Top News:
Joshua Benton / Nieman Lab:
An example of the usability issues trying to find stories on Apple News+: a search for The Highlight by Vox — Eleven days ago, Apple unveiled its premium news subscription service, Apple News Plus. And as I wrote at the time, it was kind of disappointing.
Discussion:
@niemanlab, Fortune and @laurahazardowen
Wall Street Journal:
Sources: Apple Music has been growing at a monthly rate of 2.6% to 3% and had 28M US users in Feb., compared to Spotify's 26M US users and growth of 1.5% to 2% — Apple's music-streaming service has surpassed Spotify's in paid U.S. subscriptions yet lags its Swedish competitor globally.
Discussion:
CNBC, The Indian Express, Android Police, Recode, The Week, @tomwarren, @ow, @pkedrosky, @carlquintanilla, TechCrunch, MediaPost, USA Today, RAIN News, MacRumors, 9to5Mac, hypebot, Ars Technica and Music Business Worldwide, more at Techmeme »
CNN:
Netflix's DVD service, with its 2.7M US subscribers, appeals not only to those with poor broadband but also to many in urban areas seeking an extensive catalog — (CNN)Remember when Netflix used to be a DVD-by-mail company? Well, for 2.7 million subscribers in the US, it still is.
Discussion:
@harrymccracken, @pitdesi, @adriana_lacy, @sulliview and FYIMusicNews, more at Techmeme »
Lesley Goldberg / Hollywood Reporter:
The creators of HBO's Westworld, Lisa Joy and Jonah Nolan, are leaving Warner Bros. TV to join Amazon, in what sources estimate is a deal worth $30M+/year — Lisa Joy and Jonah Nolan have exited their home at Warner Bros. TV but will remain involved with the HBO genre drama.
Discussion:
Deadline, @sharontalyguado, /Film, The Verge and Engadget
Daniel Green / Journalism.co.uk:
Journalists from India, Malta, and Turkey call on social media companies to crack down on political groups using their platforms to harass journalists — Examples of harassment of journalists in India, Malta and Turkey indicate how political groups are using online platforms to silence their critics
Discussion:
Variety, @maggienyt and @mollypriddy
Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:
Analysis: the gender pay gap favoring men in UK media rose at 11 news outlets and declined at 22 in 2018; bonus gap was 56.3% at CNN and 50.2% at Hearst — Almost a third of UK media companies have seen their gender pay gaps increase (in favour of men) on the year before, new figures reveal.
Discussion:
Fast Company, The Guardian and Deadline
Benedict Evans:
Apple's subscription announcements last week were aimed at increasing incremental revenue, reducing churn, and emphasizing its brand of safety and curation — - We expected a TV event and got a subscription event - news & magazines, games, a credit card and Oprah.
Discussion:
@timothybucksf and @gassee, more at Techmeme »
Janko Roettgers / Variety:
Snap emphasizes that its approach to privacy is different than others as it adds integrations like sharing buttons, with The Washington Post as a launch partner — Snap CEO Evan Spiegel wants to have it both ways: Keep Snapchat insulated from the darker sides of the internet, and also open it up to some of the rest of the web.
Discussion:
Digiday, TechCrunch, MediaPost, Recode, Adweek, @lucas_shaw, VentureBeat, Fast Company, Bloomberg and The Wrap, more at Techmeme »
RELATED:
Megan Farokhmanesh / The Verge:
YouTube staff are using their own channels to better understand creators' work as YouTube tries to balance creators' well-being and their career sustainability — The oldest video on Matt Kovalakides' channel appeared on YouTube 12 years ago, back when he was a more traditional filmmaker in Hollywood …
Discussion:
The Verge, more at Techmeme »
Katherine Rosman / New York Times:
As Cosmo's EIC, Jessica Pels has focused on the magazine's online presence, growing digital subscriptions, affiliate revenue, and using Instagram as inspiration — Jessica Pels, the editor, is trying to save the magazine from the jaws of Instagram. — “Bad ideas first!” …
Discussion:
@michellemanafy, @sarahccaldwell, @eholmes, @racheld, @katierosman, @juliaccarpenter and @ekingc
Patrick Frater / Variety:
Study: corporate consolidation is likely for pay-TV sector in Asia, which is losing momentum as consumers turn to OTT suppliers and piracy for video content — Corporate consolidation is increasingly likely, as the pay-TV sector in Asia loses momentum, and consumers turn to video content …
Rob Williams / MediaPost:
Vogue returns to Greece after shutting down in 2012 due to the economic crisis; its 29-year-old EIC Thaleia Karafyllidou is the youngest of any Vogue title — This week, Vogue returned to Greece after a seven-year absence as the Mediterranean country's economy enters its third year of growth after bottoming in 2016.
Harry A. Jessell / TVNewsCheck:
Borrell report: Facebook, Google received 70% of the $60B in local digital ad spending in 2018; TV comprised 9% of local ad spend, beating newspapers, a first — The social media giant and search engine now account for 70% of the $60 billion spent on digital advertising in 2018 …