Top News:
Marc Tracy / New York Times:
In 2020, NYT hit 7.5M subscribers, added 2.3M digital-only subs, generating $598.3M in revenue, up 30% YoY; ad rev fell 26% YoY to $392.4M; profit hit $250.6M — In its fourth-quarter earnings report, The New York Times Company said 2020 was its biggest year for adding subscribers.
Discussion:
CNN, Wall Street Journal, @sarafischer, @benyt, The Hill, The Wrap, RAIN News, @arimelber, @raju, @jamieclimate, @liamstack, The Media Nut, bookforum.com, @nyguild, @will_bunch, @nickkristof, @mccanner, @rexparker, @bgrueskin, @jane__bradley, @carlzimmer, @johntv, @heidilegg, @kerrymflynn, @joshsternberg, @marcatracy, @statesdj and @greenfield64
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Sarah Scire / Nieman Lab:
NYT is working on a subscription product for Wirecutter, a standalone product for audio app Audm, and says podcasts generated $36M in 2020, up from $29M in 2019 — The New York Times is working on building a subscription product for its consumer reviews site Wirecutter …
Discussion:
Poynter
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.
New York Times:
CNN President Jeff Zucker says he “expect[s] to move on” 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:
Los Angeles Times, CNN, NBC News, Washington Post, Ad Age, Mediaite, The Hill, Variety, nexttv.com, Insider, TVNewser, @benyt, Hollywood Reporter, Newser, @jayrosen_nyu, Poynter, Wall Street Journal, @vivian, TV Technology, @m_delamerced, @m_delamerced, @jeffjarvis, @brianstelter, @bydavidgardner, @zeeshanaleem, @chaneyj, @brianstelter, @ourand_sbj, @ericgarland and The Week
Sara Fischer / Axios:
Daily business newsletter The Hustle, which has 1.5M+ subscribers, is being acquired by sales and marketing software company HubSpot, source says for about $27M — HubSpot, a publicly-traded sales and marketing software company, is acquiring The Hustle, an email newsletter and content company targeted …
Discussion:
@sarafischer, TechCrunch, @sarafischer, @seangriffey, @rasmus_kleis, @chrisberryoh, @_jacksmith, @joelazauskas, @bmorrissey, @jackmarshall, @jspector, @claytonchambrs, @joepulizzi, @benparr, @adam_keesling, @seangriffey, @asanwal, @austin_rief, @seanblanda, @rafat, HubSpot and Talking Biz News
Manori Ravindran / Variety:
Vice Media diversity report: 56% of staff are women, up 5.8% YoY; 42% of US staff are BIPOC, up 3.9% YoY; among execs, 43% are BIPOC, up from 20% last year — The boys club that was once synonymous with Vice is quietly disbanding. — A seismic shift in the work culture and make-up of Vice Media Group …
Discussion:
The Wrap and @kerrymflynn
Pranav Dixit / BuzzFeed News:
India's IT ministry orders Twitter to block the recently restored accounts of critics and The Caravan magazine, threatens Twitter staff with jail time or fines — India's government has threatened to punish employees at Twitter with fines and jail terms of up to seven years for restoring hundreds …
Discussion:
@caseynewton, @pranavdixit, Techdirt, @pranavdixit, @nixxin, @karunanundy, @arty_burton, Engadget, @benyt, @bborrman, @caseynewton, @nicdawes, @akumarilife, @aditi_khorana, @arfilaamba, @pranavdixit, @pranavdixit, @davidakaye, @pranavdixit, @rasmus_kleis, @nixxin, @lwajert and @accessnow, more at Techmeme »
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Vidya Krishnan / The Atlantic:
The latest attacks on the media in India, part of a pattern of legal cases and intimidation, make clear that freedom of the press is endangered in Modi's India
Discussion:
@baxiabhishek, @jamescrabtree, The India Cable, @adriennelaf, @aaranrpatel, @shailja_s, @bhumikatharoor, @prashantrao, @nktpnd and New York Times
Kathryn Hopkins / WWD:
Time launches $2.99/month paywall that kicks in after four free articles, starting in US and Canada; Sports Illustrated introduced $5.99/month metered paywall — Time's will start at $2.99, while Sports Illustrated's digital-only subscription is priced at $5.99.
Discussion:
@justin_b_smith
Ofcom:
UK's Ofcom revokes broadcasting license of China Global Television Network because the licensees didn't have editorial control over CGTN's output — Ofcom has today withdrawn the licence for CGTN to broadcast in the UK, after its investigation concluded that the licence is wrongfully held by Star China Media Limited.
Discussion:
Financial Times, @ofcom, @bbcnewspr, Reuters, Al Jazeera, @matt_walsh, @jeyal_rusi, @safeguarddefend, @hkglobalconnect, Press Gazette, @martinjemoore, @aaronmcn, Broadband TV News and CityAM
The Daily Beast:
Over 150 NYT staffers sent a letter to bosses criticizing the handling of complaints that Donald McNeil Jr. used racist language on a NYT-sponsored trip — More than 150 employees excoriated paper brass for what they said was an insufficient response to allegations that a top reporter made racist comments on a 2019 trip with students.
Discussion:
@lachcartwright, @noahpollak, @sulliview, @lachcartwright, @mattwelch, @askingamy and @maxwelltani
Sara Guaglione / Digiday:
TikTok is paying Group Nine Media's science brand, Seeker, to create videos aimed at Gen Z as part of TikTok's $50M Creative Learning Fund — TikTok is paying Group Nine Media's science brand, Seeker, to create original videos for young people stuck at home, as the platform's Gen Z audience continues to bloom.
Discussion:
@digitas and @pblackshaw
Sarah Scire / Nieman Lab:
Q&A with The Information's Jessica Lessin on the outlet's incubator for outlets, whether paywalls limit information access, the site's social media policy, more — “Frankly, the really hard part is the journalism. Everything else can be learned and shared.” — Jessica Lessin is all in on paywalls.
Discussion:
@mradamtaylor and @niemanlab
Eric J. Savitz / Barron's Online:
IAC Q4: Vimeo earnings of $1.5M, revenue of $83.8M, up 54% YoY, subscribers up 24% to 1.5M; Dotdash earnings of $30.9M, up 81% YoY, revenue of $74M, up 33% YoY — Internet holding company IAC/InterActiveCorp. posted strong fourth-quarter results, while investors continue to focus …
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