Top News:
Anna Nicolaou / Financial Times:
Quartz CEO Zach Seward says the outlet is dropping its paywall after three years to focus on “the right kind of subscription”; Quartz has ~25K subscribers — Co-founder Zach Seward says site will focus on ‘right kind of subscription’ as it tries to build traffic and influence
Discussion:
Adweek, Quartz, The Wrap, Press Gazette, New York Times, @kendallbaker, @adampasick, @rafat, @adamscochran, @qz, @kiruti, @firstadopter, @rafat, @matthewherper, @fromedome, @qz, @mcwm, @abnormalreturns, @markstenberg3, @bmorrissey, Nieman Lab and Talking Biz News
Chicago Tribune:
Chicago Reader editorial union says co-owner Len Goodman has blocked its sale to become a nonprofit and asked to appoint members to the board to retain control — Len Goodman, honor your word and free the Reader. — In February, the Tribune published an op-ed in which Invisible Institute …
Discussion:
@sujay721, @nina_metz, @imleor, @imleor and @katie_prout
RELATED:
Leonard Goodman / scheerpost.com:
Chicago Reader's Len Goodman says its nonprofit transition is stalled because management won't accept the board's demand it guarantee space for dissenting views — A case study in how allegedly neutral analysts hired by publications or social media can effectively cancel good-faith questions …
Kate Cox / The Counter:
The Counter, a nonprofit newsroom that investigated the forces shaping how and what Americans eat, will cease publication on May 20 after nearly seven years — I'm writing with news I hoped I'd never have to report. After nearly seven years publishing some of the most provocative …
Discussion:
@thecounter, @thetinavasquez, @freeblackgirl, @thetinavasquez, @jhett93, @kennytorrella, @mattiekahn, @laurahayesdc, @ckummer, @deenashanker, @rmac18, @katherinespiers, @thetinavasquez, @tamarhaspel, @marionnestle, @thetinavasquez, @bigboldreds, @aliciakennedy, @thetinavasquez, @namansour26, @hbottemiller, @karonliu, @eileenguo, @jesstiafu, @imgarysuarez, @john_thom_, @weinbergrrrrr, @thetinavasquez, @jesstiafu, Family Meal, @econhardship, @qualityrye, @eacrunden, @thetinavasquez, @taceyrychter, @damemagazine, @whoislexybrown and @emilybell
Axios:
Fox News says it didn't authorize a verified account on Truth Social, which for months has had unverified bot accounts for Fox Sports, TMZ, the NFL, and others — Just days after a verified account for Fox News appeared on former President Trump's social media app, Truth Social …
Discussion:
@jayrosen_nyu, @robertmaguire_, @pittgriffin, @devincow, @grahamdavida, @danprimack, New York Magazine, Forbes, Mediaite and Insider
Ashley Carman / Bloomberg:
A year after Facebook launched podcasts and other audio tools for creators, sources say Meta has shifted its focus to metaverse events and online shopping — Facebook's interest in podcasts is fading, barely a year after it began. — Last April, during a hot market for audio …
Discussion:
Protocol, @mattnavarra, @ashleyrcarman, @lucas_shaw, @emilyrpeck, @evoterra, @jimprosser and @mgsiegler, more at Techmeme »
Reuters:
Sources: a consortium led by radio industry veteran Jeff Warshaw offers to acquire Cumulus Media for close to $1.2B including debt; the stock closes up 39.86% — A consortium led by U.S. radio station industry veteran Jeff Warshaw has offered to acquire Cumulus Media Inc (CMLS.O) …
Discussion:
insideradio.com, Radio & Television … and insideradio.com
Stephen Battaglio / Los Angeles Times:
A look at Fox News Books, an effort to “transcend” the news; the marketing department develops the book ideas and matches them with on-air talent for promotion — Shannon Bream, an anchor on Fox News, doesn't get into the kinds of noise-making controversies that propel the careers …
Discussion:
@shannonbream and @johnnydollar01
Mia Sato / The Verge:
YouTube Shorts now lets creators splice in 1- to 5-second clips from eligible long-form videos and Shorts; previously, creators could only add short audio clips — Creators can use clips from YouTube's billions of videos in their own content — Creators making YouTube Shorts will now be able …
Discussion:
@lavrusik, Tubefilter, Mashable, TechCrunch and Engadget, more at Techmeme »
The Moscow Times:
Russia blocks the Russian-language site of the Moscow Times for publishing a “false report” on riot police officers refusing to fight in Ukraine — Russia blocked The Moscow Times' Russian-language service on Friday after it published what authorities call a false report …
Discussion:
Radio Free Europe/Radio …, @cliffordlevy, @maryilyushina, @samberkhead and Мед …
Rick Porter / Hollywood Reporter:
MLB renews its YouTube deal to stream 15 baseball games this season; the league has streaming deals with Apple TV+ for Friday games and Peacock for Monday games — The site will be home to 15 games in the 2022 season as MLB continues to cast a wide net with streamers.
Discussion:
The Streamable, @lucas_shaw, @ericfishersbg, The Verge, Awful Announcing, Sports Business Journal and CNET
Sarah Scire / Nieman Lab:
The Texas Tribune plans to hire reporters outside of big Texas cities, including its first Report for America position, to broaden perspectives on state policy — Texas, as you might have heard, is quite big. Even a semi-recent transplant, the Texas Tribune's editor-in-chief Sewell Chan …
Discussion:
@fahrenthold, @davidmcswane, @amzam, @rebekahallen, @lerdody, @sewellchan, @chriscookttu and American Press Institute