Top News:
Edmund Lee / New York Times:
Sources: more than 200,000 people subscribed to Apple News+ in its first 48 hours, more than Texture had at its peak — Executives have been burned by their previous dealings with big tech companies. But Apple's promise of a billion devices worldwide was too good to pass up. Even for Rupert Murdoch.
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AppleInsider, @digitalshields, @sdkstl, @dlberes, @edmundlee, @bendwalsh, @stevekovach, @arctictony, MacRumors, 9to5Mac, Talking Biz News, CNET, Fast Company, The Verge and Vanity Fair, more at Techmeme »
Ted Johnson / Variety:
DOJ warns the group behind the Oscars that potential rule changes limiting the eligibility of Netflix and other streaming services could raise antitrust issues — - Justice Department Warns Academy Over Potential Oscar Rule Changes Threatening Netflix (EXCLUSIVE)
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Hollywood Reporter, Financial Times, Hollywood Reporter, @sonnybunch, @richbtig, @sonnybunch, @ericbalfour, The Verge, @heminator, @hshaban, @mattdpearce, @mattdpearce, @soontobeangel, @eriqgardner, @gabrielmalor, @eriqgardner, @eriqgardner, @davidpoland, @zeitchikwapo, @zeitchikwapo, @leslieleeiii, @weitznerdavid, @rodlurie, @eriqgardner, The Wrap, NBC News, The Hill, Engadget, Fast Company, Fortune, Business Insider, The Playlist, TechCrunch, IndieWire and TVWeek.com, more at Techmeme »
Mark Bergen / Bloomberg:
Sources: YouTube execs ignored internal warnings, concerns about the spread of toxic videos, and proposals to change recommendations, in favor of engagement — A year ago, Susan Wojcicki was on stage to defend YouTube. Her company, hammered for months for fueling falsehoods online …
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@oneunderscore__, @anildash, CNN, The Next Web, @mhbergen, @mjb_sf, @louisathelast, @tedonprivacy, @qanonanonymous, @iheartdogfarts, @ekingc, @sheeraf, @fredbenenson, Mashable, @scheplick, @ashleyesqueda, @k80blog, @seanilling, The A.V. Club, @donie, @mims, @beccalew, Business Insider, @brianstelter, @mcnees, @vogon, @alistairmbarr, @oliverdarcy, The Verge, @moorehn, @felixgillette, @josh_emerson, @tehrockcritic, @brandyzadrozny, Boing Boing, @thestalwart, Fast Company, The Week, Android Police and Engadget, more at Techmeme »
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Pranav Dixit / BuzzFeed News:
Facebook says it removed over 800 Indian and Pakistani Pages, accounts, and Groups for spreading misinformation and propaganda, ahead of India's election — NEW DELHI — Facebook and Instagram removed more than 800 political pages, accounts, and groups in India and Pakistan for spreading misinformation …
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Facebook, New York Times, @rondeibert, @tetyst, @buzzfeedindia, @tunkuv, @sunny_hundal, @maya206, @raju, @vindugoel, @vindugoel, Gizmodo, Reuters, MediaPost, Adweek, MediaNama and Quartz, more at Techmeme »
Paul Thurrott / Thurrott:
Microsoft closes the Microsoft Store's book category, offering full refunds on ebook purchases and a $25 credit to those who annotated their ebooks — I guess the only surprise here is when this would happen. But Microsoft is indeed shutting down the ebook functionality in its Edge web browser and in the Microsoft Store.
Discussion:
Boing Boing, Softpedia News, @drivenbyboredom, @sdkstl, @maryjofoley, PCWorld, Engadget, ZDNet and The Verge, more at Techmeme »
Brian Steinberg / Variety:
Interview with Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott on the network's new streaming service, controversies with hosts including Tucker Carlson, and more — Suzanne Scott sits atop the most watched operation in cable news, and easily the most controversial. She has managed to keep out of the spotlight during …
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Mediaite
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Mark Sweney / The Guardian:
IFPI Global Music Report 2019: streaming music revenue grew 34% YoY to 47%, driven by paid streaming, which now accounts for 37% of total global music revenue — Sales of CDs continue to fall as fans turn to Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music — Global music revenues grew at the fastest rate …
Discussion:
IFPI, IFPI, Music Business Worldwide, Forbes, Billboard, PhoneArena, BBC, Reuters, Globe and Mail, Rolling Stone, TechCrunch, Financial Times, Music Ally, CNET, 9to5Mac and Engadget
Ingrid Lunden / TechCrunch:
eBay says it will shut down its third-party ad network, eBay Commerce Network, on May 1 as it shifts focus to other advertising efforts like affiliate marketing — As eBay continues to restructure its business, it's shuttering one of the efforts it had made to expand its commercial footprint outside …
Discussion:
eBay Advertising and Marketing Land
Bloomberg:
Singapore introduces a bill that requires sites to take down fake news and intends to impose criminal sanctions against those who spread falsehoods — - Breaches risk fines of up to S$1 million, 10 years in jail — Falsehoods undermine democracy, institutions, minister says
Manuel Roig-Franzia / Washington Post:
Interviews and documents indicate WorldNetDaily, a right-wing conspiracy site and book publisher, faces unpaid bills, falling revenue, and shrinking readership — In the feverish heyday of the “birther movement,” conspiracy-hungry readers swarmed to a website called WorldNetDaily for the latest …
Discussion:
Raw Story
Greg Miller / Washington Post:
Sources: Jamal Khashoggi's children have received homes worth millions in Saudi Arabia and pay of $10,000+/month as compensation for their father's death — The children of slain Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi have received million-dollar houses in the kingdom and monthly five-figure payments …
Discussion:
Mediaite, The Week, @bruno_j_navarro, @daviddpearce, @anujchopra, @hrf, @joshsternberg, @laurapdavison, @gregpmiller, Variety, VICE News, Al Jazeera, Fox News, New York Post and Raw Story
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Abhimanyu Ghoshal / The Next Web:
WhatsApp debuts a fact-checking tip line in India to combat fake news, will work with startup Proto to help review text, photos, links, and video sent by users — WhatsApp has launched its next weapon in the fight against misinformation on its platform in India: a tip line to which you can send forwards …
Discussion:
Reuters, The Verge, MediaNama, Forbes, CNN, The Economic Times and TechCrunch, more at Techmeme »
Dave Lee / BBC:
Sources: Facebook put a monthly payment cap in place in 2019 for agencies working on its fact-checking initiative typically for 40 articles per month per agency — For the people contracted by Facebook to clamp down on fake news and misinformation, doubt hangs over them every day. Is it working?
The City:
THE CITY, a new independent nonprofit news outlet focused on New York City, goes live with funding from Craig Newmark, Knight Foundation, and others — Welcome to THE CITY! — We're an independent, nonprofit news outlet dedicated to hard-hitting reporting that serves the people of New York.
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@thecityny