Top News:
Nick Statt / The Verge:
Sensor Tower: of the ~910K users that signed up for Quibi's 3-month free trial in April, only 8%, ~72K, converted to a paid subscription after the trial ended — The struggling streaming video platform has a not-so-great conversion rate — Streaming service Quibi only managed to convert …
Discussion:
Variety, The Streamable, Cord Cutters News, @stevemullis, @justjake, @staceynycdc, @hollyanderson, @clarkewolfe, @backlon, @sarthakgh, Digital TV Europe, Beyond Search, @chrismessina, @samitsarkar, Protocol, @freddiecampion, @jackmarshall, @feedkastcharles, Forbes and TechCrunch, more at Techmeme »
David Folkenflik / NPR:
Sources: VOA head Michael Pack has signaled that he will not approve visa extensions for dozens of foreign journalists working for the outlet in the US — Dozens of foreign nationals working as journalists in the U.S. for Voice of America, the federal government's international broadcaster …
Discussion:
@rosenbergerlm, @lrozen, @waltshaub and @mollymckew
Hanaa' Tameez / Nieman Lab:
Google News Initiative and LION Publishers pilot a free 8-week virtual boot camp on journalism entrepreneurship, run by Phillip Smith, from Sept. 21 to Nov. 9 — The biggest challenge for news entrepreneurs often isn't building a news product — it's developing a sustainable business model.
Discussion:
Columbia Journalism Review, @ckrewson, The Keyword, @maynardinst, @zielina, LION Publishers, @ckrewson, @janjlab, @pilhofer, @poynter, @kristenhare, @hshaban and @anikaanand00
Maya Tribbitt / Bloomberg:
Global Disinformation Index study: websites spreading COVID-19 misinfo will get at least $25M this year from ad platforms run by Google, Amazon, and others — Digital advertising platforms run by Google, Amazon.com Inc. and other tech companies will funnel at least $25 million …
Discussion:
GDI and Business Insider
Michael M. Grynbaum / New York Times:
Joy Reid will host The ReidOut, a new nightly show on MSNBC, starting July 20, becoming the only Black woman hosting a nightly evening show on a major network — She becomes one of the few Black women to anchor a major American evening news program. The move was made by new leadership at NBC News …
Discussion:
Mediaite, NBC News, The Wrap, Fox News, Multichannel News, TVNewser, Variety, Axios, @lukeoneil47, Deadline, @defensebaron, @benshapiro, @nabj and @emarvelous
Mike Masnick / Techdirt:
The Harper's letter rejects public shaming and consequences for speech, calling them censorship, when they're forms of the counterspeech it claims to support — There's a slightly bizarre Letter on Justice and Open Debate that Harper's Magazine is publishing, signed by a long list of famous people …
Discussion:
GEN, Fox News, The Daily Beast and Reason
RELATED:
Harper's:
Over 150 journalists, academics, and writers sign a letter criticizing what they see as narrowing boundaries of debate and increasing self-censorship
Discussion:
@harpers, Reason, Fox News, Foreign Policy, Washington Post, @lindaholmes, American Press Institute, Extremely Brave, @chris_broussard, Protocol, @carolinemoss, @emilyvdw, @mmasnick, @jessesingal, @mattwelch, Breitbart, New York Post, New Republic, @jk_rowling, @jordanfreiman, Rantt Media, MediaPost, @yascha_mounk, @jonathanchait, @baddiel, @divinadecampo, @juddlegum, @parkermolloy, @ositanwanevu, The Editorial Board, TheBlaze, The Wrap, Twelve Thirty Six, @nberlat, @popehat, @ritapanahi, @sapinker, @nberlat, @jmrivera02, NME, Tangle, @greenidgekerri, @emilyvdw, @llw902, @neontaster, @popehat, @popehat, @nishachittal, The Guardian, @revrrlewis, @elivalley, @mccormick_ted, @nicolacoughlan, bookforum.com and Bookninja
New York Times:
How the Harper's letter grew from a core of about 20 people, led by Thomas Chatterton Williams, and how blowback built especially to J.K. Rowling's inclusion
Discussion:
@jennyboylan, @yascha_mounk, @surlybassey, @jilliancyork, @ezraklein, @jackshafer, @tessplease, Los Angeles Magazine, @wolfejosh, @tabathasouthey, @brunophilipe, @ibjiyongi, @mathewi, @popehat, @sulliview, @timcast, @mccormick_ted, @ezraklein, @mattyglesias, @jilliancyork, @_ashlake_, @jilliancyork, @alecmacgillis, @mathewi, Fox News, @ryanlizza, @dankennedy_nu, @biblioracle, @emmacarew, @bopanc, @enbrown, @elnathan_john, @ilvestoomas, @surlybassey, @rupertmyers, @damiencave, @glennf, @blakersdozen, @wajahatali, @kittypurrzog, @southasianbuoy, @politicoryan, @erinbiba, @rottenindenmark, @davidbix, @apoorva_nyc, @choire, @scott_tobias, @greenj, @aaronhuertas, @erikloomis, @lorakolodny, @davidastinwalsh, @davidastinwalsh, @thomaschattwill, @amyjko, @grouchybagels, @thomaschattwill, @diannaeanderson, @alketrolyat, @louisathelast, @dstfelix and @emilyctamkin
Joe Flint / Wall Street Journal:
CNBC says it has signed former Fox News journalist Shepard Smith to anchor a new one-hour evening news show, a significant shift in programming strategy — ‘The News with Shepard Smith’ will debut this fall on the cable news business channel — CNBC has signed former Fox News journalist Shepard Smith …
Discussion:
Multichannel News, TVNewser, CNBC, Mediaite, The Wrap, @yashar, @yashar, @moelleithee, @helenkennedy, @jyarow, @sallyshin, Los Angeles Times, Inside Cable News, Breitbart, The Week, NBC News, New York Times, MediaPost, CNN, The Daily Beast and Axios
New York Times:
Journalists at Radio Television Hong Kong, a government-funded news org with a fierce independent streak, appear vulnerable to China's new national security law — RTHK, a government-funded news organization, has a fierce independent streak that has long angered the authorities.
Discussion:
@nytimesworld, @jotted, @corpwatch, @steve_dunthorne, @ianbremmer, @xinwenxiaojie, @ezracheungtoto and Wired
Kevin G. Hall / McClatchy Washington Bureau:
Alden Capital Group challenges parts of Chatham Asset Management's bid for McClatchy in court filings Wednesday, delaying and complicating McClatchy's auction — The hedge fund Alden Capital Group challenged portions of a competitor's bid for McClatchy Co. in court filings late Wednesday …
Discussion:
New York Times, @kdoctor, @dangillmor, @lelindstrom, @jkbjournalist, @kevinghall, @kdoctor, @katieperalta and @briannacalix
Lindsey Ellefson / The Wrap:
Newsmax TV makes Nielsen weekly ratings debut and averages about 21K viewers, compared to 1.9M for Fox and 1.1M for CNN — Weekly ratings are in and for the first time Newsmax TV is included in Nielsen Media Research's ratings list. For the week of June 29 to July 3, the network brought in an average of just 21,000 viewers.
Matthew Weaver / The Guardian:
BBC to end free TV licenses for those over 75, with exceptions for low-income households, starting August 1 after a two-month delay — Licences fee for over-75s will only be waived for people on pension credit from next month — The BBC's decision to end free TV licences for most over-75s …
Discussion:
@tomcopley
Jack Crosbie / Discourse Blog:
Q&A with Ben Smith on shifting power in newsrooms, the compromised position of a media reporter, firewall at NYT between reporting and opinion, and more — Ben Smith, the former editor of BuzzFeed News, is now a media columnist for the New York Times. It sounds like a great job, and I would love to have it.
Discussion:
@mathewi, @esaagar, @mlcalderone, @benyt, @jscros and @thejewishdream
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