Top News:
Archie Bland / The Guardian:
Emails: BuzzFeed is shutting down HuffPost UK's news operation and video desk, except for its politics team, affecting 16 of 29 journalists — Exclusive: Owner BuzzFeed's move leaves more than half of editorial staff at risk — BuzzFeed has told the UK staff of its recently acquired HuffPost website …
Discussion:
@archiebland, @nadine_writes, @jenwilliamsmen, @joncstone, @seyiakiwowo, @healthuntodeath, @ianmartin, @ziaweise, The Independent, @howardfineman, @jessicaelgot, @jane__bradley, @markdistef, @thattimwalker, @sarahljaffe, @charliehtweets, @horton_official, @mehdirhasan, @joejsmiddleton, @timharford, @liamthorpecho, @hkesvani, @pregnantscrewed and @jamesrbuk
Lauren Feiner / CNBC:
As House holds hearing on tech and news, Microsoft accuses Google of making publishers depend on it and Google claims Microsoft just wants to undercut a rival — - Microsoft and Google sparred over their practices and treatment of news outlets in a battle between antitrust targets of past and present.
Discussion:
The Keyword, Wall Street Journal, MediaPost, New York Times, Ars Technica, GeekWire, @jason_kint, Ad Age, The Verge, AppleInsider, ZDNet, Reuters, @walterolkowski, @cnbc, @ceciliakang, The Verge, @b_fung, @suka_hiroaki, @mshannahmurphy, The Hill, Microsoft On the Issues, @theregister and @johnwilander, more at Techmeme »
Dan Abrams / Mediaite:
Media and politics news site Mediaite is launching a paywall that allows ten free articles per month; subscriptions will cost $4.99 per month or $44.99 per year — As you may know, Mediaite is one of the few major websites in the country that is personally funded (and not by a wildly wealthy banker …
Discussion:
@dorseyshaw
Georg Szalai / Hollywood Reporter:
AT&T says it plans to launch HBO Max international and AVOD in June and expects HBO Max and HBO subscribers worldwide to reach 120-150M by 2025 — That is up from AT&T's previous forecast of 75-90 million. — AT&T Corp. said Friday that it now expects to reach 120-15 million HBO Max …
Discussion:
Variety, Adweek, Ad Age, Observer, The Streamable, IGN India, MediaPost, @loudmouthjulia, @xpangler, @loudmouthjulia, @natjarv, @loudmouthjulia, @erichaywood, Bloomberg, @jbflint and Cord Cutters News
Todd Spangler / Variety:
A SPAC led by ex-Disney execs Kevin Mayer and Tom Staggs, Forest Road Acquisition Corp. II, raised $350M in an IPO to focus on tech, media, telecoms companies — A special-purpose acquisition corporation targeting tech, media and telecom firms led by two former senior Disney execs …
Discussion:
Deadline
Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg / Wall Street Journal:
In a letter to GOP Senators, Amazon says it removed a book because of its policy not to sell books that frame LGBTQ+ identity as a mental illness — Company states policy in response to inquiry by several Republican senators over recent removal of book by conservative author
Discussion:
Insider, @lucas_shaw, New York Post, The Daily Signal, Forbes, @jack_turban, @ryantand, The Week, @evelyndouek, Breitbart, The Wrap and CNET, more at Techmeme »
Jake Kanter / Deadline:
Daily Mail owner demands ViacomCBS remove images of its headlines, which were “taken out of context or deliberately edited”, from Meghan and Harry interview — Associated Newspapers, the owner of UK tabloid the Daily Mail, has written to ViacomCBS demanding the removal of …
Discussion:
Variety, Hollywood Reporter, @markdistef, @snigskitchen, Press Gazette, @pkafka and The Wrap
Jo Piazza / Town & Country:
Profile of Amber Venz Box, who says influencers working with her shopping app LikeToKnowIt and marketing service RewardStyle sold $8B+ in products by 2020's end — How Amber Venz Box and her ‘Harvard of Influencing’ taught social media stars how to monetize their brands and got everyone else to spend billions on Instagram.
Discussion:
Insider
Ingrid Lunden / TechCrunch:
Epidemic Sound, a marketplace for online creators looking for background music, raises $450M from Blackstone and EQT Growth, at a valuation of $1.4B — The popularity of video and other streamed content like podcasts is continuing to grow at a breakneck speed, and today a startup called Epidemic Sound …
Discussion:
@specht_p, Complete Music Update and Music Business Worldwide, more at Techmeme »
Hamish McKenzie / Substack Blog:
How Substack Pro works: Year One, some writers get pay similar to salaries, Substack gets 85% of revenue; Year Two, writers keep 90% of revenue, no minimum pay — When we started Substack in mid-2017, the future for writers was frightening. The news industry was rapidly contracting, eliminating countless journalism jobs.
Discussion:
@hamishmckenzie, @zunguzungu, @zunguzungu, @zunguzungu, @zunguzungu, @atrubek, @grimkim, @sadydoyle, @zunguzungu, @britnidlc, @fka_tabs, @alex, @bijanstephen, @lmatsakis, @tyschalter, @graceonfootball, @ninocipri, @rickpaulas, @notd_io, @athertonkd, @athertonkd, @athertonkd, @athertonkd, @hondanhon, @athertonkd, @hondanhon, @hondanhon, @hondanhon, @hondanhon, @ktmboyle, @alex, @athertonkd, @ryanlcooper, @paulskallas, @sadydoyle, @mikeisaac, @ericnewcomer, @fattymph, @fka_tabs, @noyokono and @baekdal
Ashley Gold / Axios:
YouTube says it has taken down 30,000 videos that made false or misleading claims about COVID-19 vaccines over the last six months — YouTube has taken down more than 30,000 videos that made misleading or false claims about COVID-19 vaccines over the last six months, YouTube spokesperson Elena Hernandez …
Discussion:
@evelyndouek, Breitbart, Columbia Journalism Review, @niemanlab, Slashdot and Engadget
Oliver Darcy / @oliverdarcy:
In memo, Jeff Zucker says CNN is targeting an August 1 return to Atlanta offices and September 1 for NYC, DC, SF, and LA — In note to staff, CNN President Jeff Zucker announces plans for staff returning to the office. “In Atlanta, we are targeting an AUGUST 1 return for our News and Sports colleagues. In New York, DC, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, we are targeting SEPTEMBER 1.” https://twitter.com/...
Discussion:
American Press Institute, The Hill and TVNewser