Business of Media
Azerbaijan arrests journalist, charges another as press crackdown continues
Azerbaijani police on Monday arrested one journalist and ordered pre-trial detention for another, the latest reporters to face legal trouble since a crackdown on the country’s independent media that began in November, reports Reuters.
The organisation Reporters without Borders (RSF) ranks Azerbaijan 151st of 180 countries in its World Press Freedom Index.
Shahin Rzayev, a political observer with JAM News, an outlet that covers Azerbaijan and its neighbours Georgia and Armenia, was arrested and ordered to be held for 15 days on charges of “petty hooliganism,” Azerbaijan’s interior ministry said.
Critics Choice Awards a victory for Barbie as America Ferrera gives rousing speech
In some ways, Barbie is defined by America Ferrera‘s monologue in which she gives voice to the impossible contradicting standards women are expected to live up to, reports the ABC’s Mawunyo Gbogbo.
That’s one of the things people remember the most about the movie. That’s what’s captured the imaginations of many.
And that’s what, as Australian actor Margot Robbie said at the Critics Choice Awards, drama students are probably rehearsing in class.
Robbie presented Ferrera with the SeeHer Award at the 29th annual Critics Choice Awards held in Santa Monica, California, on Sunday local time.
Ex-Beauty and the Geek star Jordan Finlayson admits handing fake medical certificates to police
A disgraced former reality TV star and model has admitted to using fake medical certificates to avoid reporting to police while on bail for drug driving, reports News Corp’s Nathan Schmidt.
Jordan Finlayson pleaded guilty at Downing Centre Local Court on Friday to four counts of using a false document to influence the exercise of public duty.
The 32-year-old competed on Beauty and the Geek in 2011 before her meth-fuelled fall from grace, and was convicted late last year of driving while on drugs.
News Brands
As editor exits, can Mirror and owner Reach survive ad crisis?
In the space of a year, Reach, the owner of the Mirror, Express and hundreds of local newspapers, has parted ways with the two most senior members of its editorial leadership team and cut almost 800 roles in the biggest annual cull of jobs in the newspaper industry for decades, reports The Guardian’s Mark Sweney.
On Monday, Reach confirmed the departure by mutual agreement of Alison Phillips, a 26-year company veteran who was the Daily Mirror’s first female editor since it was founded in 1903, reigniting fears among staff that the pre-Christmas jobs cull will continue this year.
Television
Netflix reels in viewers with three-word hooks
Grey’s Anatomy is “soapy” and “emotional”. Emily in Paris is “campy” and “quirky”. Our Planet II is “relaxing” and “captivating”, while Gravity is “suspenseful” and “visually striking”, reports The New York Times’ John Koblin.
Words such as these, displayed near the synopsis and movie poster-style tile for each one of the thousands of titles on Netflix, appear to be scooped out of a grab bag. In fact, they are a critical tool to induce viewers to hit play, and a key to Netflix’s dominance.
The two- or three-word tags, meant to convey the gestalt of a show or movie, regularly help viewers choose a show from the service’s nearly endless library, the company says. The words are selected by about 30 employees – so-called taggers.
Our predictions for a glittering, strike-delayed Emmy Awards
Like everything in Hollywood, Tuesday’s 75th Primetime Emmy Awards were delayed by the writers′ and actors’ strikes. Covering the television year of June 1, 2022, to May 31, 2023, the trophies were meant to be given out in September of last year, reports Nine Publishing’s Craig Mathieson.
Then again, the delay hasn’t made the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences’ task any easier. The field is stacked with deserving shows and impressive performances, pitting concluding favourites against a wave of breakthrough successes: Succession and Ted Lasso, meet The Bear and The Last of Us.
Here are my predictions.
Viewers warned ahead of Ten’s high-profile new series Gladiators
Viewers have been given a strict warning ahead of Channel 10’s highly anticipated Gladiators reboot, reports News Corp’s Joshua Haigh.
With the show set to be seriously action-packed, Ten have placed a warning in front of tonight’s show in an effort to protect some of the series’ younger viewers.
“Hey guys, us Gladiators love a big hit and a big fall, but we’ve got super-sized muscles and a soft landing, so don’t go trying this out on the playground, alright?” says one of the show’s new stars. “Grab your popcorn at let us take care of the take-downs, we need you and your mates in tip-top shape to cheer us on.”
Sports Media
Chiefs-Dolphins playoff game on Peacock sets records for U.S. streaming and internet usage
The NFL playoff game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins made history—and not just because it was so cold that one head coach’s mustache formed icicles, reports The Wall Street Journal’s Patience Haggin.
The Wild Card game, which aired on the streaming service Peacock, was the most streamed U.S. event ever, drawing 23 million viewers, according to Comcast NBCUniversal, Peacock’s owner. It also was the largest event ever for internet usage in the U.S., accounting for 30% of web traffic, making Saturday the single highest day of U.S. internet usage in history.
Peacock had exclusive rights to the game, which the Chiefs won 26-7, except in the teams’ home markets, where it was available on local TV—marking the first time that most Americans had to stream a playoff game. For several years, the major networks have streamed their games, but not in place of a national telecast.