Top News:


Amazon says it will acquire MGM Studios for $8.45B — - Amazon is buying MGM Studios, the companies announced, marking Amazon's most ambitious move yet into the entertainment business. — The acquisition is Amazon's second-largest acquisition since it paid $13.7 billion for Whole Foods in 2017.
Discussion:
New York Times, Variety, The Wrap, The Wrap, @bradstone, Business Wire, /Film, Observer, @markdistef, The Desk, Ad Age, The Streamable, NBC News, Insider, NPR, @alexweprin, @007hertzrumble, AppleInsider, @kevkoeser, @shiraovide, Paste, @danprimack, @lucas_shaw, @repkenbuck, @claireatki, @ourand_sbj, Associated Press, @mauro_txt, @sonnybunch, @richardlai, @alexweprin, @digitalshields, @psmith, Washington Post, Engadget, @felixsalmon, @sarafischer, @tim_stevens, @dlberes, @edmundlee, 9to5Mac, The Verge, @sizpatel, @kerrymflynn, @richontech, @mattmday, @brianstelter, @kerrymflynn, @lanceulanoff, @rustybrick, Axios, IndieWire, @sherman4949, @thedomino, @dangrabham, @teroterotero, @stevekovach, @realbengilbert, @richontech, @stevekovach, @pkafka, @pkafka, @stevekovach and Cord Cutters News, more at Techmeme »
RELATED:


With its MGM acquisition, Amazon doesn't want to compete with streamers like Netflix but reduce Prime subscriber churn by providing enough blockbuster content — Amazon isn't competing with Netflix, but it is spending billions trying to figure out Hollywood. Maybe 007 can help.
Discussion:
TechCrunch, Wired, CNBC, ZDNet, Gizmodo, @sherman4949, @jesserpound, Protocol, Wall Street Journal, @pkafka, Personanondata, Wall Street Journal and CNN, more at Techmeme »


SEC filing: Alden took out two loans, totaling $278M, in the Tribune Publishing deal and removed CEO Terry Jimenez; Tribune was debt-free — It didn't take long for Alden Global Capital to put its imprint — and significant debt — on Tribune Publishing, after closing its $633 million acquisition …
Discussion:
@lalpert1, US Securities and Exchange Commission, Editor and Publisher, @karenkho, New York Post, @nickconfessore, @jimfriedlich, @tomscocca, @elaheizadi, @maghielse, @mattdpearce, @rhodes_dawn, @joshschwerin, @amlwhere, @karenkho, @ryanchittum, @eric_hontz, @mightygodking, @hartfordcourant, @barry, @danielleiat, @gaufre, @charlesornstein, @joshpcain, @tomscocca, @elyssacherney, @davidrlurie, @jeremylittau, @timothypmurphy, @saragregory, @rumormill, @robertchannick, @jeremylittau, @stacydavisgates, @kevincarey1, @ctguild, @daveweigel, @athertonkd, @byjonharris, @kenbensinger, Columbia Journalism Review, @johnrussell99, The Wrap, New York Post, The Hill and Chicago Sun-Times
RELATED:


Facebook and Instagram now give users options to hide Like counts across all posts and to hide their own public Like counts from others — Facebook this week will begin to publicly roll out the option to hide Likes on posts across both Facebook and Instagram, following earlier tests beginning in 2019.
Discussion:
About Facebook, ScreenRant, The Wrap, @mosseri, BBC, The Verge, @instagram, @producthunt, @taylorlorenz, @samsheffer and @kerrymflynn, more at Techmeme »


Over 200 academics, journalists, and sports figures including UNC alumni sign a letter criticizing UNC's failure to give Nikole Hannah-Jones tenure — More than 200 writers and cultural figures signed a letter opposing the University of North Carolina's failure to give the Times Magazine correspondent tenure with her position there.
Discussion:
The Root, @johnrobinson, @columbiajourn, @kreissdaniel, @mikeogling, @adamserwer, @jelani9, @khalilgmuhammad, @thegrio, New Republic, TheGrio and The Hill


Emily Wilder was wronged by AP editors, who were less concerned with work product than about “appearances”, defined by groups like Stanford College Republicans — On May 18, the Associated Press reported on the arrest of an arson suspect over a Los Angeles wildfire …


Axios says its Local program now has 350,000+ subscribers and is on pace to generate between $4M and $5M by the end of 2021 — Led by Axios, local is going national. The “smart brevity” news publisher announced Monday that it planned to expand the number of cities it serves as part …
Discussion:
Medialyte, @dylanbyers, @sarakgoo, @markstenberg3, @djtweets and @thekendallbaker


Sources: European Commission will open a formal antitrust probe into Facebook to investigate if it's undermining competition in the online classifieds market — European Commission will investigate if Facebook is undermining competition in the online classifieds market
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, New York Post, @valentinapop and Engadget, more at Techmeme »


Ivi.ru, Russia's most popular video streaming service, raises $250M from VTB Group, Roman Abramovich, and others, after pausing IPO plans earlier this year — - New investors contributed about 70% to Ivi funding round — Ivi delayed IPO after proposal to limit foreign ownership


In a staff meeting, Jeff Zucker said a CNN streaming platform will launch within the next year, and he defended the lack of a suspension for Chris Cuomo — President Jeff Zucker also said during a town hall that he would consider his future at the cable network given CNN parent company's merger with Discovery


Chinese gaming company NetEase's music streaming arm files for an IPO in Hong Kong, that source says could raise ~$1B; filing shows it had 180M+ MAUs in 2020 — - CICC, Credit Suisse and BofA are working on the offering — Co. has secured licensing deals with Universal Music, Sony
Discussion:
Music Business Worldwide, more at Techmeme »


The Economist launches its first online course, on politics, business, and tech, for £1,475, or $2,087, with experts including former Google CEO Eric Schmidt — The Economist is launching its new online executive education program, Economist Education, on Wednesday.
Discussion:
Journalism.co.uk