Top News:
Issie Lapowsky / Wired:
YouTube says it will invest $25M in grants to news organizations looking to expand video operations as part of Google's larger $300M Google News Initiative — FOLLOWING A YEAR in which YouTube has repeatedly promoted conspiracy theory videos during breaking news events like the shootings in Parkland …
Discussion:
Digiday, CNNMoney, Mashable, @mantzarlis, Financial Times, Associated Press, Fortune, @caitlin__kelly, @issielapowsky, @kerrymflynn, @justinhendrix and The Keyword, more at Techmeme »
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YouTube Blog:
YouTube overhauls how it handles breaking news, adding previews of articles from credible sources, showing info from third parties, testing local news in TV app — The work of trusted journalistic organizations is as critical as ever, especially when it comes to seeking information about current events online.
Discussion:
TechCrunch, Business Insider, MediaNama, The Next Web, VideoInk, Engadget, Variety, The Verge, Relay FM Master Feed and Boing Boing, more at Techmeme »
Lloyd Grove / The Daily Beast:
NYT's Dean Baquet acknowledges that four stories in six days on Alan Dershowitz being “shunned” was too much: “We should have coordinated better and done fewer” — Even publicity-savvy, Alan Dershowitz is astonished at the flood-the-zone coverage that The New York Times …
Travis M. Andrews / Washington Post:
Billboard's latest record-breaking chart numbers reveal the challenges it faces in figuring out a streaming equivalent to an album purchase or a song download — Drake and Kanye West — two reigning kings of pop music — both flooded the American consciousness with music this summer in strikingly different manners.
Discussion:
@micahsingleton, The Verge and Billboard
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Freddy Mayhew / Press Gazette:
A reporter hired to cover local politics, as part of BBC's “Local Democracy” partnership with regional papers, was fired after complaint from local politician — A Local Democracy Reporter has been dismissed one month after being given the role in North Yorkshire following …
Peter Kafka / Recode:
Excerpts from AT&T executive John Stankey's talk with HBO staff: “I want to see more investment in product and platform” — John Stankey had a lot to tell Richard Plepler and his team last month. You can read (almost) all of it here. — Did the AT&T executive in charge …
Discussion:
Gizmodo, Los Angeles Times, @gavinpurcell, @sherman4949, BGR, @pkafka, Slate and New York Times
The New York Times Company:
Recode's Editor-at-Large Kara Swisher will begin contributing regularly to the New York Times' Opinion section beginning in August — Kara Swisher, editor at large of Recode, will bring her experience, intellect and courage to bear for Times readers, to identify and explain the big ideas in technology.
Discussion:
@caseynewton, @jeffbercovici, @inafried, @maggienyt, @jyarow, @jswatz, @melissabell, @karaswisher, @emilybell and @samdolnick
Meg James / Los Angeles Times:
LAT Executive Editor Norman Pearlstine names leadership team: Scott Kraft, Kris Viesselman, and Kimi Yoshino, who was suspended briefly under Lewis D'Vorkin — Los Angeles Times Executive Editor Norman Pearlstine on Monday unveiled his leadership team that includes newsroom veterans and a newly hired editor.
Discussion:
Poynter, @kyoshino, @dhpierson, @mmaltaisla, @shelbygrad and @megjameslat
Sarah Sluis / AdExchanger:
WaPo researchers build Rhapsocord, a dynamic ad insertion tool for podcasts being tested in-house, as a step toward self-serve podcast ads or programmatic audio — Inserting fresh ads into podcasts is challenging and time-consuming. — An online article loads fresh ads every time a page loads.
Discussion:
RAIN News, @chronotope and Washington Post
Matthew Ball / @MediaREDEF:
Netflix's content spend is not reckless, its strategy to accrete paid users' leisure time gives it an edge over free content platforms like Facebook, YouTube — Even when underestimated, Netflix's ever-escalating, industry-leading content spend remains a point of fear and fascination in the media industry.
Charles V. Bagli / New York Times:
Disney is selling its West 66th Street location in Manhattan for $1.16B and is acquiring 99-year rights for land at 4 Hudson Square in a deal valued at $650M — In a move that could speed the transformation of two Manhattan neighborhoods, the Walt Disney Company said on Monday that it would move …
Discussion:
Variety, TVNewser, Broadcasting & Cable and Bloomberg
Rishi Iyengar / CNNMoney:
WhatsApp is using newspapers to fight fake news in India, taking out full-page ads offering news literacy tips in leading English-language and Hindi titles — Here's why quitting Facebook is so hard — WhatsApp is using old media to tackle its misinformation problem in India.
Discussion:
Techdirt