Top News:
Christine Schmidt / Nieman Lab:
With $150K in funding, the Charlotte Journalism Collaborative, a partnership among nine media orgs in NC, will cover the housing crisis in its first year — In its first official local expansion, the Solutions Journalism Network is partnering with the Knight Foundation to launch …
Discussion:
Poynter, Center for Cooperative Media, @centercoopmedia and Editor & Publisher
Lynette Rice / EW.com:
People magazine's editor in chief, Jess Cagle, is stepping down after five years at its helm and 32 years at Time Inc. — “I've decided it's time to do some other things while I'm still young — or at least alive," he wrote in a staff memo. “It's also time for me to live in Los Angeles full …
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Jaclyn Peiser / New York Times:
People magazine names Dan Wakeford, currently a deputy editor, as its new editor in chief starting April 1 — A changing of the guard is underway at People magazine under its new ownership. — Jess Cagle is stepping down after a five-year run as editor in chief.
Discussion:
CNN, Folio and @media_ink
Maxwell Tani / The Daily Beast:
Internal emails: First Look Media plans to let go ~4% of staff; Laura Poitras said the move cuts the research team, which has overseen the Snowden archive — Laura Poitras—the Citizenfour director and award-winning filmmaker who helped start The Intercept's parent company First Look Media …
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, @maxwelltani, @yashalevine, @dangillmor, @ggreenwald and @maxblumenthal
Emil Protalinski / VentureBeat:
Google says it removed 2.3B bad ads in 2018, down 28% from 2017 and terminated ~1M bad advertiser accounts, including ~734K publishers and app developers — Around this time of year, Google shares how many “bad ads” it killed the year before. And every year, the number grows. But not this time.
Discussion:
Adweek, support.google.com, TechCrunch and The Keyword, more at Techmeme »
Ingrid Lunden / TechCrunch:
Rakuten TV, with 7M users, expands to 30 new countries in Europe, and signs deal with Samsung, LG, and others to add Rakuten TV button to their remotes — Rakuten TV, the Japanese e-commerce giant's effort to take on Netflix and Amazon in the world of video streaming, has been a minor player …
Tiffany Hsu / New York Times:
Amazon has delisted two books that claimed to hold cures for autism, following a letter from Rep. Schiff criticizing anti-vaccine misinformation on the platform — Amazon has removed the online listings for two books that claim to contain cures for autism, a move that follows recent efforts …
Discussion:
Poynter, NBC News, The Guardian, BOOK RIOT, @tcarmody, @allicatmeowmeow, @boblonsberry, CBS News and CNBC
The Atlantic:
Adrienne LaFrance, top editor of TheAtlantic.com since 2017, is named executive editor of The Atlantic; Swati Sharma and Sarah Yager are named managing editors — Swati Sharma and Sarah Yager are promoted to managing editors. — Adrienne LaFrance, who has been the top editor …
Discussion:
CNN, @katiezez, @adriennelaf, @yayitsrob, @elanazak, @swatigauri, @wajahatali and @theatlanticpr
Reuters:
Slovakia charges Marian K., identified as businessman Marian Kocner by Slovak newspapers, with ordering the murder of investigative journalist Jan Kuciak — BRATISLAVA (Reuters) - Slovak police have charged a man with ordering the murder of investigative journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancee …
Discussion:
Press Gazette, New York Times, BBC and Politico
Ryan Faughnder / Los Angeles Times:
Gary Barber and Lantern Entertainment have formed new studio Spyglass Media Group, which will own and oversee Weinstein Company assets bought by Lantern in 2018 — Former Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Chief Executive Gary Barber has a new job. — The veteran South African-born executive …
Janko Roettgers / Variety:
Google is shutting down its Spotlight Stories VR film studio, part of Google's ATAP group, according to an email from the studio's executive producer — Google is shutting down its Spotlight Stories immersive entertainment unit, according to an email sent out by Spotlight Stories executive producer Karen Dufilho Wednesday evening.
Discussion:
@russellholly, TechCrunch, @jank0, Engadget and The Verge, more at Techmeme »
Stuart Dredge / Music Ally:
Spotify files an anti-trust complaint against Apple with the European Commission, claiming App Store rules limit choice and stifle competition — Spotify is filing a complaint against Apple with the European Commission, accusing the latter company of anticompetitive behaviour in the way it manages …