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Spotify reports Q3 revenue of $2.9B, up 27% YoY; MAUs rose 19% YoY to 381M as Premium users rose 19% YoY to 172M; ad sales rose 75% YoY to $374M; stock up 6%+ — Spotify posted double-digit gains for overall monthly users and paid subscribers for the third quarter of 2021, in line with expectations …
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Spotify cites Edison Research and its own internal data to claim it “recently became” the most-used podcast platform in the US and says it has 3.2M podcasts — In September, analysts at eMarketer predicted Spotify was poised to overtake Apple Podcasts in U.S. listenership sometime this year.
Discussion:
9to5Mac and @lucas_shaw, more at Techmeme »


Internal docs show Facebook staffers agonized over whether the company was nudging news organizations to produce “darker, more divisive content” — In November 2018, the staff of Facebook's fledgling Civic Integrity department got a look at some eye-opening internal research …
Discussion:
@jeffjarvis, CNET, @cat_zakrzewski, @justinhendrix, @donlday and @oliverdarcy, more at Techmeme »
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Sources say Facebook Papers have no sharing restrictions, so media outlets should model transparency and make them publicly accessible
Discussion:
@kantrowitz, Press Gazette, The Message Box, Nieman Lab, wgbh.org, @joshelman, @attorneynora, @kantrowitz, @annia, @dellcam, @mat, @kimzetter, @katiedrumm, @karissabe, @ezranbc, @seyitaylor, @scottnover, @blackamazon, @cwarzel, @niemanlab, @digiphile, The Wrap, The Triad, Vanity Fair, bookforum.com, New York Magazine and GOOD INTERNET, more at Techmeme »


USA Today launches an SMS text chat service, letting digital subscribers connect with its fact checkers — We're living in an age of misinformation. From coronavirus to climate change, via TikTok trends and Facebook memes, being certain about the truth is more important than ever - and more difficult to distinguish.
Discussion:
@jayrosen_nyu and @dpfunke


Internal docs show Netflix tried to minimize public backlash to the film Cuties by stopping it from appearing in some search results and recommendations — In September 2020, Netflix was in turmoil as the company battled its most significant PR scandal to date.
Discussion:
@mattzeitlin, NME, @pkafka, @zoeschiffer, @cwarzel, @caseynewton, @fmanjoo, @karenattiah, @labuzamovies, @loudmouthjulia, @ericnewcomer, @franklinleonard, The Wrap, CNET, IndieWire and Variety, more at Techmeme »


A pre-election Austrian study found that interest in politics fell for people who read non-mainstream news sites, perhaps due to cynical media takes — The results of a new study published in Digital Journalism suggest that exposure to alternative media sites — which are often extremist …
Discussion:
Taylor & Francis and @franz__reiter


Judge dismisses charges against Detroit police officer Daniel DeBono, accused of shooting rubber bullets at three photojournalists after a 2020 protest — Charges have been dismissed against a Detroit police corporal accused of shooting three journalists with rubber bullets during a 2020 George Floyd demonstration.
Discussion:
Associated Press, @gregorykozak, @drharris1911, @bradmossesq and @oliverdarcy


Google reimburses Mail Online after blaming human error for disabling ads on Mail's US homepage for four hours on July 30 due to “perceived derogatory content” — Google reimbursed Mail Online after turning off advertising on its US homepage for several hours over the …
Discussion:
@ianvisits and @carnage4life


Fox's Blockchain Creative Labs, launched earlier this year with $100M in seed funding, partners with WWE to launch a marketplace selling NFTs based on WWE IP — Fox's Blockchain Creative Labs has found its first external NFT partner in the wrestling giant.
Discussion:
Tubefilter, Light Reading, Variety and nexttv.com


Universal Music Group, which was spun out of Vivendi last month, reports Q3 revenue of €2.15B, up 16% YoY; subscription and streaming revenue grew 14% YoY — In its first post-IPO earnings report, Universal Music Group posted 17.4% year-over-year revenue growth in the third quarter of 2021 …
Discussion:
Billboard, PR Newswire, Music Business Worldwide, Music Business Worldwide and Bloomberg


Former New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof announces he is running for governor of Oregon — Washington, DC (CNN)Former New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof announced Wednesday that he is running for governor of Oregon. — “I've never run for political office in my life …
Discussion:
Washington Post, The Hill, KGW-TV, Newsy, Associated Press, Oregonian, The Guardian, @vintageanchor, The Week and Insider


BBC, Bloomberg, FT, Group Nine, and the Economist say they're receiving increased advertiser requests around sustainability and climate coverage — As publishers invest in more climate coverage this year, the question remains whether or not this content category is also drawing interest from advertisers.
Discussion:
@bbgmedia and American Press Institute