Top News:
David Gelles / New York Times:
Ben Smith is leaving the NYT to start a global news organization with Justin Smith for the “200M people who are college educated, who read in English” — Mr. Smith will help start a new organization with Justin Smith, the chief executive of Bloomberg Media.
Discussion:
@benyt, @dgelles, @bgrueskin, Washington Post, Talking Biz News, @emilybell, @reckless, @nhannahjones, @zengerle, @dylanbyers, @ashleyfeinberg, Indigenous Wire, @felixsalmon, @kindahagi, @rachel, @rosental, @mayawiley, @sethklamann, @dcbigjohn, @froomkin, @ryanchittum, @comfortablysmug, @alicialutes, @chaykak, @jswatz, @laurenzcollins, @katie_roof, @davidcorndc, @sarafischer, @benyt, @dangillmor, @froomkin, @claireeshaffer, @jscros, @apbenven, @meredithshiner, @rublekb, @brianstelter, @hunterw, @alexthomp, @rafat, @om, @nprinskeep, @kerrymflynn, @kromandavid, @bypatrickgeorge, @buzzfeedben, @karaswisher, @richardgrenell, @mhbaskin, @lebassett, @kazweida, @ungarino, @jswatz, @rosiegray, @jscros, @maxwelltani, @esotericcd, @kampeas, @juliacarriew, @jason, @digitalshields, @daveweigel, @lpolgreen, @claremalone, @justinhendrix, @parismartineau, @natalieweiner, @yair_rosenberg, @ralstonreports, @jakesherman, @ariehkovler, New York Magazine, @clairevtran, @howardkurtz, @chanders, @tomgara, @tomgara, @hamiltonnolan, @robinwigg, @thekenyeung, @toley88, @bristei, @ashleyfeinberg, @ashleyfeinberg, @kerrymflynn, @s_m_i, @paperhaus, @joshsternberg, @davegershgorn, @tomscocca, @rmac18, @daisandconfused, @scottfeinberg, @michaelroston, @brianstelter, @edmundlee, @cliffordlevy, @susanpage, @jimwaterson, @lisatozzi, @pdmcleod, @ljkawa, @scottnover, @akarl_smith, @martinsfp, @carolynryan, @ezwrites, @mattnegrin, @tomgara, @samjmintz, @sonnybunch, @alexbruell, @patrickmcgee_, @jbflint, @jbflint, @kfile, Defector, Financial Times, Observer, bookforum.com, Mediaite and The Hill
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Clare Malone / New Yorker:
Q&A with Ben Smith on his new media venture, as plans like a launch date remain to be finalized: “We want to serve the highest common denominator” — The departing Times media columnist and former editor-in-chief of BuzzFeed News wants to push the envelope but isn't yet ready to say just how.
Discussion:
@newyorker, Puck, Poynter, @davidmackau, @lmoses, @getembedded, @davidshepardson, @claremalone, @tomgara, @nycsouthpaw, @scottnover, @froomkin, @hotlinejosh, @alexthomp, @ashleyfeinberg, @eliotwb, @natsfert, @meredithshiner and @banikarim
Benjamin Mullin / Wall Street Journal:
Bloomberg Media CEO Justin Smith steps down effective immediately to found a media company “that serves unbiased journalism”; Scott Havens to replace him as CEO — Mr. Smith, 52, sees opportunity to help address crisis in trust among news consumers
Discussion:
@justin_b_smith, Vox, @benmullin, Variety, @benmullin, @benmullin, The Rebooting, @sewellchan, @edmundlee, @digiphile, @carloslozadawp, @benmullin, @jkempenergy, @marcbain_, @lionelbarber, @madisonoconn, @michaelluo, @chriscillizza, @niketa, @richard_florida, @jayrosen_nyu, @mattzeitlin, @laurawags, @jbarro, @hunterw, @mattdpearce, @mccarthyryanj, @parryravi, @claremalone, @sub8u, @ryanlcooper, @robinwigg, @michaelroston, @jason_kint, @brianstelter, @davidfolkenflik, @seangriffey, @seangriffey, @jbflint, @pkafka, @pkafka, Deadline, Today in Tabs, Talking Biz News, New York Post, MediaPost, The Wrap and Hollywood Reporter
Sara Fischer / Axios:
Justin Smith will be CEO of the new venture, which will focus on digital consumer subscriptions and premium advertising, and Ben Smith will lead its newsroom — Calling legacy media “almost paralyzed,” two of journalism's top disrupters — Bloomberg's Justin Smith and Ben Smith of the New York Times …
Discussion:
@sarafischer, @craigsilverman, @sarafischer and @sarafischer
Ashley Carman / The Verge:
Sources: ill-suited or blocked programmatic ads are airing on some podcasts, showing that early trust between networks and ad tech providers could break — This story is part of a group of stories called — The podcast industry is working up to something big; you can see it in the acquisitions.
Discussion:
@marcoarment, @marcoarment, @profcarroll, AdExchanger, @marcoarment, @stephenrobles, @ismh, @ashleyrcarman and RAIN News
Jeff Baumgartner / Light Reading:
MoffettNathanson: US pay-TV services lost 637,000 subscribers in Q3 as gains from digital distributors failed to make up for cable and satellite provider losses — The US pay-TV industry shed another 637,000 subscribers in the third quarter of 2021 as gains from virtual multichannel video …
Discussion:
@crupicrupicrupi, @aagave, @sportswatch, @tvgrimreaper, @sportstvratings, Fierce Video, The Streamable and nexttv.com
Ingrid Lunden / TechCrunch:
TikTok partners with Atmosphere to bring curated TikTok videos to Atmosphere's TV streaming service for commercial venues — TikTok — the hugely popular mobile video app with more than 1 billion users — has been taking its first steps to break into a new screen, the TV screen …
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Sarah Scire / Nieman Lab:
The Institute for Nonprofit News raised a record $12M, including $6M in matching funds, for 2021's NewsMatch fundraising program and 300+ newsrooms participated — As 2021 came to a close, NewsMatch was just getting started. — The Institute for Nonprofit News (INN) announced it raised $12 million …
Discussion:
Institute for Nonprofit News, @inn and @inn
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Amazon says it has sold over 150M Fire TV devices worldwide — Amazon is touting a major milestone for its Fire TV line of streaming devices, claiming it has sold more than 150 million Fire TV devices worldwide. … At the end of 2020, Amazon last reported having more than 50 million active Fire TV accounts.
Georg Szalai / Hollywood Reporter:
AT&T CFO says HBO Max and HBO ended 2021 with about 73.8M subscribers, ahead of the company's forecast — The WarnerMedia streamer's fourth-quarter content slate included ‘Succession,’ ‘Dune’ and ‘Sex and the City’ sequel series ‘And Just Like That.’
Vania Andre / THE CITY:
NYC-based independent and nonprofit news site The City appoints Richard Kim as EIC, starting on February 1; Kim was previously HuffPost's executive editor — THE CITY, an independent, nonprofit newsroom dedicated to serving the people of New York, is delighted to announce the appointment of Richard Kim as editor in chief.
Discussion:
@richardkimnyc, @hilella, @lpolgreen, @craignewmark, @zachdcarter, @moorehn, @j__velasquez, @jere_hester, @nicdawes and @sulliview
Megan Graham / Wall Street Journal:
Adtech company Smartly.io will buy Ad-Lib.io, which offers creative tools for Google platforms, for $100M+, as it seeks to expand beyond social media offerings — Purchase of Ad-Lib.io will help Smartly.io expand from paid social-media offerings into Google platforms as marketers route more dollars into digital advertising
Discussion:
@alexweprin
Axios:
Chartbeat survey of 4,000+ publishers globally: traffic declined 8% between 2020 and 2021 and nearly 20% between January 2021 and December 2021 — Engagement with news content plummeted last year compared to 2020, and given the ongoing decline in interest in news about COVID-19 and politics …
Discussion:
@sarafischer, @kennymack1971, @kristina_wong, @scottnover, @kassien, @paulglader, @blackamazon, Vanity Fair, @jason_kint, @aubsn, @mattlargey and @sarafischer
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