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The Marion County Record, a newspaper in Kansas that the police raided last week, is getting its equipment back from local law enforcement, the county’s top prosecutor said on Wednesday. Joel Ensey, the Marion County attorney, said in a statement that there was insufficient evidence to justify the search of The Marion County Record and seizure of its journalists’ equipment. “As a result, I have submitted a proposed order asking the court to release the evidence seized,” he said. “I have asked local law enforcement to return the material seized to the owners of the property.”The police and county sheriff’s deputies raided the newspaper’s office, the home of its owner and editor and the home of a city councilwoman on Friday — collecting computers, cellphones and other materials. It is extremely rare for law enforcement authorities in the United States to search and seize the tools to produce journalism.

Persons: Joel Ensey, ”, “ Organizations: Marion County Locations: Marion, Kansas, Marion County, United States

☆ CBS News Names New Chief Executive
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Benjamin Mullin | More About Benjamin Mullin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

CBS News has named Wendy McMahon as its next chief executive, overseeing the news division, its network of stations and its TV syndication arm. Ms. McMahon was previously president of CBS News and its stations, splitting duties with Neeraj Khemlani, who also held that title. Mr. Khemlani stepped down on Sunday, striking a multiyear deal to develop content for the company. George Cheeks, the chief executive of CBS, said in a note to employees on Monday that Ms. McMahon’s appointment was part of a broader reorganization of the division’s national and local news businesses. “I firmly believe that Wendy is the ideal leader for these groups at this critical juncture,” Mr. Cheeks wrote.

Persons: Wendy McMahon, McMahon, Neeraj Khemlani, Khemlani, George Cheeks, McMahon’s, Wendy, Mr, Cheeks Organizations: CBS, CBS News

☆ CNN Overhauls Programming Lineup, Aiming to Lift Ratings
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Benjamin Mullin | More About Benjamin Mullin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

CNN, which has battled sagging ratings this year, on Monday unveiled a dramatic remaking of its morning and evening programming. Laura Coates, an anchor and chief legal analyst at CNN, will anchor the network’s 11 p.m. hour. Earlier this year, CNN named Kaitlan Collins, its former White House correspondent, as anchor of its 9 p.m. hour, replacing Mr. Cuomo. The show will be co-hosted by Ms. Harlow and Phil Mattingly, CNN’s chief White House correspondent. Ms. Hunt was previously anchor of “Way Too Early,” a morning show on MSNBC.

Persons: Abby Phillip, ”, Laura Coates, Chris Cuomo, Andrew Cuomo, Kaitlan Collins, Cuomo, Don Lemon, Collins, Lemon, Poppy Harlow, Harlow, Phil Mattingly, CNN’s, Kasie Hunt, Hunt Organizations: CNN, New York Gov, White House, White, MSNBC

A small town in Kansas has become a battleground over the First Amendment, after the local police force and county sheriff’s deputies raided the office of the Marion County Record. Raids of news organizations are exceedingly rare in the United States, with its long history of legal protections for journalists. At the Record, a family-owned paper with a circulation of about 4,000, the police seized computers, servers and cellphones of reporters and editors. They also searched the home of the publication’s owner and semiretired editor as well as the home of a city councilwoman. The searches, conducted on Friday, appeared to be linked to an investigation into how a document containing information about a local restaurateur found its way to the local newspaper — and whether the restaurant owner’s privacy was violated in the process.

Persons: Bryan Carmody, Jeff Adachi Organizations: Marion County Locations: Kansas, Marion, United States, Wichita, San Francisco

Paramount said on Monday it had reached a deal to sell Simon & Schuster, one of the biggest and most prestigious publishing houses in the United States, to the private-equity firm KKR, in a major changing of the guard in the books business. The deal, for $1.62 billion, will put control of the cultural touchstone behind authors like Stephen King and Bob Woodward in the hands of a financial buyer with an expanding presence in the publishing industry. While private equity investors have had a significant footprint in the book business — different firms have owned literary agencies, publishing houses and the retailer Barnes & Noble — the acquisition of one of the largest publishers in the country vastly increases the hold of financial interests in the business. Richard Sarnoff, who leads KKR’s media, entertainment and technology group, is a familiar name to many in the publishing industry and his involvement is encouraging, said several publishing executives on Monday. Mr. Sarnoff has held multiple positions at Bertelsmann, the company that owns Penguin Random House, and served as chairman of the Association of American Publishers, a trade group.

Persons: Simon, Schuster, Stephen King, Bob Woodward, Noble, Richard Sarnoff, Sarnoff Organizations: Paramount, KKR, Barnes, Bertelsmann, Random, Association of American Publishers Locations: United States

Paramount is preparing to announce an agreement to sell Simon & Schuster, one of the country’s top publishers, to KKR, a private-equity firm, marking the end of a yearslong attempt to sell the publishing house. The deal, which values Simon & Schuster at roughly $1.62 billion, could be announced as soon as Monday, according to three people familiar with the deal who spoke on condition of anonymity on Sunday to discuss a confidential process. The deal has the potential to reshape book publishing, an industry in which Simon & Schuster is one of the most significant players in the country. Paramount (formerly ViacomCBS) put Simon & Schuster up for sale in 2020. About nine months later, it announced a deal to sell the company to Penguin Random House for $2.18 billion.

Persons: Simon, Schuster Organizations: Paramount, KKR, Penguin Random, & $

The sale of Simon & Schuster appears to be nearing a suspenseful conclusion, like the final chapter of a page-turner from one of the country’s largest and most prestigious publishing houses. Second-round bids for Simon & Schuster — which publishes boldface names like Stephen King — were due earlier this week, according to three people familiar with the negotiations, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the confidential sale process. The sale process is expected to conclude in the coming weeks, the people said. A sale would put an end to years of uncertainty for Simon & Schuster, which is owned by Paramount (formerly ViacomCBS) and was initially put up for sale in early 2020. How much suitors for Simon & Schuster were willing to pay couldn’t be determined.

Persons: Simon, Simon & Schuster, Stephen King —, couldn’t Organizations: Simon &, KKR, News Corp, HarperCollins, Paramount, Penguin Random, Department of Justice

☆ Top Editor at The Atlantic Will Moderate ‘Washington Week’
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Benjamin Mullin | More About Benjamin Mullin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

PBS announced Wednesday that Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor in chief of The Atlantic, would be the next moderator of “Washington Week,” the Friday evening public affairs show that is a staple among policymakers in the nation’s capital. The Atlantic will co-produce the show, which will be renamed “Washington Week With The Atlantic.” The magazine will cover some of the costs and help to sell sponsorships. Mr. Goldberg, who has been at The Atlantic for more than a decade — its former owner, David Bradley, recruited him in 2007 with a team of ponies — said he believed there were still enough viewers who cared about in-depth analysis of consequential issues to make the show a success. “The good thing is, there’s an awful lot of Americans, and I don’t need all of them to come here,” Mr. Goldberg said. “We just need five or 10 million.”

Persons: Jeffrey Goldberg, Goldberg, David Bradley, —, ” Mr, “ Organizations: PBS, The, Washington, Atlantic

The cable company Altice USA is said to be weighing a potential sale of Cheddar News, the network once billed as “CNBC for millennials,” less than five years after buying the company. Altice USA has hired Goldman Sachs to help explore strategic alternatives for Cheddar News, according to three people with knowledge of the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity. They cautioned that Altice was still weighing its options and could decide against a sale. Representatives for Altice USA and Goldman declined to comment. Among them: Gas Station TV (which, yes, plays at the pump) and MTV’s college campus network (which Cheddar bought in 2018).

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Altice, Goldman, Patrick Drahi, Jon Steinberg Organizations: Cheddar News, CNBC, millennials, Altice USA, New York Stock Exchange, Gas Locations: USA, Altice, French, Cheddar

Jeff Bezos had purchased The Post for $250 million in 2013, less than a year after Mr. Baron had taken over. Mr. Bezos, who arrived at media ownership after founding Amazon and remaking online shopping, wanted his top editor to transform the newspaper from a regional news organization into a truly global one. But Mr. Bezos, whose representatives kept an eye on the budget, didn’t believe The Post needed to add many new editors to accomplish that task. So, Mr. Baron came up with a workaround, according to his coming memoir. “To avoid setting off alarms up the line, my deputies and I would strip the word ‘editor’ from proposed new positions whenever possible,” Mr. Baron writes.

Persons: Martin Baron, Jeff Bezos, Baron, Bezos, “, ’, Mr, ” Organizations: The Washington Post

ESPN has held talks with some of the most powerful leagues in professional sports, including the National Football League, the National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball, about taking a minority stake in its business. Disney’s chief executive, Robert A. Iger, said in a CNBC interview last week that the company was “looking for strategic partners” that could help ESPN with either distribution or content. “But we want to stay in the sports business,” said Mr. Iger, whose contract with Disney was recently extended through 2026. Selling a stake in ESPN could give Disney a cash infusion as it faces pricey renewals with sports leagues including the N.B.A., which is sure to demand a premium for the rights to show its games in the coming years. Hearst, the owner of magazines like Cosmopolitan and information services like Fitch Group, owns a minority stake in ESPN.

Persons: Robert A, ”, Iger, Hearst Organizations: ESPN, National Football League, National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball, Walt Disney Company, Disney, CNBC, Cosmopolitan, Fitch Group

Google is testing a product that uses artificial intelligence technology to produce news stories, pitching it to news organizations including The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal’s owner, News Corp, according to three people familiar with the matter. The tool, known internally by the working title Genesis, can take in information — details of current events, for example — and generate news copy, the people said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the product. One of the three people familiar with the product said that Google believed it could serve as a kind of personal assistant for journalists, automating some tasks to free up time for others, and that the company saw it as responsible technology that could help steer the publishing industry away from the pitfalls of generative A.I. Some executives who saw Google’s pitch described it as unsettling, asking not to be identified discussing a confidential matter. Two people said it seemed to take for granted the effort that went into producing accurate and artful news stories.

Organizations: Google, The New York Times, Washington Post, News Corp

In May, when 11,500 movie and television writers went on strike, Hollywood companies like Netflix, NBCUniversal and Disney reacted with what amounted to a shrug. The walkout wasn’t great, but executives had expected it for months. The angry response from Hollywood’s corporate ranks when actors went out on Friday was dramatically different. The film and TV scripts that studios had banked in case of a writers’ strike have been suddenly rendered inert, deprived of actors to bring them to life. Numerous big-budget movies that had been shooting had to shut down immediately, including “Twisters,” “Venom 3,” “Deadpool 3” and “Gladiator 2."

Persons: ’, “ Twisters, ” Organizations: Hollywood, Netflix, Disney, Labor

Politico said Monday that its top U.S. editor was stepping down and would be replaced by one of the publication’s co-founders, John Harris, who will also take on additional responsibilities for Politico’s international editions. Matt Kaminski, who joined Politico nearly a decade ago from The Wall Street Journal, will conclude his tenure as editor in chief at the end of August, Goli Sheikholeslami, Politico’s chief executive, said in an email to the staff Monday. Ms. Sheikholeslami said in her memo that the new role for Mr. Harris, who had been serving as editorial chair, would be expanded to include all of Politico’s editorial units under his purview. “To be clear: John is not returning to a job he once had,” Ms. Sheikholeslami said. “To the contrary, he is stepping into a new role as the single top editorial executive in the company, with newsrooms in the United States and Europe reporting to him.”

Persons: John Harris, Matt Kaminski, Goli, Sheikholeslami, Harris, John, ” Ms, “, ” Organizations: Politico, Wall Street, newsrooms Locations: United States, Europe

Other executives who will remain on Mr. Cavanagh’s leadership team include Cesar Conde, chairman of NBCUniversal News Group, who will gain oversight of Telemundo and NBC’s local stations, and Mark Woodbury, the company’s parks chief. Mr. Cavanagh is essentially winnowing the number of executives who report directly to him, streamlining the company’s leadership ranks. He will also continue to work directly with Adam Miller, an executive vice president overseeing operations and technology as well as communications, human resources and corporate social responsibility; Kim Harris, the company’s general counsel; Anand Kini, NBCUniversal’s chief financial officer; and Craig Robinson, executive vice president and chief diversity officer. The promotions were the first major step taken by Mr. Cavanagh since he took over leadership of the company. Its previous chief executive, Jeff Shell, stepped down after an investigation into sexual harassment.

Persons: Mike Cavanagh, Cavanagh, Donna Langley, Mark Lazarus, Cavanagh’s, Cesar Conde, Mark Woodbury, Adam Miller, Kim Harris, Anand Kini, Craig Robinson, Jeff Shell Organizations: NBCUniversal News, Telemundo

☆ GQ Removes Article Critical of Warner Bros. Discovery C.E.O.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Benjamin Mullin | More About Benjamin Mullin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The article on the GQ website was a fierce critique of David Zaslav, comparing the Warner Bros. Discovery chief executive to the ruthless business tycoon played by Richard Gere in “Pretty Woman.”Then, hours after the article went online on Monday, it disappeared with no explanation. The article had been altered, and then deleted, after Warner Bros. But it is unusual for mainstream news organizations like GQ to remove an article entirely. In a statement, GQ said the article had not been properly edited before it was published.

Persons: David Zaslav, Richard Gere, “, they’re, GQ, “ GQ Organizations: GQ, Warner Bros . Discovery, Warner Bros

Many were especially wary of Penguin Random House — already by far the largest publisher in the United States — getting even bigger by absorbing a rival. Penguin Random House has about 100 imprints; together they publish more than 2,000 titles a year. The merger would have given it Simon & Schuster’s approximately 50 imprints, as well as the company’s vast and valuable backlist of older titles. “The market is already too consolidated,” said Mary Rasenberger, chief executive of the Authors Guild, an advocacy group for writers that opposed the purchase. The company’s recent performance has been strong, even as the results have sagged at other major publishers.

Persons: Simon, Schuster —, United States —, Schuster’s, ”, Mary Rasenberger, Simon & Schuster Organizations: Random, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Hachette, Penguin, United States, Justice Department, Guild, Simon & Locations: United

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