Top News:
Bloomberg:
With ads hard to sell and VC funds hard to raise, sources say media startups like Defy Media and Uproxx consider following Mashable, selling to bigger companies — Defy Media, Uproxx also weigh sale as capital to grow dries up — Web publishers that made ‘pivot to video’ struggle to sell ads
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Dylan Byers / CNNMoney:
Sources: IAC is exploring selling The Daily Beast, but the company has no formal sales effort in place — Digital media is facing a reckoning. — The start-ups that were once the darlings of the industry are facing budget shortfalls and revenue declines as they struggle to survive …
Discussion:
CNNMoney, @dylanbyers, Business Insider and Guido Fawkes
Benjamin Mullin / Wall Street Journal:
Axios raises $20M to fund newsroom expansion, plans to increase staffing to 150 by the end of 2018 — The 10-month-old media startup plans to increase staffing to 150 by the end of 2018, develop new coverage areas, and expand its data analysis and product offerings
Discussion:
Tubefilter, TechCrunch, @jimvandehei, Variety, The Wrap, @maxslaterrobins, @jeffjarvis, @jayrosen_nyu, @mathewi, @jayrosen_nyu, Fast Company and @brianstelter
Julia Carrie Wong / The Guardian:
Records released Friday show congressman Greg Gianforte misled police in May after assault of reporter Ben Jacobs, claiming Jacobs initiated physical contact — US congressman Greg Gianforte misled police after his assault of Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs in May, falsely stating that Jacobs …
Discussion:
New York Magazine, @jmartnyt, Washington Post, Axios and @mattdpearce
Natalie Jarvey / Hollywood Reporter:
Sources: Vice Media suspends Jason Mojica, head of documentary film unit, as part of an investigation into sexual harassment allegations — Jason Mojica has been head of Vice's documentary film unit since August 2016. — Vice Media has suspended Jason Mojica, head of its documentary film unit …
Discussion:
Hollywood Reporter, The Daily Beast, Page Six, The Awl, Tubefilter, @imyourkid, @imyourkid, Variety, The Wrap and Deadline
Tom Turula / Business Insider:
Spotify announces it has acquired Soundtrap, a collaborative online music recording startup, reportedly for at least $30M — Spotify is buying Swedish music tech startup Soundtrap for an undisclosed amount. — Soundtrap is a collaborative online recording studio that was valued at $25 million (SEK 207 million) last year.
Discussion:
Press, Music Industry Blog, VentureBeat, TechCrunch, Mashable, RAIN News and Axios, more at Techmeme »
Amanda Robb / Rolling Stone:
An investigation into the roots of Pizzagate: the real people behind some of the social accounts that later were amplified by bots — Inside the web of conspiracy theorists, Russian operatives, Trump campaigners and Twitter bots who manufactured the ‘news’ that Hillary Clinton ran a pizza-restaurant child-sex ring
Discussion:
Reveal, @theitskeptic, @raphkoster, @starecheski, @senyorreporter, @lyssanthrope, @bbjonez and @charliespiering
Ryan Ori / Chicago Tribune:
Tronc says the Chicago Tribune will leave Tribune Tower in Q2 2018, leasing space in a building overlooking Millennium Park — Built in 1925, the neo-Gothic Tribune Tower was designed by New York architects Raymond Hood and John Mead Howells, who won a contest held by Tribune co-publishers …
Discussion:
@maryschmich, @richbird_editor, @alexisomyers, @byalisonbowen and @davidheinzmann
Anthony D'Alessandro / Deadline:
MoviePass launches a one-year subscription plan for $89.95 — For a limited time, MoviePass is offering a one-year subscription plan for a flat fee of $89.95, which translates to $7.50 a month (that price already includes a $6.55 processing fee). That price is under this year's 3Q average movie ticket …
Discussion:
The Wrap, Variety, The A.V. Club, Gizmodo, @christoronyi, Business Insider, Engadget, The Verge and /Film, more at Techmeme »
Rick Stengel / Politico:
Former US under secretary of state describes the Russian disinformation campaign on Crimea in 2014 and how the same tactics were used in the 2016 US election — Russian disinformation around Ukraine set the stage for the Kremlin's election meddling here. Clinton saw it coming, but couldn't stop it.
Discussion:
@_zakali, @danschwerin, @neal_katyal and @cjcmichel
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
YouTube takes down Toy Freaks, a kid-focused channel that had over 8.5M subscribers, as it tightens enforcement of child endangerment policies — Following consumer outrage over YouTube's handling of disturbing videos aimed at children on its network, the company has now banned …
Discussion:
Variety, Daily Mail, The A.V. Club and The Outline, more at Techmeme »
Mike Eckel / Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty:
Virginia radio station owner registers as a foreign agent at DoJ direction and discloses Sputnik pays the station $900K to broadcast Sputnik's audio stream — WASHINGTON — A Washington, D.C., area radio station that recently took over broadcasts of the Russian state-funded news outlet Sputnik …
Discussion:
@mike_eckel, The Hill, The Daily Beast and Sputnik International
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