Top News:
New York Times Company:
In Q4, The New York Times added 265K digital subscriptions, bringing total number of digital subs to 3.4M but profit decreased to $74.7M from $90.5M a year ago — NEW YORK—(BUSINESS WIRE)— The New York Times Company (NYSE: NYT) announced today fourth-quarter 2018 diluted earnings per share …
Discussion:
New York Times, Nieman Lab, @oliverdarcy, @bydanielvictor, @adamgoldmannyt, @reformedbroker, @rosental, @brianstelter, @michaelluo, @jswatz, @emilybell, @hblodget, @snorthfield45, @brianstelter, @tribunekevin, @bdentonphoto, @peterbakernyt, @ericliptonnyt, @mattyglesias, @morningmoneyben, @niemanlab, @jeffjarvis, @adamgoldmannyt, @gerryfsmith, @sulliview, The Wrap and Editor & Publisher
RELATED:
Tom Kludt / CNN:
The New York Times says it wants to reach $800M in digital revenue by the end of 2020 and over 10M subscribers by 2025 — New York (CNN)The New York Times is betting big on the public's appetite for journalism. How big? Ten million subscribers big. — The New York Times Company (NYT) …
Discussion:
Ad Age
Peter Kafka / Recode:
Spotify buys Gimlet Media, a podcast producer and network, sources say for ~$230M, and Anchor, which makes it easier for users to record and distribute podcasts — Daniel Ek says he wants to spend up to $500 million on acquisitions this year. — Spotify is a streaming music company that wants to become a podcast company, too.
Discussion:
Spotify, Nieman Lab, Business Wire, Music Business Worldwide, The Verge, CNN, Slate, New York Times, Variety, VentureBeat, Fortune, Engadget, The Verge, Forbes, @cfishman, Adweek, Mashable, @borthwick, @stalman, @tetisheri, @msquinn, @sarafischer, @cheriehu42, @lucas_shaw, @schmooey, @caseyneistat, The Wrap, CBS Chicago, AdExchanger, The Guardian, VentureBeat, MediaPost, @markdistef, Music Week, @martinsfp, @dcseifert, @juiceboxca, @renayrich, @kfcbarstool, Ad Age, @somospostpc, Associated Press, @jennyrwall, CNBC, @jonfortt, @tomgara, @indianidle, @c_crampton, @arlanwashere, @austindarbo, @eldsjal, @markcwebster, @caseynewton, @thestalwart, @mikerugnetta, @satyap, @niemanlab, Android Police, The Week and Music Business Worldwide, more at Techmeme »
RELATED:
Kyle Pope / Columbia Journalism Review:
Craig Newmark donates $10M to Columbia Journalism School to launch new ethics center and $5M to Poynter to create separate ethics and leadership center — For many of the past few decades, the rules around journalism ethics have been largely settled. We know the appropriate ways to treat sources …
Discussion:
Poynter, Associated Press, Columbia, @kellymcb, @nbrownpoynter, @macloo, @doristruong, @kimzetter, @kellymcb, @emilybell, @kellymcb, @kellymcb, @stevecollny, @kylepope, @newsalliance, @raju and Editor & Publisher
RELATED:
Neil Brown / Poynter:
Poynter SVP Kelly McBride will lead the Craig Newmark Center for Ethics and Leadership, which will serve as a clearinghouse for best practices — We live in the age of the misinformation superhighway. The pile-ups that happen there no longer revolve around the inside baseball of running newsrooms …
Melissa Locker / Fast Company:
Vox Media's General Manager Andrew Golis is leaving the company to join New York-based radio station WNYC as chief content officer — New York Public Radio announced today that long-time digital media executive Andrew Golis has a new job as WNYC's chief content officer.
Discussion:
www.wnyc.org, @joshtpm, @zkahn, @blirwin and @moorehn
Dade Hayes / Deadline:
21st Century Fox reported strong overall Q2 earnings, but its Television unit had a $22M loss, yet had 19% growth in ad, affiliate, and content sales — Continuing to put up steady results across its TV and film operations, 21st Century Fox posted a dip in earnings in its fiscal second quarter …
Discussion:
Variety, The Wrap and Broadcasting & Cable
Patrick Howell O'Neill / Gizmodo:
If Reddit lands a $150M Tencent investment, they'd make strange bedfellows: Tencent helps build the Great Firewall; Reddit's product, banned in China, is speech — Who really thinks about where the money is coming from as long as you get the money? — Reddit is about to get a huge new round …
Discussion:
@benwolfson10, @joshconstine, @wharkavy and @howelloneill, more at Techmeme »
RELATED:
Alexis C. Madrigal / The Atlantic:
A dozen Harvard students and faculty reflect on Facebook's early days, how the platform worked, and how it made them feel as its first users — On the 15th anniversary of Facebook's launch at Harvard, a dozen students and faculty members reflect on seeing and being the first users of the world's largest social network.
Discussion:
@alexismadrigal, @adriennelaf, @racheldonadio, @tnhh and @mattturck
Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:
FT launches Sifted, a new site targeting young European entrepreneurs, running on part subscription and part sponsorship to keep it free for its target audience — The Financial Times has backed a news website for the European start-up world, which its founder has said will tap into a …
Discussion:
Talking Biz News
Joan E. Solsman / CNET:
YouTube CEO says the number of channels with 1M+ subs nearly doubled and the number of creators who earned five or six figures grew 40%+ in the last year — In a post on Tuesday about her 2019 goals, YouTube Chief Executive Susan Wojcicki touted several milestones Google's massive video site surpassed …
Discussion:
Variety, YouTube Creator Blog, TechCrunch, Digital TV Europe, Music Ally, VideoNuze Analysis and @susanwojcicki
RELATED:
Laura Hazard Owen / Nieman Lab:
A look at Vox's Video Lab membership program, offering subscribers “DVD extras” of Vox videos, monthly Q&As with a producer, and more, starting at $4.99/month — “I'm sure everybody in the industry would [agree] that YouTube can be a messy, nasty place.
Joe Concha / The Hill:
Benny Johnson, who has worked at IJR, National Review, and BuzzFeed, is leaving the Daily Caller to join Turning Point USA as chief content officer — Benny Johnson, a former reporter at the Daily Caller, is joining Charlie Kirk's Turning Point USA, The Hill has confirmed.
Discussion:
@tomkludt, @mattbinder, @rjcc, @dustingiebel, @kevinmkruse, @ashleyfeinberg, @bennyjohnson and The Daily Beast
David Faber / CNBC:
Sources: Liberty Media has joined the bidding for the regional sports networks that Disney is trying to sell to finalize a deal with 21st Century Fox — - Disney is selling the networks to complete its deal to acquire movie production and television assets from Twenty-First Century Fox.
Discussion:
Awful Announcing
Bob Norman / Columbia Journalism Review:
Journalist Bob Norman says Roger Stone orchestrated a years-long online smear campaign against him, while a client of Stone's inquired about having him killed — Roger Stone was sitting in a Miami Beach condo surrounded by Richard Nixon campaign memorabilia.