Top News:
Kurt Wagner / Bloomberg:
Sources: Twitter is building subscription products to ease its dependence on ads, including “tipping” for exclusive content and charging for TweetDeck — - Internal groups are researching options users might pay for — Social network says ‘revenue durability’ is now top priority
Discussion:
@profgalloway, @mathewi, The Wrap, @joannastern, ScreenRant, @tonyromm, @neerajka, @profgalloway, @rafat, @joelcifer, @samitsarkar, @mattnavarra, Gizmodo, @mattnavarra, @darrenrovell, TechCrunch, @ajbrehm24, @trengriffin, @kurtwagner8, @ryanlawler, @walldo, @martinsfp, @imbeccable, The Verge, Engadget, 9to5Mac and New York Post, more at Techmeme »
Sara Fischer / Axios:
Automattic's enterprise-focused WordPress VIP says it is acquiring content analytics service Parse.ly — WordPress VIP (WPVIP), the enterprise arm of WordPress.com, is acquiring Parse.ly, a content analytics platform that's used by thousands of digital publishers.
Sarah E. Needleman / Wall Street Journal:
Reddit has raised a Series E of over $250M led by Vy Capital at a $6B valuation, doubling in value since its last funding round in February 2019 — Its WallStreetBets community played a prominent role in recent stock-trading frenzy — Reddit Inc. doubled its valuation to $6 billion …
Discussion:
Upvoted, The Wrap, TechCrunch, New York Times, The Information, Bloomberg, Reuters, Axios, @minimaxir, @hshaban, CoinDesk, Insider and New York Post, more at Techmeme »
Ashley Carman / The Verge:
Sources: Mark Cuban is co-founding Fireside, a podcast app where hosts can talk to fans live and monetize their conversations, with plans to launch this year — Fireside is launching this year — Mark Cuban is getting in on the audio and podcasting hype.
Discussion:
@johnvoorhees, @lpolgreen, @bijanstephen, @chrismessina, @russbengtson, @oberandout, @producthunt, @happierman, @isaacklee, @hshaban, @mattyglesias, @yashar, @juliaschifini, 9to5Mac, @achangeoftune, @abdallah_fayyad, @wilw_writes, @skyepillsbury, @vincenzolandino, @reckless and Insider, more at Techmeme »
Financial Times:
China charges Cheng Lei, an Australian journalist who worked for a Chinese state TV channel, with leaking state secrets, six months after she was first detained — Cheng Lei worked for Chinese state television and had been held in secret for six months — Beijing has charged …
Discussion:
BBC, New York Times, The New Daily, @withmeaa, @yuanfenyang, @1amychew, @ccp_china_watch, The Guardian, The Indian Express, Variety, ABC, UPI, Al Jazeera and Axios
Washington Post:
WaPo says readership of its tech coverage grew 40% in 2020 and it will add eight positions, based at its HQ and SF, growing its tech team to 27 — Added roles will be based in San Francisco and The Post's headquarters — The Washington Post today announced a significant expansion of its technology team …
Hannah Murphy / Financial Times:
Sources: TikTok has briefed advertisers on new e-commerce tools launching in 2021, including letting popular users add links and earn commission — Viral video app set to unveil a suite of new online shopping tools — TikTok is planning an aggressive expansion into ecommerce in the US …
Financial Times:
EU lawmakers are considering regulations that would force Facebook and Google to pay for news content on their platforms, echoing a similar move in Australia — Move by MEPs would strengthen hand of publishers against Google and Facebook — EU lawmakers overseeing new digital regulation …
Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:
Murdoch's News UK TV will be streamed live and on-demand on multiple streaming platforms rather than over the airwaves when it launches in the spring — News UK has revealed it will launch a nightly entertainment show this spring after months of speculation about its plans to expand into TV.
Discussion:
@pressgazette
Jem Aswad / Variety:
Universal Music Group unveils a global agreement with TikTok, days after pulling its music catalog from TikTok-rival Triller — Via the agreement, which covers recorded music from artists at UMG's labels and songwriters with Universal Music Publishing Group, “TikTok users will be more empowered …
Discussion:
Music Business Worldwide, The Verge and The Wrap, more at Techmeme »
Robert Feder:
Nexstar confirms Bill Shine is a consultant for NewsNation; sources: NewsNation news director quit because of interference by Shine and others in news decisions — After two decades as a senior executive at Fox News and a protégé of chairman and CEO Roger Ailes …
Discussion:
@robertfeder, @benyt, @jayrosen_nyu, @juliethuddytv and Daily Herald
Nieman Lab:
Research: journalists who see the rise in misinfo as a threat to democracy are more likely to report using practices embracing transparency than accountability — Adapting to the misinformation era, journalists emphasize transparency in their daily practices — “Fake news” is an unfortunate phrase.
Discussion:
@spj_tweets