Top News:
Ben Smith / New York Times:
Docs show Axel Springer faced claims that Bild's workplace culture mixed sex, journalism, and company cash; Axios' Jim VandeHei says merger talks were “sneaky” — A high-flying German media giant is ahead on digital media but seems stuck in the past when it comes to the workplace and deal-making.
Discussion:
Insider, @ryanlcooper, The Time of Monsters, Poynter, @janinegibson, @rumpelwicht23, @akm0803, @nytimes, @benyt, @nicdawes, @lisang, @tom_nuttall, @olafstorbeck, @edmundlee, @katiedrumm, @drericding, @cliffordlevy, @emilyctamkin, @krstorevic, @benyt, @jeffjarvis, @mirjam_fischer, @mila_sek, @amberinzaman, @adamserwer, @lyssaslounge, @carriemelago, @rumpelwicht23, @rumpelwicht23, The Wrap, @pgourevitch, @rumpelwicht23, @baddestmamajama, @annettedittert, @markdistef and @hunterw
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Bojan Pancevski / Wall Street Journal:
Axel Springer CEO details plans for Politico, including expanding staff from 900 to 1,000, publishing in several languages, and eventually adding a paywall
Axel Springer CEO details plans for Politico, including expanding staff from 900 to 1,000, publishing in several languages, and eventually adding a paywall
Discussion:
@tonydavis987, What's New in Publishing, Media Voices, @mattdpearce, @jimwaterson, @armandondk, @lisamccray, @laurawags, @kendrawrites, @tomwrightasia, @laurawags, @mcbyrne, @adriana_lacy, @timmarchman, @tysonbrody, @keitholbermann, @jamespindell, @drewsav, @evanasmith, @jonbernhardt, @mattdpearce, @evale72, @sewellchan, @richardgrenell, @mikertrice and The Future of Media …
Lucas Shaw / Bloomberg:
Internal document: Netflix estimates Squid Game will create almost $900M in value for the company; 87M viewers finished the series in the first 23 days — More than 130 million people have watched the Korean show — Netflix estimates that its latest megahit, “Squid Game,” …
Discussion:
The Streamable, Forbes, New York Times, CNBC, @anthony, UPROXX, Variety, Too Much TV Newsletter, Menagerie, the Newsletter, @bengcotton, @carnage4life, The Wrap, NME, Deadline, @mikeisaac, @jscotttn, C21Media, Fortune, Gizmodo, ScreenRant, Decider, @rover829, @kellybourdet, @phil_lewis_, @lucas_shaw and Insider, more at Techmeme »
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Alex Sherman / CNBC:
Netflix's success with Squid Game is prompting other services to explore international productions, which are typically much less expensive than US equivalents — - Netflix's success with ‘Squid Game’ is making other streamers eager to explore international production.
Discussion:
@yinkawrites, @sherman4949, Los Angeles Times and Insider
Zoe Schiffer / The Verge:
Netflix fires a leader of the trans employee resource group who was organizing a walkout, for allegedly leaking metrics related to the Dave Chappelle special
Netflix fires a leader of the trans employee resource group who was organizing a walkout, for allegedly leaking metrics related to the Dave Chappelle special
Discussion:
Columbia Journalism Review, Bloomberg, @timnitgebru, CapGainz 🚀, @prof_gabriele, handle with care, @christinapushaw, @koblin, @ericnewcomer, @ericnewcomer, @pkafka, @pkafka, @politicalmath, @dr_pete, @lesliemac, @bcmerchant, @bigblackjacobin, @bigblackjacobin, @naima, @dianelyssa, @sorayamcdonald, @heerjeet, @awkward_duck, @brownblaze, @rlyeh, @rlyeh, @rlyeh, @rlyeh, @rlyeh, @rlyeh, @aguirreryan, @ericdharvey, @battymamzelle, @earth_woman1, @inafried, @dtemkin, @bad_dominicana, @kvanaren, @intothemelwoods, @akilahobviously, @phil_lewis_, @femme_thoughts, @hologramvin, @phil_lewis_, @sadydoyle, @wagatwe, @jackietorrens, @worthless_bums, The Week, The Daily Beast, CNET, Essence, The A.V. Club, Wall Street Journal, Insider, Variety, Gizmodo, New York Times, Rolling Stone, UPROXX, The Wrap, NME and Vanity Fair
Lucas Shaw / Bloomberg:
Leaked Netflix documents of metrics evaluating shows indicate $24.1M spent on Chappelle's The Closer vs. $21.4M on Squid Game
Leaked Netflix documents of metrics evaluating shows indicate $24.1M spent on Chappelle's The Closer vs. $21.4M on Squid Game
Discussion:
The Wrap, Sasha Stone on Politics …, Digital TV Europe, @carnage4life, @brendengallager, @mikeisaac, @nataliegroman, The Guardian, @itsmechriswade, @jedigoodman, Vanity Fair, Out of Scope, New York Times, PC Gamer, TechCrunch, Los Angeles Times, NME, NPR, TheBlaze, Decider, Variety, IndieWire, @loudmouthjulia, @loudmouthjulia, Hollywood Reporter, Insider, @slatzism, Wired, The A.V. Club, Protocol and @angryblacklady
Catalin Cimpanu / The Record:
In an SEC filing, Sinclair confirms it suffered a ransomware attack that disrupted its channels on Sunday; Sinclair initially blamed technical issues — Sinclair formally confirmed the ransomware attack a day after this initial report in SEC documents. Original reporting below.
Discussion:
Business Wire, Radio & Television …, insideradio.com, TVSpy, Axios, Wall Street Journal, @sarasmalltv, @erinthomaswx, @sarafischer, Metacurity, The Independent, Reuters, MarketWatch, @trenicebtv, @campuscodi, @brianstelter, Awful Announcing, BleepingComputer, @clay_masters, @campuscodi, Hollywood Reporter, @dinodaizovi, @juliettekayyem, @kevincollier and @suzspencertv, more at Techmeme »
Deadline:
IATSE and AMPTP reach a deal, avoiding a strike that would have shut film and TV production; new contract needs to be ratified by IATSE members — EXCLUSIVE: With Hollywood on edge and picket signs at the ready, IATSE and the AMPTP have reached an agreement on a new film and TV contract, averting a threatened nationwide strike.
Discussion:
REPORT DOOR, The Wrap, Variety, IATSE, Digital TV Europe, The Week, The Wrap, Variety, @scalzi, Los Angeles Times, The A.V. Club, Gizmodo, UPI, @pattonoswalt, The Verge, @ghostpanther, CNN, Protocol, @thejonlindstrom, @uptotask, @jonahfurman, @moreperfectus, @heatherfink, Los Angeles Times, @arlanwashere, @sarayublue, @deadlinedominic, @grimkim, @alexnpress, Insider, Chicago Sun-Times, SlashFilm, NBC News, IndieWire, TVLine and Page Six
Patrick McGee / Financial Times:
Analysis: Apple Search Ads now account for 58% of iOS app installs from an ad click, up from 17% a year ago; Apple to earn $5B from its ads business in FY 2021 — iPhone maker's share of mobile app advertising market has tripled in six months — Apple's advertising business has more than tripled …
Tripp Mickle / Wall Street Journal:
A look at YouTube's in-house creator partnerships team, which has over 1,000 employees across 45 countries offering advice and guidance to about 12,000 creators — The site has spent more than a decade building an in-house agency for digital superstars, drawing ad sales, sponsorships and other revenue
Discussion:
@rkyncl, @djtgallagher, @susanwojcicki, @jfest, @tarawlevy, @anthony and Tubefilter
Bloomberg:
Sources: China is considering asking Tencent, ByteDance, and other media companies to let rivals access and display their content in search results — - MIIT may ask Tencent to allow Baidu, others to search WeChat — If implemented, it could shake up the online advertising arena
Discussion:
TechCrunch, @briefnorris, @harshmadhusudan and @pingroma, more at Techmeme »
Margaret Sullivan / Washington Post:
How Rolling Stone, which started turning a profit in 2019 and reaches 60M readers/month online, is trying to reestablish itself as “the Bible for young people” — Correction: A previous version of this article called Jeffrey Epstein a sex trafficker.
Discussion:
Media Nation, @anthony, @noahshachtman, @marlownyc, @sulliview, @swin24, @joshsternberg and @janebsinger
New York Times:
Profile of Iole Lucchese, a Scholastic exec given control of the company after the sudden death of CEO Dick Robinson; sources say they were romantic partners — Iole Lucchese, a senior executive at the publishing company, said she was just as surprised as everyone else to learn she had been handed control of the business.
Discussion:
@nytimesbooks, @dpd_, @rachsyme, @staceynycdc, @katierosman, @katierosman and @heyitsfranklin2
Michael King / The Streamable:
Dish files a formal FCC complaint against Tegna, alleging bad faith in the ongoing negotiations over a new carriage deal — Dish has filed a formal complaint with the Federal Communications Commission, alleging that Tegna has been acting in bad faith in connection with the ongoing negotiations over a new carriage deal.
Discussion:
nexttv.com and Light Reading
Priyanjana Bengani / Columbia Journalism Review:
Metric Media, a pink slime operation of 1,200+ local US “news” sites, has ties to founders of the Tea Party movement, Donors Trust, and other right-wing groups — This is the first part of a two-part investigation. The second piece can be found here.
Discussion:
@dangillmor, Columbia Journalism Review, @anelsona, @cjr, @emilybell, @emilybell and @kevinloker