Top News:
Drew Armstrong / Bloomberg:
A look at Covid Tracking Project, started by three journalists, with The Atlantic providing legal, comms, and tech support, to track the US spread of COVID-19 — At the start of 2020, Amanda French was in between academic jobs. Her mother had died about a year earlier, and she'd taken time off to help settle her affairs.
Discussion:
@armstrongdrew, @alexismadrigal, @maxcroser, @adriennelaf and @edyong209
Tiffany Hsu / New York Times:
Nonprofit ad group Ad Council is planning a $50M campaign to promote COVID-19 vaccines to skeptical Americans, after a similar polio campaign in the 1950s — The nonprofit marketing group led a polio vaccine campaign in the 1950s. Now it is working on a $50 million ad blitz to counter concerns about coming treatments.
Discussion:
@john_bailey, @billburton and @tiffkhsu
Laura Forman / Wall Street Journal:
Analysis: Facebook and Instagram ads appear to be reaching a saturation point after rising by a ~30% quarterly average since Q3 2015 — Spending big money to make big money in the ad business may no longer be on the table inside Facebook's network — Facebook Inc.'s platforms are starting to feel like homes with too much furniture.
Discussion:
@hoofnagle and @marklittlenews
The New York Times Company:
Ezra Klein is joining NYT Opinion in January as a columnist and podcast host — Ezra, in his columns and on his podcast, will be able to help our readers and listeners navigate the political future as Washington moves into a new era. Read more in this note from Kathleen Kingsbury and Paula Szuchman.
Discussion:
Adweek, @sub8u, @cillizzacnn, New York Times, @teddyschleifer, @arctictony, @edmundlee, @rachelbitecofer, @sharpesam, Axios, @mattgarrahan, @binarybits, @blakehounshell, @casmudde, @andrewfeinberg, @parkermolloy, @owillis, @nytimespr, @brandonetc, @dylanmatt, The Hill, Variety and The Wrap
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Sara Fischer / Axios:
Ezra Klein, co-founder and editor-at-large of Vox.com, and Lauren Williams, editor-in-chief and senior vice president, are leaving the company
Ezra Klein, co-founder and editor-at-large of Vox.com, and Lauren Williams, editor-in-chief and senior vice president, are leaving the company
Discussion:
@tomhbunting, @laurenwilliams, @ezraklein, The Daily Beast, @hshaban, @anildash, @alxthomp, @matthewt_ny, @titonka, @hondanhon, @andrewfeinberg, @lukeoneil47, @harronwawker, @thrasherxy, @gartenberg, @interfluidity, @jaycodon, @zacmoffatt, @rmnth, @doctoryasmin, @elliottzaagman, @ewolffmann, @deve_dy, @jamestatehill, @ellliotttb, @maxfoleykeene, @bernybelvedere, @rafat, @bmorrissey, @aryehcw, Exchange the Experience, @kantrowitz, @sarafischer, @antoniogm, @ezraklein, @sarafischer, @karaswisher, @laurenwilliams, @makosloff, @rasmussen_poll, @karlbode, @karlbode, @karlbode, @karlbode, @jessicalessin, @nickkristof, @germanrlopez, @laurenwilliams, @pwthornton, @jessicalessin, @jessicalessin, @davidsirota, @katedailey, @kurtschlichter, @davecoion, @tressiemcphd, @econliberties, @genepark, @anthony, @ryrivard, @geedee215, @hayskali, @heerjeet, @byjoelanderson, @laurenwilliams, @laurenwilliams, @laurenwilliams, @cleoabram, @brokeymcpoverty, @clarajeffery, @ezraklein, @ezraklein, @ezraklein, @ezraklein, @ezraklein, @ezraklein, @ezraklein, @ezraklein, @marisakabas, @hctrudo, @bernybelvedere, @conorsen, @jgrantaddison, @hamandcheese, @jakedavewebster, @notnathan, @donmoyn, @juliareinstein, @sanasaeed, @jonathanchait, @alexsalvinews, @chaykak, @imnotowned, @stevekrak, @zachheltzel, @natemcdermott, @ivanthek, @emarvelous, @sarafischer, @sarafischer, Washington Post, Yashar's Newsletter and The Media Nut
Ben Smith / New York Times:
A look at Biden's relationship with the news media and writer Jon Meacham, as his presidency promises to do for newspaper columns what Trump did for cable — The next president promises to do for old-line newspaper columnists what Donald Trump did for cable. What a time to be George Will!
Discussion:
@jon_allsop, Politico, @catherine_lucey, Revolving Door Project, The Daily Beast, @azi, @davidclinchnews, @cliffordlevy, @raju, @dicktofel, @dhume, @debrajsaunders, @miriamelder, @benyt, @ckrewson and @edokeefe
Hunter Walk / Medium:
Paid newsletters won't bring in enough money on their own for most writers, but creators can have multiple SKUs like podcasts, speaking gigs, and book deals — A number of reporters and columnists these days are “going indie,” detaching from their previous employer and signing up with a site like Substack …
Discussion:
@caseynewton, contextisking.com, @davezatz, @blakeir, @carnage4life, @edbott, @hunterwalk, @ericnewcomer and @taylorlorenz
New York Times:
Profile of Newsmax, which has become an unusual tribune for Trump's baseless accusations of voter fraud and whose owner is a longtime friend of the president — A once-niche conservative cable network, owned by a longtime friend of the president, lures audiences by refusing to declare an electoral winner.
Discussion:
Mediaite, Columbia Journalism Review, Los Angeles Times, MSNBC, Poynter, The Week, @benyt, @jayrosen_nyu, @mark_histed, @nytimes and @oliverdarcy
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Snap announces Spotlight, a vertically scrollable TikTok-like feed inside Snapchat, and will pay $1M everyday to users who create the top Snaps through 2020 — After taking on TikTok with music-powered features last month, Snapchat this morning is officially launching a dedicated place within …
Discussion:
Variety, Hollywood Reporter, CNN, Wall Street Journal, @alexeheath, Ad Age, The Wrap, Business Insider, Fast Company, Axios, @marklittlenews, 9to5Mac, @mattnavarra, @lanceulanoff, @garettsloane, Bloomberg, Forbes, @danprimack, @kerrymflynn, The Verge, @scottbelsky and @sarafischer, more at Techmeme »
Alex Weprin / Hollywood Reporter:
Fox News Media will debut is first original Christmas movie this year on Fox Nation, with cameos from Fox & Friends co-hosts Steve Doocy and Ainsley Earhardt — Fox Nation will debut an original movie, ‘Christmas in the Rockies,’ as it expands its original entertainment programming slate …
Discussion:
The Wrap, @jbflint, @gregghoush, @scottnover and @alexweprin
Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:
UK's DMGT reports full-year results: revenue down 10% YoY to £1.2B, pre-tax profits dropped 36% YoY to £72M, and ad revenue fell 9% YoY to £231M — Mail Online grew revenues by 3% in the year to September despite Covid-19 hammering other parts of the business.
Discussion:
Financial Times, Reuters, Financial Times and Exhibition World
David Folkenflik / NPR:
US judge orders Michael Pack to stop interfering in VOA's news coverage and personnel matters, and rules he acted unconstitutionally in pursuing bias claims — Toggle more options — The chief executive over the Voice of America and its sister networks has acted unconstitutionally …
Warner Music Inc.:
Warner Music reports FY 2020 revenue of $4.46B, down 0.3% YoY, including digital revenue of $2.9B, up 11% YoY, and net loss of $470M vs. profit of $258M in 2019 — Financial Highlights: — Continued Momentum in Streaming Highlighted by Sequential Improvement in Revenue Growth
Discussion:
Variety