For the Record

Press Freedom in Macau Under New Scrutiny:

At least six journalists have resigned from the Portuguese-language unit of Macau public broadcaster TDM since the introduction of "new editorial rules requiring them to promote 'patriotism, respect and love' for mainland China" last month, Clare Jim and Farah Master of Reuters reported Thursday. "We knew things might change one day, but this came as a total surprise to us," said one of the journalists who attended an introductory meeting about the new rules. The guidelines surfaced two weeks after Hong Kong announced an overhaul of its public broadcaster, RTHK, "amid accusations by authorities that it has an anti-government bias." Although the guidelines have been condemned by Reporters Without Borders as an "[attack] against press freedom," Portuguese-language newspaper publisher Jose Dinis asserted his organization has not been targeted: "I am not willing to say the wolves are coming. For the moment I don’t see any problem."

Paul Greenberg (1937–2021):

1969 Editorial Writing winner Paul Greenberg died Tuesday, according to a report from Arkansas Business. He was 84. A self-described "ideologically unreliable conservative," the Louisiana-reared Greenberg entered journalism following abbreviated doctoral studies in history at Columbia University. Much of his career was spent at the Pine Bluff (Ark.) Commercial, where he received his Pulitzer for editorials on civil rights. Greenberg also was a Pulitzer finalist in 1978 and 1986, and served as a Pulitzer juror in 1984 and 1985. He later served as editorial page editor of the statewide Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and continued to work as a syndicated columnist under the aegis of Tribune Content Agency until 2018, three years after he was initially referred to hospice care. "Newspapers had a lot of sway when Paul was writing editorials for The Commercial, but his outsized intellect and writing ability put the newspaper on a plane like no other," said Byron Tate, a former editor of the publication. "His words shook the halls of education, business and justice in Pine Bluff."

Atlantic Media Announces Data Breach:

Atlantic Media, a minority shareholder and former corporate owner of The Atlantic, revealed in a Wednesday statement that "an unauthorized actor had accessed its servers" on March 1, potentially compromising a folder "containing W-2 forms, W-9 forms, and other tax documents that contain names and Social Security Numbers of certain current and former employees of Atlantic Media; its current and former subsidiaries and affiliates, including The Atlantic; and some specific independent contractors." The company further asserted that it has "taken a number of additional steps to enhance the security of its systems and the data it maintains — and this will remain an ongoing priority."

Teen Vogue Names Kwateng Executive Editor:

Danielle Kwateng "was announced as Teen Vogue’s new executive editor Wednesday" via tweet, marking the publication's first post since incoming Editor in Chief Alexi McCammond resigned in March after apologizing for posting racist and homophobic tweets in college, according to Lindsey Ellefson of The Wrap. Kwateng, who previously worked as Teen Vogue's entertainment and culture director, also released a note to readers Wednesday, "addressing what happened while looking forward at what she hopes to accomplish in her new role." A representative for Condé Nast, which publishes Teen Vogue, did not immediately return Ellefson's request for additional comment.

Press Leaks Slow in Biden White House:

President Biden's major policy objectives (including February's $1.9 trillion stimulus package and the $2 trillion-plus infrastructure bill) have been accompanied by few leaks amid the efforts of a "close circle of people" (including Chief of Staff Ron Klain, Counselor to the President Steve Ricchetti and Senior Advisor Anita Dunn) who have worked with the president for decades, Paul Farhi of The Washington Post reported Tuesday. “No question, the Trump White House leaked a lot, especially in the early days when the tribal rivalries were fiercest," said Peter Baker, who has continued to serve as The New York Times' chief White House correspondent in the new administration. "The Biden people have come in more disciplined so far, and we haven’t had as much insight into the behind-the-scenes fights and debates inside the White House."

Clubhouse Approaches $4 Billion Valuation:

Clubhouse "is in talks to raise funding in a round with a $4 billion valuation just over a year after the audio app launched," Grace Dean of Insider reported Wednesday. This is "up to four times the valuation Clubhouse achieved" in January, less than a year after the iPhone app received a $12 million Series A investment from from venture firm Andreessen Horowitz. The company "said in late February that it had more than 10 million active users each week, and celebrities including Paris Hilton, Oprah Winfrey, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, and entrepreneur Mark Cuban" have all led discussions on the app. CEO Paul Davison anticipates that an Android iteration will launch alongside public access this summer.

Supreme Court Vacates Trump Block Decision:

The Supreme Court has vacated a lower court ruling "that found former President Trump violated the First Amendment by blocking followers on Twitter, ordering the case to be dismissed as moot now that he is no longer in office," Shawna Chen of Axios reported Monday. Although the court did not rule on the merits of the case (which was filed by lawyers from Columbia's Knight First Amendment Institute), Associate Justice Clarence Thomas "wrote in a concurring opinion that the 'unprecedented' amount of control that Twitter and other digital platforms have over speech must be addressed in the future." Thomas' opinion echoes recent sentiments from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who said in a recent New York Times interview that "somebody else who has a very different point of view" could be banned by the platform.

San Francisco Examiner Names Editor in Chief:

The San Francisco Examiner has appointed Carly Schwartz as its editor in chief, the publication announced Monday. Schwartz, who previously served as editor in chief of the internal Google Insider news organization, "will oversee The Examiner newsroom, along with editorial operations at The Nob Hill Gazette and SF Weekly," which are all owned by Clint Reilly Communications. "I’m excited by everything Carly brings to the table: deep, firsthand knowledge of San Francisco, an entrepreneurial spirit, nuanced understanding of digital media platforms and industry trends, a keen editorial perspective, and sparkling educational credentials, among other things," Reilly said. Past contributors to the publication include 1996 Special Citation recipient Herb Caen, Salon co-founder David Talbot and Hunter S. Thompson.

Editors of All Eight Ivy League Newspapers Are Women, Marking Milestone:

For the first time since their inception, "women hold the highest editorial positions at all eight Ivy League papers," according to Nhuquynh Nguyen and Liana Slomka of The Daily Princetonian. In conversations with Nguyen and Slomka, the editors reflected on the milestone amid ongoing efforts to improve diversity and inclusion at their respective publications. "I'm maintaining relationships with my sources and making sure that I'm not just extracting things from the communities in which I report — I'm building these relationships and especially relationships with communities of color," said Hadriana Lowenkron, editor-in-chief of The Daily Pennsylvanian. "I have been much more conscious of making sure that female voices are heard and that women feel that it’s okay to take up space — to vehemently and courageously take up space […] since I come from a background where I haven't always been the one to speak up," added Emma Treadway of The Daily Princetonian.

$680 Million Bid for Tribune Gains Favor:

A special committee of Tribune Publishing's board "has determined that a roughly $680 million, $18.50-a-share bid submitted late last week by Choice Hotels International Chairman Stewart Bainum and Hansjörg Wyss is reasonably likely to lead to a proposal that is superior to Alden’s $635 million deal," Cara Lombardo and Lukas I. Alpert of The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday. As a result, the Bainum-Wyss team "will get access to private financial data to conduct due diligence and negotiate other terms, a big step toward completing an agreement." The potential loss of the Alden deal "would mark a stunning, 11th-hour turnaround for the New York hedge fund, and a major victory for critics who say its model of aggressive cost-cutting has hurt the local news industry." Sources also have asserted that Florida investor Mason Slaine, who holds a 3.4% stake in the company, has yet to join the bid despite expressing interest in acquiring the publisher's Orlando Sentinel and Sun Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale.