Top News:
Ben Smith / New York Times:
While autocrats crack down on independent journalism in Malaysia, Russia, China, Egypt, the Philippines, Hungary, and elsewhere, the US looks the other way — Independent journalism is on the defensive, from Hungary to Malaysia. — Like many American media types, I spent a lot …
Discussion:
@benyt, @jayshams, Reason, @nilanjanaroy, The Morning Missive, @markdistef, @virginiahughes, @jason_kint, @rosstapsell, @aaschapiro, @jamescrabtree, @miriamelder, @suilee, @liyuan6, @aaschapiro, @liamstack, @williamyang120, @davidakaye, @anthony, @taramfrancis, @craigscottca, @kongtsunggan, @nytimes, @luzmelyreyes, @blakehounshell and RAPPLER
Kevin G. Hall / McClatchy Washington Bureau:
Chatham Asset Management, McClatchy's largest creditor, has won an auction to buy the bankrupt local news company — Chatham Asset Management, the New Jersey hedge fund that is McClatchy Co.'s largest creditor, has won an auction to buy the bankrupt local news company.
Discussion:
Nieman Lab, Wall Street Journal, McClatchy Co, The Wrap, New York Times, USA Today, @cezary, @jkbjournalist, Axios, @tclift, @carlos_frias, @bgrueskin, @campbellsl, @kdoctor, @asharma, @marmel, @mtdukes, @tomgara, The Week, @lisaabramowicz1, @mrdrew_taylor, @will_bunch, @eclisham, @meredithshiner, @stevekopack, @wsj, @bgrueskin, The Desk, Bloomberg, The Hill, @srodd_cpr and @jonathanec12
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Rick Edmonds / Poynter:
Chatham, which has been in a position to influence McClatchy for some time, seems unlikely to make deep cuts or take other radical action after its acquisition — McClatchy owns 30 daily newspapers across the U.S., including the Miami Herald and The Kansas City Star
Discussion:
@jeffburlew and @poynter
Kevin Draper / New York Times:
Black employees at ESPN, prompted by nationwide conversations on systemic racism, detail their own negative experiences with long-entrenched practices — In meetings and conversations among colleagues, ESPN employees have criticized the career pipeline and diversity of top leadership, eliciting a promise from executives to do better.
Discussion:
@kevinmdraper, @theonlyhonest, @drrubidium, @marcatracy and @bubbaprog
Lucas Shaw / Bloomberg:
Sources: Audible's new chief content officer Brad Schwartz is out, after Audible employees found an old sexual-harassment lawsuit at Pop in which he was named — Brad Schwartz was supposed to help the Amazon division challenge Spotify in podcasting — About a month after Audible announced …
Discussion:
@lucas_shaw, @lucas_shaw, Deadline, Hollywood Reporter, The Wrap and Variety
Todd Spangler / Variety:
SiriusXM will buy E.W. Scripps' podcast network and producer unit Stitcher for $325M; Scripps says Stitcher had $72.5M in 2019 revenue — According to E.W. Scripps, the $325 million price tag represents a return of more than 100% in its investment in podcasting over the last five years.
Discussion:
Podnews press releases, The Wrap, The Verge, Radio & Television …, TechCrunch, @brianroemmele and Engadget, more at Techmeme »
Margaret Sullivan / Washington Post:
In adapted excerpt from her forthcoming book, former Buffalo News chief editor Margaret Sullivan tracks its decline, a fate shared by newspapers nationally — Over her long career as a journalist, Margaret Sullivan has watched the decline of local news with growing alarm
Discussion:
Nieman Lab, The Atlantic, @sulliview, @dangainor, @alicedreger, @spj_tweets, @sulliview, @hotlinejosh, @darickr, @theatlantic, @picardonhealth, @rickgoldring, @michaelroston, @nprmichel, @nate_mcmurray, @dan_higgins, @lyman_brian, @westwingreport, @byclaycarey, @nbj914, @ron_fournier, @mattvillano, @charlie_reports, @dankennedy_nu, @savethenews, @wbfo, @rossbarkan, @froomkin, @kylepope, @blakerutherford, @wardreporter and @chriscookttu
Emily Bell / Columbia Journalism Review:
While many news orgs have celebrated the discomfort of Facebook, many haven't joined the ad boycott as few have the scale to forgo Facebook's distribution power — Mark Zuckerberg and Noam Chomsky are strange bedfellows in this political moment, but both found themselves on the same side …
Discussion:
The Wrap, things I read …, Exchange the Experience, The Guardian, @cjr, @cjr, @sophienadeau and @alexaborchardt
David McCabe / New York Times:
In a May filing to Australia's antitrust regulator, Google said it doesn't control enough of the digital ad market to overcharge customers or block competitors — A document sent by the search giant to Australian regulators argues that the company doesn't control enough of the digital ad industry …
Discussion:
AgencySpy, more at Techmeme »
Sahil Patel / Wall Street Journal:
Mediaocean, which provides TV advertising software, to acquire 4C Insights, which offers ad tools for streaming video and social media, source says for $150M+ — 4C Insights offers ad tools for streaming video and social media — Mediaocean LLC, a firm best known for its TV advertising software …
Discussion:
@sizpatel, Beet.TV and @digitalshields
Lindsey Ellefson / The Wrap:
CNN to launch a new team covering race and systemic racism that will contribute to all CNN platforms and be led by Delano Massey, a recent hire from AP — “The recent conversations we've had in our newsrooms have been informative and constructive," says CNN president Jeff Zucker
Discussion:
TVNewser and @davidfolkenflik
Christopher Mims / Wall Street Journal:
An overview of how data-driven tech and analytics are reshaping Hollywood's creative development process and market research during the pandemic — Coronavirus and the era of stay-at-home binge-watching is accelerating the entertainment industry's reliance on analytics and data to target …
Discussion:
@trengriffin, @nisalahe, @mims, @datainnovation and @wsj