Mediagazer: A look at the exiled journalists and outlets from South Sudan, Eritrea, Myanmar, Afghanistan, Nicaragua, Mexico, Belarus, and Russia covering their countries (Celeste Katz Marston/Nieman Reports)

8:35 PM ET, March 22, 2023

Top News:

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: @cameronwilson, @jbenton, @asharma, @niemanlab, @adamostrow and @jessicalessin

Ashley Carman / Bloomberg:

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 …

Discussion: The Information, @business, @ashleyrcarman, Engadget, The Daily Beast, @lucas_shaw, @steph_guerrero, @jbfromdc89, @doctorjonpaul, @flynnwaslike, @andijarvis, @charlespulliam, @bsindia, @karenattiah, @exavierpope and @lucas_shaw, more at Techmeme »

Max Tani / @maxwelltani:

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/...

Discussion: Nieman Lab, Press Gazette, @jayrosen_nyu, @om, @froomkin, @clairehoworth, @kailijoy, @sarafischer, @learmonth and @jbenton

Luke Plunkett / Kotaku:

Ubisoft unveils Ghostwriter, an internal AI tool saving its scriptwriters time by creating first drafts and more realistic non-player character interactions — Ubisoft Ghostwriter is described by the company as ‘an AI tool’ — Ubisoft, the publishers behind Assassin's Creed …

Discussion: Ubisoft on YouTube, Ubisoft, IGN, @charalanahzard, @ubisoft, TheGamer, Engadget, PCMag, Video Games Chronicle, Game Developer, Game Developer, @eddcoates, TechCrunch, @patrickweekes, @six6jiang and Shelly Palmer, more at Techmeme »

Gene Maddaus / Variety:
Sources: the WGA proposes letting writers use AI to write scripts without sharing credit or residuals, after previously considering regulating AI use in writing

Discussion: The Verge, Los Angeles Times, Quartz, Insider, Deadline, @sandeepparikh, @cadebrigade, @tedhope, @filmupdates, @jsjdarling, @bensolohope and @louisathelast

Celeste Katz Marston / Nieman Reports:

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: Voice of America, @icfj, @niemanfdn, @hraleighspeaks, @williamyang120, @kaedotcom, @niemanfdn, @fbdnstories, @gijnafrica, @samiullahmahdi, @lnajafizada and The Guardian

Sara Fischer / Axios:

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: @sarafischer and MediaPost

Sahil Patel / The Information:

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 »

Meg James / Los Angeles Times:

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 …

Chris Welch / The Verge:

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, Variety, Insider, Screen Rant, Engadget, PCMag UK, TechCrunch, Light Reading, The Streamable and Media Play News, more at Techmeme »

Andrew Marchand / New York Post:

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, Columbia Journalism Review, Poynter, OutKick, Poynter, Front Office Sports, Inside Radio, Fox News and Awful Announcing

Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:

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 …

Chris Stokel-Walker / BuzzFeed News:

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, The Daily Dot, New York Post, Kotaku, The Present Age, @stokel, @glynmoody, @ksergatskova, PetaPixel and The Hill, more at Techmeme »

William Turvill / Press Gazette:

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

Jaron Schneider / PetaPixel:

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.

Jaron Schneider / PetaPixel:
Chris Niccolls and Jordan Drake, the departing YouTube hosts of DPReview TV, plan to join PetaPixel to lead its new YouTube Channel that launches in May 2023

Discussion: @lgworld, @raywongy and @jaronschneider

Archived Page Info:

This is a snapshot of Mediagazer at 8:35 PM ET, March 22, 2023.

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Who's Hiring in Media?

Deputy Ed. - Gen. Assignment Desk, DC — WaPo

EU Technology Reporter, Brussels — Bloomberg

Breaking News Reporter, NY — Guardian US

Harrisburg Reporter, PA — PCBC

Senior Editor - Styles, NY — NYT

Part-time Editor, Remote — Techmeme

Home & Travel Reporter, Ireland — Newsweek

Assistant Digital Editor, MA — Boston Globe

Senior Editor - Visuals (Temporary), DC — NPR

Copy Editor, Remote US — ProPublica

Markets Reporter, NY/CA — Sherwood Media

Staff Writer, MI — Watershed Voice

Food Reporter, CA — SF Standard

Staff Writer, NV — Las Vegas Weekly

Pharma Editor, Remote — Endpoints

Higher Ed. Reporter, Remote CA — EdSource

Politics Reporter, Brussels — Politico

Investigations & Enterprise Ed., WI — Cap Times

Social Strategy Editor, NY — WSJ

Senior Narrative Editor, CA — Cloud Chamber

Editor-in-Chief, NY (flexible) — The 74

Housing Reporter, OK — The Frontier

Writer/AI Content Reviewer, CA — Outlier

Writer/Editor, Remote — Mediaite

Multi Media Reporter, NC — Cardinal & Pine

Afternoon/Night Editor, NH — Keene Sentinel

Education Lab Editor, WA — Seattle Times

Senior Editor, Remote US — PCWorld

State Worker Reporter, CA — Sacramento Bee

Executive Editor, NM — Searchlight

News Assistant, NY — Quanta Magazine

Local Editor, NJ (Remote) — Patch

News Writer, CA — Hollywood Reporter

News Editor/Reporter, KS — Blade-Empire

Add your company here

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More News:

Sarah Spicer / Committee to Protect Journalists:
News reports and journalists say at least 28 members of the press were obstructed, harassed, or attacked covering Nigerian elections on March 18 and March 19

Dan Kennedy / Media Nation:
The Boston Globe ends its two-year partnership with The Emancipator, leaving Boston University's Center for Antiracist Research to publish the digital outlet

Discussion: Nieman Lab

Elizabeth Dilts Marshall / Billboard:
Tencent Music reports 2022 revenue down 9.3% YoY to ~$4.11B, despite music subscriptions revenue up 18.6% YoY to ~$1.26B; Q4 revenue fell 2.4% YoY to ~$1.08B

Discussion: Music Ally, Reuters, Tencent Music, Music Business Worldwide and Digital Music News

Wall Street Journal:
Sources: TikTok sought to reassure advertisers in recent days and play down the threat of an outright US ban, hoping to keep brands from cutting their spending

Discussion: @cpa_trendlines, @jchengwsj, @patiencehaggin and Adweek, more at Techmeme »

Earlier Picks:

Aisha Malik / TechCrunch:
Instagram plans to roll out ads in search results globally in the coming months after initial tests and debuts Reminder Ads for opt-in upcoming event reminders

Discussion: MarTech, 9to5Mac, The Verge and MediaPost, more at Techmeme »

Reuters Institute:
An analysis of 100 news outlets in Brazil, Germany, South Africa, the UK, and the US in 2022: 23% of the 81 top editors are POC with none in Brazil and Germany

Discussion: @risj_oxford, American Press Institute, @rasmus_kleis, @johnycassidy, @kirstenaeddy, @luizferteixeira, @rasmus_kleis and @mitalilive

David Robb / Deadline:
WGA East members who work for Hearst Magazines plan a half-day walkout on March 23 to demand a fair contract and supporting rallies at four Hearst office sites

Discussion: @greenhousenyt, @sfcguild, MediaPost and Radio & Television …

From Techmeme:

Foo Yun Chee / Reuters:
Sources: EU may accept Apple's proposal to open its NFC payments tech to rivals, and may close its antitrust probe in May, letting Apple avoid hefty fines

George Steer / Financial Times:
Nvidia closed down 10% on Friday, falling the most since March 2020 and losing more than $200B of its market value, as investors pull back from AI bets

Zack Whittaker / TechCrunch:
Hacking group GhostR claims it stole 5.3M records from World-Check screening database, used for KYC checks for sanctions and financial crime links, in March

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