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JAF Communications acquires DC-based Grid and plans to integrate the news site into The Messenger before launching the digital news media company in May 2023 — Inbox: New media startup the Messenger has acquired Grid News https://twitter.com/...
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Nieman Lab, Press Gazette, @clairehoworth, @kailijoy, @sarafischer, @learmonth and @jbenton
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Memo: Spotify has spent less than 10% of its $100M Creator Equity Fund, announced in February 2022 to promote diversity in music after the Joe Rogan controversy — Spotify Technology SA's $100 million Creator Equity Fund, designed to promote diversity in music and podcasts following controversial comments …
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Sources: the WGA proposes letting writers use AI to write scripts without sharing credit or residuals, after previously considering regulating AI use in writing — The Writers Guild of America has proposed allowing artificial intelligence to write scripts, as long as it does not affect writers' credits or residuals.
Discussion:
The Verge, Insider, Quartz, Deadline, @sandeepparikh, @cadebrigade, @tedhope, @filmupdates, @jsjdarling, @bensolohope and @louisathelast
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Sources: at News Media Alliance meetings in recent weeks, publishing executives discussed their content being used to train AI and how they might be compensated — Media executives want compensation for use of their content in ChatGPT, Bing and Bard — Bing With AI: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella on Why Search Is Changed Forever
Discussion:
@adamostrow, @asharma, @niemanlab and @jessicalessin
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Sources: Meta rehires veteran manager Nick Grudin, who left to join NFT startup Dapper Labs in August 2022, to oversee media company and creator relationships — Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg's effort to cut back on middle managers isn't stopping the company hiring more middle managers.
Discussion:
Variety, @sizpatel and @pkafka, more at Techmeme »
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Newsmax and DirecTV announce an agreement to restore the conservative network to satellite TV, U-verse, and DirecTV Stream this week; terms were not disclosed — DirecTV's dispute with conservative network Newsmax — which turned bitter when the small channel enlisted support from Republican politicians …
Discussion:
The Hollywood Reporter, @brianstelter, MediaPost, Next TV, New York Daily News, @oliverdarcy, Wall Street Journal, Mediaite, @oliverdarcy, Ars Technica, CNN, CNBC, PCMag UK, The Streamable, Deadline, @oliverdarcy, @jbflint, The Wrap, The Daily Beast, CBS News, IndieWire, The Hill and Cord Cutters News
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Amazon introduces new Fire TVs and the cheaper TV lineup 2-Series, and says 200M+ Fire TV devices have been sold — Amazon announced today that it has sold a total of over 200 million Fire TV devices. That number is a combination of Fire TV streamers, third-party TVs that run Fire TV software …
Discussion:
About Amazon, Screen Rant, Insider, Variety, Engadget, Light Reading, PCMag UK, TechCrunch, The Streamable and Media Play News, more at Techmeme »
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Source: ESPN fired EVP Rob King after harassment accusations; King tweeted that he “decided the time is right for me to leave the company” after nearly 20 years — ESPN has fired executive vice president Rob King after he was accused of harassment, The Post has learned.
Discussion:
@espn_robking, @sarahspain, Variety, Poynter, Columbia Journalism Review, OutKick, Poynter, Front Office Sports, Inside Radio, Fox News and Awful Announcing
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Reach offers staff earning £60K or less a 4% raise; a source says Reach will employ ~1,200 journalists, down from 2,862 in 2022, after the planned redundancies — Reach is doubling down on growing direct audiences and data-driven digital revenues. — Reach has offered staff earning …
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Bellingcat founder Eliot Higgins says Midjourney banned him after he made images of a Donald Trump arrest; the company banned the word “arrested” in its tool — “I suspect it was pushing my luck when I did the [Twitter] thread,” said Bellingcat founder Eliot Higgins.
Discussion:
Ars Technica, @stokel, New York Post, The Daily Dot, @ksergatskova, The Hill, Kotaku, The Present Age, @stokel, @glynmoody and PetaPixel, more at Techmeme »
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A look at the exiled journalists and outlets from South Sudan, Eritrea, Myanmar, Afghanistan, Nicaragua, Mexico, Belarus, and Russia covering their countries — As press freedoms around the globe erode, journalists are building networks outside their home countries to continue reporting
Discussion:
@hraleighspeaks, @williamyang120, @icfj, @niemanfdn, @kaedotcom, @niemanfdn, @fbdnstories, @gijnafrica, @samiullahmahdi, @lnajafizada and The Guardian
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MoffettNathanson predicts less spending on streaming TV shows and movies in 2023, especially by Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount Global, and NBCUniversal — The number of new, original scripted series may start to shrink this year or next after hitting a record high in 2022, analysts warn.
Discussion:
MediaPost
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UK publishers criticize a College of Policing's guideline change giving police across England and Wales the option not to name suspects charged with offenses — The proposed guidance states that forces “can” name charged suspects. The current advice is they “should”.
Discussion:
@pollyrippon, @pressgazette, @fhamiltontimes and HoldtheFrontPage
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Amazon-owned digital photography site DPReview is closing on April 10; people can request to download photos or texts they've uploaded to the site until April 6 — DPReview, easily one of the most beloved publications among photography enthusiasts, will shut down and its content will be deleted.
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