Top News:
Gerry Smith / Bloomberg Business:
How Wirecutter's affiliate marketing strategy, which generated $150M in e-commerce last year, is being copied by publications like BuzzFeed and Hearst — How a Small Tech Site Found a New Way for Publishers to Get Paid — The Wirecutter generated $150 million in e-commerce in 2015
Discussion:
@mathewi, @craigmod and @losowsky, Thanks:@steverubel
Anh Do / Los Angeles Times:
Orange County Register editor Rob Curley confirms he's leaving; sources say 70+ layoffs expected after its acquisition by Digital First Media — Editor and 70-plus others said to be out at the Orange County Register — More than 70 Orange County Register employees were being targeted …
Scott Soshnick / Bloomberg:
Source: Facebook withdraws from bidding on digital rights to NFL Thursday night games, balks at traditional ad model preventing commercial-free live streams — Facebook Said to Back Off Bid to Stream NFL Thursday Games — Social media company turned off by commercials, London games
Discussion:
CNNMoney, @pkafka, Engadget, Deadspin, Variety, @jyarow, @s_m_i, ProFootballTalk and Business Insider
New York Magazine:
Andrew Sullivan Joins New York Magazine As Contributing Editor — New York Magazine editor-in-chief Adam Moss announced today that writer Andrew Sullivan is joining the magazine as a contributing editor covering politics and the larger culture. He will write features throughout the year …
Discussion:
New York Times, The Dish, The Huffington Post, Politico, The Week, Hit & Run, FishbowlNY, @caseyjohnston, @brianstelter, Poynter, @benjysarlin, FishbowlNY, @jessesingal and @nymagpr
Ashley Cullins / Hollywood Reporter:
RIAA, other industry organizations, music stars call for DMCA reform ahead of April 1 public comments deadline, say safe harbor, takedown provisions do not work — Music Industry A-Listers Call on Congress to Reform Copyright Act — A day before a crucial deadline, the music industry is pulling no punches.
Discussion:
Bloomberg Business, Techdirt, The Hill, TorrentFreak, PCWorld, BBC, Music Ally, The Verge and Complete Music Update
RELATED:
Joseph Bernstein / BuzzFeed:
Sources claim interns produce most of Milo Yiannopoulos's work; he confirms “about 44” interns and two people writing Breitbart posts, says practice is standard — Top Conservative Writer Is A Group Effort, Sources Say — Sources claim interns produce much of Breitbart.com tech editor Milo Yiannopoulos's work.
Discussion:
Jezebel, @jonathanchait, @caitlindewey, Oregonian, New York Magazine, @martindaubney, @glinner, @bruce_arthur, @chrislhayes, @popehat, @pbump, The Verge, @iptuttle, @noahcrothman, @bernstein, @nero, @katzonearth and @chrislhayes
Deron Lee / Columbia Journalism Review:
Op-eds are increasingly becoming devoid of research and facts as local journalists are replaced with advocacy groups and public officials — Independent local opinion writing is essential—and endangered. Can we redesign it for survival? — For some of us who grew up reading newspapers …
Katie Ferguson / Columbia Journalism Review:
Although Black Twitter highlights the issues of the black community, it's unlikely to replace the black press, but serves as support — The influence and limitations of Black Twitter — Editor's Note: This post was produced as part of a graduate course on media writing and storytelling taught …
Discussion:
@niemanlab
Tony Connelly / The Drum:
Red Bull Media House to provide Reuters subscribers with exclusive sport and lifestyle content — Reuters is extending the sports content it offers its Reuters Media Express customers after partnering with Red Bull Media House (RBMH) who will provide a curated selection of its best sports and lifestyle content.
Discussion:
Digiday, Fortune, @themurdochtimes, GlobeNewswire News Room, CNBC, MediaPost and campaignlive.co.uk
Alex Spence / Politico:
Study: tech companies have power over media and communication that needs greater scrutiny — Who is keeping Google and Facebook in check? — LONDON — With many people now using smartphones and social media to get news, a handful of huge Silicon Valley companies have amassed disproportionate influence over what we read and view.
Discussion:
Policy Institute … and The Conversation
Dustin Volz / Reuters:
Reddit deletes surveillance ‘warrant canary’ in transparency report — Social networking forum reddit on Thursday removed a section from its site used to tacitly inform users it had never received a certain type of U.S. government surveillance request, suggesting the platform is now being asked …
Discussion:
VentureBeat, Wired, emptywheel, Boing Boing, Techdirt, Quartz, Engadget, @ashk4n, TorrentFreak, TechCrunch, Sky News, International Business Times, Silicon Republic, ZDNet, CIO.com, Fortune, @nikcub, @csoghoian, CNET, @wvualphasoldier, @xeni, Ars Technica, Guardian, The Verge, Gizmodo, The Register and Daring Fireball
Kylie Noble / Guardian:
Former Storyful journalists to launch not-for-profit news organization Right to Know for better transparency, access to information in Ireland — Right to Know to fight for information access in Ireland — Former Storyful staff Malachy Browne and Gavin Sheridan to be directors of not-for-profit company