Mediagazer: Erroneously unredacted court docs reveal Google ran a secret program called “Project Bernanke” that used past bid data to boost its win rate in ad auctions (Wall Street Journal)

6:10 AM ET, April 12, 2021

Top News:

Substack strikes deals with trans writers, amid claims it supports allegedly anti-trans writers and is a kind of lucrative off ramp for “cancel culture” victims — A company that makes it easy to charge for newsletters has captivated an anxious industry because it embodies larger forces and contradictions.

Discussion: The Guardian, @benyt, Inkcap, @hunterw, @anthony, @benyt, @kittypurrzog, @mccarthyryanj, @caseynewton, @crtejada, @seamushughes, @mattyglesias, @karaswisher, @athertonkd, @dlind, @clairlemon, @sethamandel, @nicktagliaferro, @harrysiegel, @ggreenwald, @katienotopoulos, @taylorlorenz, @leahfinnegan, @mattyglesias, @jamesfdennin, @jordanzakarin, @espiers, @espiers, @chrisalbon, @joshsternberg, @lwoodhouse, @dnvolz, @lindseyadler, @benjamingoggin, @alicefromqueens, @lisatozzi, @eisingerj, @will_bunch, @bernybelvedere, @davidsirota, @jmrivera02, @davidgross_man, @taylorlorenz, @digiphile, @joshconstine, @parkermolloy, @waxpancake, @nytimes, @nbashaw, Sunday Snapshots, @karaswisher, @noonanjo, @sorayaroberts, @sarthakgh, @blgtylr, @bro_pair, @davidyelland, @lukeplunkett, @oneunderscore__, bookforum.com and The Wazzock's Review, more at Techmeme »

Charlie Warzel / Galaxy Brain:

Charlie Warzel announces he is leaving NYT Opinion to launch a new Substack called Galaxy Brain, aiming to forge a deeper relationship with readers — Why I'm leaving (The) New York (Times). — 3 hr ago — Hello! Hi! I have a new job — you're looking at it. Welcome to Galaxy Brain, my humble internet outpost.

Discussion: @cwarzel, @apompliano, @lukeoneil47, @jayrosen_nyu, @rachaelrad, @taylorlorenz, @taylorlorenz, @joannastern, @anniemurphypaul, @annehelen, @joshconstine, @chrislhayes, @kimzetter, @ljin18, @cwarzel, @glennf, @__aston__ and @slpng_giants

Edmund Lee / New York Times:

Inside a power struggle at WSJ between editor Matt Murray and publisher Almar Latour over how the paper should remake itself to attract new digital readers — A special team led by a high-level manager says Rupert Murdoch's paper must evolve to survive. But a rivalry between editor and publisher stands in the way.

Discussion: @edmundlee, @raju, @mylesudland, @samhaselby, @danielleiat, Sree's Sunday Note, @jayrosen_nyu, @nickkristof, @briannawu, @jbarro, @margotpatrick, @knottmatthew, @niubi, @markberman, @davecbenoit, @karaswisher, @karaswisher, @fvogelstein, @jayrosen_nyu, @janemayernyer, @matthewstoller, @ryanchittum, @sdkstl, @tonyromm, @fenitn, @kvox, @janebsinger, @jenrossa, @jswatz, @moorehn, @krmaher, @adrianweckler, @sherman4949, @nytimes, @picardonhealth, @andreasharsono, @brianstelter, @bradleyhope, @bradleyhope, @tomgara, @edmundlee, @edmundlee, @edmundlee, @edmundlee, @edmundlee, @edmundlee, @edmundlee, @mattietk, @gorskon, @thirdwaykessler, @matinastevis, @nancook, @waltmossberg, @bakerluke, @crtejada, @iansalisbury, @lionelbarber, @raju, @batess, @davidclinchnews, @mccarthyryanj, @raju, @rafat, @ourand_sbj, @sridharpappu, @johngapper, @joshsternberg, @dicktofel, @robinwigg, @rafat, @retheauditors, @dkiesow, @benyt, @kenli729, @jeffjarvis, Talking Biz News and Cleverly Painted Mules

Edmund Lee / New York Times:

A look at WSJ's internal study, The Content Review, which recommended ways for WSJ to attract new readers, specifically, women, POC, and younger professionals — A look at what the newsroom's internal study — The Content Review — concluded about the paper's faults.

Discussion: @edmundlee, @edmundlee, @derjarjour, @jbflint, @tomnamako, @cristymsilva, @cristymsilva, @cristymsilva, @tomcritchlow, @edmundlee, @edmundlee, @edmundlee, @edmundlee, @edmundlee, @edmundlee and Talking Biz News

Benjamin Mullin / Wall Street Journal:

Vox Media says it's buying Cafe Studios Inc., which publishes podcasts including one hosted by ex-US attorney Preet Bharara; Café Studios will remain as a brand — Bharara, a former Manhattan U.S. attorney, will join Vox Media as a host and creative director

Discussion: Vox Media, Variety, @matthewkeyslive, @jayshams, @karaswisher, @preetbharara, @preetbharara, @yashar, @joycewhitevance, RAIN News and The Wrap

Nicholas Kulish / New York Times:

Across the US, billionaires have decided that a newspaper is an essential part of the civic fabric and are buying local papers, often with mixed results — Billionaires aren't usually cast as saviors of democracy. But one way they are winning plaudits for civic-minded endeavors is by funding the Fourth Estate.

Lukas I. Alpert / Wall Street Journal:
Sources: Bainum had a side arrangement with Alden CEO Heath Freeman to buy Baltimore Sun, but made his own Tribune bid after suspecting Alden changed terms

Discussion: @katerinareports, @timafranklin, @jowens510, @bangebguild, @stevedaniels27, @bgrueskin, @justingeorge, @roncharles, @ltaford, @lalpert1, @ssdance and @ianbassin

Richard J. Tofel / Second Rough Draft:
The potential rescuers of individual Tribune newspapers should stop printing the papers and go all digital, right away, to cut major costs of standalone outlets

Discussion: @underoak, @scmitchp, @mikeorren, @mikeorren, @scmitchp, @mikeorren, @scmitchp, @mikeorren, @chaseneil, @mikeorren, @stephjantzen, @dicktofel, @cleonardnews, @tom_mallory, @peterhimler, @ckrewson, @ckrewson and @joegermuska

Wall Street Journal:

Erroneously unredacted court docs reveal Google ran a secret program called “Project Bernanke” that used past bid data to boost its win rate in ad auctions — Program used past bid data to boost tech giant's win rate in advertising auctions, according to court filing

Clayton Davis / Variety:

In 2020 Oscar nominations, only 4 of the 23 categories had any form of Latino representation; 2021 is likely to have more Latino nominations — Rosie Perez hasn't been invited back to the Oscars since she attended the ceremony as a nominee in 1994 for “Fearless,” where she played a plane crash survivor crippled by grief.

Discussion: @ms_lizc, @analydiamonaco, @dennsgonzalez, @josemolinatv, @ashkan, @awardscircuit, @chrissiefit, @anantlife, @antonionegret, @rosasreviews, @seranzoategui and @variety

Christopher Cadelago / Politico:

How a gamer calling themselves Kacey Montagu posed as a reporter for fictitious White House News and managed to fool journalists and the Biden administration — Four times in recent weeks, members of the White House press corps have relayed questions to press secretary Jen Psaki …

Discussion: @isavage_pi, @kennerly, @mrtegdif, Mashable, @evandonovan, New York Post, @mikebarnicle, @emilcdc, @nycsouthpaw, @nycsouthpaw, @secmontagu, @anthony, @mattzeitlin, @ositanwanevu, @blakehounshell, @samstein, @svdate, @seanspicer, @ccadelago, @samstein, Insider and Mediaite

Pranav Dixit / BuzzFeed News:

Reporting on tech from India “feels like having a front-row seat to the country's rapid slide into authoritarianism”, as Big Tech companies remain silent — I love writing about tech. But covering how a Hindu nationalist government is using it to destroy a secular democracy isn't what I signed up for.

more at Techmeme »

Priya Sippy / Rest of World:

Tanzania's late president limited broadcasters' political coverage and revoked newspapers' licenses; activists hope his successor restores their digital rights — Late president John Magufuli tried to control the internet with threats, legal actions and expensive licenses.

Discussion: @yinkawrites, @mvzelenks and @rasmus_kleis

The Guardian:

TV ratings plummeted in UK on Friday and BBC was flooded with complaints after broadcasters cleared schedules to air blanket coverage of Prince Philip's death — Corporation opened dedicated complaints form on its website to deal with high volume of comments

Discussion: Washington Post, @mrsnickyclark, @shibleytelhami, The Sun, @gregmoodie, @jamesrbuk, @rajeshthind, @variety, martinbelam.com, Conquest of the Useless, The Irish Times, @thattimwalker, New York Post and Variety

Archived Page Info:

This is a snapshot of Mediagazer at 6:10 AM ET, April 12, 2021.

View the current page or another snapshot:

Who's Hiring in Media?

Output Producer, CA — AP

China Markets Correspondent, Shanghai — Reuters

Senior Assignment Editor, DC — WaPo

Breaking News Editor, Tokyo — Bloomberg

Senior Correspondent - Wealth, NY — WSJ

Reporter - Ottawa Bureau — Globe & Mail

Local Government Reporter, IA — The Gazette

Research Director, CA — OCBJ

Immigration Enforcement Reporter — Documented

Presque Island Reporter, ME — Bangor Daily News

Contributing Parks Ed. - SW, CA — SFGATE

AI Content Editor, WA — Outlier

Legislative Reporter, TN — Daily Memphian

Editorial Assistant, Remote US — Launch Potato

Elon Musk Reporter, NY or CA — The Information

Government & Politics Editor, WA — Seattle Times

Business & GA Reporter. VT — VTDigger

Sports Reporter, WA — Everett Herald

Energy Reporter, TX — Houston Chronicle

Senior Reporter, SC — Island Packet

Trade & Climate Correspondent, DC — FT

Reporter, WI — Racine County Eye

Political Newsletter Writer, CO — The Lever

Jackson Reporter, MS — Verite

Music Editor, AZ — Phoenix New Times

Breaking News Reporter, NV — Las Vegas Sun

Fearless Reporter/Producer, IA — BPC

Reporter II - Technology, Remote — NPR

Editor, Remote US — Daily Kos

City Reporter, WA — Tacoma News Tribune

Executive Editor, OR — Lookout Local

Education & Budget Reporter, CA — Politico

Senior Writer/Editor, FL — Gulfshore Business

Media Editor, Remote — Axios

Add your company here

See Also:

Mediagazer: site main

Mediagazer River: reverse chronological Mediagazer

Mediagazer Mobile: for phones

Mediagazer Leaderboard: Mediagazer's top sources

Subscribe:

Mediagazer RSS feed

Mediagazer on X

Mediagazer on Mastodon

More News:

Alan C. Miller / Poynter:
An interview with Emily Ramshaw, co-founder and CEO of The 19th, after the outlet's first year: it has ~10K subscribers and a 2021 budget 50% higher than 2020's

Discussion: @amylizkugler, @sulliview, @newslitproject, @jayrosen_nyu, @newslitproject and @alanmillernlp

Brian Stelter / CNN:
In a letter to Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott, the head of the Anti-Defamation League called on her to fire Tucker Carlson for invoking “white replacement theory”

William Turvill / Press Gazette:
Print circulations of WSJ and USA Today fell 19% and 60% respectively from Q1 2020 to Q2/Q3 as hotels closed, accounting for the majority of the decline

Discussion: @ckrewson, Poynter, @nbj914 and @ryanvailbrown

Brian Steinberg / Variety:
Nielsen says the pandemic shrunk the size of its TV consumer panel, but it defends its viewership data and says streaming's rise doesn't offset linear TV's fall

Discussion: @arianapekary, @jayrosen_nyu and @bristei

Earlier Picks:

Thomas Wilde / GeekWire:
Report: March was Twitch's biggest month to date, with 2B+ hours watched, helped by “sleep streaming,” where popular streamers film themselves while sleeping

Discussion: 90 Second News and @meena_thiru

Timothy Garton Ash / The Guardian:
A look at anti-press policies in Poland, including a proposal targeting foreign media owners, ending public sector advertising in independent media, and more

Discussion: @tingilye, @torynski, @markhennessy, @kenroth, @fergallenehan, @ecfr, @jayrosen_nyu and @bdstanley

The Markup:
YouTube blocks advertisers from using terms like “Black Lives Matter” to find videos to advertise against but was letting them use phrases like “White power”

Discussion: NBC News, @cstross, @johnfrost, @doctorow, Insider, Naive Weekly, @byardduncan, @heidiekmassey, @asankin, @schemaly, @daiwaka, @rachelsklar, @s_m_i, @kimgoodwin, @hypervisible, @farai, @morganicink, @blackamazon and @joshsternberg

Sahil Patel / Wall Street Journal:
Community, which lets public figures, media outlets, and brands text with fans, raises $40M from Salesforce Ventures, bringing its total raised to $90M

Discussion: Insider and @spicyfusilli

From Techmeme:

Mark Gurman / Bloomberg:
Sources: Apple is working on a smart doorbell system with advanced facial recognition that can wirelessly connect and unlock third-party smart locks

Kyle Wiggers / TechCrunch:
Donald Trump announces that Sriram Krishnan, until recently a general partner at a16z, will serve as senior policy advisor for AI at the White House OSTP

Financial Times:
Sources: Meta plans to add displays to its Ray-Ban glasses as soon as H2 2025 to show notifications or AI responses, and has accelerated Orion's development

Sister Sites:

Techmeme
Top news and commentary for technology's leaders, from all around the web

memeorandum
What US political commentators are discussing online right now

WeSmirch
The top celebrity news from all around the web on a single page