Top News:
Gus Garcia-Roberts / USA Today:
Twitter has permanently suspended Jacob Wohl for creating and operating fake accounts, after he shared plans to make deceptive accounts before the 2020 election — Twitter announced that it is permanently suspending Jacob Wohl, a 21-year-old Internet hoaxer and supporter of President Donald Trump …
Cherie Hu / Bello Collective:
Investments in podcasts like Spotify's Gimlet acquisition will allow artists to share their own narratives directly with fans and avoid traditional music press — In sidestepping media middlemen, artists are creating their own DIY music-media economy — Over the past few decades …
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Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Pandora launches Stories, a new marketing tool allowing artists to build music playlists combined with voice tracks, available for all users to stream — In an effort to one-up Spotify and Apple Music, Pandora this morning announced the launch of a new marketing tool for artists, called Pandora Stories.
Columbia Journalism Review:
Reuters/Ipsos poll in US: 60% believe sources pay reporters sometimes or very often, 41% are less likely to believe stories with anonymous sources, and more — For decades, we've known that Americans don't trust the press. What we haven't known is how people view the makings of journalism …
Ryan Faughnder / Los Angeles Times:
Rotten Tomatoes will no longer let users post reviews and ratings before films are released, in an effort to make its audience-rating system more trustworthy — Walt Disney Co.'s “Captain Marvel” is expected to open with a spectacular $100 million in ticket sales from the U.S. and Canada alone next month.
Discussion:
Rotten Tomatoes, Fast Company, TechCrunch, Variety, @melsil and @jessica_roy
Hadas Gold / CNN:
DC appeals court rejects DOJ's bid to overturn the ruling that cleared the way for AT&T's acquisition of Time Warner; DOJ says it will not seek further review — London (CNN Business)An appeals court has rejected the Justice Department's bid to overturn a ruling that cleared the way for AT&T's acquisition of Time Warner.
Discussion:
CNBC, Broadcasting & Cable, @tedstew, @notaaroncraig, @superwuster, @kadhimshubber, @amy_siskind, @cnnbrk, @zoetillman, @richbtig, Light Reading, Adweek, The Wrap, Fortune, Ad Age, Fast Company, Variety, Engadget and The Week, more at Techmeme »
East Bay Times:
After inadvertently releasing a list of thousands of cops with criminal convictions under public records law, CA's AG threatened two reporters with legal action — Attorney General warns reporters it's illegal to possess list of thousands of cop convictions — Their crimes ranged from shoplifting to embezzlement to murder.
Discussion:
@trevortimm, @trevortimm, @caseytolan, @a_mendelson, @reveal, @csmcdaniel, @digiphile, @dangillmor, Boing Boing and Hit & Run
Janko Roettgers / Variety:
Spotify goes live for some in India, even as its licensing fight continues with Warner Music; after free trial, premium service is 119 rupees, or about $1.67/mo — Spotify's India launch is well underway, with some local users reporting that they can already access the music service on their devices.
Discussion:
Spotify, Bloomberg, VentureBeat, MediaNama, Times of India, TechCrunch and Variety, more at Techmeme »
Lucinda Southern / Digiday:
In late January, The Economist tightened its paywalled to five articles per month from three per week, in hopes of increasing subscribers — The Economist has tightened its paywall so readers have access to five articles a month — rather than three a week — in order to nudge more registered users over into subscribing.
Tiffany Stevens / Columbia Journalism Review:
In the past year, more reporters are living among residents in US-Mexico border cities, helping national outlets like LAT and NYT improve immigration coverage — In January 2018, Los Angeles Times Houston bureau chief Molly Hennessy-Fiske proposed that she and a photojournalist move close to the US-Mexico border.
Financial Times:
Study estimates 1,000-1,500 US newspapers, many owned by private equity and hedge fund investors, are “ghost newspapers” mainly filled with wire copy and ads — At the start of 2018, Denver Post journalists felt optimistic for the first time in years.
Discussion:
@nikkiusher, @micahmertes, @sarahkwiley, @moorehn, @amelscript, @mattdpearce, @nikkiusher, @tanarrowz, @cobillard, @annaknicolaou, @torrhl, @leahbecerra and @jlauck1941
The Conversation:
Suppression orders that banned any reporting on Australia's Pell trials showed the futility of court attempts to control news amid foreign press, social media — The verdict came after a trial, which was described as the “cathedral trial”, in Victoria's County Court.
Discussion:
The Guardian, The Guardian, ABC and B&TB&T