Top News:
Tom Jones / Poynter:
Internal memo says LA Times is nowhere close to meeting its goal of doubling digital subs from 150K in 2018 to 300K in 2019, having only netted 13K this year — Troubling news at one of the nation's top newspapers. — Digital subscriptions at the Los Angeles Times are way below expectations …
Discussion:
Nieman Lab, @raju, American Press Institute, @noahchestnut, The Wrap, @juliaturner, @chrisburkeshay, @jbenton, @davewiner, @samanthamatsu, @xor, @emilyweinstein, @mattdpearce, @conroyforreal, @melaniesill, @jayrosen_nyu, @jbenton, @poynter, MediaPost, @juliaturner, @juliaturner, @juliaturner, @jkristufek, @daytonpubpolicy, @scribeguy, @susannahbreslin, @mitrakalita, @esotouric, @juliaturner, @palewire, @sewellchan, @shelbygrad, @jmckellogg, @jbenton, @jayrosen_nyu and @thebenbergman
Margaret Sullivan / Washington Post:
CNN's first debate, featuring divisive questions, frustratingly short response times, and outsize attention to fringe candidates, was a lost opportunity — About 40 minutes after the start of Tuesday night's Democratic primary debate, I got an email from a Washington Post reader with this subject line: “I don't care for this.”
Discussion:
@realdonaldtrump, Columbia Journalism Review, The Wrap, Variety, Slate, @jcstearns, Los Angeles Times, @jayrosen_nyu, Bloomberg, Mediaite, Washington Post, Fortune, Mediaite, Hollywood Reporter, Slate, The Week, @nymag, The Cut, @jamesfallows, @deanluk, @lpolgreen, @mattgertz, NBC News, @slate, HuffPost, @jayrosen_nyu, Media Matters for America, @rmc031, @cjr, @lawrence, @fenitn, @jon_allsop and @gadyepstein
Laura Hazard Owen / Nieman Lab:
After six months fact-checking for Facebook, Full Fact makes 10 recommendations, including expanding the program to Instagram, enlisting help on public health — In December 2016, Facebook enlisted a handful of U.S.-based news organizations (ABC News, Snopes, PolitiFact, FactCheck.org …
Wall Street Journal:
Four major broadcast networks sue Locast, which is funded by AT&T, to try to stop it from freely retransmitting the signals of their local TV stations — CBS, ABC, NBCU and Fox say AT&T-funded Locast is retransmitting their signals without permission and in violation of copyright law
Alex Heath / The Information:
Sources: Facebook is working on a new TV device that can stream video and make video calls using its Portal tech, and has approached Netflix, Disney, and others — Facebook has approached Netflix, Disney and other media companies about putting their streaming services on a new Facebook device …
Discussion:
Variety, Engadget, The Verge, The Streamable, FierceVideo and Multichannel News, more at Techmeme »
Claire Atkinson / NBC News:
Sources: if CBS and Viacom merge, Shari Redstone will consider even more acquisitions to help the company compete with other sizable media operations — Shari Redstone has held conversations about quickly pursuing acquisitions that would help the company compete with other sizable media operations.
Discussion:
@claireatki
The Guardian:
Facebook says it was “not our role” to remove fake news during Australian election; it only demotes fake news, removes content that violates community standards — Exclusive: Facebook executive Simon Milner says company ‘only removes content that violates our community standards’
Discussion:
@vanbadham and CNET
Tim Ingham / Music Business Worldwide:
Spotify reports 108M paying subscribers in Q2, up 31% YoY, and an operating loss of €3M on revenue of €1.67B, up 31% YoY; stock drops 5%+ — Spotify closed its second calendar quarter this year with 108m subscribers and 232m total Monthly Active Users (MAUs).
Discussion:
The Verge, Spotify, Variety, VentureBeat, Financial Times, RAIN News, @pkafka, @richattbd, Memeburn, Billboard and Engadget, more at Techmeme »
Sara Jerde / Adweek:
Bloomberg says subscribers are spending between four and five hours a day watching BloombergTV+, now available in HD and 4K, on Bloomberg.com — How one publisher is navigating this crowded world — As more OTT devices come online, Bloomberg thinks it has a chance to stand out from the crowd.
Discussion:
@swanniontv
Dwight Garner / New York Times:
In the book Our Women on the Ground, 19 female journalists from the Arab world write about reporting in war zones and repressive areas, overlooked stories, more — The best piece of advice I've ever heard about being a journalist is from the investigative reporter Amy Goodman …
Discussion:
@zahrahankir and America Magazine
Denise-Marie Ordway / Journalist's Resource:
Journalist's Resource 2019 survey: 53% of respondents not sure they can spot flawed research, 64% say they use academic research in reporting at least monthly — Each year, we survey journalists, journalism faculty and others in our audience for feedback on how they use our free materials …
Josh Kosman / New York Post:
Sources: Nielsen open to selling itself in pieces after failing to find a buyer for the whole firm; Blackstone and Goldman Sachs dropped out earlier this year — An auction to sell Nielsen Holdings appears to be a bust — but the ratings giant has not given up and is now looking to sell itself in pieces, The Post has learned.
Reis Thebault / Washington Post:
Less than a year after Khashoggi's murder, Saudi Arabia says it will host a Saudi Media Forum in 2019 to “cement Riyadh's name as the Arab Media Capital” — Saudi Arabia, one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist, will host a media forum and award ceremony …
Discussion:
@angelafritz