Mediagazer: Netflix to invest $500M on movies and TV shows in 2021 in South Korea, where it has 3.5M subscribers, after spending $700M in the country between 2015 and 2020 (Wall Street Journal)

12:00 PM ET, February 26, 2021

Top News:

Jacob Kastrenakes / The Verge:

Twitter announces Super Follow feature to let users charge for tweets, and a Communities feature to let users create and join groups based on specific interests — It's also planning a groups feature — Twitter announced a pair of big upcoming features today: the ability for users to charge …

Discussion: @twitterir, @wongmjane, @mshannahmurphy, American Press Institute, @emilydreyfuss, Axios, CNBC, @samleecole, @jayrosen_nyu, New York Times, Nieman Lab, @edmundlee, @taylorlorenz, @caseynewton, The Fix, 90 Second News, @kateconger, XDA Developers, @killermartinis, @megturney, @matthewstoller, @derekjgz, Sub Pub, @flytip, Firstpost Tech, @profgalloway, @inafried, @randball, @stpaulsaints, @cameronwilson, @ed_solomon, @eliothiggins, @ddayen, @mjmckean, @film_girl, @lizkelley, @stacey_conti, @twittercomms, @shiraovide, @timherrera, @emilydreyfuss, @emilydreyfuss, @fmanjoo, @wroetoshaw, KFOR-TV, @kathiepham, @doriantaylor, @timodc, @joshspero, @allenmcduffee, @ryangrim, @welshgasdoc, @umairh, @jonworth, @greg_jenner, @ruskin147, @dsquareddigest, @lifewinning, @lifewinning, @joshsternberg, Matt's Discoveries, @profmusgrave, @stevenspohn, @petersterne, @jericho, @petersterne, @scottbelsky, @janinegibson, Vox, The Daily Caller, Gizmodo, Mediaite, TechCrunch, NBC News, Insider, The Week and 9to5Mac, more at Techmeme »

Joseph Choi / The Hill:

WaPo national editor denounces “racist, sexist, and ill-informed attacks” on reporter Seung Min Kim after she showed a Neera Tanden tweet to Sen. Lisa Murkowski — The Washington Post on Thursday denounced online abuse that targeted one of its reporters after a photo of her speaking …

Joe Pompeo / Vanity Fair:

Exit interview with retiring WaPo Executive Editor Marty Barton, on Trump, diversity in newsrooms, the Snowden leaks, and the future of newspapers — Stars from Hollywood (Spielberg, Schreiber) and the news biz (Baquet, Blitzer) toasted the legendary editor, who recalls angry calls from Trump …

Discussion: @wesleylowery, @klcpegher, @alexmahadevan, @thewillhobson, @fenitn, @marisa_iati, @eugene_scott, @michaelluo, @wesleylowery, @danlamothe, @haleaziz, @wesleylowery, @scottnover, @benyt, @fenitn, @philiprucker, @joepompeo and presswatchers.org

Brian Steinberg / Variety:

AMC Networks had Q4 net income of $94.7M, up from $8.58M a year ago, on revenue of $780.3M, and says it has 6M+ subscribers to its various streaming services — AMC Networks said it swung to a profit in the fourth quarter despite a decline in revenue as it narrowed losses in its international …

Discussion: MediaPost, The Wrap and Hollywood Reporter

Nathan Bomey / USA Today:

Gannett reports Q4 net loss of $122.2M, down from $95.1M a year ago; revenue fell 17% YoY to $875.4M; online subscriptions rose 29% YoY to 1.1M — Gannett reported a year-over-year decline in fourth-quarter revenue and a wider net loss, but the company beat its earlier estimates for the period …

Discussion: @kerrymflynn

Cynthia Littleton / Variety:

AT&T and PE firm TPG reach a deal to make DirecTV a standalone company with TPG owning 30%; the deal is valued at $16.25B, includes DirecTV, AT&T TV, U-verse — The sides have been in talks for months as AT&T has sought to find a solution to the problem of DirecTV's subscriber losses dragging …

Alex Kantrowitz / Big Technology:

Without news, Facebook can be friendlier and less toxic, and without Facebook, publishers can form relationships with users who trust and want to hear from them — An amazing thing happened last week when Facebook banned links to news articles in Australia.

Discussion: Splice, @evelyndouek, @filip_struharik, @kantrowitz, @kantrowitz, @kantrowitz, @venkatananth, @kantrowitz, @filip_struharik and @jpmarthoz

Mike Butcher / TechCrunch:

Cision, a media monitoring company that is the parent of PR Newswire, buys online consumer intelligence and social media analytics service Brandwatch for $450M — Online consumer intelligence and social media listening platform Brandwatch has been acquired by Cision, best known …

Discussion: @znh, @zelkovavc and @mattnavarra

Better News:

How The Arizona Republic re-engaged readers after realizing that 42% of its digital-only subscribers weren't reading a single article per month — John Adams and Alia Beard Rau, USA Today Network, February 24, 2021 — Here's an idea to steal and adapt: If you want to maximize …

Discussion: @jbenton, @pkedrosky and @jbenton

Ashley Carman / The Verge:

Wynn Resorts invests $3.5M in sports podcasting network Blue Wire to help promote sports betting business WynnBet, and will build a podcast studio in Las Vegas — Podcast network Blue Wire will promote WynnBet, a sports betting subsidiary of Wynn Resorts — Podcast studios are now a Las Vegas attraction.

Discussion: Awful Announcing, @ads4podcasts, @mr_kevinjones, @duransports and @wynnbet

Angela Fu / Poynter:

The States Newsroom, a nonprofit network of 20 outlets focused on statehouse coverage, is launching a free syndication service and five new outlets this year — States Newsroom, a network of outlets focused on statehouse coverage, has rapidly expanded since its launch in 2017

Discussion: Men Yell at Me, @qpyoungnews, @poynter, @aprilcore and American Press Institute

Laura Snapes / The Guardian:

Former editors of British music monthly Q magazine, which shuttered in 2020, are launching The New Cue, a weekly Substack publication, for £5/month or £55/year — After the Bauer Media music title's pandemic-triggered demise last July, Q's former staff are launching a weekly direct-to-inbox publication

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More News:

Ryan Faughnder / Los Angeles Times:
Netflix shares USC report on its onscreen and offscreen representation and commits to spending $100M over five years on underrepresented groups in film and TV

Discussion: CNN, The Wrap, Variety, Fast Company, Reuters, @cristymsilva, @lucas_shaw, @pranganathan, @wearenetflix, @rfaughnder and CNBC

Wall Street Journal:
Netflix to invest $500M on movies and TV shows in 2021 in South Korea, where it has 3.5M subscribers, after spending $700M in the country between 2015 and 2020

Discussion: Bloomberg, @ms, @richlightshed, @lucas_shaw and CNBC

Business Wire:
iHeartMedia reports Q4 revenue of $936M, down 9% YoY, says full 2020 revenue fell 20% YoY; company moves its digital audio business into separate reporting unit

Discussion: Radio & Television … and Business Wire

Elizabeth A. Harris / New York Times:
A deep look at the effects of the Penguin Random House bid for Simon & Schuster on the book industry, particularly for authors seeking book deals

Discussion: bookforum.com, @ourobororoboruo, @marc_laidlaw, @kimberlyburnspr, @alex_shephard, @nytimesbooks and @andrewlavallee

Emma Freer / austonia:
Austin American-Statesman journalists voted 36-12 to form a union, in an NLRB election; newsroom staff has fallen 40% in the last two years, the NewsGuild says

Discussion: @austinnewsguild, @angelanfu, Austin American-Statesman and Poynter

Lila Shapiro / New York Magazine:
Interviews with nine publishing execs and editors of color, hired after the industry's reckoning provoked by #PublishingPaidMe, on their hopes and fears

Michael Safi / The Guardian:
Open letter signed by more than 100 Al Jazeera staff says Rightly, its new rightwing digital channel, betrays the outlet's journalism and tarnishes the brand

Discussion: @malonebarry, @malonebarry, @malonebarry, @malonebarry, @jbenton, @safimichael, @danielsilas, @lizzywol, @asmamk, @tarek, @jaredbkeller, @elledubg, @franifio, @chuckrossdc, @zabmustefa, @hahellyer, @tarek, @khalidalbaih, @wajahatali, @sakhr, @malonebarry, The Daily Caller and The Hill

Earlier Picks:

Chris Roush / Talking Biz News:
Insider increases the minimum salary for full-time employees to $60K, increases minimum severance to two months and converts bonus compensation to salary

Discussion: Press Gazette, @mekosoff, Axios, @jim_edwards, @aleksnotalex, @e_vb_, @jim_edwards, @kerrymflynn, @stevekovach, @khaulasaad and @nichcarlson

Sara Fischer / Axios:
TheSkimm launches SkimmU, a set of free virtual finance courses for women, joining WWD and Axios in creating online courses for readers

Gene Maddaus / Variety:
Bill Nye to appeal ruling that lets Disney classify revenue from distribution of older shows as “home video”, allowing it to keep 80% of that revenue

Discussion: @gerryconway, @baekdal, @robhuebel, @zoid9000, @highdefdiscnews, @tedgioia and @spacewretch

New York Times:
In a two-minute message, Reply All co-founder and host Alex Goldman says the Test Kitchen series about Bon Appetit is cancelled and the show is on pause

Megan Graham / CNBC:
Facebook launches a TV, radio, and digital ad campaign in support of personalized ads called Good Ideas Deserve to be Found, ahead of Apple's IDFA changes

Discussion: New York Times, Gizmodo, @danarel, @duckduckgo, About Facebook, @chronotope, @herrmanndigital, 9to5Mac, Ad Age and TechCrunch, more at Techmeme »

NBC News:
Sources: Biden administration will release an intelligence report that concludes Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved the killing of Jamal Khashoggi

Natalie Jarvey / Hollywood Reporter:
Paramount+ details: ad-supported tier at $5/mo has NFL games, CBSN, thousands of shows; ad-free tier at $10/mo adds live local news, more sports, live CBS shows

Discussion: The Verge, Deseret News, ScreenRant, @devindruid, /Film, @powergotnow, @nickanimation, @gracerandolph, @micaburton, @natjarv, Vanity Fair, @emptigerstar, @beapeabear, @bortlb, @kyle_amato, @osmosislo, @getfandom, @lavatwin, @variety, EW.com and Deadline

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Cisco details a hacking campaign that penetrated multiple governments' networks using two zero-day flaws in its VPN and firewall Adaptive Security Appliances

Ben Glickman / Wall Street Journal:
IBM agrees to buy HashiCorp, which helps companies manage cloud infrastructure, in a deal valuing HashiCorp at $6.4B and expected to close by the end of 2024

Bob Van Voris / Bloomberg:
US prosecutors charge two founders of Samourai Wallet, saying the crypto mixing service facilitated more than $100M in money laundering transactions

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