Top News:
Todd Spangler / Variety:
YouTube is introducing audio-only ads for users who listen to music or podcasts in the background and letting advertisers buy ads targeted by mood — YouTube claims to be the world's biggest jukebox — and now it wants to wring more ad dollars from the platform's music fans.
Gilad Edelman / Wired:
The latest congressional hearing was another parade of bad-faith arguments about Section 230, best illustrated by Senate Republicans mischaracterizing the law — The latest congressional hearing with Facebook's and Twitter's CEOs was another parade of bad-faith arguments.
Discussion:
Electronic Frontier Foundation, Variety, The Information, Roll Call and ABC News, more at Techmeme »
Edmund Lee / New York Times:
Sources: News Corp is making a bid for Simon & Schuster; at least one offer for the publisher is for more than $1.7B, far above the minimum ViacomCBS had set — A sale of the venerable publisher of Stephen King and Hillary Clinton could fetch $1.7 billion and rev up consolidation in book publishing.
Discussion:
Financial Times, @naomiaklein, @dreamoforgonon, @clairegcoleman, @runwithskizzers, @vwpickard, @ryanlcooper, @constancegrady, @haymarketbooks, @sarahw, @mariskreizman, @smh, @agentemurph, @d_libris, @raju, @lynnjohnstonlit, @rwindrem, @alexweprin, @tomtaylormade, @nytimes, @jeffjarvis, Bookseller News and Publishers Weekly
Sara Fischer / Axios:
Sources: Instagram is considering a plan to create a revenue share program with publishers for IGTV ads; it's funded BuzzFeed and ATTN: content recently — Instagram is mulling plans to pay publishers on its platform as it grows as a news and information source for users, sources tell Axios.
Discussion:
Business Insider, @mattnavarra, @jason_kint, @leratomannya and New York Post
Quartz:
After its management bought the outlet from Uzabase, Quartz says it had a record week of signups, adding ~1,200 paying members, for a total of 25,000+ globally — Quartz enjoyed its best week ever for membership last week, adding nearly 1,200 new members. The wave of signups came …
Discussion:
Talking Biz News, @michellemanafy and Talking Biz News
Aurelien Breeden / New York Times:
Radio France Internationale accidentally published about 100 prewritten obituaries for prominent people as it moved its site to a new content management system — Queen Elizabeth II, Pelé and Clint Eastwood were among about 100 celebrities briefly reported as dead online by French public radio.
Discussion:
@nytimes, @bmccandless, @tessgerritsen, @greenpnyt, @stevebellovin, @pamelapaulnyt, The Hill, @dancow, @sacruikshank, @ckrewson, @ebstatto, @stanfordc, @clivesimpkins, @hoffm, BBC, The Guardian, Newser and New York Post
Sportico:
Sources: Sinclair is considering selling the naming rights of its 21 regional sports networks, possibly to sports betting partners — Sinclair Broadcast Group is considering selling naming rights to the 21 regional sports networks it acquired from Disney, according to multiple people familiar with the plans.
Discussion:
The Streamable and Awful Announcing
Jeremy W. Peters / New York Times:
How Real Clear Politics took a sharp right turn after donations from funds used by wealthy conservatives soared and it made business ties with The Federalist — Real Clear Politics has been catering to campaign obsessives since 2000. It pitches itself as a “trusted, go-to source” for unbiased polling.
Tim Baysinger / The Wrap:
Conan O'Brien says he is ending his late-night TBS show in June 2021, then launching a weekly variety series on HBO Max — Conan O'Brien will end his late-night series “Conan” on TBS next year, but he's not leaving the WarnerMedia family. He will then launch a new weekly variety series on HBO Max.
Discussion:
Variety, CNN, Bloomberg, Hollywood Reporter, @scottwamplerbmd, C21Media, Forbes, @ditzkoff, @lucas_shaw, @ditzkoff, @frankpallotta, @paulaebben, @alexedelman, @pkafka, @james_dasilva, @garymlevin, @variety, @jackocarey, @papitommyrico, @goedharted, @finessemitchell, @tvgrimreaper, @geoffmintz, Variety, @kevinbrueck, @danieljpowell, @thomasfloyd, Always Be Watching, @alexweprin, @strombo, @kellydiamond_, @sherman4949, @joshgondelman, ComingSoon.net, Collider, The A.V. Club, IndieWire, Mediaite, The Hill, Adweek, TVLine, Engadget, Deadline, New York Post, GameSpot, The Week and Fox News
Mandy Garner / Hacked Off:
A journalist and mother of a victim of a car accident describes how IPSO failed to punish Mail Online for posting a video of the fatal accident — At 9.45pm on 19th February my 20-year-old daughter Anisha was catapulted out of this world when a driver doing over 60mph in a 30mph zone drove …
Discussion:
@garria10, @stevenjbarnett, @hackinginquiry, @ladyvaletta and @huwspanner
ProPublica:
ProPublica selects six journalists for the inaugural edition of its Distinguished Fellows program, which will fund their salaries and benefits for three years — ProPublica announced on Monday six local reporters who have been selected as the inaugural members of the ProPublica Distinguished Fellows program.
Discussion:
@wendi_c_thomas, @propublica, @kenwardjr, @journalismproj, @nikkiusher, @louisekiernan, @davidhulen, @tracyweber, @jsmithrichards, @kylehopkinsak, @mollyparkersi and MLK50
Chieko Tsuneoka / Wall Street Journal:
Anime's popularity is rising as Japanese studios' overseas revenue grows and Netflix says 100M+ households watched at least one anime title in 2020, up 50% YoY — Netflix has 16 projects in the works from its Tokyo-based team as the pandemic lifts demand — TOKYO—The pandemic …
Discussion:
Digiday, @simonowens and @zoescaman
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