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Google will delay plans to block third-party cookies from early 2022 to late 2023, to find ways to protect privacy without hurting ad-dependent publishers — It takes time to fix privacy problems without hurting ad-dependent websites, the search giant says.
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Axios, Digiday, MediaPost, Nieman Lab, CNBC, The Verge, Wall Street Journal, Vox, Marketing Dive, @benedictevans, TechCrunch, @jbenton, Digiday, Mumbrella, Why is this interesting?, @lockheimer, @julespolonetsky, @justinbrookman, @ashk4n, @wsj, @gerritd, @aripap, @jbenton, roirevolution.com, Financial Times, 9to5Google, Associated Press, Bloomberg, Insider, Engadget, Ad Age and Competition Policy …, more at Techmeme »


BuzzFeed announces plans to go public via SPAC merger, targeting a $1.5B valuation, and will acquire digital publisher Complex Networks for $300M — BuzzFeed, a 15-year-old digital media company, announced Thursday it plans to go public via a merger with a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company.
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@felixsalmon, CNBC, @buzzfeedpr, Variety, CNN, @pkafka, The Verge, Insider, Vanity Fair, @froomkin, Axios, Business Wire, @emilybell, @ashkan, The Wrap, Digiday, @davecoion, @alexkotch, @kustoo, @rafat, @stevekovach, @ellievhall, @mathowie, @mylesudland, Vox, New York Times, BuzzFeed, The Hill, The Guardian, Los Angeles Times, Deadline, Bloomberg, Yahoo Entertainment, Reuters, Hollywood Reporter, Adweek and bookforum.com


UK's largest commercial publisher Reach says it will hire an online safety editor, the first of its kind in UK, to tackle “endemic” abuse of its journalists — Reach has created an online safety editor role, the first of its kind in the UK, to tackle “endemic” abuse and harassment of its journalists “head on”.
Discussion:
Reach Jobs, HullLive, @alisongow, gbnews.uk, @mrjohncrowley, @jonbir90, @davidbartlett1, @davidhiggerson, @kristian_walsh, @rasmus_kleis and HoldtheFrontPage


NY's Ulster Publishing survived the pandemic by ceasing separate print editions for towns in the Hudson Valley and consolidating them into a countywide paper — In late March, just as the pandemic was beginning to ravage the news industry with a slew of furloughs, pay cuts, and more …
Discussion:
@jcstearns, @__gabbymiller, The Guardian and @helaineolen


Amazon acquires Art19, a major podcast hosting and monetization platform, for an undisclosed sum — Art19 goes to Amazon Music — Amazon Music is getting more serious about its podcast endeavors. Today, the company announced that it's acquiring Art19, a major podcast hosting and monetization platform for an undisclosed sum.
Discussion:
@kintan, @ashleyrcarman, @jyarow, @highfiverpg, @jesselehrich, @techwontsaveus and AppleInsider, more at Techmeme »


Microsoft adds integrations with local news creators and authors to highlight local sources and support people with donations in Windows 11 — Support local news with your leftover Microsoft points — Supporting local news sources is suddenly something the tech industry worries about …


Recording Academy and its former CEO Deborah Dugan reach an agreement over her termination amid allegations of workplace bullying — Dugan left the body that organizes the Grammys in acrimonious circumstances in March 2020.
Discussion:
New York Times, Variety and Complete Music Update


How Navajo Nation radio stations connected with listeners during the pandemic, dealt with folk remedies for COVID, and helped with donations — KTNN radio station's headquarters in St. Michaels, Arizona is less than ten minutes away from the Navajo Nation capital of Window Rock …


Three Al Jazeera journalists who were tear-gassed in Ferguson have settled a lawsuit with the county, which has agreed to pay $280K — Three journalists with Al Jazeera who were tear-gassed during a protest in Ferguson, Missouri, after Michael Brown's death in 2014 have settled a lawsuit …
Discussion:
Kansas City Star, @melissakchan, @gregghoush, @coreyhutchins, @timjeby and Newsweek


Innovid, an ad tech company focused on connected television, says it is going public via SPAC merger at an implied valuation of around $1.3B — - Innovid, a 14-year-old ad tech company focused on connected television, plans to go public via a merger with a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company.
Discussion:
@megancgraham, AdExchanger and Adweek


OpenAP and AT&T's Xandr, once seen as staunch rivals, strike a strategic data alliance that would let Xandr clients use Open AP's defined audience segments — Open AP and AT&T's Xandr were once seen as staunch rivals. Indeed, WarnerMedia, one of Open AP's founders …
Discussion:
Ad Age, FierceVideo, MediaPost and Adweek


Research: POC make up 27.7% of local TV news workforce in the US; all local TV newsrooms have women on the news team; 85% of radio news workforce is white — Graphics credits: Chandler Claire Dewgard / Syracuse University — This is the fifth and final installment of this year's RTDNA/Newhouse School at Syracuse University Survey.
Discussion:
@deborahabc17 and @spj_tweets