Top News:
Ben Smith / New York Times:
Russian investigative journalism is flourishing alongside “probiv”, the buying of data on phone calls, cell location, or air travel off Telegram or the dark web — A new wave of news outlets has used conventional, and unconventional, methods to pierce the veil of Putin's power.
Discussion:
@eliothiggins, @kenroth, @hatr, @samanthajpower, @michaelsderby, @benweinthal, @andrew__roth, @atanessi, @rasmus_kleis, @elimeixler, @felixsalmon, @nprkelly, @lionelbarber, @sulliview, @cliffordlevy, @maxseddon, @anthony, @crtejada, @christopherjm, @hshaban, @kenroth, @mattzeitlin and @paulmozur, more at Techmeme »
Alex Barker / Financial Times:
Microsoft says it will work with Europe's four largest news publishing lobbying groups to “mandate payments” for content used by “gatekeepers” — Seattle-based company aligns with press industry and exploits rivals' difficulties — Microsoft has joined forces …
Discussion:
Press Gazette, Reuters, @rasmus_kleis, @klyngec, @newsceo, @rcostaricardo, @carolinwehrhahn, @jason_kint, Marketing BS …, @benedictevans and @epc_angela, more at Techmeme »
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Ian Carlos Campbell / The Verge:
App Annie: Australian Broadcasting Corporation's news app was briefly the most downloaded app on the AU App Store after Facebook's news ban and is now second
Discussion:
@seanblanda, @jb_au, @caseynewton, @lucasofri, The New Daily, @umabp, @mumbletwits, @matthewstoller, @glenngabe, @jason_kint, @nathanblawrence, @neerajka, Vox, @rustyshelf, @digiphile, @javierpallero, @caseynewton, @cameronwilson, @brooklynmarie, @threatresearch, @brianboyer, @parismarx, @dhh, @karlbode, @umabp, @umabp, @jbenton, @rasmus_kleis and Known Knowns
Sara Fischer / Axios:
Google tells ad partners that it will lift its ban on all political ads starting Wednesday, after banning them following the Capitol riot — Google informed its advertising partners Monday that its platforms will resume accepting all political ads starting Wednesday, after banning them following …
Discussion:
CNBC, @ericwilson, @russcontreras, @authentic_hq and @alaynatreene, more at Techmeme »
Los Angeles Times:
Investigation finds non-profit HFPA, which runs Golden Globes, makes substantial payments to members, as questions persist about its ethics and legitimacy — It appeared to be a moment of triumph in the long, tumultuous story of the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn.
Discussion:
@juliaturner, Los Angeles Times, @jackshafer, @bendreyfuss, @piyasroy, @nancywyuen, @hannaflint, @lalehkhalili, Insider, @meredithblake, @jacoboller, Hollywood Reporter, @markharrisnyc, @dangillmor, @farhip, @latimes, @juliaturner, @juliaturner, Always Be Watching, @juliaturner, @mchenryjd, Variety, @juliaturner, @joshuahorowitz, The Wrap, @sarafischer, The Week, @davidfolkenflik, @markharrisnyc, IndieWire and The A.V. Club
Meg James / Los Angeles Times:
Soon-Shiong family denies WSJ reports about plans to sell LA Times, and both Union-Tribune's COO and publisher say no plans exist to sell the San Diego paper — Los Angeles Times owner Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong on Friday reaffirmed his commitment to the news organization.
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Lukas I. Alpert / Wall Street Journal:
Sources: Patrick Soon-Shiong is exploring a sale of LA Times and considered transferring management of The San Diego Union-Tribune to Alden's MediaNews Group
Discussion:
Columbia Journalism Review, @katie_robertson, @latguild, @rasmus_kleis, @brenden_tucc, @maxwelltani, @jacobrubashkin, @robenfarzad, @daviddebolt, @kenbensinger, Insider, @drpatsoonshiong, Los Angeles Magazine, @sewellchan, @chaykak, @katie_robertson, @edmundlee, Media Nation, @brooklynmarie, @suhaunah, @doree, @bigblackjacobin, @edmundlee, @edmundlee, @anniesciacca, @elanazak, @jimfriedlich, @sewellchan, @ckrewson, @pottsmark, @mattdpearce, @marcosantana, @petersterne, @edmundlee, @jeffjarvis, @pauledroberts, @ggreeneva, @timmarchman, @seungminkim, @bobshrum, @johnjcook, @alex_roarty, @loisbeckett, @mollymotoole, @johnmyers, @froomkin, @benfritz, @benfritz, @karavoght, @jbenton, @sarahsholder, @hshaban, @nycsouthpaw, @kenli729, @jbflint, @jbenton, @maxwelltani, @mikeisaac, The Wrap, Esotouric's Secret Los Angeles, Mediaite, The Hill and Reuters
Elaine Low / Variety:
Discovery reports Q4: revenue of $2.9B, beating estimates, and Discovery+ has 11M subscribers after launching in January — The company reported earnings of 76 cents per share and revenue of $2.889 billion, vs. Street projections for per-share earnings of 72 cents on revenue of $2.83 billion.
Discussion:
The Wrap, MediaPost, Discovery Communications, The Wrap, The Wrap, The Streamable and New York Post
Margaret Sullivan / Washington Post:
Defector, the employee-owned site that began after a staff walkout at Deadspin, is doing surprisingly well and is financially self-sustaining six months in — Mahatma Gandhi didn't actually say “Be the change you want to see in the world,” but if he had, he probably wouldn't have been thinking …
Discussion:
Awful Announcing, @sulliview, @ashleyfeinberg, @drewmagary, The Muffin por Mauricio …, @emmabaccellieri and @sulliview
Chris Welch / The Verge:
Spotify says it will launch a subscription later this year called HiFi that will offer “CD-quality, lossless audio”; Spotify currently tops out at 320kbps audio — Your turn, Apple Music — Spotify is going hi-fi. Well, “HiFi.” It's taken longer than competitors like Tidal …
Discussion:
CNET, TechCrunch, @chriswelch, Music Business Worldwide, @iamkory, @stevekopack, @varadmehta, @chriswelch, @martinsfp, 9to5Google, @spotify and Spotify, more at Techmeme »
Rachel Abrams / New York Times:
Ahead of a hearing on Wednesday, Congressional Democrats ask cable and tech companies how they combatted misinformation from Fox News, OANN, and Newsmax — Before a hearing scheduled for Wednesday, Democratic members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee asked cable companies what they did to combat …
Discussion:
@rachelabramsny, @oliverdarcy, @dylanbyers, @ggreenwald and @pkafka
Hanaa' Tameez / Nieman Lab:
Fort Worth Report, a nonprofit news outlet, will launch in the spring and start with coverage of education, government accountability, and arts and culture — Fort Worth, Texas is a special place. — Cowtown, as its lovingly known among residents, is an hour west of Dallas and is a city of just under a million people.
Discussion:
@azirulnick, @spj_tweets, @chriscobler, @niemanreports, @hanaatameez, @sarahscire, @niemanlab and Poynter
Sara Fischer / Axios:
Outside, previously known as Pocket Outdoor Media and owner of 22 active lifestyle publications, raises $150M and says average revenue per user is ~$70/year — Pocket Outdoor Media, the 4-year-old media company that's home to 22 active lifestyle publications and several technology groups …
Discussion:
@sarafischer, @kerrymflynn, @chaykak, @alexheard, @burtkajeff and @sarafischer
Lucas Shaw / Bloomberg:
Splice, which makes tools for musicians and offers royalty-free samples, raises $55M at a ~$500M valuation, bringing its total raised to $150M — Growing up in County Cavan, Ireland, Shane Codd dreamed of performing at huge nightclubs on the Spanish island of Ibiza, the global epicenter of electronic music.
Discussion:
@lucas_shaw, @lucas_shaw, @lucas_shaw, @mpinc, Music Ally and @daniburgz, more at Techmeme »
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