For the Record

Wired Names Gideon Lichfield Editor:

MIT Technology Review Editor in Chief Gideon Lichfield will serve as global editorial director of Wired effective March 22, Condé Nast announced Tuesday. Although Lichfield is replacing former Editor in Chief Nicholas Thompson, who recently was appointed chief executive at The Atlantic, his title "is reflective of a recent reorganization inside Condé Nast under which editors not only oversee the U.S. titles but also international ones" under the aegis of Chief Content Officer Anna Wintour, according to Kerry Flynn of CNN. A founding editor at Quartz, Lichfield spent 16 years at The Economist. "Gideon's experience gives him a unique perspective on the way tech affects every aspect of our lives and he will both inspire and challenge Wired's audience in the best ways," said Wintour.

Journalists Covering Democracy Demonstrations Face Prison in Myanmar:

At least eight journalists in Myanmar "have been detained by authorities while covering protests against a coup that took place last month," Dustin Jones of NPR reported Tuesday. Six of the detainees, including Associated Press journalist Thein Zaw, have been charged with violating a public order law that carries a prison sentence of up to three years. The military, known as the Tatmadaw, "took control of the country after members of its party lost in a November election, which it says was fraudulent." At least 18 people were killed and more than 30 wounded in a pro-democracy demonstration Sunday.

Google Spurns Collective Bargaining in American News Showcase Negotiations:

Google "has signaled its reluctance" to countenance the legalization of collective bargaining among news organizations as American publishers prepare to negotiate the terms of their participation in the platform's News Showcase program, Kate Kaye of Digiday reported Monday. "My general sense of publishers, frankly, is that they prefer bilateral [negotiations],” said Vice President of News Richard Gingras. "It's a matter of law. It's not really a matter of our preference." However, USA Today Network President and Publisher Maribel Wadsworth believes that legalization would enable the "proper recognition of the value of quality, original reporting," while California Times Group Vice President of Revenue David Spiegel cited the potential benefits for smaller and niche-oriented publications: "I think scaled national publishers will think they can be best served by negotiating independently, but it would be smart for niche groups to band together, especially in areas that Google needs." Google has signed News Showcase agreements with 500 publishers in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Germany and the United Kingdom.

Ebony Relaunches Digitally Under New Ownership:

Ebony, the "the Chicago-born magazine that served as the voice of Black America for more than 75 years," relaunched yesterday as an ad-supported digital publication under the ownership of Louisville-based Bridgeman Sports and Media, according to Robert Channick of the Chicago Trbune. Although the venerable publication maintained a circulation in excess of 1 million readers until the 2010s, it was characterized by "several publishing interruptions and deepening financial woes" under the ownership of Texas-based private equity firm CVG Group, which filed for bankruptcy after defaulting on $10 million in loans. "We’re going to ask for grace, because we did this quickly,” said Michele Ghee, its new chief executive. "But we are in a rush to show that we have great intentions."

Brooks Wrote for Facebook Corporate Site:

New York Times Op-Ed Columnist David Brooks recently "published a 900-word ode to Facebook Groups and how they foster online communities around the world" for the platform's corporate website and participated in a related panel discussion without disclosing the work to his editors, Craig Silverman and Ryan Mac of BuzzFeed News reported Friday. According to spokesperson Eileen Murphy, Brooks was not compensated for the work, which was "done in conjunction with the Aspen Institute’s Weave Project, a local community-building initiative that was founded by the Times writer." A spokesperson for the Aspen Institute has confirmed that the Weave Project has accepted funding from Facebook for specific projects. "If the Times and David Brooks are asking people to trust his opinion journalism, then he should be clear about any entanglements that might affect the independence of that journalism," said Kathleen Culver, director of the Center for Journalism Ethics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

White House Correspondents' Association Objects to Testing Plan:

The White House Correspondents' Association has expressed opposition to a plan that would shift the cost of coronavirus testing to attending reporters' news organizations, according to Paul Farhi of The Washington Post. “It sets up a means test for White House coverage," said one member familiar with the proposal, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to Farhi because the policy hasn’t been formally announced. Under the plan, individual test would cost $170, while broadcast news organizations that send as many as eight journalists to the White House could pay as much as $1,360. Under the plan, White House officials have "agreed to continue covering the costs of tests administered to pool reporters — those assigned to follow the president when he travels and for those attending daily press briefings."

Gannett Records 4Q Loss Amid Growing Digital Subscriptions:

Gannett "reported a year-over-year decline in fourth-quarter revenue and a wider net loss, but the company beat its earlier estimates for the period as cost-cutting and an increased emphasis on digital subscriptions paid off," Nathan Bomey of USA Today reported Thursday. The media company "reported a net loss of $122.2 million for the quarter, compared with a loss of $95.1 million in the same period a year earlier," including a "$74.3 million non-cash loss in connection with a derivative due on the company's convertible notes and a $42.1 million loss from an early debt paydown." Online subscriptions rose 29% in the fourth quarter compared to last year, with a total of 1.1 million. "During a challenging 2020, we achieved strong operational execution, significant cost and debt reductions, improved operating trends and financial position, and we enter 2021 with good momentum, prepared to implement our subscription-led growth plan," said Chief Executive Michael Reed.

Washington Post Condemns Racist, Sexist Attacks Against Reporter:

The Washington Post denounced online abuse that targeted White House Correspondent Seung Min Kim "after a photo of her speaking with Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) was shared on Twitter" Thursday, according to Joseph Choi of The Hill. The attacks manifested after HuffPost Politics Reporter Igor Bobic shared a recent photo of Kim "showing Murkowski a tweet from Neera Tanden, President Biden's nominee for Office of Management and Budget director, in which Tanden criticized Murkowski." Kim later posted screenshots of several attacks. "What she did was basic journalism," said Steven Ginsberg, the newspaper's national editor. "No one should have to deal with the hate that has been directed at Seung Min. She did her job and she did it well, like she always does."

Twitter Announces 'Super Follows,' Groups Features:

Twitter has announced "a pair of big upcoming features: the ability for users to charge their followers for access to additional content, and the ability to create and join groups based around specific interests," Jacob Kastrenakes of The Verge reported Thursday. Under the Super Follows payment feature, users may "charge followers and give them access to extra content," potentially encompassing bonus tweets, newsletter subscriptions and group access. The Communities group feature will enable users to "create and join groups around specific interests — like cats or plants, Twitter suggests — allowing them to see more tweets focused on those topics." The platform did not offer a timetable for the launch.

NBC News: Biden Administration To Release Khashoggi Report:

The Biden administration "will release an intelligence report Thursday that concludes that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi," Andrea Mitchell and Ken Dilanian of NBC News reported Wednesday. According to Mitchell and Dilanian, the assessment, based largely on work by the CIA, was confirmed to exist by NBC and other news organizations in 2018. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Wednesday that President Biden planned to communicate with King Salman in lieu of bin Salman (who has served as Saudi Arabia's de facto head of government since 2017) about the matter. Khashoggi, a Saudi citizen and nephew of businessman Adnan Khashoggi, was working as a columnist for The Washington Post when he was assassinated by a team of intelligence operatives at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018.