Top News:
Benjamin Wallace / New York Magazine:
Behind the online battle between notable tech figures including a16z partners and Balaji Srinivasan, and the journalists who tweet and report on the industry — Late last fall, the New York Times was preparing a bombshell article about Coinbase, a financial exchange that had become …
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Jeff Blackburn, an Amazon exec who recently left after two decades, is returning as SVP of Global Media and Entertainment, reporting to Bezos, then Andy Jassy — Jeff Blackburn, a former high-level Amazon exec who just recently left after more than two decades, is coming back …
CNBC:
Disney misses on subscriber estimates for Disney+, reaching 103.6M subscribers, below the expected 109M; revenue was $15.61B vs. $15.87B expected, down 13% YoY — - Disney reported second quarter results Thursday, posting lower-than-expected revenue and subscriber counts for its streaming service.
TikTok:
TikTok launches #FactCheckYourFeed, a media literacy campaign with creators and public figures discussing recognizing fake news, balanced news diets, and more — TikTok has always been a place that inspires creativity and brings joy. Every day we are blown away by the inspirational …
Discussion:
@pressgazette
Jill Goldsmith / Deadline:
Amazon signs multi-year deal with the WNBA giving Prime Video exclusive global streaming rights to 16 regular season games and the Commissioner's Cup game — Amazon and the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) announced a multi-year agreement giving Prime Video exclusive global streaming rights …
Discussion:
WNBA.com, @caiti326, @ramonashelburne, The Verge, Engadget, The Streamable and Cord Cutters News
John General / CNN:
Profile of DeShuna Spencer, who founded the streaming service kweliTV in 2015 to focus on Black stories; kweliTV now has 43,000 users despite lack of VC funding — New York (CNN Business)When DeShuna Spencer sat in front of her TV to scroll through her options, she noticed a glaring problem …
Discussion:
@deshuna
Taylor Hatmaker / TechCrunch:
Discord announces Stage Discovery, a tool to help people find communities through live audio events, and says it will soon test paid, ticketed audio events — If you're new to Discord, you might be thrown off by the lack of an endless feed peppered with ads.
Discussion:
@tayhatmaker, @chrismessina, @dhof, @caseynewton, @mattnavarra and @blitzrick, more at Techmeme »
Reuters:
A reporter covering protests against Myanmar coup has been jailed for three years for “incitement”, among the first guilty verdicts against media by the junta — (Reuters) - A journalist who reported on protests against this year's coup in Myanmar has been jailed for three years for incitement …
Discussion:
Japan Times, Committee to Protect … and Associated Press
Brian Welk / The Wrap:
Sundance Film Festival will return to Utah in January 2022 for in-person events but will also remain online, after 2021's online festival saw record attendance — The Sundance Film Festival will return to Park City for 2022, setting Jan. 20-30 as the dates for next year's in-person event.
Discussion:
Variety, Salt Lake Tribune and Park Record
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Pinterest says it will test livestreaming events this month through a three-day virtual event featuring sessions with around 21 top creators — Pinterest is expanding into live events. The company is planning to host a three-day virtual event that will feature live-streamed sessions from top creators …
Discussion:
@maxthecomrade, more at Techmeme »
Ashley Carman / The Verge:
Slate launches an audiobook store, partnering with Penguin-Random House, Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, and Hachette, with titles accessible via podcast apps — Including from Penguin-Random House, Simon & Schuster, and HarperCollins — Slate is getting into the audiobooks business.
Discussion:
@evoterra, Hot Pod News, @ashleyrcarman, Podcast Movement and Slate
Paul Cheung / Knight Foundation:
Knight Foundation announces $3M initiative to help local news outlets expand AI use; it will initially fund four projects to address knowledge and skill gaps — A new, $3 million Knight initiative will help local news organizations harness the power of artificial intelligence to drive success.
Discussion:
@jenniferpreston, @partnershipai, @knightfdn, @pcheung630, @browninstitute and @dankennedy_nu