Top News:
Alex Sherman / CNBC:
Sources: rival strategies for CNN+, combined with unexpected events like Jeff Zucker's resignation and the Discovery merger, fueled the service's rapid demise — Chris Licht wasn't supposed to start his new job as CNN's chief until May. — But on Thursday he found himself addressing …
Discussion:
New York Times, @sherman4949, @vivian, @pilhofer, @sherman4949, @cnbci, Mediaite, Protocol and Nieman Lab
Discussion:
Alex Sherman / @sherman4949: After many interviews and days of reporting, the main issue with CNN+ wasn't the launch or even the product as it exists. CNN+ is an example of two companies having an entirely different perception of CNN+ was supposed to be. My feature: https://www.cnbc.com/...
Vivian Schiller / @vivian: “Zaslav's team thought the NYT comparison was silly. NYT turned digital users into paying subs by putting their content behind a paywall...Zaslav's team felt the correct comparison was Fox Nation, which hasn't reached 2mm subs since launching in 2018” https://www.cnbc.com/...
Aron Pilhofer / @pilhofer: Epic postmortem on the CNN+ debacle. My takeaway: innovation in a big corporation is nearly impossible. CNN+ may never have reached its delusional subscriber #s, but that is part of the problem. I feel for all the people whose hard work went up in smoke b/c of corporate politics. https://twitter.com/...
Alex Sherman / @sherman4949: New York's hottest club is CNN+. This streaming service has everything: Ambiguously defined strategy, executive turnover, poor communication due to regulatory restrictions, hurt feelings, hundreds of layoffs, ominous future consequences... https://www.cnbc.com/...
@cnbci: CNN+ was several months in the making. It will only last a few weeks. Here's the unusual inside story of the streaming service's rapid demise. https://www.cnbc.com/...
Joe DePaolo / Mediaite: Jeff Zucker's Friendship With David Zaslav Reportedly On Ice Amid CNN Turmoil
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Sara Fischer / Axios:
Source: ~350 of CNN+'s 700 staff will be laid off with pay and benefits for the next 90 days; much of the CNN+ programming will be reallocated to other services — The shuttering of CNN+ three weeks after the subscription service launched will be remembered as one of the most chaotic moments of CNN's 40-year history.
Discussion:
@brianstelter, The Hill, @reporterporter, @ggreenwald, @kromandavid, @emilyroseman1, @buffalogal, @nytimes, @benmullin, @jonlemire, @_richardhall, @dcnorg, @benmullin, @thrasherxy, @gtcost, @teflongeek, @jennifersey, Hollywood Reporter, @sarafischer, @profgalloway, @hector_drummond, @axios, @saksappeal, @sarafischer, @qwongsj, @sarafischer, @beverlyhallberg, @sarafischer, @sarafischer, @bgrueskin, The Week and Ars Technica
Discussion:
Brian Stelter / @brianstelter: Breaking: CNN+, the streaming service that was hyped as one of the most signifiant developments in the history of CNN, will shut down on April 30, just one month after it launched. Here's our initial story - more to come https://www.cnn.com/...
Dominick Mastrangelo / The Hill: CNN+ shutting down — CNN is shutting down its paid streaming service just weeks after it launched …
Steven Porter / @reporterporter: That could have covered 1.2 reporter positions for each U.S. county. https://twitter.com/...
Glenn Greenwald / @ggreenwald: NYT: “The near-instant collapse of CNN+ amounted to one of the most spectacular media failures in years, a $300 million experiment that ended abruptly with ... careers in disarray.” “Fewer than 10,000 viewers were watching at any given time.” https://www.nytimes.com/...
David Kroman / @kromandavid: I forgot Audie Cornish left NPR for CNN+. This whole thing is so frustrating. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Emily Roseman / @emilyroseman1: To put this in perspective, @INN's core group of 350+ independent, nonpartisan, digital-first news outlets costs ~$350MM per year. ~95% survival rate across our membership. If you want your investments to stick, invest here. https://twitter.com/...
Nicole Schuman / @buffalogal: Good luck to CNN+ employees. Ill never undersyand why you shut down something you invested so much in within weeks. https://twitter.com/...
@nytimes: The near-instant collapse of CNN+ amounted to one of the most spectacular media failures in years, a $300 million experiment that ended abruptly. The corporate tug of war over its fate exposed deep philosophical divides about the future of digital media. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Ben Mullin / @benmullin: New deep-dive on the rise and fall of CNN+ w/@koblin and @grynbaum. Among the details: Zas and Zucker, once great friends, have not spoken since Zucker's exit https://www.nytimes.com/...
Jonathan Lemire / @jonlemire: “The next day, some unflattering statistics were reported by CNBC and Axios. CNN executives were dismayed. And they grew suspicious of their new superiors from Discovery, believing they had leaked the data to create a pretext to shut down the service.” https://www.nytimes.com/...
Richard Hall / @_richardhall: The thinking here appeared to be something like: People are abandoning cable news. If we replicate that format, put it on their phone or laptop, and charge people for it, maybe they will suddenly love it again. https://www.nytimes.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@dcnorg: While CNN+ won't exist as of next month, CNN as a news organization will play a critical role in its new parent company's streaming strategy, bringing gravitas with it. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/ ... via @thr
Ben Mullin / @benmullin: “Shortly after Mr. Zaslav appeared with Oprah Winfrey for a rah-rah company town hall, he gathered his deputies inside a low-slung stucco building in Burbank, Calif., on the Warner Bros. studio lot, and said he agreed with their conclusion: shut it down.” https://www.nytimes.com/...
Dr. Thrasher / @thrasherxy: Deep dive into end of CNN+. Explains the merger part of the the collapse well. Doesn't explain how McKinsey planned for 15-20 million eventual subscribers while CNN+ only had 150,000. https://www.nytimes.com/...
@gtcost: Yeah, I love how @McKinsey are the New Vampire Squid. Though the sheer dumbness of @cnn not knowing their own potential market is even more precious. It's like Venal & Dumber. @netflix should make a series. https://twitter.com/...
Javier E. David / @teflongeek: 'CNN must now emerge from one of the most chaotic periods in its history: the firing of its top-rated anchor Chris Cuomo; the ouster of its longtime president Jeff Zucker ... and the absorption of its parent company WarnerMedia by Mr. Zaslav's Discovery.' https://www.nytimes.com/...
Jennifer Sey / @jennifersey: Apparently McKinsey advised CNN that CNN+ was a great idea. How many times can McKinsey give bad advice or be involved in corrupt business dealings before businesses stop using them? If I ever work in corporate America again I hereby refuse to use them! https://www.axios.com/...
Sara Fischer / @sarafischer: More nuggets in here regarding @CNNplus shutting down: — Andrew Morse, the head of CNN+ and head of digital at CNN, will be leaving the company. — Alex MacCallum, head of product and general manager, will replace Morse as head of digital https://www.axios.com/...
Scott Galloway / @profgalloway: It's been a phenomenal run for streaming. But as the public and private markets are starting to learn, all runs come to an end. https://www.profgalloway.com/ ... https://twitter.com/...
@hector_drummond: The boss of CNN+, Andrew Morse, was “given a budget of $1 billion over four years”. For that they succeeded in getting as many subscribers as a medium YouTube channel. https://www.axios.com/...
@axios: CNN chief Jeff Zucker's departure then forced Discovery executives to rethink CNN's role in the larger company. The network's plan for a standalone subscription service never made sense for Discovery, but Zucker supported it. https://www.axios.com/...
Jim Saksa / @saksappeal: CNN+ may have been a dumb idea, but this absolutely sucks https://twitter.com/...
Sara Fischer / @sarafischer: MEMO: Farewell note from CNN+ boss Andrew Morse, who will depart the company, to staff. “I'll be rooting for you all and for CNN.” https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Queenie Wong / @qwongsj: I've been in newsrooms where reporters had to reapply to their jobs and know first hand what layoffs are like in this industry so whenever I see news like this I honestly feel bad for the workers. https://twitter.com/...
Sara Fischer / @sarafischer: Same. I was laid off twice in 3 months at CNN during Turner bloodbath in 2014. Thanks to a lot of kind and empathetic folks there, I was rehired back to the company both times after in different roles. But it was tough on morale. I eventually left CNN and went back to sales. https://twitter.com/...
Beverly Hallberg / @beverlyhallberg: A good recap of the quick demise. https://twitter.com/...
Sara Fischer / @sarafischer: The collapse of CNN+ is one of the most chaotic moments of @CNN's 41-year history This is how it happened. https://www.axios.com/...
Sara Fischer / @sarafischer: NEW @axios: Inside the chaotic collapse of CNN+ — $25m monthly on marketing & other massive expenses made Discovery wary it could be profitable in 4 years — Chris Wallace could be heading to linear TV, but not at 9p — Hiring freeze will end — 350 laid off https://www.axios.com/...
Bill Grueskin / @bgrueskin: Imagine how many reporters could've been hired with the $300 million they already invested. https://www.axios.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Brendan Morrow / The Week: What's next for Chris Wallace after the end of CNN+?
Sam Machkovech / Ars Technica: RIP CNN+, March 2022-April 2022
Katie Glueck / New York Times:
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signs a bill revoking Disney's special tax status, effective as of June 2023, after a clash over the state's “Don't Say Gay” law — Gov. Ron DeSantis's move to revoke the company's special tax status in Florida showed how combative his party …
Discussion:
The Atlantic, Vox, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Discursive notes …, @larryglickman, @davidafrench, @theatlantic, @joyannreid, @patyoung44b, @imillhiser, @zackford, @adriennelaf, @craigtimes, @prchovanec, The Wrap, Politico, @harrisonjaime, @dellcam, @katieglueck, @pekingmike, @freddiecampion, @djlavoie, @jaynordlinger, @greenhousenyt, @akilahobviously, De Civitate, Washington Post, Digging In with Debra …, The Verge and Associated Press
Discussion:
David French / The Atlantic: Ron DeSantis Aims at Disney, Hits the First Amendment
Will Bunch / The Philadelphia Inquirer: The real reason today's Republican Party hates corporations like Disney
Alex Horovitz / Discursive notes …: The Fascist(s?) vs The Mouse
Lawrence Glickman / @larryglickman: The claim that “corporations that are increasingly taking a stand on political issues” does not withstand historical scrutiny./1 https://www.nytimes.com/...
David French / @davidafrench: In their crackdown on “wokeness,” all too many Republicans will forsake the Bill of Rights to reward their friends and punish their enemies. As the right cheers Ron DeSantis, it is forsaking the First Amendment. https://newsletters.theatlantic.com/ ...
@theatlantic: “The government cannot use its awesome power of contracting, employment, permitting, and taxation to reward political and ideological friends and punish political and ideological enemies.” @DavidAFrench on Ron DeSantis vs. Disney: https://on.theatln.tc/T8xsfZi
Joy-Ann / @joyannreid: Permit me to now repost actual conservative @DavidAFrench - to demonstrate that this shouldn't be an ideological issue; it should be a straightforward constitutional one. https://newsletters.theatlantic.com/ ...
Ian Millhiser / @imillhiser: If Ron DeSantis succeeds in using the power of the government to sanction the world's largest and most powerful producer of First Amendment-protected speech, because he disagrees with that speech, then we are all in terrible, terrible danger. https://www.vox.com/...
Zack Ford / @zackford: You don't have to like big corporations. You don't have to give Disney much credit for its paltry defense against Don't Say Gay. But you do have to acknowledge Florida officials are retaliating for basic LGBTQ advocacy and it's flagrantly unconstitutional and alarming. https://twitter.com/...
Adrienne LaFrance / @adriennelaf: Must-read @DavidAFrench: “The First Amendment affirmatively protects the right of private institutions to engage in political speech, and that protection extends to safeguarding them from government reprisal for their speech.” https://newsletters.theatlantic.com/ ...
Craig Pittman / @craigtimes: “Although #Florida Republicans say that the move against @Disney was made to eliminate corporate perks, ...the legislature only acted after the company announced it would no longer make political contributions.” https://www.nytimes.com/... via @katieglueck & @FrancesRobles
Patrick Chovanec / @prchovanec: “One of the bewildering things about being a conservative in a populist age is the sheer speed at which populists will shift their opinions, including on allegedly bedrock constitutional values, to satisfy the popular bloodlust of the moment.” https://newsletters.theatlantic.com/ ...
Brian Welk / The Wrap: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Revokes Disney's Special Tax Privileges and Self-Governing Status
Andrew Atterbury / Politico: DeSantis revokes Disney's special status after 'Don't Say Gay' opposition
@harrisonjaime: I thought Ringling Bros had gone out of business but it seems one of their loony 🤡 has attacked Florida's largest employer & just raised the taxes of Floridians by millions every year. #FraudFearFascism https://twitter.com/...
@dellcam: Three big predictions in here: 1) Orange County will be forced to raise property taxes 20-25% (since Disney won't be paying it). 2) Businesses won't want to operate where a government can spontaneously screw them. 3) That the FL legislature will walk this back by next year. https://twitter.com/...
Katie Glueck / @katieglueck: “Whereas before it would have been unimaginable that a politician, especially a Florida politician, would confront Mickey Mouse, now there's actually significant political incentive to do so.” this is not the GOP of 2012, example ~1,000,000 https://www.nytimes.com/...
Mike Forsythe / @pekingmike: Authoritarian regimes the world over, from Russia (Yukos) to China (Alibaba/Ant), punish companies and executives perceived as not toeing the party line while rewarding their cronies. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Freddie Campion-Awwad / @freddiecampion: Love too be a pro-business conservative who hates tyrannical government overreach https://twitter.com/...
Dan Lavoie / @djlavoie: “Widely seen as retaliation” DeSantis has said directly it's retaliation! This whole court is out of order! https://twitter.com/...
Jay Nordlinger / @jaynordlinger: Could win him the GOP presidential nomination. Whether it's good government, few will ask or care. https://twitter.com/...
Steven Greenhouse / @greenhousenyt: How is this not a violation of Disney's first amendment right to freedom of speech? DeSantis & Florida's Republican-dominated legislature are punishing, clobbering Disney for engaging in speech that they didn't like. https://twitter.com/...
Akilah Hughes / @akilahobviously: Florida truly just cut off their nose to spite their face. The amount of money the state is gonna have to spend up keeping all the roads between the parks and the water...oof. They really bout to find out https://twitter.com/...
James J. Heaney / De Civitate: Reedy Creek and the San Antonio Chik-fil-A
Javier Espinoza / Financial Times:
The EU finalizes the Digital Services Act, which will force social networks to toughen content moderation, reduce Google and Meta's ad targeting of minors, more — Companies such as Google and Facebook must moderate content more actively in regulatory clampdown
Discussion:
New York Times, The Verge, @ranaforcongress, @senblumenthal, @cateyezgreen_, Outside the Beltway, @commondreams, @neilwalsh_un, @stengel, @prestonjbyrne, @davekeating, @mr_james_c, Politico, @chassnews, @henryjfoy, @livingstone_s, Protocol, @patrickgaspard, CNBC, @b_fung, @richlightshed, @donie, @sascha_p, @daveleeft, @techwontsaveus, @katieharbath, @mr_james_c, @peterpham, @davidakaye, Washington Post, European Parliament, Wall Street Journal and Associated Press, more at Techmeme »
Discussion:
Adam Satariano / New York Times: E.U. Takes Aim at Social Media's Harms With Landmark New Law
James Vincent / The Verge: Google, Meta, and others will have to explain their algorithms under new EU legislation
Rana Abdelhamid / @ranaforcongress: Congress, take some notes on this. We can no longer allow big tech companies unrestricted use of our private information and the ability to spread misinformation with zero consequences. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Richard Blumenthal / @senblumenthal: Americans also need & deserve protections from the excesses & abuses of Big Tech. We must fight for them urgently—especially safeguarding kids—in the time remaining this session. As I've said repeatedly, enforcement resources are key, in the US & worldwide.https://www.nytimes.com/ ...
@cateyezgreen_: 💥YES! Hate speech is NOT “free speech”-not protected.Besides it's EU 🙌🏻 ->👉🏻🧵 European Union reached landmark legislation Sat. that w/force Facebook,YouTube & internet services to combat misinformation, disclose how ⬇️ #CombatPropaganda #ResistanceUnited https://www.nytimes.com/...
James Joyner / Outside the Beltway: EU Tries to Regulate Social Media
@commondreams: “As the U.S. agonizes over misinformation and hate speech on social media and the harm it does to democracy,” said one journalist, the European Union passed the Digital Services Act “to tackle the problem.” https://www.commondreams.org/ ...
Neil Walsh / @neilwalsh_un: As @MelissaFleming says, this has the potential to be enormous. Not without risk - but a real step forward that many in industry, govt & society have been seeking. Fascinated to see how this develops https://twitter.com/...
Richard Stengel / @stengel: Legislation that encourages the platforms to be more transparent about content moderation, more vigilant about policing disinformation, more protective about ad targeting is a good thing. US regulators/legislators take note. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Preston Byrne / @prestonjbyrne: Considering much of what is in the Digital Services Act would be facially unconstitutional if implemented in the US, I'd be very interested to know how exactly this FT writer thinks this law will be copied in the US https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Dave Keating / @davekeating: An explainer of the 🇪🇺 Digital Services Act https://www.nytimes.com/...
James Clark / @mr_james_c: A classic of the genre from the FT. Questions? Nope Foreseeable problems? Nope Challenges? Nope Alternative views? Nope Just a free kick for those drafting sweeping, legally untested policies. https://www.ft.com/... via @FT
Clothilde Goujard / Politico: Big Tech firms set to face tough EU content rules
Anne-Sylvaine Chassany / @chassnews: After 16 hours of negotiations, Brussels legislators agreed measures preventing companies such as Facebook and Google from targeting minors with online advertising. Technique forcing people to click on content will also be banned. @FT @JavierespFT https://www.ft.com/...
Henry Foy / @henryjfoy: “The time of big online platforms behaving like they are ‘too big to care’ is coming to an end.” EU approves groundbreaking rules to police Big Tech platforms after 16 hours of negotiations - @JavierespFT burned the midnight oil while we were sleeping https://www.ft.com/...
Sonia Livingstone / @livingstone_s: “The law aims to end an era of self-regulation in which tech companies set their own policies about what content could stay up or be taken down.” #DSA E.U. Takes Aim at Social Media's Harms With Landmark New Law - The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/...
Issie Lapowsky / Protocol: Obama's warning came way too late
Patrick Gaspard / @patrickgaspard: Europe continues to take bold steps to reign in the abuses of Big Tech, while US leaders fail to act, and democracy suffers. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Ryan Browne / CNBC: EU agrees on landmark law aimed at forcing Big Tech firms to tackle illegal content
Brian Fung / @b_fung: Just in: EU policymakers have reached agreement on a sweeping set of tech regulations on content moderation, algorithms and advertising, a month after advancing a major bill dealing with tech competition. Big step with potentially global implications. https://ec.europa.eu/...
Rich Greenfield / @richlightshed: Should be interesting for Twitter if @elonmusk takes over and most platform removals for bad behavior disappear 👇👇👇 https://twitter.com/...
@donie: “European policymakers reached a deal early Saturday in Brussels on a sweeping new law to force the world's largest tech companies to more aggressively police their platforms for illegal content...” https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
@sascha_p: The Digital Services Act is a true game changer. Thank you @vestager 🙏 https://www.nytimes.com/...
Dave Lee / @daveleeft: 16 hours of negotiations later... the EU has bold new powers to police Big Tech, reports @JavierespFT https://www.ft.com/...
@techwontsaveus: “Legislators in Brussels endorsed measures preventing companies such as Facebook and Google from targeting minors with online advertising, while manipulative techniques that force people to click on content will also be banned.” https://www.ft.com/...
Katie Harbath / @katieharbath: A major milestone in Europe. https://www.nytimes.com/...
James Clark / @mr_james_c: Never ceases to amaze me the uncritical reporting the EU receives for unworkable, poorly considered laws. Tell me another political organisation that gets such coverage? https://twitter.com/...
Peter Pham / @peterpham: why is it that the ones that don't understand the internet, make the laws around it? https://twitter.com/...
David Kaye / @davidakaye: “the new laws underscore how Europe is setting the standard for tech regulation globally.” exactly. great @satariano piece on #DSA w/key points from @AlexandraGeese & @johnnyryan https://www.nytimes.com/...
Kif Leswing / CNBC:
As of Friday's close, Netflix had a $99.2B market cap, down from $300B+ in November 2021; Meta had a $532.6B market cap after passing $1T in June 2021 — - The tech market has plunged since its peak in November, and Netflix and Facebook have been hit particularly hard.
Discussion:
Gonzalo Sykora / @gonzalosykora: Netflix and Facebook have given up most of the last few years' gains since tech's November peak. Netflix $NFLX 10 year: +1321.77% 5 year: +50.85% 3 year: -42.88% 1 year: -57.64% Meta $FB 10 year: +381.56% 5 year: +28.14% 3 year: +1.47% 1 year: -37.91% https://www.cnbc.com/...
RELATED:
Protocol:
Netflix lost 700K subscribers by suspending its service in Russia, where it was available for six years; ad-supported plans could help Netflix catch up abroad
Discussion:
Janko Roettgers / @jank0: And that's where ad-supported plans come in. They'll allow Netflix to launch cheap prices in emerging growth markets, and then reap the benefits (plus maybe upsell some consumers who are getting tired of ads) once those ad markets mature.
Janko Roettgers / @jank0: For me, the real point is that this is a very small number. Netflix launched in Russia six years ago as part of a near-global expansion. What's more, Russia has an estimated 34.6 million broadband households.
Janko Roettgers / @jank0: With everything going on with Netflix this week, you may have missed one tidbit: Pulling out of Russia cost the streamer 700,000 subscribers.
Janko Roettgers / @jank0: Ultimately, Netflix only signing up 700,000 subscribers in Russia over six years shows how hard it has been for Netflix to grow in some international markets. One big problem is that Netflix is often just too expensive, as the company has largely applied U.S. pricing everywhere.
Janko Roettgers / @jank0: Netflix has experimented with cheaper plans in some markets, most notably India, but the company also doesn't want its ARPU to go down significantly as it grows its international footprint (something Disney has been struggling with).
Janko Roettgers / @jank0: I'm not here to debate whether that was a price worth paying or not. It was probably Netflix's only choice, given both international sanctions and payment processors pulling out of the country.
Allison Levitsky / Protocol: After its share price dropped 35%, Netflix employees want extra stock
Joe Flint / Wall Street Journal:
Sources: after churning out 500+ original programs in 2021, Netflix is looking to rein in costs and add fewer new titles with a greater emphasis on quality
Discussion:
Bloomberg, @davidpoland, @thecatsenate, MNTN, @chastaylor, Variety, 9to5Google, IndieWire, @film_girl, @film_girl, @scottfeinberg, @jp_biz, @ryanmcdevitt, @variety, @jimpethokoukis, SlashFilm, The Entertainment Strategy Guy, Breitbart, @nina_metz, @brettthousand, @ayeshaasiddiqi, @phil_lewis_, Netflix & Chiffres, The Week, Puck and The A.V. Club
Discussion:
David Poland / @davidpoland: Do you think Kilar himself called this"exclusive" in? (Also... likely untrue. But surely better cost management than Rings) How HBO Kept ‘House of the Dragon’ Costs Under $20 Million per Episode (EXCLUSIVE) https://variety.com/... via @variety
@thecatsenate: Personally the ending of GoT killed any interest I had in the franchise, I have 0 interest in the new show https://twitter.com/...
Stephen Graveman / MNTN: New on Netflix: Ads — No one stays on top forever. It's a lesson that Blockbuster Video learned …
Charlie Taylor / @chastaylor: Thank god... ‘After churning out over 500 original programmes last year, Netflix is looking to add fewer new titles, with a greater emphasis on quality’ https://www.wsj.com/...
Jennifer Maas / Variety: How HBO Kept ‘House of the Dragon’ Costs Under $20 Million per Episode (EXCLUSIVE)
Ben Schoon / 9to5Google: What's on Google TV: Netflix loses subscribers following price hikes, blames password sharing
Christina Warren / @film_girl: Here's an idea: stop making so many shows that no one watches and with such high budgets and focus on making good content not based on an algorithm and see how that affects churn rather than blaming password sharers.
Christina Warren / @film_girl: That's truly absurd. https://twitter.com/...
Scott Feinberg / @scottfeinberg: WHAT?! The new season of STRANGER THINGS “has a per-episode cost of $30 million, according to people close to the show.” https://www.wsj.com/...
@jp_biz: For reference, the highest end BBC drama (multi-location, A list cast, SFX) is £650k to £1m per hour. So nearly the entire Line of Duty = 1 new episode of Stranger Things. https://twitter.com/...
Ryan McDevitt / @ryanmcdevitt: Great article that touches on basically every theme of Competitive Strategy. I plan to use this case for my final exam next month. A few points that stand out threaded below. https://www.wsj.com/... via @WSJ
@variety: #HouseOfTheDragon cost under $20 million per episode to produce its 10-episode first season. For comparison, #GameOfThrones cost HBO roughly $6 million per episode in Season 1 and $15 million in Season 8. https://variety.com/...
James Pethokoukis / @jimpethokoukis: “We should right-size budgets depending on what the creative dictates, and what the size of the audience is,” Bela Bajaria, the head of global TV for Netflix, said in a recent interview. https://www.wsj.com/...
Joshua Meyer / SlashFilm: The Lord Of The Rings TV Show Cost Amazon $465 Million (Or One Jeffrey Bezos Mega-Yacht)
David Ng / Breitbart: Report: Netflix to Slash Spending, Rein in Future Projects as Subscribers Flee — 'It's a B*tch,' Says CEO
Nina Metz / @nina_metz: It has a fairly large cast who have negotiated their rates up, which accounts for ~some~ of the $30 million per episode costs. “Stranger Things” Stars Score Massive Pay Raises for Season 3 https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/ ... https://twitter.com/...
@brettthousand: It's weird that people are doing this “wha happen” bit about the budget of the show vs. popular movies. TV show budgets for huge hits get massively inflated in the later seasons by actor salaries. So take it up with David Harbour for getting paid I guess https://twitter.com/...
Ayesha A. Siddiqi / @ayeshaasiddiqi: someone please help them with their budget their family is dying https://twitter.com/...
Netflix & Chiffres: Abonnés, revenus, “qualité” des séries... Retour en chiffres sur les résultats Q1 2022 de Netflix.
Brigid Kennedy / The Week: Stranger Things season 4 reportedly cost a whopping $30M per episode
Matthew Belloni / Puck: Netflix's Post-Crash Identity Crisis
Joy Press / Vanity Fair:
Streamers are acting like TV networks, pulling back on edgy content and seeking “elevated broadcasts”, like sitcoms, under financial pressure and competition — Desperate for subscriber eyeballs, streamers are pulling back on edgy content—and acting more like the networks they trounced in the revolution.
Discussion:
@dsrbroadway, @carina_bn, @vanityfair, @alanwhi72135615, @vanityfair, @vanityfair, @aolinha and @joypress, more at Techmeme »
Discussion:
Dan R. / @dsrbroadway: His teenage nephew recently told him that his new favorite show was a comedy called Ghosts ... Cheeks pointed out that it was on CBS, to which his nephew replied, “What's CBS?” “I am the CEO of CBS!” https://www.vanityfair.com/... via @VanityFair
@carina_bn: I've been around long enough to know that the industry's been worrying about the demise of network TV forever but it's yet to happen. Now streamers are looking a lot more like networks themselves. https://twitter.com/...
@vanityfair: Wasn't streaming supposed to be a wild new frontier of no-rules TV? Taboos broken, formats melted and recombined, artists let off the leash? @JoyPress reports: https://vntyfr.com/44xvYMt
Alan White / @alanwhi72135615: In not one article has there been a mention of the rise in costs for @netflix. They raised the price on subscriptions twice within a year (now a bit under $16/mo). That is the highest of all streams and had the least amount of quality content. https://www.vanityfair.com/...
@vanityfair: “I hear this panic around the idea that some of these streamers are not going to exist in three years,” says one showrunner. “There's a real directive to agents and writers to ‘broaden the appeal,’ which is crazily disheartening.” https://vntyfr.com/4prcq5s
@vanityfair: While, now, the relationship between cable and streamers may be symbiotic, streaming executives seem determined to replicate network TV's broad success—and be all things to all people—as they seek further growth. 🔗: https://vntyfr.com/44xvYMt https://twitter.com/...
@aolinha: “What was cool that we could do on Netflix is tell a closed-ended tale: Here's this season. Here's a fully formed romance, [On network] you have to (...) stretch it out for as many seasons as you possibly can and keep coming up with reasons why they're having a new conflict.” https://twitter.com/...
Joy Press / @joypress: “All those weird little shows streaming executives used to want to take a risk on a few years ago—it's just not happening anymore”: I wrote about how the wild adventurous stage of streaming is giving way to more risk-averse “elevated broadcast” programming https://www.vanityfair.com/...
Margaret Sullivan / Washington Post:
Joe Kahn's openness to criticism can help The New York Times, which hasn't had an ombudsman since 2017, rethink its approach to politics and government coverage — I know him. Here's why I think he might be the man for this perilous moment. — Unlike The Washington Post …
Discussion:
@jamesfallows, @lisatozzi, @digiphile, @taylorlorenz, @jayrosen_nyu, @jeffjarvis and American Press Institute
Discussion:
James Fallows / @jamesfallows: 1/2 Positive piece by @Sulliview on why new NYT leadership is coming at the right time. And she draws on first-hand experience. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ... https://twitter.com/...
Lisa Tozzi / @lisatozzi: Here's @Sulliview nailing the core challenge facing NYT and its new top editor https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ... https://twitter.com/...
Alex Howard / @digiphile: “adherence to the press's true mission and highest calling demands journalism that discards the safety-seeking instinct for false equivalency”— @Sulliview https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ... “this moment calls for — no, screams for — a different approach to politics & government coverage”
Taylor Lorenz / @taylorlorenz: “this moment calls for— no, screams for — a different approach to politics & government coverage.” Not just politics and govt coverage, but media/tech coverage too. We desperately need newsroom leaders who understand the internet. Great piece by @Sulliview https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Jay Rosen / @jayrosen_nyu: This, this is the question. Thank you, @sulliview https://washingtonpost.com/... Those in the trade who cannot face this question will allow it to be misheard: as how much “opinion” can be permitted, as the prohibition on “taking sides,” or as the scourge of “advocacy.” [Corrected]
Leon Gettler / The Conversation:
Investigation: in the past two years, regional Australia saw 100+ out of 435 newspapers cease printing, comprising 68% of the country's 182 news “contractions” — Australia's regional news outlets are dying a not-so-slow death, and COVID-19 has accelerated their decline.
Discussion:
@conversationedu: Australia's regional news outlets are dying a not-so-slow death, and COVID-19 has accelerated their decline. In 2018 the ACCC counted 21 local government areas in Australia lacking a single local newspaper. Sixteen were regional areas. @leongettler @RMIT https://theconversation.com/ ...
Paul Farhi / Washington Post:
Russia charges Washington Post opinions contributor and dissident writer Vladimir Kara-Murza for allegedly spreading “false” info about Russia's army — The dissident writer, who called Putin's government “a regime of murderers,” faces prison under a Russian law that attempts to control speech
Discussion:
@unlockdemocracy, @maddow, @sarahrainsford, @sarahrainsford, @sarahrainsford, @effiedog, @oliverdarcy, @senronjohnson, @r_hooglandd66, @repcohen, @dougklain, @yashar, @yashar, The i Paper, France 24, Forbes, Amnesty International USA, Congressman Steve Cohen, The Moscow Times, Reuters, Axios, Washington Post, Associated Press and New York Times
Discussion:
@unlockdemocracy: This Vladimir is a brave principled man, a believer in democracy. He risked his life returning to Russia. He is now a political prisoner who must be freed immediately by the Russian authorities. #FreeKaraMurza https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Rachel Maddow / @maddow: “He has maintained his defiance even while in jail. In a column published by The Washington Post last week during his 15-day sentence, he wrote, ‘There will be a dawn’ in Russia. 'Russia will be free. I've never been so sure of it as I am today'.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Sarah Rainsford / @sarahrainsford: Russian investigators claim the opposition activist was motivated by ‘political hatred’ when he made the speech below ⬇️ in the USA Vladimir Kara Murza is being prosecuted under Article 207.3, part 2D - which could mean 10 yrs in prison https://www.youtube.com/...
Sarah Rainsford / @sarahrainsford: I've met @vkaramurza many times in Moscow He is one of Russia's sharpest, most outspoken voices vs Vladimir Putin, best known abroad for campaigning for the Magnitsky act to sanction senior Russian officials for human rights abuses He was a close friend & ally of Boris Nemtsov
Sarah Rainsford / @sarahrainsford: The judge has remanded @vkaramurza in custody whilst he's investigated for ‘fake’ info on Russia's war vs Ukraine: namely a speech in the USA where he talked of Russia bombing residential areas, hospitals & schools. All facts Another depressing day for free speech in Russia
Jesse Elin Browne / @effiedog: Kara-Murza, WaPo contributor mentioned on @maddow last week, charged in Russia for ‘false’ information. The dissident writer, who called Putin's government “a regime of murderers,” faces prison under a Russian law that attempts to control speech. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Oliver Darcy / @oliverdarcy: “And everyone who values press freedom and human rights should be enraged by this injustice...” https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Senator Ron Johnson / @senronjohnson: The fabricated charges against Kara-Murza are ridiculous but sadly predictable. He is a man of courage targeted by a tyrant war criminal for telling the Russian people the truth about the Putin regime's atrocities in Ukraine. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
RichardHoogland / @r_hooglandd66: In 2016 in Amsterdam I found out that Kara-Murza's beloved historical person is Spinoza. Spinoza believed in his ideals and was ready to pay the price, not seeing his friends and family for many years. I am very afraid Kara-Murza will have a similar fate. Keep strong, my friend! https://twitter.com/...
Steve Cohen / @repcohen: Just last month, Russian opposition leader Vladimir Kara-Murza compared Russia to the dystopian novel 1984. Now he's been imprisoned by Putin for speaking his mind and faces up to ten years in prison. The whole world is watching: @vkaramurza must be released. https://twitter.com/...
Doug Klain / @dougklain: Vladimir Kara-Murza, a courageous truth-teller poisoned twice by the Kremlin, now faces up to 15 years under Russia's vague new law about “spreading disinformation” about the war. He was also just declared a foreign agent. #FreeVKM https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Yashar Ali / @yashar: Kara-Murza normally lives in Virginia but returned to Russia recently even though his friends urged him not to. Last week he wrote: “There will be a dawn” in Russia. ... Russia will be free. I've never been so sure of it as I am today." https://twitter.com/...
Yashar Ali / @yashar: Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Russian patriot who survived two attempts by Putin to murder him, has been charged in Russia for ‘false’ information. He called Putin's government “a regime of murderers.” He faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Claire Gilbody-Dickerson / The i Paper: Russian activist Vladimir Kara-Murza has criminal case opened against him on suspicion of ‘false information’
Madeline Halpert / Forbes: Russia Opens Criminal Case Against Activist Vladimir Kara-Murza For Spreading Disinformation, Lawyer Says
Amnesty International USA: Prominent Russian opposition activist faces up to 15 years in prison for sharing information about the war in Ukraine
Congressman Steve Cohen: Congressman Cohen Expresses Concern at Russia's Treatment of Opposition Leader Vladimir Kara-Murza
Rick Edmonds / Poynter:
Some Houston journalists question the American Journalism Project's $20M commitment to create a new nonprofit news outlet, since Houston is not a news desert — It's part of a thriving nonprofit journalism movement. But reaction from within Houston's existing media ecosystem ranges from skeptical to icy.
Discussion:
Chris Krewson / @ckrewson: Legacy organizations will not leave the field without a fight. https://www.poynter.org/...
ChrisTomlinson / @cltomlinson: Want to know what I called “the height of billionaire arrogance,” and why I railed against “self-described venture philanthropists.” I had some thoughts about the future of journalism in Houston when I spoke to @RickEdmonds https://www.poynter.org/... @poynter @HoustonChron #txlege
Sarah Scire / Nieman Lab:
Journalism organizations, nonprofits, and unions ask the Pulitzer Prizes to require newsrooms to participate in a diversity survey for award eligibility by 2024 — An open letter calls on the industry's highest honors to include a new participation clause.
Discussion:
@sisiwei, @lshontz, @gannett, @thepressforward, @katherinelewis, @zseward, OpenNews, @nahj, @_collettewatson, @diannananez, @meredithdclark, @defineamerican, @newsguild, @stefaniemurray, @tmmcmillan, @felicarrique, @sisiwei, @lakeidrachavis, @femmefeministe, @dlind, @gaufre, @sarahscire, @dataeditor, @melissabell, @shirinj, @mitrakalita, @kat__stafford, @erinoverbey, The NewsGuild, @emmacarew, @laurahazardowen, @nhannahjones, @cristymsilva and Asian American Journalists …
Discussion:
Sisi Wei / @sisiwei: What if, to win @PulitzerPrizes, news organizations were required to publicly report data about their staff demographics? I know so many journalists who have privately asked themselves or one another this question. Today, we asked the Pulitzers. Join us: https://opennews.org/... https://twitter.com/...
@lshontz: Just signed this letter. Journalism has to reflect the communities it covers, and that means diversity AND inclusion in newsrooms must improve. (Which means retention, too!) Plus nothing makes me angrier than journalism organizations not providing data, comment, etc. https://twitter.com/...
@gannett: We believe diversity and inclusion are moral imperatives @PulitzerPrizes. We will continue to be transparent in our progress toward building a diverse workforce to mirror the demographics of the nation and communities we serve. @USATODAY https://www.usatoday.com/... #JournalismTwitter https://twitter.com/...
@thepressforward: We can't solve a problem we can't see. We are honored to join @sisiwei and @opennews as a signatory to this effort. Ethical leaders disclose their diversity data to create transparency and trust. https://twitter.com/...
@katherinelewis: Thank you @opennews!! “Many newsrooms have said they want to address racial injustice, but if we aren't even willing to measure where we're at, how can we build a more equitable future for journalism?” https://twitter.com/...
Zach Seward / @zseward: This is a great idea. Proud to have Quartz follow so many great organizations in signing it. https://twitter.com/...
@nahj: NAHJ & 50+ orgs call on @PulitzerPrizes to help improve diversity & transparency w/ a new requirement: 𝙄𝙣 𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙚 𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙜 𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖 𝙋𝙧𝙞𝙯 𝙚, 𝙖 𝙣𝙚𝙬𝙨 𝙤𝙧𝙜 𝙢𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙥𝙪𝙗𝙡 𝙞𝙘𝙡𝙮 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙧 𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙛 𝙛 𝙙𝙚𝙢𝙤 𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙖. https://opennews.org/...
Collette Watson / @_collettewatson: The @Media2070 team has signed on to join this call. We understand #MediaReparations as a process and acknowledging where you are is a critical foundation for the journey. https://twitter.com/...
@diannananez: Let's unite to dig deeper into discrimination/toxic turnover: @PulitzerPrizes, pls call for equity data on pay, promotions, retention, & demographics on leadership, investigative teams. Co-founders @irenemckisson @BeckyPallack & I signed up @AZLuminaria bc ethics, truth matter. https://twitter.com/...
@meredithdclark: One thing I learned early into my tenure leading @NewsLeaders Newsroom Diversity Survey: There's nothing to incentivize/encourage news orgs to be transparent about their demographics. We're calling on @PulitzerPrizes to change that: https://opennews.org/...
@defineamerican: We applaud this urgent need for #transparency in #newsrooms. How can media cover the country's changing demographics without being honest about their own? Thank you @sisiwei https://twitter.com/...
@newsguild: “By implementing this new criteria, the Pulitzers would honor not only great journalism, but journalism from newsrooms willing to be accountable to the public.” https://www.niemanlab.org/... via @NiemanLab
Stefanie Murray / @stefaniemurray: The @CenterCoopMedia is proud to have signed on to this letter. Please join us! https://twitter.com/...
Tracie McMillan / @tmmcmillan: Also would LOVE to see @beardfoundation do this — and ask for starting average hourly wage outside of restaurant management — for food media and restaurants! https://twitter.com/...
@felicarrique: You can't improve what you can't measure. Newsroom diversity is no exception. Data can help managers make better decisions towards a more equitable media industry. @newsproduct lends its full support to this call from @opennews and more than 50 other journalism groups 🙌 https://twitter.com/...
Sisi Wei / @sisiwei: Exciting update. We launched this morning with 60 organizations as co-signers. After a few hours, we're now at 85. Orgs and individuals, you can ABSOLUTELY still join us. Here's the form to co-sign: https://docs.google.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Lakeidra Chavis / @lakeidrachavis: SO happy to see @MarshallProj on the list of signatories!! https://twitter.com/...
@femmefeministe: It was only natural for @prismreports to sign this, and I'm so glad to see some of my favorite outlets on here too. https://twitter.com/...
Dara Lind / @dlind: This is such a smart solution to the problem of newsrooms, despite ostensibly considering transparency to be the highest value in public life, degrading the quality of industry diversity data by simply not providing it (Uniform Crime Report-style). https://twitter.com/...
Jon Schleuss / @gaufre: I was blown away by the positive response (74 news orgs signed!) to this action and so grateful to @sisiwei, @meredithdclark and @NewsLeaders and everyone else taking up this important cause! https://www.niemanlab.org/...
Sarah Scire / @sarahscire: Update: Dozens of journalism groups have called on @PulitzerPrizes to make their awards open only to those who are transparent about their newsroom diversity. More on the open letter signed by some of the biggest professional organizations in journalism: https://www.niemanlab.org/...
Steven Rich / @dataeditor: voluntary reporting doesn't work. when orgs aren't proud of something they'll just choose not to share that. this is an excellent idea. https://twitter.com/...
Melissa Bell / @melissabell: Proud to have @voxmedia sign this letter. And grateful for @sisiwei's leadership in asking our industry to do better. https://twitter.com/...
Shirin Jaafari / @shirinj: “There was “crushing resistance” by news organizations to participate in an annual diversity survey by the News Leaders Association.” Journalism groups: Make the Pulitzers open only to news orgs that are transparent about their diversity https://www.niemanlab.org/... via @NiemanLab
S. Mitra Kalita / @mitrakalita: Proudly, mightily, @url_media and so many of our members join this effort to push for better measurement of our industry's success and progress as a condition of entering the @PulitzerPrizes. I also signed the letter personally as a past judge, entrant and winner. https://twitter.com/...
Kat Stafford / @kat__stafford: Frankly, every journalism org/awards should consider making this a requirement. Journalism purports to be about accountability & shedding light on inequities. That same lens & demand for accountability must be turned inward if we truly seek to become a representative industry. https://twitter.com/...
Erin Overbey / @erinoverbey: This is such a fantastic idea, @sisiwei & it would indeed improve inclusivity in media. Maybe, and I'm just spit-balling here, those involved in Pulitzer judging, say, some of the editors at the top publications in the industry, could help by throwing their support behind this... https://twitter.com/...
Emma Carew Grovum / @emmacarew: Proudly signed onto this letter with my Media Bridge partners, @hannahjwise & @JohnDavidow. We're looking forward to helping newsrooms get their houses in order SO THAT they can easily report their diversity numbers. https://twitter.com/...
Laura Hazard Owen / @laurahazardowen: Dozens of journalism groups call on @PulitzerPrizes to make awards open only to news outlets that are transparent about their diversity data. The impetus: Reporting by our own @SarahScire https://www.niemanlab.org/...
Ida Bae Wells / @nhannahjones: The @IBWellsSociety has endorsed this letter calling on the @PulitzerPrizes to require news organizations publicly report info on staff demographics to enter. Our business insists on transparency elsewhere, while practicing little of it ourselves. We hope you will join us. https://twitter.com/...
Cristina Silva / @cristymsilva: I'd actually like to also see the diversity data on all judging panels. There's one award I've helped judge for years and every time I complain about how white everyone is I am told they can't change it. I see that often stories about POC are not valued. https://twitter.com/...
David Zurawik / CNN:
Editors and producers detail the challenges in covering news from Ukraine's Mariupol, including few legacy correspondents on the ground and unverified videos — (CNN Business)After weeks of on-scene, live coverage of the war in Ukraine by some of the world's best journalists …
Accounting Specialist Editor, Remote US — 
Senior Correspondent - Wealth, NY — 
Asia Credit Reporter, Seoul — 
Senior Editor, DC — 
Sr. Social Media Specialist, NC — 
Associate Editor - Aviation, TN — 
Assistant Editor - Digital, NC — 
Video Producer - YouTube, NY — 
Senior Managing Ed. - Daily Desk — 
Content Managing Editor — 
Editor, MA — 
Team Editor - Breaking News, ON — 
Senior Reporter & Event Host, NY/CA — 
Associate Editor, Remote — 
Retail Reporter, MN — 
Senior Data Editor, DC — 
Managing Ed. - Berks County, PA — 
News Editor - UK, Remote — 
Staff Writer, TX — 
Multimedia Journalist, PA — 
Service Journalism Editor, CA — 
Content Director, Remote — 
Sports Reporter, ME — 
Los Angeles Issues Reporter, CA — 
Reporter - Middle East — 
Executive Editor, OR — 
California Playbook Writer, CA — 
Senior Media Editor — 
National Investigative Reporter, NY — 
Lexington County Reporter, SC — 
Reporter - Offshore Wind — 
General Assignment Reporter, FL — 
Staff Reporter, CA — 
Data Editor, NY — 
