Nov. 20, 2024

■ Comcast greenlights $7 billion spinoff of NBCUniversal cable channels (Wall Street Journal) / Matt Strauss, Donna Langley will lead new NBCUniversal (Variety) / ‘MSNBC may have to change its name as part of today’s spinoff, which will also likely impact (and limit) its newsgathering.’ (Max Tani) / MSNBC and NBC News staffers are 'in the dark' on what Comcast spinoff means for them (The Wrap) / CNBC anchors worry about their future (Business Insider) / 5 burning questions about M&A, MSNBC, and more (Variety)

■ 'Morning Joe' viewership drops 17% after Joe and Mika meet with Trump (The Wrap)

■ New York Post, Trump’s one-time favorite newspaper, tells him to ditch Tulsi Gabbard and Matt Gaetz (Daily Beast) / Incoming White House press secretary: ‘We’re not shy of the hostile media’ (The Hill)

■ The Onion’s bid to buy Infowars, Alex Jones’s site, has gotten messy (New York Times)

■ News Corp shareholders vote down Starboard bid to eliminate dual-class share structure (Wall Street Journal) 

■ Google is further cracking down on sites publishing ‘parasite SEO’ content (The Verge) 

■ Gannett N.J. circulation in a nose dive. Will they be next to get out of the newspaper business? (New Jersey Globe) 

■ Chicago Tribune journalists secure first contract after six years of negotiations (The NewsGuild-CWA)  

■ The New York Times announces California staff updates from National desk (New York Times) / Jeanna Smialek and Jim Tankersley join The New York Times International desk (New York Times) / The Information hires four reporters to deepen coverage of startups, AI, and sports (The Information) / Reuters hires Lori Hinnant as EMEA investigations editor (Talking Biz News) / Meet our new Vikings reporter just days into the high-profile beat (Minnesota Star Tribune)

■ ‘Clarity Media formally launches its statewide freelancer Colorado Network’ (Corey Hutchins) / ICYMI: Gazette to launch statewide 'Colorado Network' for freelancers (Inside the News in Colorado) 

■ ‘The top 5 podcasts of 2024 in the U.S. were "The Daily," "Crime Junkie," "The Joe Rogan Experience," "Dateline NBC," and "SmartLess," according to Apple's end-of-year lists.’ (Brian Stelter) / Why traditional media can’t have its own Joe Rogan: Vulture’s Nicholas Quah on the lessons from Donald Trump’s foray into podcast-land (Columbia Journalism Review) 

■ The shocking true story of Town Topics, a Gilded Age society magazine's deception and downfall (Town & Country)

Press freedom 

■ Trump’s second term could further destabilize a wobbly era for press freedom (Poynter) / What will a second Trump term mean for the Freedom of Information Act? (Nieman Journalism Lab) 

■ Jimmy Lai: What to know about national security trial of Hong Kong media tycoon (Reuters) / Watch: Press briefing on the national security trial of Jimmy Lai (National Press Club) 

■ New book explores dangers of being a journalist under Taliban rule (MSNBC)

Presidential Transition Briefing: What journalists should know about the transfer of power before Inauguration Day

A lot must happen in the 76 days between Election Day and the inauguration to effectively transition to a new presidential administration.

Join the National Press Club Journalism Institute and the Partnership for Public Service for a virtual briefing that will help journalists understand the post-election milestones and planning requirements that President-elects must follow to ensure a smooth, effective transfer of power — and what happens when the incoming administration has not followed the traditional process. Registration is open for this free webinar, which will take place on Friday, Dec. 6, from 11 am to noon ET.

Who you’ll hear from:

• Max Stier, founding president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service
• Valerie Smith Boyd, director of the Center for Presidential Transition

Resources

• Mastering Canva’s Magic Studio: Advanced tools for journalists (Nov. 26, 8 pm ET)
• 30 Minute Skills: Freelance photography (Dec. 9, noon ET)
• Your Next Beat: Civic culture (Dec. 9, 1 pm ET)

This newsletter is written & edited by the National Press Club Journalism Institute staff: Beth Francesco, Holly Butcher Grant, Elliot C. Williams, and Mitch Harle. Send us your questions and suggestions for topics to cover.

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