For the Record

Former Newsweek Owner Pleads Guilty: 

Etienne Uzac, along with William Anderson, pleaded guilty to fraud and money-laundering in the Manhattan Criminal Court last Friday. Uzac formerly owned Newsweek and co-owned its parent company IBT Media—which has been under investigation for nearly a year. Manhattan district attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr. called the laundering operation “a massive fraud scheme” orchestrated by “sophisticated criminals.”

Coronavirus Coverage Translated:

 The New York Times has expanded its coverage of coronavirus by featuring updates written in Chinese. Underneath the site’s latest updates page, a bolded link takes you to a fully translated page with briefings and photos that detail new information and statistics surrounding the disease’s outbreak. 

Marqués Reassures Readers, Accepts NPF Award:

In a note to readers, Miami Herald President, Publisher and Executive Editor Mindy Marqués said that "that important work — covering our communities and holding the powerful accountable — will continue as vigorously as ever at the Herald" despite parent company McClatchy's recent bankruptcy filing. Marqués, who has served as a member of the Pulitzer Prize Board since 2012, also accepted the National Press Foundation's Benjamin C. Bradlee Editor of the Year award Thursday.

McClatchy Files for Bankruptcy:

McClatchy announced that it will file for bankruptcy Thursday, ending family control of the media company for the first time in its history. "While this is obviously a sad milestone after 163 years of family control, McClatchy remains a strong operating company and committed to essential local news and information,” said Chairman Kevin McClatchy. "While we tried hard to avoid this step, there’s no question that the scale of our 75-year-old pension plan — with 10 pensioners for every single active employee — is a reflection of another economic era." The filing will not affect operations at its properties, including the Kansas City Star and the Miami Herald.

Reuters Joins Facebook Fact-Checking Initiative:

A four-person Reuters team "will become one of the third-party partners tasked with debunking lies" spread on Facebook, the news organization announced Wednesday. The group will review content flagged by Facebook or Reuters on the Reuters Fact Check blog, with Facebook utilizing the analysis to label posts as misinformation or downrank items in the News Feed algorithm. The platform has similar partnerships with The Associated Press, PolitiFact and Factcheck.org.

Peres Memoir Details Halcyon Era of Condé Nast, Addiction:

In a new memoir, former Details Editor in Chief Dan Peres reveals that he was addicted to the opioid hydrocodone during the early-to-mid 2000s, a period now regarded as the apotheosis of the American magazine industry. "I always set out to write a story about myself and my addiction and how intense of a grip it had on me, and in order to illustrate that I had to touch on a number of elements of my life, including of course my professional life," he said. "I really see Details as a character in the book."

Spotify Acquires The Ringer:

With Spotify’s users, premium subscribers, and podcast engagement on the rise, the acquisition of The Ringer — a sports-based, podcast-heavy media company — expands the company’s offerings. Spotify CEO Daniel Ek said in a statement: “We bought the next ESPN.”

Stars and Stripes Faces Cuts:

The editorially independent newspaper of the U.S. military faces significant funding cuts starting in 2021. Max Lederer, the paper’s publisher, said, “The loss of funding to support the Stripes mission around the world will definitely reduce the ability of the Stripes staff to gather, produce and deliver the content needed and desired by the military community.”

Dayton Daily News To Remain Daily:

A new owner for Dayton, OH’s newspaper, TV, and radio outlets meant new FCC regulations for the 1949 Dayton Daily News. Rules to protect media diversity prohibited a daily paper and local TV station from having the same owner. The owner’s plan was to cut the print run to three days each week—until the paper’s previous owner stepped in. Cox Enterprises reclaimed the news organization and committed itself to maintaining its existing print run and preserving the integrity of local news.

Gannett Spotlights the South:

Gannett is dedicating four journalists to a new project titled The American South. The media company described the initiative, whose reporting will be published on USA Today and the sites of its 14 southern news organizations, as providing reporting that “illuminate[s] the region” rather than “one-dimensional” narratives.