Top News:
Brian Stelter / CNNMoney:
Sources: formal FCC staff recommendation to the commissioners on AT&T-DirectTV deal could come as early as next week — AT&T, DirecTV executives meet with regulators about deal — Top executives from the two companies met with Federal Communications Commission staffers in Washington on Thursday …
Discussion:
Washington Post, The Verge, Forbes and Techdirt
Anna Clark / Columbia Journalism Review:
Columnist builds a Facebook following of 130k by sharing news and civil discussion — How Connie Schultz built a unique community on Facebook — In an era when journalists feel pressure to use social media to build their personal brands, Connie Schultz has done something far more interesting.
Discussion:
@annaleighclark, @ebnert, @mediadissector and US News
Greg Avery / Denver Business Journal:
Denver Post cutting staff in the newsroom, again — The Denver Post is looking to cut 20 positions from its newsroom staff, offering buyouts as incentive for veteran employees to leave and stave off a round of layoffs at Colorado's largest newspaper. — Editor Greg Moore told assembled …
Discussion:
Denver Westword and Poynter
Bloomberg Business:
Days before Apple plans to reveal its music streaming service, Apple is still negotiating with record labels, who are pushing for 60% of proceeds — Apple's Pushing to Complete Streaming Music Deal Before Event — Just days before Apple Inc. plans to reveal a music streaming service …
Discussion:
TechCrunch, AppleInsider, US News, The Next Web, Mercury News, BGR, The Verge, Engadget, Variety, ZDNet, App Advice, TIME, Business Insider, MacRumors, Music Ally and The Next Web
Financial Times:
Sources: Apple may reduce the 30% cut it takes from publishers on Newsstand and many video providers on Apple TV — Apple rewrites app store economics — Apple is planning a departure from the pricing formula that has defined the economics of digital media for a decade …
Madalina Ciobanu / Journalism.co.uk:
Tow Center launches NewsLynx, an open source analytics platform that aims to analyze data with context to assess impact — NewsLynx launches to help newsrooms measure ‘impact’ — The open source analytics platform from Tow Center research fellows launched yesterday as an alternative to traditional metrics
Discussion:
Nieman Lab and TOWCenter
Ruth Reader / VentureBeat:
Genius launches an API so developers can help fuel its mission to annotate the Web — Twisted Agile: We're taking elements Agile dev and shaking it up with savvy best practices for better, faster outcomes. Sign up for our free webinar on June 11 at 10 a.m. PST/11 p.m. EST.
Discussion:
GENIUS ENGINEERING, VentureBeat and TechCrunch
Lydia Polgreen / New York Times:
In Mali, where data connections are sparse, music is sold on memory cards and USB sticks — A Music-Sharing Network for the Unconnected … Over the last two decades, cellphones have ushered in a communications revolution in Africa. The entire country of Mali, for example …
Richard Verrier / Los Angeles Times:
MPAA extends Chairman Chris Dodd's contract through 2018 — Hollywood's chief lobbyist will have at least another three years on the job. — The Motion Picture Assn. of America has extended the contract of Chairman Chris Dodd through 2018. — “He has been an impactful leader …
Discussion:
The Wrap, Variety, Hollywood Reporter, Multichannel News and Deadline
Jason Abbruzzese / Mashable:
Fusion, Re/Code, and Vox demonstrate that scale is vital for new media startups to survive — Fusion, Re/code, Vox and what it takes to survive as a media startup — After what seemed like years of blue skies and growing traffic, recent stumbles have led to rumblings that the optimism …
Discussion:
@jacklizmi, @christhilk, @mikeisaac, @rafat, @hblodget, @herbscribner, @samanthamcgarry, @jpmanga, @herbscribner, @petersterne and @fromedome
Alan D. Mutter / Reflections of a Newsosaur:
One of every four news startups listed in Columbia Journalism Review database since 2010 has failed — 1 of 4 news start-ups flamed out — In 2009, David Boraks wrote an inspiring guest post here about the launch of his hyper-local news site in Davidson County, NC.
Discussion:
@lionpubs, @jkristufek, @markcoddington and @timmcdougall13
Abigail Edge / Journalism.co.uk:
The New York Times uses Reddit to measure engagement and understand reader response to its stories — How NYT is using Reddit to gain insights into its audience — The Times' director of analytics innovation shared how the outlet aims to ‘bring the audience into the newsroom’, speaking at the World News Media Congress