Top News:
Kate Beddoe / The Keyword:
Google rolls out an initial version of Google News Showcase in Australia, with participation by and financial support for The Canberra Times, Crikey, and others — With the news moving faster than ever, it's clear that journalism is an essential way to keep people informed.
Salvador Rodriguez / CNBC:
Snap beats with Q4 revenue of $911M, up 62% YoY, vs $857.4M est., DAUs were up 22% YoY to 265M; stock down 7%+ after hours on weak Q1 forecast — - Snap's stock fell in after-hours trading on Thursday after the company reported its fourth-quarter earnings despite beating Wall Street's expectations on earnings, revenue and user growth.
Discussion:
The Wrap, @ashkan, @charliebilello, @ashleyrcarman, @tgpharding, Fast Company, Ad Age, Financial Times, Axios and Variety, more at Techmeme »
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Jacob Kastrenakes / The Verge:
Snap says its TikTok competitor Spotlight had 100M MAUs in January, two months after its launch, and receives an average of 175K video submissions per day — A surprisingly successful debut — Snap says its TikTok competitor, Spotlight, had 100 million users in January 2021, just two months after it launched.
Discussion:
@karissabe, @verge, @mattrosoff, @megancgraham, Investor's Business Daily, CNBC, Business Wire and Engadget, more at Techmeme »
New York Times:
Election tech company Smartmatic files $2.7B defamation lawsuit against the Fox Corporation, Fox News, and hosts Lou Dobbs, Maria Bartiromo, and Jeanine Pirro — Smartmatic accused Rupert Murdoch's network of promoting a false narrative about the 2020 election that damaged the company.
Discussion:
CNN, Washington Post, Variety, The Week, Slate, Wall Street Journal, @jamessurowiecki, @darickr, @markszaidesq, National Review, @hassankanu, @jonathanwpeters, @alanhuntermtv, @zoetillman, @richsignorelli, @markruffalo, @frankpallotta, @brianstelter, @brianstelter, The Verge, Bloomberg, Axios, The Wrap, Media Matters for America and CNBC
Joshua Benton / Nieman Lab:
Editor & Publisher gave permission to Internet Archive to digitize its full archives, making them easily searchable, a step that other newspapers should take — My two intellectual loves are history and journalism — alternately, history and its first draft — and I'm always happy to see the two overlap.
Discussion:
@internetarchive, @jbenton and @media2070
News Corp:
News Corp reported Q2 net income of $261M on revenue of $2.41B; WSJ subs were up 19% YoY to 3.22M, and NY Post reported its first profit in modern times — FISCAL 2021 SECOND QUARTER KEY FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS • Revenues were $2.41 billion, a 3% decline compared to $2.48 billion in the prior year …
Discussion:
New York Post, @joepompeo, Press Gazette, @pressgazette, @pressgazette, @mirandadevine, New York Times and Talking Biz News
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty:
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty names Jamie Fly as president and CEO, who will resume leadership after being dismissed by Michael Pack in June — WASHINGTON — Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's (RFE/RL) Board of Directors has named Jamie Fly as the company's President and CEO, effective February 16, 2021.
Discussion:
@jamiemfly, @karenkornbluh, @john_hudson and @christopherjm
New York Times:
CNN President Jeff Zucker says he expects to leave at the end of 2021, when his contract ends — The executive shaped the look and feel of CNN since coming aboard in 2013. The network hit record ratings in recent months, during which Mr. Zucker had tensions with his newly installed boss.
Discussion:
CNN, NBC News, Insider, @benyt, Washington Post, IndieWire, @timkarr, @dylanbyers, @jayrosen_nyu, @edmundlee, @bydavidgardner, @ericgarland, @brianstelter, @m_delamerced, @zeeshanaleem, @m_delamerced, @jeffjarvis, @vivian, @chaneyj, @brianstelter, @ourand_sbj, Variety, Vanity Fair, Hollywood Reporter, Mediaite, Newser, TV Technology, The Hill, Bloomberg, Poynter, Sportico.com, nexttv.com, TVNewser, The Week and Los Angeles Times
Josh Eidelson / Bloomberg:
In NLRB filings, WGAE says G/O Media management broke law by telling staff it fired Gizmodo's Alex Cranz to retaliate for her discussion of working conditions — Online publisher G/O Media Inc. told employees of its tech-news website Gizmodo that it fired a co-worker because of her union activism …
Discussion:
@wgaeast, @josheidelson, @mattdpearce, @josheidelson and Talking Biz News, more at Techmeme »
Tim Cross / VideoWeek:
Supply-side platform Magnite, formerly Rubicon Project, to acquire sell-side video platform SpotX for $1.17B — Supply-side platform Magnite announced this morning it has agreed a deal to acquire sell-side video platform SpotX from European media group RTL for $1.17 billion in stock and cash, subject to regulatory approval.
Discussion:
Variety, Magnite, @davemorgannyc, Digital TV Europe and Beet.TV
Andrew Marantz / New Yorker:
The case of John Sullivan, who's participated in and recorded riots, including the Capitol assault, raises questions on how to delineate journalists from others — John Sullivan claims that he was at the Capitol insurrection as a neutral journalist. Others say he was a riot chaser who urged the mob to “burn this shit down.”
Discussion:
Columbia Journalism Review, @mdvancleave, @utahmads, @ryanjreilly, @mathewi and @michaelluo
Lucy Fisher / Telegraph:
Source: in the past year, the UK has expelled three Chinese spies posing as journalists who purported to work for three different Chinese media agencies — The revelation comes amid concerns in Government about Chinese economic espionage and intellectual property theft from UK institutions
Discussion:
@shashj, @los_fisher, @shashj, @niubi, @yatescomms, Al Jazeera and Reuters