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:
@viceunion, @maxwelltani, @__gabbymiller, @saraqdavid, @caseyjohnston, @meredithbalkus, New York Post, HuffPost, @kerrymflynn, @maxwillens, @_arianaromero, @gordonshumway, @joshhterry, @brandyzadrozny, Variety, @kmiversen, @jesshopp, @ashleyalese, @lacymb, @clearing_fog, @onionincunion, @conniewang, @byalexzaragoza, @thekimkavin, @claireefallon, @a_w_gordon, Digiday, @broderick, @ryepastrami, @meredithbalkus, @presgang, @rynprry, @grimkim, @caseynewton, @ashleyfeinberg, @carolinemoss, @film_girl, @parismartineau, @peterslattery3, @maxberger, @thatwitchmia, @ungarino, @nkulw, @film_girl, @sherman4949, @a_w_gordon, @aaschapiro, @karlbode, @sdkstl, @kerrymflynn, @lemonsand, @amil, @patbits, @mindyisser, @byalexzaragoza, @wagatwe, @robzacny, @meredithbalkus, @jannwolfe, @alexeheath, @aaschapiro, @film_girl, @aaschapiro, @alex_norcia, @jordanchariton, @imgarysuarez, @maggieofthetown, @libbycwatson, @andrewglazer, @jscros, @samitsarkar, @mcwm, @jessicaschulb, @meredithbalkus, @maxwillens, @gordonshumway, @ashleyfeinberg, @parkermolloy, @danawollman, @andrewglazer, @scottnover, @janusrose, @maxwillens, @maxwillens, @shanpalus, @blackamazon, @heyveronica, @ohheyjenna, @moorehn, @maxwillens, @grahamstarr, @thelincoln, @vincemancini, @ljmontello, @youngvulgarian, @oliviamesser, @jorcru, Gawker, @benyt, @noahpasaran, @the_rewm, @tatianatenreyro, @tvgrimreaper, @hannahsmothers_, @kevincollier, @panzer, @annamerlan, @ckrewson and @jeremypgordon
Discussion:
Max Tani / @maxwelltani: Vice chief digital officer Cory Haik's email to staff today announcing “organizational changes” following layoffs at the company https://twitter.com/...
Gabby Miller / @__gabbymiller: BREAKING: Less than a month after Vice announced it's pivoting to video to the NYT, mass layoffs are happening today. I'm hearing they're firing several desk heads. https://twitter.com/...
Sara David / @saraqdavid: layoffs at vice, on this, the day of our union election? another devastating reminder that all workers—including digital media ones who face layoffs every few months—deserve a union contract with just cause, fair severance, and so much more 💔
Casey Johnston / @caseyjohnston: VICE laid me off today, but I did what I came to do: great work with my beautiful team. We all die (pivot to video) but not all of us truly live, and by god the life team lived
@meredithbalkus: well, lads: they finally got me. after 4.5 years, i was laid off from @VICE today. if you're looking for an experienced writer, editor, translator, and/or newsroom operations manager, i'm your gal.
Alexandra Steigrad / New York Post: Vice begins a new round of layoffs as company shifts to video
Jenna Amatulli / HuffPost: Vice Media Lays Off Staff Members At Vice, Refinery29 In Pivot To ‘Visual Storytelling’
Max Willens / @maxwillens: Vice's layoffs today are part of a broader reorganization that has been coming for a while. The company has been leaning into vertical video ("stories"), following advertiser and audience interest. [1/x]
Ariana Romero / @_arianaromero: To quote a meeting I had, I'm an “eliminated position” today. I'm heartbroken and shocked, but I'll always be proud of the work I've done over the last four and half years as R29's (senior) TV critic. Open to any and all opportunities going forward ❤️ https://twitter.com/...
Jelisa Castrodale / @gordonshumway: My five years at @VICE came to an end, like, 10 minutes ago. I was laid off today, along with a lot of my incredibly talented coworkers. If anyone hears about any opportunities for a now less-employed pop culture writer, please let me know. I'm at jacastrodale [at] gmail.
Josh Terry / @joshhterry: So, I have a lot more free time now. I got laid off from @VICE this morning. My last day is today. I'm fine and excited about whatever is next. It's been a dream thanks to all the amazing people I worked with there. My email is in bio (the vice one doesn't work anymore lol)
Bindy Zodrazzny / @brandyzadrozny: Craven, heartless, but also incredibly dumb and try-hard. Imagine thinking a “360 ‘surround sound’ media environment,” makes any sense at all. https://twitter.com/...
Kristin Iversen / @kmiversen: Today was a bloodbath at my company; some of the most incredible people with whom I've ever worked (and ever known) are now casualties of a pivot. I remain forever grateful for the work the union and committed to the fight for a better work environment for everyone. Solidarity. https://twitter.com/...
Jessica Hopper / @jesshopp: TODAYS METRICS ARE TOMORROWS PUNCHLINES is 100% true and a lava hot scorcher. Love/condolences/solidarity with everyone that got laid off today, Love/Condolences/Solidarity with the 71? 89? 103? people who still have jobs in media. https://twitter.com/...
Ashley Alese Edwards / @ashleyalese: what a craven, yet unsurprising, way to announce layoffs during an ongoing pandemic. https://twitter.com/...
Lacy Baugher Milas / @lacymb: No one ever wanted to watch more videos and it's such a shame that we allowed this lie to decimate the entire media industry. https://twitter.com/...
ClearingTheFog / @clearing_fog: Laying off staff so you can publish fewer print stories and make more videos. This trend in journalism brought to you by investors, ad executives, and “business” savants. https://twitter.com/...
Connie Wang / @conniewang: My time in the @R29Union and @viceunion will always be a highlight of my career. https://twitter.com/...
Tijuana Maxx / @byalexzaragoza: I'm beyond disgusted by the actions of @VICE leadership today. My colleagues and I have been pawns in their half-brained, poorly planned, inhumane “pivots” and “restructurings” lord knows how many times. I can assure that we @viceunion will be fighting back hard. https://twitter.com/...
Kim Kavin / @thekimkavin: Tell me again how I'd be better off in a “good union job.” #NoPROAct #FightForFreelancers https://twitter.com/...
Claire Fallon / @claireefallon: solidarity with those laid off by vice and r29 today, in a remarkably dumb decision executed with zero grace or sensitivity https://twitter.com/...
Aaron W. Gordon / @a_w_gordon: The disrespect our management has shown to our colleagues today by barely even acknowledging their layoffs while trying to trumpet meaningless metrics and lateral managerial “promotions” would be even more enraging if it wasn't so predictable. https://twitter.com/...
Max Willens / Digiday: ‘Less cutting and pasting’: Vice reshuffles its ranks to prioritize publishing fewer words, more vertical video
Ryan Broderick / @broderick: I freaking love living in a 360 surround sound media environment https://twitter.com/...
Ryan Khosravi / @ryepastrami: so you can have a idea like pivot to video, have it fail sooooooo terribly that people make fun of you for it for years, and just get another job and execute the same plan — I need a three word, half baked idea to shop around for the next decade, what should it be https://twitter.com/...
@meredithbalkus: i'm grateful for the opportunity to have learned so much and worn a variety of different hats. but it's been really hard to watch a revolving door of incompetent, out-of-touch executives repeatedly fuck up, and see hard-working, brilliant writers and editors suffer as a result.
Graham Isador / @presgang: I have absolutely loved Casey's writing on weight lifting, body image, and health. This industry is so brutal. https://twitter.com/...
Ryan Perry / @rynprry: imagine confidently typing the words “360 surround sound media environment” https://twitter.com/...
Kim Kelly / @grimkim: “Friends” don't strip friends of their livelihoods in the middle of a global pandemic with zero warning and bury the news in a wall of soulless corporate-speak, Cory. https://twitter.com/...
Casey Newton / @caseynewton: If Vice wants to lean harder into video it should make all of its executives do the Milk Crate Challenge. Just think of the views
Ashley Feinberg / @ashleyfeinberg: Some people have asked why it's so bad to just “pause” digital organizing and part of the answer is that, even if you do believe it's just a pause, this sort of shit is happening on a near monthly basis—every single day counts https://twitter.com/...
Caroline Moss / @carolinemoss: friendship with VICE over for me https://twitter.com/...
Christina Warren / @film_girl: You have a staff of writers, FFS. You should be able to do a better memo acknowledging layoffs than this. And maybe save the promo announcements for tomorrow or Monday.
Paris Martineau / @parismartineau: casey is an incredible editor and one of the funniest people i've ever worked with. scoop her up before someone else does!! https://twitter.com/...
Peter Slattery / @peterslattery3: Meredith always makes things work. Tireless workflow general, and comrade— legend https://twitter.com/...
Max Berger / @maxberger: We need to fund high quality public media. The market-based media is never going to satisfy the public's need for reporting and information. https://twitter.com/...
Amelia E. / @thatwitchmia: If at first the business model doesn't succeed, lay off and lay off again. :/ Thinking of all the Vice folks today. If there's anything I can do from my small corner of the web, please hit me up. DMs are open. https://twitter.com/...
Rebecca Ungarino / @ungarino: beyond parody of an email after layoffs “by the way, congrats to vice indonesia for reaching 1 million subscribers (??) on tiktok! anyway, we are making some organizational changes” like did a single human thought cross the mind of the team who reviewed this before sending https://twitter.com/...
Christina Warren / @film_girl: Like, to be clear, this is how corporate America writes memos. But a media company, ostensibly one who employs journalists, should do better than the typical shitty reorg email with layoffs buried within.
Alex Sherman / @sherman4949: There were no layoffs affecting Vice News, Vice World News or i-D, I'm told
Aaron W. Gordon / @a_w_gordon: If I was starting a new media company—one that didn't pivot to video so often it merely spun around in profitless circles—Meredith would be the first person I'd try to hire. She's the person who makes the place work. https://twitter.com/...
Avi Asher-Schapiro / @aaschapiro: Like, a job offer from VICE is basically: “Want a job for 6-18 months? and then, no matter how good you are at your job, there's a strong chance we'll lay you off, because we'll decide to pursue another business model? Are you in?!??!
Karl Bode / @karlbode: just replace all cogent reporters with dancing AI-generated brand influencers and be done with it https://twitter.com/...
Staci D Kramer / @sdkstl: Sadly sharing again in light of today's Vice layoffs. Journalists: if you work for someone else, be prepared for the day when they pivot to a newsroom without you. https://twitter.com/...
@kerrymflynn: Newsroom hiring managers, here's a list of some talented journalists affected by the Vice layoffs who you should reach out to: https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Angela Lashbrook / @lemonsand: Casey is a legend-level editor. I have learned so much from her the times I've written for her. Anyone who hires her is lucky https://twitter.com/...
Patrick Lucas Austin / @patbits: If you're not an idiot you'll hire @caseyjohnston and let her write about whatever the hell she wants https://twitter.com/...
@mindyisser: this is so sad and such a loss, casey's column got me more comfortable with the idea of lifting heavier weights and also with having a body that i am not trying to constantly make smaller. down with the bosses and up with the workers https://twitter.com/...
Tijuana Maxx / @byalexzaragoza: I cannot begin to tell you how exceptional of a talent Meredith is. The countless ways she has kept VICE operating on a day-to-day basis in spite of constant shit. She's a beautiful genius and is the oil that keeps any machine running smoothly. Hire her. https://twitter.com/...
Wagatwe Wanjuki / @wagatwe: Lol. I think pivot to video is just an excuse execs use to get rid of people. Bc that's def what upworthy did to us https://twitter.com/...
Rob Zacny / @robzacny: The story of today's VICE layoffs starts here, in the midst of another mass layoff. The cycle continues. https://discourseblog.substack.com/ ...
@meredithbalkus: hence why it's SO important to vote for the solidarity slate in today's @WGAEast elections! the incumbent council wants to stop organizing digital media, which puts ALL OF US at risk. please vote for the solidarity slate TODAY—it's my dying/layoff wish! https://www.solidarityslate.com/
Jan Wolfe / @jannwolfe: They buried the layoffs in the 12th paragraph, with the euphemistic “we unfortunately have to say goodbye to some friends...” https://twitter.com/...
Alex Heath / @alexeheath: “What is undeniable is that youth audiences are gathering on visual Stories platforms” - an actual line in this truly bad media company memo 16 paragraphs down, oh btw we laid off a bunch of people https://twitter.com/...
Avi Asher-Schapiro / @aaschapiro: I got laid off from Vice in 2015...during the first pivot to video. You'd think these executives would come up with something new by now? https://twitter.com/...
Christina Warren / @film_girl: This is such a shitty email. One paragraph near the end about layoffs amidst a bunch of self-congratulatory bullshit numbers on “growth” that are actually meaningless and without context. Oh, and an appeal for congratulations on new promotions as the ender. https://twitter.com/...
Avi Asher-Schapiro / @aaschapiro: Has anyone considered....a pivot to good journalism?
Alex Norcia / @alex_norcia: One time, covering an event as a writer at VICE, I was told we needed video, so I was handed some equipment I had never used before at the last minute and told to “get some footage.” https://twitter.com/...
Jordan / @jordanchariton: This is what will keep happening since corporations & plutocrats hijacking media has been normalized in society. This is why we launched @StatusCoup funded by viewers through small-dollar subscriptions. Sorry for those affected at VICE https://twitter.com/...
Maggie Lovitt / @maggieofthetown: My heart goes out to the VICE peeps that were laid off today. https://twitter.com/...
Libby Watson / @libbycwatson: I love casey, whose work has changed my life, and I am learning to Become Strong simply so I can physically fight her enemies. fuck vice! https://twitter.com/...
Andrew Glazer / @andrewglazer: I believe all the @vice execs mentioned in today's layoff missive previously presided over the implosion, destruction or failure (including mass layoffs) of other media companies. Conventional wisdom: There's something wrong with “the industry”...
Jack Crosbie / @jscros: it's always “organizational changes” or “restructuring” and not “our executives are incompetent and you will pay the price.” wrote about this the last time vice had layoffs https://discourseblog.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Samit Sarkar / @samitsarkar: what an incredibly shitty thing to do, starting a restructuring memo with hundreds of words of stuff that leads into two sentences mentioning layoffs https://twitter.com/...
Jessica Schulberg / @jessicaschulb: seeing my colleagues at vice get laid off today makes me even more livid that some members of my union want to exclude digital media workers from union protection WGAE members, Council elections open TODAY! Plz vote for these pro-worker/pro-organizing ppl https://www.solidarityslate.com/ https://twitter.com/...
@meredithbalkus: which is why i'm the most grateful for @viceunion. i simply cannot imagine working in this hellscape of an industry without the protections of a CBA and workers who actually look out for one another. i'd be way more scared of what comes next if i wasn't at a union shop!
Max Willens / @maxwillens: Vice ALSO did this because the audience to lots of its text-based content was sliding. The audience for its text-focused content on brands like Noisey and Munchies is down 75% [4/x]
Jelisa Castrodale / @gordonshumway: I also don't know how to feel about the fact that my final VICE piece was about people who have Billy Joel tattoos. Alexa, play “Say Goodbye to Hollywood.” https://www.vice.com/...
Ashley Feinberg / @ashleyfeinberg: never cross the swole woman https://twitter.com/...
Parker Molloy / @parkermolloy: What a broken industry. Ugh. https://twitter.com/...
Dana Wollman / @danawollman: What a short-sighted move. Also, if they think Casey can't pivot to video they're not watching her Insta Stories. https://twitter.com/...
Andrew Glazer / @andrewglazer: I ask: Maybe the people in charge are unimaginative and bringing bad habits and bad ideas with them wherever they land.
Scott Nover / @scottnover: One of the worst, most tone deaf media emails I've ever read and that's saying something. https://twitter.com/...
@janusrose: how many more “pivots to video” before the media industry gains centrifugal force and collapses into a massive death spiral singularity https://twitter.com/...
Max Willens / @maxwillens: Distribution challenges informed that slide. The number of search keywords Vice was competitive on (i.e. ranking in the top 10 of Google) has fallen by more than 50% in the past two years [5/x]
Max Willens / @maxwillens: They built an internal tool last year designed to make it easier for everybody at the company to make more content that's easily consumed as stories on platforms like IG, FB, Google, Snap, etc. [2/x]
@blackamazon: Pivoting to video in teh age of racist platforms .... The ouruborus of bad decisions and fake inclusivity https://twitter.com/...
Veronica de Souza / @heyveronica: Casey rules and you should be smart and hire her https://twitter.com/...
Jenna Amatulli / @ohheyjenna: Media layoffs are horrible and relentless. After 155 people were let go last year, a source familiar w/ Vice Media Group happenings told me the layoffs today were solely from Vice digital or Refinery29 and included fewer than 20 people. More: https://www.huffpost.com/...
Heidi N. Moore / @moorehn: I literally cannot believe that pivoting to video is a thing again. Did I not, in the year of our Lord 2017, write a whole Columbia Journalism Review article about how the pivot to video is a grift based on falsified metrics? https://twitter.com/...
Max Willens / @maxwillens: Within a year of its launch, the company was producing more “stories” content than text content. Three months later, overall stories output had already grown another 30% [3/x]
Lincoln Michel / @thelincoln: Literally how many times can a single company “pivot to video”? https://twitter.com/...
Vince Mancini / @vincemancini: No one on the internet watches video for “storytelling.” it's a place to watch people falling off milk crates and getting kicked in the nuts. No human being on Earth has ever clicked on a news story and thought “Boy I wish this was a video.” https://twitter.com/...
@ljmontello: Vice laying off a bunch of workers as people go to vote for a union has all the subtlety of a bull in a china shop. https://twitter.com/...
Marie Le Conte / @youngvulgarian: layoffs of full-time staff is obviously v v grim but also worth remembering that lots of freelancers (myself included) wrote a lot for Vice outlets - increasingly hard to see how full-time freelancing can be viable if all these places stop commissioning https://twitter.com/...
Olivia Messer / @oliviamesser: Why are the people leading this industry the dumbest ones, who repeat the same fucking mistakes on a loop at the cost of the livelihoods and careers of the smartest ones https://twitter.com/...
Jordan Crucchiola / @jorcru: NO! NOT AGAIN!! https://twitter.com/...
Tarpley Hitt / Gawker: Vice Media Lays Off 17 Writers and Editors
Ben Smith / @benyt: Vice laying off some great reporters and repositioning itself fully as a TV company https://twitter.com/...
Gatling Gun Kelly / @noahpasaran: these layoffs at Vice are absolutely fucking ridiculous and if you're in the WGA-E you should vote to ensure that the people running the WGA stand in solidarity with you instead of leaving you to the wolves https://twitter.com/...
@the_rewm: Just three days ago Meredith singlehandedly ensured that one of our freelancers received their overdue payment, and it's not the first time she's gone to bat like this. I truly don't know what VICE will do without her incredible and often thankless behind the scenes work. https://twitter.com/...
Father John Mitski / @tatianatenreyro: when I met meredith IRL she made me want to work at vice and I love her writing so please snatch her up! https://twitter.com/...
TV Grim Reaper / @tvgrimreaper: When you work for a business without a sustainable business model, every payday you're still employed is a lucky day. https://twitter.com/...
Hannah Smothers / @hannahsmothers_: working for Casey fucking rocked and this sucks. I can't possibly link all the good shit she edited because it would break my rule against doing 10000000-tweet threads. and that's to say NOTHING of her perfect slacks!!!!!!! https://twitter.com/...
Kevin Collier / @kevincollier: Remember when Mic News was a thing? Then three years ago they pivoted to video, laid off a ton of staff, and you never saw a Mic story again? This is the same person. https://twitter.com/...
Anna Merlan / @annamerlan: I actually think a good business model would be to not lay off rounds of highly skilled and sought-after journalists every six months
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, CNN, The Wrap, Mediaite, @erikwemple, Wall Street Journal, @pilhofer, Adweek, @daphnehk, @mattdpearce, @mattdpearce, @harrispolitico, @niemanlab, @mathewi, @pilhofer, Financial Times, @timothynoah1, @sherazadesemsar, @authorkimberley, @cbudoffbrown, @stevekovach, @jasonabbruzzese, @rasmus_kleis, @soychicka, @kattykissem, @katie_roof, Reuters, The Daily Beast, @wblau, @benyt, @mattdpearce, @cbudoffbrown, Washington Post, @sbg1, @kniggem, @rafat, @erikwemple, Talking Biz News, @mr_berman, @sarafischer, @cjr, @alex, @dwnews, @jessicalessin, @jyarow, @danbarker, @pilhofer, @daveweigel, @erikwemple, @anthony, Washingtonian, @sherman4949, @brianstelter, @robinwigg, @benmullin, Axios, Bloomberg, New York Post, @mollyhc, @jamesvgrimaldi, @cbudoffbrown, @kerrymflynn, @robinwigg, @konsumensch, New York Times, Protocol, @green_footballs, @tomgara, @morningbrew, @mcwm, @oliverdarcy, The Hill, @erikwemple, Mediaite, @sherman4949 and MediaPost
Discussion:
Joshua Benton / Nieman Lab: Politico is being sold for more than $1 billion; here are some of the smart moves it made to get there
Julia Sommerfeld / Axel Springer SE: Axel Springer to acquire POLITICO
Brian Stelter / CNN: Politico will be sold to Axel Springer for over $1 billion
Lindsey Ellefson / The Wrap: Politico to Be Acquired by Axel Springer in $1 Billion-Plus Deal
Erik Wemple / @erikwemple: One staffer asked whether Axel Springer would institute a paywall over the free portion of Politico's offerings, and AS CEO Mathias Döpfner responded, “We're from Berlin. We don't like the concept of walls.” 3/
Dave Sebastian / Wall Street Journal: Axel Springer to Acquire Politico
Aron Pilhofer / @pilhofer: Politico is a niche publication that serves a moneyed audience whose voices have never needed amplification, as I said earlier today. It is not a general-interest news site, and never pretended to be. Comparing it to your local https://newspaper.com/ is apples to oranges.
Mark Stenberg / Adweek: Axel Springer Announces Acquisition of News Site Politico
Daphne Keller / @daphnehk: Major partisan in policy fights acquired news source relied on by policy makers. https://twitter.com/...
@mattdpearce: We are all a family here and need flexibility, in the sense that I just sold my flexible family to Axel Springer for a certain sum of money.
John F. Harris / @harrispolitico: Well, this is interesting....big day for @politico and big day for @R_Allbritton my friend and partner for 15 years. https://www.businesswire.com/ ...
@niemanlab: “Politico is still free to all. How? It recognized early on something airlines have known for a long time: It's a lot easier to make a lot of money from a few of your customers than a little from everyone.” @jbenton on where Politico went right: https://www.niemanlab.org/...
Mathew Ingram / @mathewi: Great thread from Aron here. Politico is also well known for its enthusiastic both-sidesism, the kind of horse-racing style coverage that cleverly avoids any discussion of whether one side is racist, lying, etc. No surprise that there's money in that https://twitter.com/...
Aron Pilhofer / @pilhofer: I don't want to sound too much like a downer. It's a great story. Politico elbowed its way into a crowded market and found a lane. That is a good thing. But if you are focused on local news, and you're looking for a template somewhere in all this, not sure you'll fine one.
Timothy Noah / @timothynoah1: Axel Springer buys Politico for $1b. That's four times what Jeff Bezos paid to buy the Washington Post. Ergo: a.) The WaPo was foolish not to let John Harris and Jim VandeHei start it up in-house. b.) Axel Springer overpaid. or c.) Both. Discuss.
Sherazade Semsar / @sherazadesemsar: wonderful news. A dream come true. @axelspringer_EN @politico @POLITICOEurope @protocol we are one family! https://www.axelspringer.com/ ...
Kimberley Johnson / @authorkimberley: More reason to block and ignore @politico. https://twitter.com/...
Carrie Budoff Brown / @cbudoffbrown: As a founding editor of @POLITICOEurope, I worked up close with @axelspringer and know it will be a strong steward during this next chapter of @politico's amazing success story. 4/4
Steve Kovach / @stevekovach: Axel-Axios deal dead for now https://twitter.com/...
Jason Abbruzzese / @jasonabbruzzese: I mean this in a skeptical way but also a genuinely inquisitive one. Axel clearly sees some major upside in U.S. digital media and subscriptions! Which is good!
Rasmus Kleis Nielsen / @rasmus_kleis: A sentence like “future of the media lies in services that deliver real benefits for their users or readers” does make one wonder what media did in the past? (And “offers entry into the power centers” as part of value proposition not without complications) https://thefix.media/...
Random Facts Girl / @soychicka: I really can't understand this - how can foreign outlets even be permitted to own US media publications that shape political debate? https://twitter.com/...
Tiyashi Datta / Reuters: German publisher Axel Springer to acquire news website Politico
Wolfgang Blau / @wblau: Yes, Axel-Springer's acquisition of Politico gives another German media company signficant leverage in the US, next to Bertelsmann. Worth mentioning, though: Axel-Springer's own majority owner is the US firm KKR. https://www.axelspringer.com/ ...
Ben Smith / @benyt: @tomgara @RobinWigg Huge investment from KKR
Matt Pearce / @mattdpearce: I, the owner of Politico, simply love to send personalized anti-union manifestos to the newsroom about how We're All A Family Here while I cash out the company to a faceless European corporate conglomerate. https://twitter.com/...
Carrie Budoff Brown / @cbudoffbrown: Endlessly proud of what @politico grew into — from a scrappy, constantly-underestimated startup to a $1 billion media company with true global strength. @R_Allbritton is right ... 1/4 https://www.axelspringer.com/ ...
Jeremy Barr / Washington Post: Politico sold to German publisher Axel Springer
Susan Glasser / @sbg1: Winning the morning. https://twitter.com/...
Michael Knigge / @kniggem: 🇩🇪🇺🇸 Germany's Axel Springer group buys US outlets Politico & Protocol, expanding its American media footprint. The group's US portfolio already includes Insider & Morning Brew. In Germany, Axel Springer owns the largest tabloid Bild & daily Die Welt. https://www.axelspringer.com/ ...
@rafat: Congrats to all including @R_Allbritton, you built a pioneering high metabolism digital media company that others — including us at @skift — learned a lot from, and smart of Axel to build it out globally. I would suggest India is ripe for it. https://www.businesswire.com/ ...
Erik Wemple / @erikwemple: According to a source familiar with the deal, there was a “general agreement” between the parties that there'd be no layoffs. 2/
Chris Roush / Talking Biz News: Axel Springer, parent of Insider, is buying Politico and Protocol for $1 billion
Matt Berman / @mr_berman: $1 billion may sound like a lot, but that's actually seven Pro subscriptions
Sara Fischer / @sarafischer: Politico sold for ~$1B, per sources. The Hill sold for $130M. Morning Consult valued at $1B+. FiscalNote eyeing SPAC IPO. Influence among DC opinion leaders has always been valuable, but given avalanche of advocacy issues (chaotic election, pandemic, etc) bigger premium on it now
@cjr: ICYMI: “The third-largest media company in Germany has apparently lost faith in the profitability of journalism.” @spoke32 on Axel Springer, from 2019 https://www.cjr.org/...
@dwnews: Politico, a prominent US media outlet, was already a longstanding business partner for the German digital media company. https://www.dw.com/...
Jessica Lessin / @jessicalessin: .@politico selling to @axelspringer will be seismic for journalism. But right now I just want to say thanks to everyone at @politico. Since day 0 at @theinformation, I've admired you tremendously. A rare combo of journalistic dominance + biz savvy. Bravo. I'm sure it will go on.
Jay Yarow / @jyarow: The Axel Springer-KKR deal could end up working out really well. Axel doing a solid roll up job. Plenty more targets out there. https://www.axelspringer.com/ ...
Dan Barker / @danbarker: Politico is apparently being acquired by Axel Springer for *$1 billion*. Similarweb estimates https://politico.com/ receives >50m visits per month, and they of course have other domains & apps. Still, a billion seems a lot. https://www.axios.com/...
Aron Pilhofer / @pilhofer: I think we can learn some things from them: The value of voice. The value of focus, and understanding your business model. The value of writing SHORT. The value of really good targetted newsletters. But we ought to be careful trying to copy that success in different contexts..
Erik Wemple / @erikwemple: Döpfner pointed out that one time, Volkswagen pulled advertising from an AS property, at which point the outlet just kept covering VW as it normally would. It eventually came back as an advertiser. The point being: Just cover the news and things will take care of themselves. 4/
Anthony DeRosa / @anthony: Axel Springer is acquiring Politico. @BenMullin broke news of their talks over a week ago: https://www.wsj.com/...
Andrew Beaujon / Washingtonian: Politico Sold for a Reported $1 Billion
Alex Sherman / @sherman4949: I can add this little scooplet to the Politico news — Axel Springer is no longer in talks to acquire Axios, according to people familiar with the matter. https://www.cnbc.com/...
Brian Stelter / @brianstelter: And here's the confirmation: “Axel Springer signed an agreement to acquire POLITICO, including the remaining 50 percent share of its current joint venture POLITICO Europe, as well as the tech news website Protocol from Robert Allbritton.” https://www.businesswire.com/ ...
Robin Wigglesworth / @robinwigg: What is don't get is where Axel Springer gets the money from to buy Business Insider, Politico, Morning Brew etc etc. Are German newspapers still *that* profitable? https://twitter.com/...
Ben Mullin / @benmullin: Axel Springer CEO Matias Dompfner is not ruling out a deal for Axios, telling me he intends to “very carefully watch their development.” https://www.wsj.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Ivana Saric / Axios: German publisher Axel Springer to acquire Politico
Alexandra Steigrad / New York Post: German publisher Axel Springer strikes deal to buy Politico
Molly Hensley-Clancy / @mollyhc: Do you guys remember when the owner of Politico told employees two weeks ago that they shouldn't unionize because there was no “clash of economic interests” lol https://twitter.com/...
@jamesvgrimaldi: Sold: Politico. German publisher Axel Springer is acquiring Politico. Editorial and management leadership teams of Politico in the U.S., Politico Europe and Protocol will stay in place (for now). https://www.wsj.com/... via @WSJ
Carrie Budoff Brown / @cbudoffbrown: “Together we have built what is without a doubt the most impressive and most enduring of the many experiments in new publications over the past generation. Particularly in recent years, we have put the emphasis on doing rather than boasting ... 2/4
Robin Wigglesworth / @robinwigg: @benyt @tomgara I'm still surprised KKR bankrolling these kinds of glamour purchases at 5x revenues. Even Amazon trades at under 4x revenues.
@konsumensch: German FoxNews equivalent Axel Springer buys Politico. Sorry for your loss America, these guys are the absolute worst of the German media landscape and will turn this outlet into a partisan, conservative rag like BILD and Welt. https://www.axelspringer.com/ ...
Stacy Cowley / New York Times: The Education Department will wipe out $1.1 billion in debt for ITT students.
Tammy Wincup / Protocol: Protocol's next chapter
Charles Johnson / @green_footballs: The New York Times doesn't think it's important to note that Axel Springer is the Murdoch of Germany, a far right propaganda organization. Not a word about this in the article. https://twitter.com/...
Oliver Darcy / @oliverdarcy: “Allbritton will continue as publisher of POLITICO & Protocol. The editorial and management leadership teams of POLITICO in the U.S., POLITICO Europe and Protocol will remain in place, and will continue to operate their publications separately from Axel Springer's other brands...” https://twitter.com/...
Dominick Mastrangelo / The Hill: Politico sold to German publisher Axel Springer
Erik Wemple / @erikwemple: A few notes on the sale of Politico to German publishing house Axel Springer: In a call with staff today, execs from both outlets assured staffers that there would be no change for them, and that the goal would be to expand, not shrink, Politico. 1/
Leia Idliby / Mediaite: JUST IN: Politico to Be Sold to Publishing Group Axel Springer for Amount Reportedly Near $1 Billion
Alex Sherman / @sherman4949: @JasonAbbruzzese There does appear to be some general consensus that there's a light at the end of the tunnel if you can just roll up enough players. There are a handful of digital media players that want to be the roller-uppers now. Maybe that's desperation, but Axel isn't on a total island.
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:
Joe Rossignol / MacRumors: Publishers Who Adopt Apple News Now Qualify for Reduced Commission on In-App Subscriptions
Ian Carlos Campbell / The Verge: Apple will take a smaller cut of publishers' sales if they join Apple News
Benjamin Mayo / 9to5Mac: Apple will halve its cut of In-App Purchases for publishers that also participate in Apple News
Kif Leswing / CNBC: As it faces more scrutiny, Apple will reduce App Store fees if publishers provide Apple News content
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, TechCrunch, MediaPost, @mike_federle, @jyarow, Insider, Talking Biz News, @themediaisdying, @kerrymflynn, @kerrymflynn, @iblametom, @pkafka, @djohnson_cpa, New York Post, Reuters and The Wrap
Discussion:
Jessica Bursztynsky / CNBC: Forbes announces plan to go public via SPAC
Mike Federle / @mike_federle: Big day at @Forbes. We're planning to go public via a business combination with Magnum Opus Acquisition, a SPAC. Through this transaction, Forbes will become a public company listed on the @NYSE and will be better equipped to pursue growth opportunities. https://www.forbes.com/...
Jay Yarow / @jyarow: Buy a share of Forbes and you can be a part of the contributor network. https://www.forbes.com/...
Isabelle Lee / Insider: Forbes is going public via $630 million SPAC merger with Magnum Opus Acquisition
Chris Roush / Talking Biz News: Forbes is going public at $630 million valuation
@kerrymflynn: “Forbes' existing management team... will continue to manage the combined company upon completion of the transaction under the leadership of Chief Executive Officer Mike Federle.” — Forbes will list on NYSE under ticker symbol $FRBS https://www.businesswire.com/ ...
@kerrymflynn: Big morning in media biz news: Forbes is going public via SPAC with Magnum Opus Acquisition Limited (NYSE: OPA) “The transaction values the combined company at an implied pro forma enterprise value of $630 million, net of tax benefits.” https://www.businesswire.com/ ...
Thomas Brewster / @iblametom: Forbes, my employer, is going public on the NYSE via a SPAC. https://www.forbes.com/...
Peter Kafka / @pkafka: Reminder that for the last 7 years Forbes has been owned by something called Integrated Whale Media. https://twitter.com/...
Daniel Johnson / @djohnson_cpa: #SPAC Deal - $OPA DA w/ @Forbes, the “iconic business information brand” '21 proj. - $211M rev. / 15% ⬆️ '22 proj. - $237M rev. / 13% ⬆️ $630M EV / $400M PIPE Presentation - https://d1io3yog0oux5.cloudfront.net/ ... Press - https://www.businesswire.com/ ... https://twitter.com/...
Alexandra Steigrad / New York Post: Forbes to become public company through $630M SPAC merger
Niket Nishant / Reuters: Forbes to go public through $630 mln SPAC merger
Sean Burch / The Wrap: Forbes to Go Public in $630 Million SPAC Deal
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.
Discussion:
Evelyn Douek / @evelyndouek: Big moment for the Wojcicki to the Hill 2021 campaign https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Will Oremus / @willoremus: I wrote about what @evelyndouek calls “YouTube magic dust”—YouTube's penchant for going conveniently overlooked whenever there's a big content-policy debate involving Facebook and Twitter. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Didi Rankovic / Reclaim The Net: YouTube makes fresh commitment to boosting mainstream news sources at the expense of independent creators
Kurt Wagner / Bloomberg: Who Runs Twitter's @Twitter?
Tom Gara / @tomgara: I really wonder how much of this is just literally the ease of searching text vs video/audio (kinda same reason talk radio gets so little attention relative to its influence) https://twitter.com/...
Mark Little / @marklittlenews: “It's not just what we take down, but how we treat all the content we leave up that gives us the best path forward” ... the view from @YouTube https://blog.youtube/...
Anna Edgerton / @annaedge4: When I asked Trump supporters in the crowd on Jan. 6 where they get their (false) information, they didn't say Facebook. They said YouTube. Good look here from @WillOremus into how YouTube has escaped scrutiny. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ... via @washingtonpost
Renee DiResta / @noupside: Interesting post from YT here related to the velocity and volume of information and the challenge of balanced moderation during incomplete consensus. Articulates the goal: “strike a sensible balance between freedom of speech and freedom of reach.” https://blog.youtube/...
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, @herr_naphta, Raw Story, @lawrence, @danpfeiffer, @edglavin, @lizzieblove, @equoamicus, @joyannreid, @dangillmor, @binajv, @attackerman, @fawfulfan, PRESS RUN, The AfterParty, CNBC and New York Post
Discussion:
@herr_naphta: Now that US soldiers have died in the course of th Afghanistan withdrawal, the media is going to get even more insane. If you haven't been reading Eric Levitz, he's done the best job pushing back against the imperial delusions. https://nymag.com/...
Lawrence O'Donnell / @lawrence: “the media has rendered itself objectively pro war.” I know tweeted controversial articles are reacted to without reading them. This one really deserves to be read. https://nymag.com/...
Dan Pfeiffer / @danpfeiffer: This excellent piece by @EricLevitz will likely cause zero self-reflection in a media that advocates for military intervention abroad while remaining assiduously and naively neutral about democracy at home, but it perfectly captures the dynamics at play https://nymag.com/...
Ed Glavin / @edglavin: If you are as upset as I am about how mainstream media has covered the Afghanistan story, this is a good read. Thank you @Lawrence for sharing. https://twitter.com/...
Elizabeth for Humanity / @lizzieblove: “Until America's bleeding-heart correspondents reckon with their field's endemic biases, their reporting will routinely devolve into advocacy, if not rationalizations, for future bloodshed.” This article gives a healthy dose of perspective. It's worth the read. https://twitter.com/...
Mesanjar / @equoamicus: “Simply put, there is no proud way to lose a war to a cult of heroin-dealing child rapists (especially when your side in that war featured no small number of men who fit a similar description).” https://twitter.com/...
Dan Gillmor / @dangillmor: Re Afghanistan: “The abysmal coverage of the U.S. withdrawal is a sharp reminder of how two decades of failure were foisted on us in the first place.” https://newrepublic.com/...
Bina Venkataraman / @binajv: Important read. As disastrous as the US exit operation was, it pales in comparison to the ongoing failures of the war. Journalists bear responsibility for covering wars as mostly acute events, lacking context and with amnesia. l https://newrepublic.com/...
Spencer Ackerman / @attackerman: As it happens, the US wiped 3 Afghan villages off the face of the earth in 2010. They were called Tarek Kolache, Khosrow Sofia and Lower Babur. These are the details of a 20-year war that don't get remembered, let alone discussed. This barbarism was not hypothetical. It was fact. https://twitter.com/...
Matthew Chapman / @fawfulfan: The more I read this article, the angrier I get. The coverage of Afghanistan has been nothing short of complete journalistic malpractice. https://nymag.com/...
Neko Jackson / The AfterParty: The Afghanistan Withdrawal Did Not Take Place
RELATED:
Esha Sarai / Voice of America:
US lawmakers sent a letter to Biden on Wednesday urging help for about 550 USAGM employees and their relatives who are still trying to leave Afghanistan
Discussion:
Steve Herman / @w7voa: US lawmakers push to evacuate from #Afghanistan @VOANews and @RadioAzadi journalists and families, reports @egkaur. https://www.voanews.com/...
Ben Smith / @benyt: New: Bipartisan letter pushing the Administration to evacuate VOA and Radio Azadi journalists — US Government employees, still stuck there. (7 more pages of signatures after this one) https://twitter.com/...
Courtney Bublé / GovExec.com: 'We're Preparing for the Worst-Case Scenarios'
Amanda Meade / The Guardian:
News Corp outlets published 45 articles in 2 days blasting Australia's ABC after the public broadcaster aired a critical program on Fox News and Trump coverage — Fox sent letter threatening possible legal action to Australian broadcaster before two-part program on the relationship with former US president aired
Discussion:
Sydney Morning Herald, ABC, @peterbale, @tamepunk, @mrkrudd, @chriscarmody4, @kimmasters and Barrett Media
Discussion:
Zoe Samios / Sydney Morning Herald: Murdoch's Fox News issues ABC with legal threat over ‘Four Corners’ Trump episode
@peterbale: Phenomenal bullies: Murdoch empire strikes back at ABC Four Corners documentary on Fox News' championing of Trump https://www.theguardian.com/ ...
Grace Tame / @tamepunk: Dogged attempts by the sly Fox to suppress the truth. Actions indicative of a guilty conscience. And we now know about the NDAs forced upon Murdoch employees to hide alleged sexual harassment. We need to hear their stories on their terms. Evil is bred in silence and secrecy. https://twitter.com/...
Kevin Rudd / @mrkrudd: 45 articles in 2 days attacking the ABC! Murdoch's failed legal attempt to stop #4Corners shows they have much to hide. Now this abuse of monopoly power from the mob the Press Council recently ruled against & YouTube banned for covid lies. We await Pt 2. https://gu.com/...
Chris Carmody / @chriscarmody4: A great effort Sarah Ferguson: you are an excellent journalist Murdoch empire strikes back at ABC's documentary on Fox News' championing of Trump | News Corporation | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/ ...
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:
Ian Burrell / @iburrell: Turf wars have broken out among local media in Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle and many other UK towns and cities - erasing the boundaries that have helped define civic identities for generations. Latest in @theipaper https://inews.co.uk/...
Mark Thompson / @markdesthompson: Local news coverage is transforming & it's great to see so many digital jobs being created. A few quotes from me in this piece about the recent launches of @_LiverpoolWorld @newcastle_world @MancWorldUK @GlasgowWorldUK - and there's more to come! https://www.google.com/...
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.”
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:
Variety, TechCrunch, Polygon, Cord Cutters News, MacRumors, 9to5Google, The Streamable, Ars Technica, The Verge, Protocol, Decider and Hollywood Reporter, more at Techmeme »
Discussion:
Jess Barnes / Cord Cutters News: Netflix Introduces Mobile Gaming in Poland
Juli Clover / MacRumors: Netflix Now Testing Integrated Mobile Games in Poland
Jeff Kotuby / The Streamable: Netflix Allows Fans in Poland to Test Two ‘Stranger Things’ Mobile Games
Sam Machkovech / Ars Technica: As it turns out, “Netflix Gaming” isn't a streaming service
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, @benkesslermusic, @shaughnessy119, Cointelegraph, Forbes and TechCrunch, more at Techmeme »
Discussion:
Tatiana Cirisano / Billboard: Earn Money for Your Music Taste: 3LAU Raises $16M for Music Rights Marketplace Royal
Ben Kessler / @benkesslermusic: spoke with @CoinDesk @realDannyNelson about @3LAU's @join_royal the future is here ✨ https://twitter.com/...
Tom Shaughnessy / @shaughnessy119: Excited to back @3LAU, the artist who originally got me addicted to house music, as he rebuilds the music industry 🙏🏻🐐 https://twitter.com/...
Nina Bambysheva / Forbes: 3LAU Launches Blockchain Music Investment Company Backed By Paradigm And Peter Thiel's Founders Fund
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:
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National Investigative Reporter, NY — 
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Staff Reporter, CA — 
Data Editor, NY — 
