Mediagazer: Sources: Ofcom chair shortlist includes former UK culture secretary Ed Vaizey, former Daily Mail editor Paul Dacre, and others (Bloomberg)

9:05 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: @benyt, Fast Company, The Guardian, One Man & His Blog, Quorum, @hunterw, @anthony, @benyt, @leahfinnegan, @davewiner, @kittypurrzog, @mccarthyryanj, @caseynewton, @crtejada, @seamushughes, @mattyglesias, @karaswisher, @athertonkd, @dlind, @clairlemon, @sethamandel, @nicktagliaferro, @harrysiegel, @ggreenwald, @katienotopoulos, @taylorlorenz, @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, Inkcap, @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.

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: Media Nation, Poynter, @edmundlee, @raju, @mylesudland, @samhaselby, @danielleiat, @jayrosen_nyu, @nickkristof, @briannawu, @jbarro, @margotpatrick, @knottmatthew, Sree's Sunday Note, @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

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

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 and @dicktofel

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, The Hill, Variety, @alissamarie, @matthewkeyslive, @jayshams, @mtmoe1, @karaswisher, @ashleyrcarman, @jason, @nwquah, @preetbharara, @preetbharara, @yashar, @joycewhitevance, @akruglov, RAIN News, The Wrap and @mtmoe1

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 …

Mark Gurman / Bloomberg:

Sources: Apple is in early stages of developing a product that combines an Apple TV with a HomePod speaker and has a FaceTime camera and smart home functions — - Company also exploring Amazon-like speaker with iPad as screen — Apple has trailed Amazon, Google in the connected home market

Discussion: TechCrunch, AppleInsider, @stevemoser, @adrianweckler, The Verge, @patrickmcgee_ and MacRumors, more at Techmeme »

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.

Discussion: The India Cable, @beingmirchi, @nehapoonia, @nilanjanaroy, @roopalisriv, @deblebrown, @reckless, @sbengali, @pranavdixit, @shivamshankars and @carolecadwalla, more at Techmeme »

Bloomberg:

Sources: Ofcom chair shortlist includes former UK culture secretary Ed Vaizey, former Daily Mail editor Paul Dacre, and others — - DCMS to narrow the list of applicants to lead Ofcom this week — Vaizey was U.K. culture minister between 2014 and 2016

Rebecca Ratcliffe / The Guardian:

Cambodia condemns Vice for publishing colorized victims of the Khmer Rouge genocide, with some apparently edited to add smiles to the victims' faces — Colourised images from Tuol Sleng prison during 1970s genocide were manipulated, media group says — Cambodia has condemned images published …

Discussion: @theycallmelyd, @vinkjohn, Hong Kong Free Press HKFP, @rob_hoffman and The Irish Times

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More News:

Yuan Yang / Financial Times:
Sources: Tencent Music, a joint venture with Spotify, gave up some licensing deals in recent months as it prepares for a Chinese antitrust investigation

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

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

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

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 and @newslitproject

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”

Earlier Picks:

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

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

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, Naive Weekly and @byardduncan

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: Palantir and Anduril are in talks with OpenAI, SpaceX, and more to form a consortium to bid for US defense contracts and plan to announce it in January

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