Top News:
Todd Spangler / Variety:
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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Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
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:
@lucas_shaw and 9to5Mac
Washington Post:
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:
CNET, @jeffjarvis, @oliverdarcy, @cat_zakrzewski, @justinhendrix and @donlday, more at Techmeme »
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Charlie Warzel / Galaxy Brain:
Sources say Facebook Papers have no sharing restrictions, so media outlets should model transparency and make them publicly accessible
Sources say Facebook Papers have no sharing restrictions, so media outlets should model transparency and make them publicly accessible
Discussion:
@kantrowitz, Press Gazette, Nieman Lab, The Message Box, @annia, @kantrowitz, @dellcam, @mat, wgbh.org, @kimzetter, @joshelman, @attorneynora, @katiedrumm, @karissabe, @ezranbc, @seyitaylor, @scottnover, @blackamazon, @cwarzel, @niemanlab, @digiphile, The Wrap, The Triad, Vanity Fair, bookforum.com, New York Magazine, GOOD INTERNET and CNN, more at Techmeme »
Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:
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
USA Today:
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
Zoe Schiffer / The Verge:
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:
The Wrap, CNET, @zoeschiffer, Variety and IndieWire, more at Techmeme »
Sara Guaglione / Digiday:
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:
American Press Institute
Alex Weprin / Hollywood Reporter:
Fox's Blockchain Creative Labs, launched earlier this year with $100M in seed funding, partners with WWE to launch a marketplace to sell NFTs based on WWE IP — Fox's Blockchain Creative Labs has found its first external NFT partner in the wrestling giant.
Discussion:
nexttv.com, Variety and Light Reading
Makena Kelly / The Verge:
Biden names Jessica Rosenworcel to officially lead the FCC, nominates Gigi Sohn as third Democratic commissioner, but it's unclear if Senate will confirm soon — And progressive Gigi Sohn as a third Democratic commissioner — President Joe Biden named acting Federal Communications …
Discussion:
Politico, Washington Post, Wired, The White House, Variety, NPR, Digital TV Europe, Common Dreams, @nicolewong, @mweinberg2d, @repmaloney, The Wrap, @dpatil, @senatorshaheen, @nprpolitics, @amac, @wgawest, @senatorhassan, @techcrunch, @freepress, @karlbode, @bobbybigwheel, @peterwelch, @chrisj_lewis, @cendemtech, @bergmayer, @reckless, @jake_k, @backlon, @grynbaum, @ronwyden, @senmarkey, @bowl_of_worcel, Substack, CNET, PCMag India, Wall Street Journal and The Daily Dot
Manish Singh / TechCrunch:
Snap says it has 100M MAUs in India and partners with entertainment TV channels Sony and Zee TV for curated content in Snapchat's Discover section — Snap said today it has amassed 100 million monthly active users in India, an impressive feat in the key overseas market where Facebook …
Discussion:
The Economic Times, more at Techmeme »
Mónica Marie Zorrilla / Variety:
UCLA Hollywood Diversity study: in 2019-2020, women almost reached parity with men in casts and writers' rooms; Latinx still underrepresented across the board — People who identify as Hispanic or Latinx make up 18.5% of the United States' population, but as a Hollywood Diversity Report TV analysis …
Discussion:
UCLA, @edokeefe, @melissafumero, @angeliqueivette, The Wrap and Los Angeles Times
Tarpley Hitt / Gawker:
Sources: images in thousands of BuzzFeed posts were taken down in 2020 to ward off copyright claims; staffers can restore images if they're credited or licensed — In 2013, BuzzFeed ran a story about Bradley Cooper wearing a knit beanie so large it hid his entire hairline and fell down his neck …