Media Insider: CNN Poaches BuzzFeed’s Political Team, Gannett Likely to Buy Tronc, Yahoo’s Quest to Go Social

Welcome to Media Insider, PR Newswire’s round up of journalism, blogging and freelancing stories from the week.

Photo by Nicole Mays used under CC BY-NC 2.0

CNN Poaches BuzzFeed’s Entire Political Research Unit (FishbowlDC)

BuzzFeed’s “K-File” — made up of Andrew Kaczynski, Kyle Blaine, Nate McDermott and Christopher Massie — will be taking its talents to CNN, reports FishbowlDC. The quad, notoriously known for its political candidate research, started at CNN this week. BuzzFeed editor Ben Smith attributes the steal to the success of BuzzFeed News’ coverage during the presidential cycle, and wishes former employee Kaczynski good luck.

Gannett Deal To Buy Tronc Is Likely Imminent (Politico)

Sources tell Politico that Gannett’s acquisition of Tronc could be announced soon. Tronc’s board of directors held a meeting recently that was likely focused on the sale, reports Politico. Gannett made previous offers that were rejected, but a sweetened offer may be helping negotiations. The takeover is an opportunity for Gannett to gain control over large media markets in the U.S., including The Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune.

Yahoo’s New Newsroom Social App Is ‘Reddit For The Masses,’ Exec Says (Digital Trends)

Yahoo is on a quest to go social. It’s vehicle, reports Digital Trends, is a news-centric app called Yahoo Newsroom that allows users to keep up with news and contribute to the conversation. “Connecting with others who share your passion for social issues, favorite sports teams, celebrity gossip or having a healthy debate about politics is often a fragmented experience,” Yahoo announced, according to Digital Trends. The app hopes to create a community where users can customize their news experience and engage in discussion on topics that matter to them most.

Jack Dorsey Is Losing Control of Twitter (Bloomberg Technology)

Jack Dorsey, CEO of Twitter, is a strong advocate for helping Twitter grow by capitalizing on new products and live-streaming. But its board of directors are more in favor of considering the sale of Twitter to prospective acquirers, reports Bloomberg Technology. Though Dorsey did speak out in favor of keeping Twitter an independent company, he has relinquished some of his power regarding Twitter’s strategy to others in the management team. The board has been pleased with the team’s work as of late, but the fate of the company is still unclear.

BuzzFeed Vandalized By Hacking Group After Exposing Alleged Member (The Verge)

OurMine, the hacking group responsible for prominent social media hacks in recent months, recently found a victim in BuzzFeed. The site was vandalized in apparent retaliation for a BuzzFeed story claiming to expose an OurMine member, according to The Verge. The group changed several BuzzFeed titles to read “Hacked by OurMine.” They also replaced story text with a note not to “share fake news about us again.” BuzzFeed has since taken the pages down, and says they will restore the original articles.

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Tabresha B. Langham is a Customer Content Specialist with PR Newswire. She also is a social media enthusiast, foodie, and lover of SEC Football (War Eagle!). Tune into her insights as a social curator at @PRNmedia, or follow @TabreshaL.