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GOP Sen. Thune sends letter to Zuckerberg asking for more details about curation of Facebook's Trending Topics; Facebook says it looks forward to cooperating — The US Senate Commerce Committee—which has jurisdiction over media issues, consumer protection issues, and internet communication …
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Facebook's News Feed reflects what we already like, with far more influence than curators of Trending Topics — I got my start writing for the student newspaper at the University of Wisconsin.1 — What is interesting about that statement is that the appropriate follow-up question is “Which student newspaper?”
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The Verge, Fast Company, Mediaite, The Hill, Business Insider, New York Times and The Week

Facebook VP of search Tom Stocky: we found no evidence contractors manipulated Trending Topics to suppress stories of interest to conservatives — My team is responsible for Trending Topics, and I want to address today's reports alleging that Facebook contractors manipulated Trending Topics …
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As digital sites woo advertisers, they conflate metrics for digital video viewership and traditional TV — We are, right now, in the midst of a digital media upheaval. What was previously conventional wisdom—that a media company with hopes of turning a profit needs, above all, to achieve scale—is being proven false.
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Wall Street Journal, @reformedbroker, @shiraovide, @brianstelter and The Awl


Disney reports Q2 earnings of $1.36 a share, below estimates, and $13B in revenue; stock down over 5% — Media giant Walt Disney posted quarterly earnings Tuesday that fell short of Wall Street's expectations. — The company reported adjusted earnings of $1.36 per share on $12.97 billion …


Periscope makes broadcasts permanent by default and introduces search — It's been a month now since Facebook rolled-out a dramatically improved design for live video — a design that borrowed liberally from Twitter-owned Periscope. Facebook's enormous audience, combined with its willingness …
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ESPN settles lawsuit with Verizon over ‘skinny’ FiOS cable bundle — ESPN and Verizon have resolved a legal battle that began when the popular sports network sued the FiOS provider over its unconventional “Custom TV” channel packages last year. Verizon announced more flexible (and slimmer) …
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Broadcasting & Cable, The Wrap, ESPN MediaZone, Variety and The Wrap


Ripple.co, launching out of beta today, targets big cities with news feeds and contributed posts — Viki founder Razmig Hovaghimian launches a “city-focused news platform.” — The internet is a good place to learn lots of things. What's happening in your neighborhood is not one of them …
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@niemanlab


McClatchy moving IT work to India's Wipro; sources say the move affects 120-150 jobs — The McClatchy Company, which operates a major chain of newspapers in the U.S., is moving IT work overseas. — The number of affected jobs, based on employee estimates, range from 120 to 150.
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How a presence on Beats 1, heavy promotion on iTunes, and a TV ad campaign helped Drake reach 1M album sales in a week — Feat is rare achievement in age of rapid streaming growth, declining sales of downloads and CDs — Hip-hop star Drake sold more than one million copies of his new album …
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Fortune, AppleInsider and MacRumors


Amazon unveils Amazon Video Direct, open to any video creator, with four ways to earn money: per-hour royalty, add-on subs, digital rent/sale, or ad-supported — Initial partners include Conde Nast, Samuel Goldwyn Films, Machinima, StyleHaul — Amazon, which touts itself as Earth's biggest store …
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Channel 4 escapes privatisation after Downing Street intervention — Channel 4 will escape full privatisation following an intervention from Downing Street, The Daily Telegraph understands. — A series of other major reforms of the state-owned broadcaster remain under consideration, however, senior Government sources revealed.