Top News:


Spotify launches Renegades: Born in the USA, an exclusive, eight-episode podcast with Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen as co-hosts — Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen are making a podcast. — Spotify on Monday announced the launch of “Renegades: Born in the USA,” …
Discussion:
Variety, CNN, @dylanbyers, The Verge, TechCrunch, Mediaite, The Wrap, Hollywood Reporter, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, @johnlevenstein, @timothys, @danfostertype, @dylanbyers, @heminator, @heminator, @sethamandel, @jonallendc, @brendelbored, @anthony, @barackobama, @lucas_shaw, @nickriccardi, @edglavin, @benlabolt, @mikedelmoro, The Verge and Spotify
RELATED:


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:
TechCrunch, CNET, Variety, Spotify, @lucas_shaw, @chriswelch, Music Business Worldwide, @iamkory, @stevekopack, @varadmehta, @chriswelch, 9to5Google, @spotify and Spotify, more at Techmeme »




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 …
RELATED:

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:
Nieman Lab, So What, @seanblanda, The New Daily, @jb_au, @caseynewton, @lucasofri, @mumbletwits, @umabp, @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


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, @kenroth, @michaelsderby, @benweinthal, @andrew__roth, @atanessi, @rasmus_kleis, @elimeixler, @felixsalmon, @nprkelly, @lionelbarber, @sulliview, @samanthajpower, @hatr, @cliffordlevy, @maxseddon, @anthony, @crtejada, @christopherjm, @hshaban, @kenroth, @mattzeitlin and @paulmozur, more at Techmeme »


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, @franklinleonard, @bendreyfuss, @piyasroy, @nancywyuen, @hannaflint, @lalehkhalili, Insider, @jacoboller, Hollywood Reporter, @markharrisnyc, @dangillmor, @farhip, @latimes, @juliaturner, @juliaturner, Always Be Watching, @juliaturner, @mchenryjd, Variety, @juliaturner, @meredithblake, @joshuahorowitz, The Wrap, @sarafischer, The Week, @davidfolkenflik, @markharrisnyc, IndieWire and The A.V. Club


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.
RELATED:

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, Esotouric's Secret Los Angeles, Mediaite, The Hill and Reuters


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:
Gizmodo, @ericwilson, @russcontreras, @authentic_hq, CNBC and @alaynatreene, more at Techmeme »


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, Discovery Communications, MediaPost, The Wrap, New York Post, The Wrap and The Streamable

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


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:
Politico, @rachelabramsny, The Hill, @oliverdarcy, CNBC, @dylanbyers, @pkafka and @ggreenwald


NYT: Maggie Haberman will take on a new beat and join Washington bureau's investigative/enterprise team and still track the post-Trump scene with Politics desk — Elisabeth Bumiller, Dick Stevenson and Patrick Healy share Maggie's new role, which will span investigative/enterprise in Washington and Politics.
Discussion:
@ericliptonnyt, @jswatz and @dylanbyers


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