Top News:
Stuart Dredge / Guardian:
Wikipedia launching $100m fund to secure long-term future as site turns 15 — Online encyclopedia reaches its 15th birthday preparing for challenges ahead around funding, mobile access and the developing world — As Wikipedia turns 15, its operator The Wikimedia Foundation is hoping …
Discussion:
Washington Post, Pew Research Center, Mashable, The Conversation, Digiday, Wired, TIME, Telegraph, Telegraph, TIME, International Business Times, TIME, Wikimedia blog, Mirror.co.uk, Paste, BT.com, @newswhip, The Conversation, IT PRO, Associated Press, ABC, The Hill and Tech Times
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Netflix says it will block proxy and VPN access, used to bypass country restrictions, in the coming weeks citing content-licensing restrictions — Netflix Vows to Shut Down Proxy Users Who Bypass Country Restrictions — Netflix, which now offers streaming service in some 190 nations …
Discussion:
Netflix Media Center, Guardian, Wired, Forbes, Stuff.co.nz, BBC, BetaNews, Tech Times, sbs.com.au, Advanced Television, South China Morning Post, TechHive, VPN Creative, The A.V. Club, @okonomiyonda, Ars Technica, @manuch, 9to5Google, TechCrunch, Telegraph, CNBC, Engadget, BGR, Android Police, SiliconANGLE, TorrentFreak, Multichannel News, @jongold, MediaNama, Guardian, cnet.co.kr, Silicon Republic, VentureBeat, The Hill, Plagiarism Today, Techaeris, @tante, Mashable, The Verge, AfterDawn.com, CNNMoney, PCMag UK, Ubergizmo, Computerworld, @kobak, Polygon, @octaeder, Business Insider, TechRadar.com, Motherboard, The Independent, The Next Web, Gizmodo and SlashGear
Jordan Weissmann / Slate:
Al Jazeera America failed by offering viewers coverage based on survey findings, not what audiences are proven to watch — Why Al Jazeera America Was Destined to Fail — Al Jazeera America never had a chance. Having struggled in vain to attract an audience since it launched in 2013 …
Discussion:
Gawker, @ggreenwald, National Observer, @jillfilipovic, @digiday, @jigarmehta, Politico, Washington Post, @digidave, Fast Company, @ryantate, @jackshafer, @chrislhayes, @chrislhayes, @hamiltonnolan, Reynolds Center, @petersterne, Talking Points Memo, brandchannel, Washington Post, BBC, Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Deadline, Business Insider, New York's PIX11, Guardian and Foreign Policy
RELATED:
Brian Stelter / CNNMoney:
Newsmax TV, One America News Network, and TheBlaze show interest in Al Jazeera America's place on cable lineups but transfers are often extremely difficult — Al Jazeera America's spot on the dial already eyed by potential buyers — At least three upstart cable news channels are already eyeing …
Discussion:
@brianstelter, @swanniontv, @tomkludt, New Republic, CBS News and Guido Fawkes
Michael Calderone / The Huffington Post:
Huffington Post Management Voluntarily Recognizes Employee Union — HuffPost is the largest digital news outlet to organize. — NEW YORK — The Huffington Post's management has voluntarily recognized its employees' union, making the digital media outlet the largest ever to organize.
Laura Hazard Owen / Nieman Lab:
Axel Springer's Bild is testing news delivery via Facebook Messenger — German tabloid Bild is experimenting with delivering news to its readers via Facebook Messenger. The first experiment is limited to “news, background information, and rumors regarding the transfer window of the German soccer league.”
Discussion:
@ylichterman
Paresh Dave / Los Angeles Times:
ESPN.com rolls out e-sports section, says its daily coverage will have the same rigor it has for other sports — ESPN.com to cover e-sports with same ‘rigor’ as it does the big leagues — An ESPN The Magazine last year focused on e-sports. Emboldened by the response, ESPN.com plans to aggressively cover video game competitions.
Discussion:
Broadcasting & Cable, Variety, GeekWire, Kotaku, VentureBeat, The Wrap, Multichannel News, SlashGear, LaughingPlace.com, Shacknews, Tech Times, USA Today, ESPN and ESPN
Phil Serafino / Bloomberg Business:
Vivendi Sells Its Activision Stake, Netting $1.1 Billion — Gamemaker's stock price almost doubled in the past year — Chairman Bollore has recently focused on Europe investments — Vivendi SA sold its remaining 5.7 percent stake in Activision Blizzard Inc., resulting in net proceeds of $1.1 billion …
Discussion:
MarketWatch and Financial Times
Dominic Ponsford / Press Gazette:
Weird news website Quirker is first title to close following Trinity Mirror purchase of Local World — Trinity Mirror has closed down its first title following its merger with Local World - weird local news website Quirker. — According to Trinity Mirror the site employed four journalists …
Nic Christensen / mUmBRELLA:
Daily Mail Australia ends Nine partnership amid frustrations over lack of local ad sales — Nine Entertainment Co has sold off its stake in the Daily Mail Australia to British-based parent company The Daily Mail General Trust, just over two years after the joint-venture was created.
Discussion:
Sydney Morning Herald, Yahoo! Finance, Guardian, AdNews, Sky News, AdNews and mUmBRELLA
Gabriel Sherman / New York Magazine:
Sources: Rupert Murdoch reasserts control over Fox News, Roger Ailes threatened to quit over promotion of Murdoch's sons, network lacks Trump coverage strategy — With Roger Ailes Absent, Fox News Is Drifting — There Isn't Even a ‘Trump Strategy’ — For the past two decades …
Discussion:
TVNewser, @rupertmurdoch, Fortune, @frankrichny, @hadas_gold, @blakehounshell, @kausmickey, Washington Post, @laobserved, @joepompeo, Media Wire Daily, @nymagpr, @jyarow, @gabrielsherman and @mlcalderone
Patrick Frater / Variety:
Hunaxi to buy 8% stake for $10M in London-based Mubi, will invest $40M for 70% for a joint venture for a streaming service in China — Mubi to Launch Curated VoD Service in China — China's Huanxi Media will partner with Mubi to launch Mubi China, a local version of its video on demand service.
Discussion:
The Verge, CNBC, Bryan Hood, AfterDawn.com, TBI Vision, Digital TV Europe, Hollywood Reporter and TechCrunch