Top News:
Sapna Maheshwari / New York Times:
Brands are flocking to TikTok with dedicated ad campaigns, attracted by its 1B users and its algorithm that can make an ad seem like just another video — Brands are flocking to the platform like never before, drawn by its more than 1 billion users and its algorithm, which can make an ad seem like just another video.
Discussion:
Fast Company, Gizmodo and Insider
Brian Steinberg / Variety:
Nielsen says it undercounted “out of home” TV audiences since September 2020 due to a “software issue”, and vows to release corrected estimates from mid-January — Nielsen is in the midst of a battle to count TV audiences of the future, but the company …
Discussion:
@bristei, @bristei, @epro, @bristei, @maskedscheduler, @cramersshirt, @jyarow, MediaPost, Hollywood Reporter and AdExchanger
The Economic Times:
India bans 20 YouTube channels and two websites for alleged “anti-India” propaganda from Pakistan, invoking its new IT Act's emergency powers for the first time — India banned 20 YouTube channels and two websites on Monday for allegedly running anti-India propaganda from Pakistan …
Discussion:
@mhbergen, @rahultripathi, @evelyndouek, pib.gov.in and MediaNama, more at Techmeme »
Claudia Eller / Variety:
Q&A with Bob Iger, as he prepares to leave Disney at the end of 2021, on his disinterest in running another company, Bob Chapek, investing in startups, and more — “I'm being resolute about it — this time around. I haven't once second-guessed it or hesitated," he tells me. “It's bittersweet.
Discussion:
CNBC, @variety, @tvgrimreaper, @tylermooore, @variety, @variety, Puck, @mhawk9955, @variety_cynthia, @jesterbestie, @joshgad, @variety, @williamsjon, Insider, @variety_claudia and The Week
Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:
Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich settles his libel claim after journalist Catherine Belton and HarperCollins amended passages in her book, Putin's People — Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich has settled his libel claim against the journalist and publisher behind the book Putin's People.
Discussion:
@natesibley, @tariqpanja, ChelseaFC, @chelseafc, @harpercollinsuk, @pressgazette, @wigginllp, @catherinebelton, @dansabbagh, @catherinebelton, @deborahacohen, @catherinebelton, @catherinebelton, @catherinebelton, @billbrowder, @pressgazette, Financial Times, HarperCollins Publishers, The Guardian, Bookseller News and Publishers Lunch
David Pierce / Protocol:
Interview with Automattic's Matt Mullenweg on working from his always-connected RV, making “the Berkshire Hathaway of the internet”, and betting on open systems — In the early days of the pandemic, Matt Mullenweg didn't move to a compound in Hawaii, bug out to a bunker …
Discussion:
@markosaric, @dimensionmedia, @harrymccracken, @jboogie, @pierce, @automattic and @protocol
Ryan Broderick / Garbage Day:
Analysis of Garbage Day's Substack metrics: 16K readers, about 10% of which pay to subscribe, driven mainly by announcements or coupons, not paywalled posts — Read to the end for a bunch of really good two-sentence horror stories — Tomorrow paying subscribers will get an interview in their inboxes with journalist Michael Hobbes.
Discussion:
@broderick, @simonowens, @llegrarosenberg, @caseynewton, @cwarzel and @broderick
Rebecca Davis / Variety:
Studio executives and others predict China's film industry will decouple from the global film industry in 2022 as the country turns inward under Xi Jinping — The tea leaves aren't difficult to read: China and Hollywood can bid adieu to any attempts at in-depth cultural collaboration …
Discussion:
@chineseciv, @fy4chan, @darksecretplace, @penamerica and @sonnybunch
Kate Conger / New York Times:
A look at Clubhouse and its competitors, as veteran podcast hosts and new creators decide what works best for them, based on pay, features, and their audiences — The company showed that people would flock to an audio-only social media app. Can it fend off the imitators?
Discussion:
@simonowens, @tonyschwartznba, @kateconger, @chrismessina and @brianmcc
Jeremy Barr / Washington Post:
Fox says Jesse Watters was speaking metaphorically when he told a conference audience to “ambush” Dr. Fauci with a “kill shot”; Dr. Fauci calls for his firing — The Fox host was referring to confrontational interviews in comments at a conservative conference but leaned hard on violent imagery: 'Boom!
Discussion:
@ronfilipkowski, NPR, Vanity Fair, @lmerritt1, @therecount, @mikefreemannfl, @exavierpope, @brianklaas, @brianklaas, @deliacabe, @ndrew_lawrence, @mehdirhasan, @existentialfish, @keitholbermann, @existentialfish, @karaswisher, @ynb, @mikelupica, @walshfreedom, @jimsciutto, @jjohnsonlaw and UPROXX
Politico:
Euronews says its editorial independence is not at risk after being acquired by Portuguese investment firm Alpac Capital, which has close ties to Viktor Orbán — Father of Alpac Capital's CEO has close ties to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
Discussion:
@mkarnitschnig, @stollmeyereu, @stluedke and @europeanspod
Bloomberg:
China's Xinhua News Agency plans to issue news photography NFTs, despite Beijing largely banning crypto-related transactions — China's official Xinhua News Agency is planning to issue news collectibles based on technology used in non-fungible tokens even as policy makers in Beijing have largely banned all crypto-related transactions.
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