Top News:
Dan De Luce / NBC News:
Michael Pack, the head of USAGM who oversaw VOA and the Open Technology Fund, has resigned at the request of the Biden administration — WASHINGTON — The Trump appointee overseeing the Voice of America and other U.S.-funded broadcasters resigned on Wednesday at the request of the Biden administration …
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@davidfolkenflik, Vox, @alexwardvox, @marcrod97, @fridaghitis, @kaedotcom, Associated Press, @dfriedman33, @zaccunningham, @davidfolkenflik, @grahambrookie, @davidfolkenflik, @grahamdavida, @dburbach, @albertomiguelf5, @kaedotcom, @w7voa, Slate, @muhammadlila, @markos, @junaidmuhammadd, @newsprof1, @jackshafer, @vivian, @jonathanwpeters, @govacctproj, @farhip, @tonyfratto, @kimmasters, @b52malmet, @waltshaub, @etbrooking, @npr, @camjourno, @wiczipedia, NPR, AllAccess.com, Axios and Government Accountability …, more at Techmeme »
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Brad Bender / The Keyword:
Google announces a global deal with Reuters for News Showcase, which pays publishers for content highlighted in panels in News, Discover, and search results — The events of this past year have proven that providing access to diverse, high-quality news sources is more important than ever.
Discussion:
@stephenjadler
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Natasha Lomas / TechCrunch:
Google signs an agreement with French media creating a framework for payment for publisher content and has reached agreements with three major newspapers — Google has reached an agreement with an association of French publishers over how it will be pay for reuse of snippets of their content.
Discussion:
Reuters, Bloomberg and Engadget, more at Techmeme »
Jacob Shamsian / Business Insider:
Pro-Trump media outlet OAN has scrubbed stories about voting machine companies from its website without explanation, after the companies hired libel lawyers — - Far-right media outlet One America News has removed articles about Dominion without telling anyone.
Discussion:
Columbia Journalism Review, @jayshams, @jayshams, @jayshams, @sjdemas, @mattpoyner and Mediaite
New York Times:
In her first briefing, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki vowed to bring “truth and transparency back to the briefing room” — Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, conducted the first news briefing of President Biden's administration on Wednesday and vowed to bring …
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CNN, @themaxburns, @abc, @connieschultz, @beschlossdc, Fox News, @katierogers, @britnygottalent, Fox News, @julibriskman, @wesleylowery, @themaxburns, @donlemon, @froomkin, The Guardian, @themaxburns, @fpwellman, @jackshafer, @mpatrickshea, @grubreport, @joshsternberg, Associated Press, Axios, @libbycwatson, @nidhiprakash, @kellyo, @annamerlan, @rickwins, @froomkin, Press Watch, @barnabychuck, The Independent, @wiloceraptor, BuzzFeed News, @jenny8lee, @jelani9 and @nysenatorrivera
Brian Steinberg / Variety:
Fox News is laying off some digital staff, including Chris Stirewalt, per source, a politics editor who oversaw the team that projected Arizona for Biden — Fox News is laying off some employees who work for its digital operations, part of an ongoing examination of its overall business …
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@sarahellison, The Daily Beast, New York Times, @mattgertz, @justinbaragona, Associated Press, @robertmaguire_, @grynbaum, @juliemason, @sarahellison, @anneapplebaum, The Media Nut, @bbcjonsopel, @mmasnick, MediaPost, @donmoyn, @mattklewis, Media Matters for America, @noahcrothman, @mattgertz, @_cingraham, @mattgertz, @greenfield64, @chaznuttycombe, @schoofsfeed, @chrisdjackson, @brianstelter, @jeffjarvis, @adams, @govhowarddean, @markberman, @mehdirhasan, @gothamgirlblue, @jayrosen_nyu, @davidafrench, @poniewozik, @elongreen, @tvietor08, @slpng_giants, @danpfeiffer, @elongreen, @grudging1, @timalberta, @bristei, @bristei, @dougsmock, @mehdirhasan, @goangelo, @jvlast, @edlavacnn, @ashtonpittman, @parkermolloy, @craigsilverman, @margokingston1, @terryboutonhist, @mattgertz, @maxboot, @benyt, Breitbart, Los Angeles Times, The Right Scoop and Fox News
Trilby Beresford / Hollywood Reporter:
Vogue will release a limited-edition cover featuring Kamala Harris in formal attire, following backlash over its February magazine cover — This decision follows backlash earlier this month over a February magazine cover that showed Harris in casual clothes and Converse sneakers.
Discussion:
New York Daily News, Fox News and Breitbart
Adi Robertson / The Verge:
Towns and counties around the US are suing Netflix, Hulu, and other streaming services, seeking to regulate them like cable TV and make them pay cable fees — A Georgia lawsuit is pushing to expand TV franchising rules — Streaming services are slowly turning into cable TV …
Discussion:
@labuzamovies and Atlanta Business Journal
Chris Stokel-Walker / Ars Technica:
How one composer got paid for unauthorized use of his work, including on China's CCTV, using YouTube's copyright claims system and lawyers — “The torrent they got the music from was just called like 123456.mp3.” — You've heard Kerry Muzzey's work (Bandcamp, Spotify), even if you haven't heard of him.
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@angelique_lu, @robpegoraro, @stokel, @stokel, @stokel and @tonymoorey
Wayne Friedman / MediaPost:
Kantar: HBO Max took 19.2% of new streaming subs in Q4, followed by Prime Video at 18.2%, with 41% of new HBO Max subs citing specific content as sign up reason — In the last three months of 2020, HBO Max and Amazon Prime Video pulled in the highest number of new streaming subscription video-on-demand …
Robert Booth / The Guardian:
UK broadcaster Sky pledges that one in five staff members will be from a minority ethnic background by 2025 and that 5% will be Black — UK broadcaster aims to reshape its workforce, partly in response to Black Lives Matter movement — Sky has pledged that one in five of its staff …
Discussion:
Broadband TV News and @bitc
Zoë Bernard / The Information:
Sources: Andreessen Horowitz to launch an opinion section on its website that will publish articles related to technology and business from outside contributors — Silicon Valley investment firm Andreessen Horowitz, which once courted attention from the news media, is ramping up its own media efforts.
Discussion:
@mathewi, @benyt, @s_m_i, @eliotwb, @edbott, @kvox, @pt, @mathewi, @dsquareddigest, @mathewi, @bgrueskin, @emilybell, @pt, @mathewi, @parismarx, @amir, @taylorlorenz, @mathewi, @taylorlorenz, @alex, @smdiehl, @robinwigg, @jason_kint, @alexisohanian, @birdyword, @espiers, @ckrewson, @gaberivera, Talking Biz News, @elidourado, @quinnypig, @bluespacecanary, @espiers, @hshaban, @shohinigupta, @mjb_sf, @pt, @eliclifton, @nbashaw, @navalang, @chrismohney, @milenarodban, @strngwys, @tomgara, @teddyschleifer, @paulbradleycarr, @blackamazon, @dangillmor, @wadhwa, @john__rosevear, @zebulgar, @amir and @amir, more at Techmeme »
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Eric Newcomer / Newcomer:
A look at a16z's communication efforts over the years, as the firm expands its own media operations and has largely stopped cooperating with reporters
A look at a16z's communication efforts over the years, as the firm expands its own media operations and has largely stopped cooperating with reporters
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@jonricecrypto, @nmasc_, @tomgara, @taylorlorenz, @benyt, @ajs, @sohear, @joonian, @amartino, Business Insider, @ajs, @hkanji, Fortune, @sarah_cone, @martinsfp, @bradydale, @bradydale, @jeffjohnroberts, @bradydale, @binarybits, @sarahcuda, @jason, @sarthakgh, @adamneumannscos, @ericnewcomer, @ericnewcomer, @ericnewcomer, @edzitron, @edzitron, @mdudas, @allisonbraley, @emrosario and @kateclarktweets
Georg Szalai / Hollywood Reporter:
ViacomCBS to launch Pluto TV in France on February 8, making it the first free ad-supported streaming service in the country — Offering 40 curated and original channels, it will become the first advertising-supported streamer in the country. — ViacomCBS will launch advertising-supported …
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Variety, C21Media, Digital TV Europe and Broadband TV News