Top News:
Casey Newton / Platformer:
Instagram co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger launch a waitlist for Artifact, an app with a personalized news feed that will let users discuss articles — EXCLUSIVE: Meet Artifact, a kind of TikTok for text — Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger are back.
Discussion:
@fiene, @platformer, @larakate, @caseynewton and @lmatsakis, more at Techmeme »
Matt Tamanini / The Streamable:
Paramount Global plans to merge its Showtime streaming service with Paramount+'s ad-free tier later in 2023 and call the new offering Paramount+ with SHOWTIME — It's been a long time coming, but later this year, Paramount Global will finally fully integrate the streaming arm …
Discussion:
Axios, The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, New York Times, Variety, CNBC, @oliverdarcy, IGN, WORLD SCREEN, Variety, @judysquirrels, TrekMovie.com, @mattbelloni, CNN, @snoodit, @harrymccracken, @carnage4life, @ferniecommaalex, The Desk, @loudmouthjulia, Broadband TV News, @pkafka, @samontv, The Verge, @raventbrunner, @vanthebrand, @loudmouthjulia, @alexweprin, @kirkwrites79, TVLine, IndieWire, Media Play News, The A.V. Club, MediaPost, Gizmodo, SlashFilm, The Information, The Playlist, Screen Rant, The Wrap, Adweek, TechCrunch and Ad Age, more at Techmeme »
Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg / Wall Street Journal:
Penguin Random House CEO Madeline McIntosh is stepping down after four years, making her the third senior executive to leave PRH in the last two months — Madeline McIntosh is third top executive to leave company in past two months — Madeline McIntosh said she is stepping down as chief executive …
Discussion:
Publishers Weekly, New York Times, Observer and The Bookseller
Leonard Downie Jr / Washington Post:
In interviews with 75+ journalists and media experts, a Washington Post ex-executive editor finds that newsrooms that move beyond “objectivity” can build trust — Leonard Downie Jr., a former executive editor of The Washington Post, is a professor at the Walter Cronkite School …
Hannah Murphy / Financial Times:
Sources detail Twitter's nascent moves to facilitate payments, a key to becoming a “super app”, as the company files for regulatory licenses across the US — Company has started applying for US state licences in bid for fresh revenues beyond advertising
Discussion:
Insider, Fortune, The Indian Express, SiliconANGLE and Social Media Today
Anna Nicolaou / Financial Times:
Spotify reports Q4 revenue up 18% YoY to €3.2B and a €270M loss, up from €39M YoY, as operating costs rose 44% YoY; paying subscribers were up 10M to 205M — Music streaming group adds subscribers but is hit by rise in operating expenses — Spotify's losses ballooned …
Wall Street Journal:
If the US wins its antitrust Google case, a spinoff is more likely than a sale, valuing the ad businesses at tens of billions and giving advertisers more choice — If government prevails, an asset spinoff is thought to be more likely than a sale — Google spent the better part …
Discussion:
@repjayapal, @davemorgannyc, @sosayslucia, @rr_edmonds, @matthewstoller and Gizmodo
Anne Kauranen / Reuters:
Finnish, Norwegian, Danish, and Icelandic unions quit the IFJ, accusing the union of undemocratic practices, unethical finances, and other “corruptive activity” — Finnish, Norwegian, Danish and Icelandic unions will quit a global media federation on Tuesday in protest at …
Kristin Robinson / Billboard:
How Rick Astley's lawsuit against Yung Gravy may affect interpolation, a technique that avoids the costly and lengthy process of getting rights to music samples — Re-recording classic tracks has become more common for financial and creative reasons, but the “Betty (Get Money)” case may give producers pause.
Discussion:
Boing Boing
Caitlin Huston / The Hollywood Reporter:
Warner Bros. Discovery signs deals to license some content that it pulled from HBO Max, including Westworld, to Roku and Tubi's free, ad-supported channels — In December, WBD announced it would be licensing bundles of its shows to FAST streaming services.
Discussion:
Reuters, The Streamable, Deadline, Roku, The Wrap, TechCrunch, MediaPost, Variety, WORLD SCREEN, Media Play News, IndieWire and TVLine
Julia Mueller / The Hill:
Donald Trump sues Bob Woodward over audio recordings for Woodward's book Rage that Trump says he didn't agree could be used in an audiobook, The Trump Tapes — Former President Trump is suing journalist Bob Woodward over interview recordings that Trump alleges he didn't agree could be included in an audiobook.
Anna Nicolaou / Financial Times:
Sources: UMG is in talks with Tidal and other services to overhaul streaming economics to get artists more money; ideas include pricier “superfan” subscriptions — Group looks into options such as cracking down on bots and adding ‘superfan’ subscriptions
Stephen Battaglio / Los Angeles Times:
Q&A with CNN chairman and CEO Chris Licht on giving correspondents more airtime, no plans for a topical comedy talk show, interviewing GOP lawmakers, and more — Slumping ratings, cost-cutting, show cancellations and — comedy? — The path of CNN has been a bit rocky since it became part …
Discussion:
@zdroberts, @celiafateesq, @realneilc, Columbia Journalism Review, @parkermolloy, @parkermolloy, @edmundlee, @jayrosen_nyu, @zaleskiluke, @samstein, @johnnydollar01, @jdawsey1, @jakesherman, @jakesherman, TVNewser, @bobbybigwheel, New York Post, Vanity Fair, The Streamable, The Wrap, Mediaite and The Daily Beast
RELATED:
Alex Weprin / The Hollywood Reporter:
CNN plans to air Bill Maher's Overtime, the offshoot of his HBO show Real Time, at 11:30pm ET on Friday nights, after new Real Time episodes air on HBO at 10pm
CNN plans to air Bill Maher's Overtime, the offshoot of his HBO show Real Time, at 11:30pm ET on Friday nights, after new Real Time episodes air on HBO at 10pm
Discussion:
Mediaite, Poynter, CNN, @jbenton, @mikeelgan, @dougscripts, Raw Story, The Desk and Deadline