Top News:
Cynthia Littleton / Variety:
Activist investor Daniel Loeb backs off his proposal for Disney to sell ESPN, citing a “better understanding” of the company's “growth and innovation” plan — Activist investor Daniel S. Loeb of Third Point has backed off his proposal from last month for Disney …
Discussion:
The Hollywood Reporter, @bradsling and Deadline
RELATED:
Cynthia Littleton / Variety:
Q&A with Disney CEO Bob Chapek on Hulu's and ESPN's future, buying out Comcast's 33% stake in Hulu before 2024, a seamless bundle, activist investors, and more — “You should see the backstage,” actor Diego Luna told the D23 Expo crowd Saturday morning as he talked up his new “Star Wars” …
Liz Schwartz / Shorenstein Center:
Brian Stelter joins the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy as the Fall 2022 Walter Shorenstein Media and Democracy Fellow — The Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School is pleased to announce that Brian Stelter will join the center …
Discussion:
The Hill, @brianstelter, @beachwoodreport, @erikwemple, Axios, @shorensteinctr and @craignewmark
Ashley Gold / Axios:
UNC's Center on Technology Policy: programmatic ad firms need clearer policies on political ad content, disclaimers, targeting, transparency, and accountability — After Big Tech platforms cracked down on political ads in the 2020 election's wake, political advertisers have increasingly flocked …
Wall Street Journal:
Internal data: Instagram users cumulatively spend 17.6M hours a day watching Reels vs. TikTok's 197.8M hours; only 20% of Meta's ~11M US creators post on Reels — Reels faces formidable competition from the leading short-video platform; creators follow the views
Discussion:
@shiraovide, @stevekovach, @moorehn, @meghanbobrowsky, @anthony, @jeffhorwitz, @sal19, @caseynewton, @reaganbrad, @newley and @firstadopter, more at Techmeme »
Lucas Shaw / Bloomberg:
Analysis: Amazon is projected to spend ~$15B on programming including sports in 2022, ahead of Netflix's $13.6B, Disney+'s $9.5B, and Apple's $6B — Good afternoon from Los Angeles. I am headed to Singapore and Seoul at the end of the month. If there is anyone I should meet while I am there …
Discussion:
TechCrunch, @lucas_shaw and @lucas_shaw, more at Techmeme »
Mark Stenberg / Adweek:
The Athletic rolls out its first on-site ads, a key development in The New York Times' larger strategy to expand its global advertising footprint — Beginning Monday, The Athletic will feature ads for the first time in its six-year history — After six months of planning, The New York Times has finally brought ads to The Athletic.
Discussion:
Axios, @sarafischer and @markstenberg3
Marina Adami / Reuters Institute:
How reporters in Brazil, Colombia, and Peru are using technology to cover the Amazon rainforest, as armed groups, criminals, and mining companies target them — Targeted by armed groups, criminals and mining companies, journalists are using technology to bring attention to the world's biggest rainforest
Discussion:
@risj_oxford, @lilimendonca and @marina__adami
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Roku updates its OS, adding a short-form content hub, refreshes its $30 Roku Express streaming player, and launches $130 Roku Wireless Bass subwoofer — Roku unveiled a software update to its streaming operating system — OS 11.5 — that among other features will introduce a new section …
Discussion:
TechCrunch, The Streamable and The Verge, more at Techmeme »
Harry Taylor / The Guardian:
The UK's Sky News apologizes after incorrectly telling viewers that a protest march for Chris Kaba, shot dead by police, was a group mourning the Queen — Sarah-Jane Mee mistook a march at Trafalgar Square for Chris Kaba, who was shot by a Met officer — Sky News has apologised …
Rick Edmonds / Poynter:
A look at Google News Initiative's Innovation Challenge, which has funded $33M across 260 projects in eight years, preferring small grants and replicable ideas — While others practice a long-term ‘go-big-or-go-home’ strategy, Google's philanthropy has taken the opposite tack.
Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:
YouGov: 47% of US and 58% of UK consumers enjoy reading magazines in print more than online while 60% and 54% prefer reading newspapers online than in print — More than half of American and British news consumers now prefer reading newspapers online than in print.
Discussion:
@tvgrimreaper, MediaPost, @londoninsider and @pressgazette