Top News:
Alex Heath / The Verge:
Snap launches Snapchat+, offering exclusive, experimental, and pre-release Snapchat features for $3.99 per month, starting in nine countries — No, it doesn't let you turn off ads — Starting this week, Snap will begin offering an optional subscription called Snapchat Plus that unlocks exclusive and early access features.
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NBC News, Snap Newsroom, @alexeheath, @snapchat, @mattnavarra, @kiruti, Insider, Music Ally, Axios, ScreenRant, Tubefilter, Doubt is Welcome, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters, Adweek, Engadget, 9to5Mac and The Hill
Sewell Chan / The Texas Tribune:
Study: since 2005, Texas has lost 211 out of its 634 newspapers and about eight newspaper journalists per 10K residents; 27 of 254 counties have no newspaper — Of Texas' 254 counties, 27 no longer have a newspaper. Loss of local news coverage has been associated with higher levels of mistrust, misinformation and malfeasance.
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Isabella Simonetti / New York Times:
Research: the rate of US newspaper closures, about two per week, did not change during the pandemic; 360+ US newspapers closed between late 2019 and May 2022
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Washington Post, @szreports, @ron_fournier, @alanmillernlp, @stevenwaldman, @stevenwaldman, @spj_tweets, @tednesi, @sewellchan, @sewellchan, @sewellchan, @newblackman, @jeffjarvis, @inkyamy, @melissajpeltier, @news4mass, @darlin, @julesm_b, @kheller, @elaheizadi, @thesimonetti and Medill
Peter Kafka / Vox:
Netflix faces higher subscription churn rates than in the past, apparently leading to a strategy of releasing Stranger Things and Ozark seasons in two chunks — One chart that tells you a lot about the state of the streaming service. — Netflix spends around $17 billion a year on new TV shows and movies.
Discussion:
@masasoncap, Forbes, The Streamable and Variety
Sarah Scire / Nieman Lab:
The New York Times adds free access to The Athletic for all-access digital and home delivery subscribers and plans to implement a more flexible Athletic paywall — Good news for sports fans who subscribe to The New York Times's all-access digital bundle (or get home delivery) …
Kurt Wagner / Bloomberg:
Twitter hires Maggie McLean Suniewick, formerly president of distribution and business development for NBCUniversal's digital properties, as VP of partnerships — Twitter Inc. has hired Maggie McLean Suniewick from NBCUniversal Media to be the company's new vice president of partnerships …
Discussion:
Adweek, Variety, @nedsegal, @jaysullivan, @maggiesuniewick and Hollywood Reporter
Glenn Kessler / Washington Post:
Duke Reporters' Lab says fact-checking projects globally grew from 168 in 2016 to 391 in 2021; Meta says it spent $100M to underwrite fact-checking operations — OSLO — Members of fact-checking organizations from around the globe met last week for their first in-person conference in three years …
Discussion:
@jordylancaster, @pcunliffejones, @neontaster, @maxblumenthal and @washingtonpost
Richard Lawler / The Verge:
Comcast launches the Xfinity Stream app, with live channels, DVR content, and on-demand video, in the App Store for Apple TV boxes — Comcast's cable TV joins Apple TV — Comcast's Xfinity Stream app replaced the old Xfinity TV setup in 2017, allowing cable TV subscribers …
Discussion:
The Streamable, Variety, MacRumors, 9to5Mac and AppleInsider
Ivan Mehta / TechCrunch:
Wattpad launches a payout program for writers to earn up to $25K alongside an Engaged Readers metric, which counts those who spend over five minutes on a story — Storytelling platform Wattpad is introducing a new creator program for writers that can earn them up to $25,000 in compensation.
Discussion:
Variety, Tubefilter, @tamaralush and @nayiiiiin
Joe Flint / Wall Street Journal:
Sources: Nexstar Media Group is close to a deal to acquire 75% of The CW Network; Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery would each retain 12.5% stakes — Owner of local TV stations is looking to broaden CW's programming to cater to older audience — Nexstar Media Group Inc., NXST -1.19%▼ …
Discussion:
Axios, The Streamable, IndieWire, The Desk, @tim_bays, @tvgrimreaper, @nottheribbons, MediaPost, Benzinga, Deadline, Next TV and The Wrap
Sara Fischer / Axios:
Roughly 65 Wired workers threaten to strike on July 12 and July 13, Amazon's Prime Days, seeking more pay and the inclusion of product reviewers in their union — The union representing roughly 65 editorial workers at Wired, the tech publisher owned by Condé Nast …
Discussion:
@wiredunion, @fsp_nwu, @lilyhnewman, @stevenlevy, @lordravenscraft, @knibbs and @sarafischer
Benjamin Mullin / New York Times:
Substack lays off 13 of its 90 employees in an effort to conserve cash during a startup funding crunch; source: cuts hit HR, writer support, and other roles — The newsletter start-up discussed raising funding last year but abandoned the plan after the market for venture investments cooled.
Reuters:
Antonio de la Cruz, a reporter for Mexican newspaper Expreso, was shot dead in his home on Wednesday, the 12th journalist killed in the country in 2022 — A Mexican reporter was killed Wednesday in one of the country's most violent northern border states, authorities and his employer said …
Discussion:
American Press Institute, Reporters Without Borders, @kylie_madry, @jbwashing and @stalingrad_poor
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