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, @dylanbyers, @daveleeft, @zengerle, @ashleyfeinberg, @rachel, @mayawiley, @dcbigjohn, @kindahagi, @ryanchittum, @felixsalmon, @comfortablysmug, @chaykak, @jswatz, @laurenzcollins, @sarafischer, @benyt, @dangillmor, @apbenven, @alexthomp, @om, @nprinskeep, Indigenous Wire, @bypatrickgeorge, @karaswisher, @richardgrenell, @kazweida, @kampeas, @juliacarriew, @jason, @jscros, @jscros, @maxwelltani, @jswatz, @kromandavid, @froomkin, @brianstelter, @rafat, @davidcorndc, @hunterw, @katie_roof, @froomkin, @buzzfeedben, @lebassett, @sethklamann, @alicialutes, @claireeshaffer, @meredithshiner, @rublekb, @mhbaskin, @ungarino, @esotericcd, @kerrymflynn, @rosiegray, @rosental, @digitalshields, @daveweigel, @lpolgreen, @claremalone, @justinhendrix, @parismartineau, @natalieweiner, @yair_rosenberg, @ralstonreports, @jakesherman, @ariehkovler, @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, New York Magazine, Defector, Financial Times, Observer, bookforum.com, Mediaite and The Hill
RELATED:
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:
Reuters, @justin_b_smith, Vox, @benmullin, Variety, @benmullin, @benmullin, The Rebooting, @sewellchan, @edmundlee, @digiphile, @carloslozadawp, @jkempenergy, @lionelbarber, @madisonoconn, @michaelluo, @chriscillizza, @niketa, @richard_florida, @jayrosen_nyu, @mattzeitlin, @laurawags, @jbarro, @hunterw, @mattdpearce, @mccarthyryanj, @marcbain_, @benmullin, @parryravi, @claremalone, @sub8u, @ryanlcooper, @robinwigg, @michaelroston, @jason_kint, @brianstelter, @davidfolkenflik, @seangriffey, @seangriffey, @jbflint, @pkafka, @pkafka, Talking Biz News, Today in Tabs, Deadline, MediaPost, New York Post, 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
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.’
Discussion:
Variety, The Wrap, Bloomberg, Media Play News, Cord Cutters News and Deadline
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Amazon says it has sold over 150M Fire TV devices worldwide — Amazon is touting a major milestone for Fire TV, claiming it has sold more than 150 million of the streaming devices worldwide. And it announced deals with Ford Motor Co. and Stellantis to bring Fire TV to the automakers' in-car entertainment systems.
Discussion:
TechCrunch and Amazon Fire TV
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 …
RELATED:
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:
MediaPost and @alexweprin
Jim Waterson / The Guardian:
Court docs: Mail on Sunday will pay Meghan Markle just £1 for invading her privacy, on top of confidential sums for infringing her copyright; MoS won't appeal — Newspaper accepts defeat and will pay additional unspecified sum for infringing her copyright
Discussion:
Daily Mail, The Independent, UPI, The Daily Beast and Insider
Brian Steinberg / Variety:
Comscore launches Comscore Everywhere to measure unduplicated audiences across various media and screens, with plans to add new phases throughout 2022 — Comscore, a longtime rival to Nielsen in the business of measuring media audiences, is vowing to keep pace as advertisers seek new ways …
Discussion:
PR Newswire
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