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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
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, @dylanbyers, Nieman Lab, @film_girl, @benfrumin, @anildash, @mitrakalita, @aedison, @jarroddicker, @mathewi, TheStreet, @mgsiegler, @ted_williams, @mmasnick, @pinboard, @joshuatopolsky, @gerryfsmith, @sapna, Folio, Mediawire, Variety, Wall Street Journal, Wall Street Journal, Recode, Bloomberg and Ad Age
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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, Business Insider, @dylanbyers and Axios


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, @brianklaas, @jmartnyt, Washington Post, Axios and @mattdpearce


Interview with Funny or Die CEO Mike Farah on partnering with AMC, remaining independent, scale, and how most virality is driven by Facebook — Mike Farah discusses the evolution of digital content, partnering with AMC and charting an independent path: “I don't like to chase.


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, The Awl, Tubefilter, @imyourkid, @imyourkid, Variety, Page Six, The Wrap and Deadline


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


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


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


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:
Music Industry Blog, Press, VentureBeat, RAIN News, TechCrunch, Mashable and Axios, more at Techmeme »


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, Variety, The Wrap, @maxslaterrobins, @jimvandehei, @jeffjarvis, @jayrosen_nyu, @mathewi, Fast Company, @jayrosen_nyu and @brianstelter


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


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 »