Top News:
Nellie Bowles / New York Times:
Julia Angwin and Jeff Larson are starting The Markup, a news site to cover big tech using data science, with a $20M gift from Craig Newmark and other funding — The Markup, dedicated to investigating technology and its effect on society, will be led by two former ProPublica journalists.
Wall Street Journal:
Sources: digital publisher Vox Media will struggle to achieve double-digit percentage revenue growth this year, likely missing its goal by more than 15% — Other digital-media firms have struggled to live up to ambitious growth goals in a challenging online ad market
Discussion:
@mdudas, @alexkoppelman, @benmullin, @jbenton, @benmullin, @rafat and @jrreed
Wall Street Journal:
Sources: Apple delayed launch of a streaming video service twice, most recently until March, and spiked a Dr. Dre series as it seeks less edgy content — The tech giant wants to make scripted shows for streaming, only without violence, politics and risqué story lines
Tiago Ramos Alfaro / Bloomberg:
UK's Takeover Panel says Comcast emerged as the highest bidder in the auction for Sky, offering $39B — Comcast Corp. offered 17.28 pounds per share in auction for Sky Plc, topping 21st Century Fox's bid at 15.67 pounds per share, the U.K. Takeover Panel announced in a statement on Saturday.
Discussion:
BBC, Variety, New York Times, @sherman4949, Sky News, @amolrajan, @msnabilaahmed, @sherman4949, @martinsfp, @sdkstl, @sherman4949, @marksweney, @jimwaterson, @skynewsbreak, @edmundlee, New York Times, TechCrunch and The Wrap
Jon Levine / The Wrap:
CNN political commentator Jason Miller has left the network after court docs allege he secretly administered abortion pills to ex-lover; Miller denies claims — Pro-Trump CNN political commentator Jason Miller announced Saturday that he has “decided to step away” from the network …
Discussion:
Splinter, @jasonmillerindc, Deadline, @thegarance, @joshtpm, @kyliesparks, @kath_krueger and HuffPost
Nyay Bhushan / Hollywood Reporter:
Q&A: Amazon Prime Video India head Vijay Subramaniam on Indian content for worldwide audiences, sparking conversation, and passing on film production for now — Led by Vijay Subramaniam, the service has been aggressively ramping up its slate with a mix of fiction and unscripted shows …
Cynthia Littleton / Variety:
Sources: Ben Sherwood, president of Disney/ABC Television Group and Media Networks division co-chair, to leave Disney after 21st Century Fox deal is complete — Ben Sherwood is preparing to leave the Walt Disney Co. after Disney completes its acquisition of 21st Century Fox.
Discussion:
@rwmead, @dylanbyers, Hollywood Reporter and The Wrap
Joseph Bernstein / BuzzFeed News:
Profile of Marc Randazza, a lawyer who advocates for the online free speech of clients that include neo-Nazis and white supremacists — The new speech wars are a push and pull between individuals, governments, and platforms. At the center of this is attorney Marc Randazza, fighting for Nazis, satanists, and unapologetic trolls.
Discussion:
@bernstein, @katienotopoulos, The Verge, @rmac18, @atossaaraxia and @bernstein
Isaac Chotiner / Slate:
Interview with NYT reporter Michael Schmidt about evaluating and protecting sources in his latest story on Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein — In a blockbuster story in Friday's New York Times, Adam Goldman and Michael S. Schmidt reported that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein …
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, @bmaz, @sennettreport, @selina_y_wang, @andygrewal, @gadyepstein, @brianstelter, @kbandersen, @jswatz, @maggienyt, @nytmike, @pgourevitch, @nycsouthpaw, @biannagolodryga, Wall Street Journal, Mediaite, CNN and Vox
The Daily Beast:
Sources detail Andy Lack's mishandling of sexual misconduct allegations at Sony Music and how he and other NBC News execs mishandled #metoo stories and cases — A Sony executive who sent porn to women at work. An alleged harasser who reviewed NBC's Weinstein story.
Douglas Busvine / Reuters:
Study: spending on digital marketing grew by 44% last year in the US and Britain to $52B, with global spending on “martech” estimated to near $100B — FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Spending on digital marketing grew by 44 percent last year in the United States and Britain to $52 billion …
Sahil Patel / Digiday:
Pluto TV's partner content providers say it has become a “consistent and reliable” source of ad dollars; sources say Pluto TV's total revenue is up 100%+ YoY — Unlike its namesake planet, video streaming startup Pluto TV hasn't been relegated to the shadows …
Discussion:
@digiday, @danielpmcdermot, @digiday and @spencershanson