Top News:
Lindsey Ellefson / The Wrap:
Vice has another round of layoffs, and sources say the cuts affect Vice Digital and Refinery29 employees in North America, with fewer than 20 let go — Vice Media saw another round of layoffs Thursday, just weeks after declaring a pivot to video content. According to one source with knowledge …
Discussion:
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Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Apple launches News Partner Program, which lowers commissions on in-app purchases to 15% for news publishers who participate in Apple News — Apple today is launching a new program that will allow subscription news organizations that participate in the Apple News app and meet certain requirements …
Discussion:
The Verge, CNBC, Apple, AppleInsider and 9to5Mac, more at Techmeme »
CNBC:
Axel Springer agrees to acquire Politico, the remaining 50% share in Politico Europe, and Protocol; sources say the deal is worth around $1B — - German publisher Axel Springer plans to acquire digital media site Politico. — The deal is worth about $1 billion, according to a person familiar with the situation.
Discussion:
Nieman Lab, Axel Springer SE, @pilhofer, CNN, The Wrap, Variety, @erikwemple, Adweek, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, @harrispolitico, @mathewi, @pilhofer, @pilhofer, @daveweigel, @wblau, @authorkimberley, @soychicka, New York Post, MediaPost, @benmullin, Talking Biz News, Mediaite, @timothynoah1, @sherazadesemsar, @cbudoffbrown, @stevekovach, @jasonabbruzzese, @rasmus_kleis, @kattykissem, @katie_roof, Reuters, The Daily Beast, @benyt, @cbudoffbrown, @sbg1, @kniggem, @rafat, @erikwemple, @mr_berman, @sarafischer, @cjr, @alex, @jessicalessin, @jyarow, @danbarker, @erikwemple, @anthony, Washingtonian, @sherman4949, @brianstelter, @robinwigg, Axios, Bloomberg, @mollyhc, @jamesvgrimaldi, @cbudoffbrown, @kerrymflynn, @robinwigg, @konsumensch, New York Times, Protocol, @tomgara, @morningbrew, @mcwm, @oliverdarcy, The Hill, @erikwemple and @sherman4949
Forbes:
Forbes is going public via SPAC at a valuation of $630M; the transaction is expected to close in late 2021 or early 2022 — ● Combination will enable Forbes to further capitalize on its successful digital transformation, pursue additional growth opportunities and fully recognize …
Discussion:
CNBC, Insider, New York Post, @mike_federle, The Wrap, @jyarow, Reuters, @djohnson_cpa, Talking Biz News, @themediaisdying, @kerrymflynn, @kerrymflynn, @iblametom and @pkafka
Will Oremus / Washington Post:
Researchers say YouTube, which attracts less scrutiny than Facebook or Twitter, is a hard platform to study because video is so difficult to analyze in bulk — While Facebook and Twitter take the brunt of backlashes over misinformation and ‘censorship,’ the Google-owned video giant has often laid low.
Eric Levitz / New York Magazine:
Media figures have privileged the victims of American withdrawal from Afghanistan over those of American intervention even in straight news coverage — America's withdrawal from Afghanistan has yet to cost our nation a single casualty. Evacuations of U.S. citizens and allies from Kabul's airport …
Discussion:
CBS News, @attackerman, @lizzieblove, @equoamicus, @fawfulfan, @binajv, Raw Story, @lawrence, @danpfeiffer, @edglavin, @joyannreid, @dangillmor, PRESS RUN, The AfterParty, CNBC, New York Post, The Week and NBC New York
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Danny Nelson / CoinDesk:
DJ 3LAU launches Royal, which lets users trade shares of song royalty rights as crypto tokens, with $16M in seed funding led by Founders Fund and Paradigm — Paradigm and Founders Fund each invested $7 million, the crypto-savvy DJ told CoinDesk, with Paradigm's Fred Ehrsam joining the board.
Discussion:
Billboard, TechCrunch, Cointelegraph and Forbes, more at Techmeme »
Matthew Gault / VICE:
Reddit CEO responds after calls from users to purge the site of COVID-19 disinformation, saying “dissent is a part of Reddit and the foundation of democracy” — The CEO of Reddit has responded to calls from users to purge the site of disinformation, saying “dissent is a part of Reddit and the foundation of democracy.”
Discussion:
Reclaim The Net and Ars Technica, more at Techmeme »
Ian Burrell / inews.co.uk:
UK newspaper groups are adding local news sites and reaching places historically served by their rivals in order to attract national advertising — ANALYSISThe era of the local news monopoly is over, with publishers setting up digital operations to challenge their rivals
Discussion:
@iburrell, @markdesthompson and @davidhiggerson
Joan E. Solsman / CNET:
Netflix is testing games in its Android app in Poland, starting with two existing Stranger Things games — Playing on Netflix's mobile app is new, but the games themselves — two pixelated Stranger Things games — have already been available off Netflix for years.
Discussion:
The Streamable, Polygon, Ars Technica, The Verge, Protocol, Decider and Hollywood Reporter, more at Techmeme »
Matthew Keys / The Desk:
WarnerMedia is ending distribution of CNN International on UK's Virgin Media, BT, and Freesat; viewers will have to pay £2/month for streaming service CNN Live — A global variant of AT&T WarnerMedia's news channel CNN will no longer be available on British cable television systems starting next month.
Discussion:
Broadband TV News and Advanced Television
The Wire:
Yahoo says it is shutting down content operations in India as of Thursday due to the country's new regulations limiting foreign ownership of digital media — New Delhi: Online tech giant Yahoo is shutting down its content operations in India, a decision that the company says is due to changes in regulatory laws in the country.
Discussion:
Hindustan Times and @shakirmir
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