For the Record

ProPublica's Tofel Retires:

ProPublica President Richard Tofel will retire "when a successor is in place," the news organization announced Wednesday. "When the history of non-profit journalism in America is written, Dick Tofel will surely be among the titans," Editor-in-Chief Stephen Engelberg said in a statement. "Way back when everyone began talking about the search for sustainable business models, he was among the first to recognize a brutal truth: That much of the journalism we depend on for democracy would survive only if readers came to view it as a philanthropic priority which deserved their support as much as the local library or hospital, university, museum, symphony orchestra or dance company." Prior to joining ProPublica as its first employee in 2007, Tofel was the assistant publisher of The Wall Street Journal and general counsel of the Rockefeller Foundation. Blinkhorn LLC will guide a national search for the position. (Engelberg is the co-chair of the Pulitzer Prize Board.)

Facebook Blocks Australian News:

Facebook "announced Thursday it has blocked Australians from viewing and sharing news on the platform because of proposed laws in the country to make digital giants pay for journalism," according to Rod McGuirk of the Associated Press. Although publishers can continue to publish content on the platform, "links and posts can’t be viewed or shared by Australian audiences," the company said in a statement. Treasurer of Australia Josh Frydenberg has confirmed that the government has had at least one "constructive discussion" with founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg following the ban: "He raised a few remaining issues with the Government's news media bargaining code and we agreed to continue our conversation to try to find a pathway forward."

BuzzFeed Finalizes HuffPost Acquisition:

BuzzFeed CEO Jonah Peretti announced Tuesday that the media company has finalized its acquisition of HuffPost, according to Keith J. Kelly of the New York Post. "HuffPost will operate as its own distinct brand within BuzzFeed, and will remain separate and independent from BuzzFeed News,” said a spokesperson, who also confirmed that the two sites "will syndicate material across both platforms." BuzzFeed News Editor in Chief Mark Schoofs, a 2000 International Reporting winner, is "heading up the search for an editor to lead the HuffPost division." BuzzFeed acquired HuffPost in November 2020 without disclosing terms.

Alden Global Capital Agrees to Buy Rest of Tribune Publishing:

New York hedge fund Alden Global Capital has reached a deal to acquire 68% of Tribune Publishing, "the newspaper company which owns some of the biggest papers in the country, including the Chicago Tribune and New York Daily News," Lukas I. Alpert of The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday. The $17.25/share agreement, which requires shareholder approval, values the company at $630 million. Under the agreement, Alden also "has signed a nonbinding term sheet to sell the Baltimore Sun, the Capital Gazette and a handful of weeklies to a public charity called Sunlight for All Institute, formed by Maryland hotel baron Stewart Bainum Jr." 

Swati Sharma Named Editor of Vox:

Atlantic Managing Editor Swati Sharma will succeed Lauren Williams as editor-in-chief of Vox, the digital news organization announced Tuesday. "Throughout her career, Swati has combined a deep respect for great journalism with a profound understanding for audience needs," said Melissa Bell, the publication's co-founder and publisher. “I'm so excited to have Swati working with Vox during this incredible moment of change for both us and our audiences." Prior to joining The Atlantic in 2018, Sharma was deputy general assignment editor of The Washington Post.

McClatchy, Gannett Start Advertising Program:

McClatchy and Gannett "are joining forces to sell national ads to their combined reach of over 300 local communities," Sara Fischer of Axios reported Tuesday. Under the agreement, USA Today's national sales team "will lead the go-to-market strategy" on behalf of both companies. "For a long time, our company has been largely unsuccessful in capturing national advertising directly," says Tony Hunter, chairman and chief executive of McClatchy, which owns more than 30 local newspapers. "It's fragmented and national advertisers want something seamless and turnkey."

Austin American-Statesman Suspends Printing, Delivery Amid Storm:

The Austin American-Statesman suspended printing and delivery of its Tuesday edition after severe weather across Texas led to power outages for 2 million residents in the publication's coverage area. "Many of our reporters and editors have lost power at their homes and are charging devices in the car, sending in stories and news tips as their batteries and phone service allows," the newspaper noted in a staff report. "Some are dealing with flooding from broken pipes, broken hot water heaters and other issues all too familiar to many of you. They're bundled up in hats and scarves awaiting the heat and the lights to come back on so they can return to their important role of bringing you the news."

Morals Clauses Enter Mainstream Publishing:

Once confined to Christian publishing agreements, morals clauses "have become commonplace in mainstream publishing over the last few years" amid the #MeToo movement and the emergence of social media, according to Elizabeth A. Harris of The New York Times. "It diametrically changes the premise between a publisher and an author, which traditionally always meant that the author’s words in the book were what was promised to the publisher, not the behavior beyond it," said the literary agent Janis Donnaud. "The fact that the publisher can be judge, jury, executioner and, in fact, beneficiary of these clauses seems incredibly outlandish." However, while the clauses have become standard at Penguin Random House and a variety of smaller publishers, they remain "unusual among independent publishers, according to Dan Simon, a founder of the Independent Publishers Caucus."

Bloomberg News Lays Off Staff, Editors in Global Restructuring:

Bloomberg News "began notifying a group of employees they were being terminated" Thursday, according to Brian Steinberg of Variety. In a memo to staffers reviewed by Steinberg, past Pulitzer juror and Editor in Chief John Micklethwait characterized the layoffs as a restructuring: "[W]e moved too slowly. Teams waited for somebody to back-read a piece or ignored the requests from the News Desk to get a blast out quickly. Managers spent too much time setting up conference calls when they should just have been writing. Or teams suddenly delivered enterprise pieces that nobody wanted." Approximately 90 staffers are affected, representing less than 3% of Bloomberg's media and research staff.

Facebook Builds Audio Chat Product:

Facebook "is building an audio chat product that is similar" to the popular invitation-only app Clubhouse, Mike Isaac of The New York Times reported Wednesday. According to Isaac, CEO Mark Zuckerberg "has been interested in audio communication forms" and appeared on the app last Saturday to discuss augmented and virtual reality. Facebook has become known in Silicon Valley "for being willing to clone its competitors," including the TikTok-inspired Reels interface on Instagram and the Rooms video chat service.