Gannett ends online comments for a majority of its news sites – Gannett ended online commenting for most of its news sites Wednesday, citing difficulties in dedicating staff to moderate comment sections.
Some of Gannett’s larger outlets including the Detroit Free Press, The Arizona Republic, and The Cincinnati Enquirer will retain online comments. However, the vast majority of the company’s roughly 200 dailies will no longer allow readers to post comments directly to their websites. [Poynter]
USA Today publisher Gannett reduces debt by $22.3 million using proceeds from real estate sales – USA Today publisher Gannett Co. Inc. said Friday it has used the proceeds of real estate sales totaling $21.3 million in January to reduce first lien debt by $22.3 million. The McLean, Va.-based company said about $5 million of the proceeds went to repurchase about $6.1 million of 6.00% first lien notes due Nov. 1, 2026, at a discount to par. The remaining $16.3 million went to repay some of its five-year senior secured term loan facility. “We expect to sell another $50 million to $60 million in real estate and other assets in 2023, the proceeds of which we expect to use to pay down debt,” Chief Executive Michael Reed said in a statement. “:As a result, we expect to reduce our debt within the year by approximately $120 million through the sale of real estate and other assets, along with our scheduled quarterly amortization payments.” [MarketWatch]
Keke Palmer joins Twitch – The KeyTV Network executive/actresss/music artist invites fans to watch her play Sims4 on her new Twitch channel.
Universal dropped the Fast & Furious “Legacy Trailer” today – This is part of the countdown to the Fast X trailer that drops February 10.
For Elon Musk, Two Cases About His Tweets, and Two Victories – Twice Elon Musk has faced a jury over remarks he has made on Twitter. And twice a jury has vindicated him.
The latest victory came Friday when a federal jury ruled in his favor in a securities-fraud lawsuit in which investors alleged they felt misled into losing money after his 2018 tweets claimed to have “funding secured” to take Tesla Inc. private. Shares rose on the news, then fell in the days after as it became clear he didn’t have such a deal for the car maker finalized.
Mr. Musk’s willingness to bet on himself and his convictions have been rewarded, furthering his reputation as a maverick willing to fight rather than bow to pressure. [WSJ]
