smaller if its news outlets are successful at publishing remotely.
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| Matt Duckor |
Condé Nast Entertainment has fired Matt Duckor, the head of programming for its style and lifestyle division, following charges of racial bias. Duckor was accused of not featuring people of color in Bon Appétit Test Kitchen videos and either underpaying them or not paying them at all when they did appear. Condé Nast denied that non-white employees are not paid for video appearances. In addition, Bon Appétit editor-in-chief Adam Rapoport stepped down on June 8, after the appearance of a photo of him and his wife on Instagram in which they were dressed in costumes meant to be Puerto Rican. The problems at the company seem to extend all the way to the top, as evidenced by an apology from Vogue editor-in-chief and Condé Nast artistic director Anna Wintour for such “mistakes” as not “finding ways to give space to black editors, writers, photographers, designers” and publishing “hurtful and intolerant” images. “We’ve already started the process of reviewing our practices and over the next week we’ll be bringing forward a plan of action centered on diversity and inclusion,” said Condé Nast Entertainment president Oren Katzeff.
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| Samira Nasr |
Hearst Magazines has named Samira Nasr editor-in-chief of the U.S. edition of Harper's BAZAAR. Nasr, the first black editor-in-chief in the history of the 153-year-old publication, was most recently executive fashion director at Vanity Fair. She was previously fashion director at ELLE and style director for InStyle. Nasr has also styled campaigns for such fashion and beauty brands as Laura Mercier, Tiffany & Co., Tory Burch, Estée Lauder, L’Oréal and Clarins. In her new post, she will oversee content strategy and development across the brand’s print and digital platforms. “Samira’s important voice will continue to evolve the brand’s distinct position as a style touchstone for fashion’s most discerning,” said Hearst Magazines president Troy Young.
The Walt Disney Company and OpenAI reach an agreement that will make a set of more than 200 animated, masked and creature characters from Disney, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars available for use by Sora, OpenAI’s short-form generative AI video platform... CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss has moved Tony Dokoupil, a co-host at “CBS Mornings” since 2019, into the anchor’s chair for the “CBS Evening News,” following the departure of John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois... USA Today editor-in-chief Caren Bohan has left the paper.
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.
