Top News:


As distribution moves to platforms like Facebook and carriers implement ad blocking, news websites are in danger of losing control of their business — As publishers lose control, are newspaper websites a dead parrot? — Adblocking and the power of platforms such as Facebook threaten to block the pipes that lead to readers
Discussion:
New York Times, @raju, @janemartinson, American Press Institute, @murpharoo, @macloo, @dlknowles, @raju, @mrsbunz, @sulliview, mUmBRELLA, @lauraelizdavis, @dskok, @ptr_yeung, AdExchanger, @emilybell, @emilybell, Digiday and Mashable


One third to one half of the 50 largest US papers could go out of business in three years, predicts Nicco Mele, Wallis Annenberg Chair at USC Annenberg — In search of a business model: the future of journalism in an age of social media and dramatic declines in print revenue — Taubman 275
Discussion:
@kdoctor, @kdoctor, @lauraelizdavis, @stevenejohnston, @shorensteinctr, Nieman Lab, American Press Institute and @shorensteinctr


BuzzFeed CEO Jonah Peretti and President Greg Coleman on how company uses data and local knowledge to tailor and leverage international coverage — BuzzFeed's Global Domination Plan: The Techniker Has Been Informed — BuzzFeed is expanding across the globe—and tackling one of advertising's greatest challenges.
Discussion:
Fast Company, @ermlikeyeah, @eawharton and @petersterne

Univision anchor Jorge Ramos experiments with Facebook Live, achieving 4M video views on primary day in New Hampshire — Univision's Ramos Seeks New Audiences On Facebook — And Draws Millions … On the campaign trail, the chief anchor of the Spanish-language network Univision, Jorge Ramos …
Discussion:
@stevemullis and @davidfolkenflik

Egypt jails author for two years over sexually explicit novel — An Egyptian court has sentenced an author to two years in jail for public indecency after excerpts of his sexually explicit novel were published in a literary newspaper. — A chapter from Ahmed Naji's novel Istikhdam al-Hayat …


A look at how Hausa Muslim women in northern Nigeria are braving censorship to self-publish despite patriarchal pressure and Boko Haram threat — The Subversive Women Who Self-Publish Novels Amid Jihadist War — The 30 million Hausa of northern Nigeria have a history going back more than a 1,000 years.
Discussion:
@vanwritersfest

Three journalists for Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency released after being captured and held for 48+ hours by Kurdish militants, their equipment confiscated — Three Turkish journalists freed after kidnapping by Kurdish militants: agency — DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (Reuters) …
Discussion:
Middle East Eye, Agence France-Presse and Associated Press


Ex-Buzzfeed president Jon Steinberg launches Cheddar, a video streaming startup for millennials covering CNBC-like topics, with $3M in funding — Former BuzzFeed president Jon Steinberg launches Cheddar, a CNBC for millennials, with $3 million in funding — Jon Steinberg …
Discussion:
Media Wire Daily, @felixsalmon, Mediaite, @profjeffjarvis, @jbenton, @mollywood, @petersterne and The New York Observer


SiriusXM succeeds financially as other radio and digital music outlets struggle, but internet in cars poses a threat — SiriusXM Fights to Dominate the Dashboard of the Connected Car — On the 36th floor of a Midtown Manhattan skyscraper, the actors Ice Cube and Kevin Hart joshed …
Discussion:
@mgsiegler, @robsilver and @nytimesbusiness


Turkey releases Syrian journalist Rami Jarrah — A Syrian journalist who was arrested on Wednesday in Turkey has been released without charge and with no explanation as to why he was detained, he announced on Facebook. — However Rami Jarrah said in his post that his detention appeared to be related to his work in Syria.
Discussion:
BuzzFeed, Foreign Policy, Hurriyet Daily News, The Huffington Post, Middle East Eye and Guardian


Case in front of US Supreme Court raises First Amendment questions after student rapper who wrote protest song gets suspended from high school — Killer Mike: Free speech — unless it's rap? — Killer Mike and Stephen Colbert talk race in America — Mike Render, Erik Nielson …
Discussion:
@hobdawson and @whatthebit


How Benjamin Netanyahu has quietly extended his reach to every corner of Israeli media — What's driving Israel's media crackdown? — In the past few months, a veteran Israeli radio presenter lost half his airtime because he asked a top security official a tough question.
Discussion:
@cameraorg, @davidsheen and @davidsheen