Mediagazer: Report: Spotify is working on a new “Social Listening” feature that allows users to listen along with their friends and add songs to a shared queue (Mehedi Hassan/Thurrott)

3:35 PM ET, May 31, 2019

Top News:

Ken Doctor / Nieman Lab:

Should Gannett and GateHouse merge, the resulting company would own one in six US newspapers and have increasingly regionalized reporting and business functions — A combined company would own 1 of every 6 daily newspapers in America — and a little more breathing room.

Discussion: The Wrap, New York Post, Bloomberg, @niemanlab, @dangillmor, @chriscincibiz, @lalpert1, The Rural Blog, USA Today and Wall Street Journal

Robert Channick / Chicago Tribune:

Tribune Publishing to pay $56M cash dividend to shareholders, shrinking its cash balance to ~$25M, reducing its appeal to buyers and its ability to acquire — Printing of the Chicago Tribune newspaper, at Chicago Tribune Freedom Center, at 560 W. Grand Ave., in Chicago on Monday May 16, 2016.

Discussion: @krisvire, @maggiehendricks, @rectorsun, @stevedaniels27 and @scribeguy

Megan Graham / CNBC:

Amazon to buy Sizmek's Ad Server and Dynamic Creative Optimization units after the adtech company filed for Chapter 11 in March — KEY POINTS — Sizmek Ad Server and Sizmek DCO will operate separately from Amazon Advertising for the time being, Amazon said.

Discussion: Adweek, Amazon Advertising, MediaPost, AdExchanger, TechCrunch and Business Insider, more at Techmeme »

Keach Hagey / Wall Street Journal:

Study on behavioral ad targeting finds that publishers only get about 4% more revenue for an ad impression that has a cookie enabled than for one that doesn't — Finding could affect where publishers line up in brewing privacy battles — Are creepy advertisements really necessary to support the free web?

Discussion: TechCrunch, Fast Company, MediaPost, @admonstergavin, @antoniogm, @antoniogm, @realhamed, @robpegoraro, @antoniogm, @noahpinion, Peter O'Kelly's Reality Check, Marketing Dive, @jason_kint and @profcarroll, Thanks:@beet_tv

Mehedi Hassan / Thurrott:

Report: Spotify is working on a new “Social Listening” feature that allows users to listen along with their friends and add songs to a shared queue — Spotify is taking its Spotify Connect features to the next level with social integration. The company is working …

Discussion: RAIN News, Android Police, TechCrunch, The Verge, Mashable and Engadget, more at Techmeme »

Joe Pompeo / Vanity Fair:

Sources: NYT “prefers” its reporters not appear on cable news shows that it perceives as too partisan, including Rachel Maddow's and Don Lemon's — The Times recently yanked one of its journalists from Rachel Maddow amid concerns about cable-news “bias.” Dean Baquet “thinks it's a real issue.”

Discussion: Mediaite, Broadcasting & Cable, The Daily Beast, TVNewser, The Daily Caller, @jayrosen_nyu, @jayrosen_nyu, Politico, @jayrosen_nyu, @elienyc, @sdkstl and Fox News

Hannah Ritchie / Our World in Data:

Study comparing causes of death in US with Google searches and NYT/Guardian coverage finds that terrorism and homicide are vastly overrepresented in the media — Our World in Data presents the empirical evidence on global development in entries dedicated to specific topics.

Discussion: Nieman Lab, @dancow, @elipariser, @dancow, @derekwillis, @dkthomp and @hannahritchie02

Katie Kilkenny / Hollywood Reporter:

Study of reviewers on Rotten Tomatoes finds men and women comprise 66% and 34%, respectively, of film critics working for print, broadcast, and online outlets — The latest Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film study of Rotten Tomatoes reviewers found male film critics dominated …

Discussion: The Wrap and Variety

Carlos Maza / @gaywonk:

[Thread] Despite policies against harassment, YouTube lets Steve Crowder videos stay up, with repeated attacks on Carlos Maza's sexual orientation and ethnicity — So, I have pretty thick skin when it comes to online harassment, but something has been really bothering me.

Discussion: @brfreed, @jason_kint, @revrrlewis, @neeratanden, @donmoyn, @justin_ling, @yoda, @ekp, @eugene_scott, @karenkho, @jaredlholt, @kurtbardella, @lpolgreen and @moneyries

Daniel Funke / Poynter:

Though fact checks of the Pelosi video on Facebook had small audiences, fact checks for other falsehoods have had more reach than what they debunked — Nancy Pelosi didn't slur her words at an event in Washington, D.C., last week. But a video making it look like she did has been viewed millions of times on Facebook.

Discussion: Nieman Lab, American Press Institute, @dpfunke and The Guardian

Gene Maddaus / Variety:

Reed Hastings' representative says he donated to Missouri legislators to support charter schools, after controversy over lawmakers' vote for 8-week abortion ban — Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has long advocated for charter schools, giving money to Republicans and Democrats across the country in support of the education reform movement.

Discussion: Washington Post, @sdkstl, @juddlegum, @juddlegum and Popular Information

Katie Kilkenny / Hollywood Reporter:

WarnerMedia, AMC, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and NBCUniversal say they will reevaluate filming in Georgia if a restrictive abortion law goes into effect — A slew of major Hollywood studios with business in the state finally spoke up about how the “highly restrictive legislation” …

Discussion: The Wrap, Forbes, @thr, @juddapatow, Variety, @brianstelter, CNN, The Daily Caller, Reuters and The Verge

David Cohen / Adweek:

The Trust Project, which helps assess news sources, is launching as a nonprofit, with $2.25M via Craig Newmark Philanthropies, Facebook, and the Democracy Fund — It received a $2.25 million infusion from Facebook, Craig Newmark Philanthropies, the Democracy Fund

Discussion: Axios, The Verge, @craignewmark, @journethics and @journethics, more at Techmeme »

Sarah Sluis / AdExchanger:

New York Post CEO Sean Giancola plans to diversify revenue with a commerce program to recommend products and a digital subscription launching later this year — The New York Post promoted Sean Giancola to publisher and CEO in January after Jesse Angelo left the company.