Top News:


Despite not being in SAG-AFTRA, many influencers are passing up deals to promote movies and TV shows to avoid online criticism and being barred from the guild — Despite not being in the actors' union, many content creators are passing up deals to promote films or TV shows …
Discussion:
Ad Age, more at Techmeme »
RELATED:


UK-listed online retailer THG agrees to acquire London business newspaper City AM, which was put up for sale this month; all City AM employees will join THG — THG owns online retail brands including Cult Beauty and Myprotein. — Online beauty and nutrition group THG …
Discussion:
Bloomberg, Sky News, City A.M., The Guardian, The Guardian, @pressgazette and London Evening Standard


Sources: Netflix is reworking its tech deal with Microsoft for its ad tier to reduce the revenue guarantee and has discussed selling ads through other partners — Streamer asks for patience as it tries to jump-start $6.99 a month ad tier — Netflix is restructuring its advertising partnership …


A group of booksellers, publishers, and authors sue to stop a new Texas law that is taking effect in September and requires stores to rate books' sexual content — With a book-rating law set to take effect in September, a group of booksellers, along with publishers and authors, filed suit to argue that it is unconstitutional.


Netflix lists a $300K to $900K-a-year ML product manager job that points to its plans to use AI to “create great content”, as actors strike for AI protections — Rob Delaney said, “My melodious voice? My broad shoulders and dancer's undulating buttocks? I decide how those are used!"
Discussion:
The Guardian, Deadline, @pame, @cdarwin@c.im, Engadget, Fast Company, @bookspotlight.bsky.social, Fortune, IndieWire, @kenklippenstein.bsky.social, The Register, @timnitGebru@dair …, Metro, TechRadar, Insider, The Overspill, Digital Music News, Gizmodo, Screen Rant and Variety, more at Techmeme »


Libro.fm, an audiobook retailer and listening app for local bookshops, launches internationally; the company has partnered with over 2,200 independent bookshops — Libro.fm, the audiobook retailer and listening app for local bookshops, launched internationally on Wednesday to give …
Discussion:
@librofm, Publishing Perspectives, @librofm and @bookishcrick


How Oklahoma's McCurtain Gazette investigated the local sheriff and obtained a recording of officials talking about killing reporters and lynching Black people — In Southeast Oklahoma, a father-son reporting duo's series on the county sheriff led to an explosive revelation.


Political parties in India court big and small social media influencers ahead of 2024 elections, offering to pay for political messages that have no disclosures — As the campaign for the 2024 elections in India goes digital, social media influencers have become a powerful tool to try and shape voter behavior.
Discussion:
The Drum, The Hollywood Reporter and Sydney Morning Herald


Verizon partners with YouTube to offer some new and upgrading wireless and home internet customers free access to the NFL Sunday Ticket — Verizon and YouTube are calling a new customer-acquisition play aimed a gridiron fans. … Terms of the agreement between Verizon and YouTube …
Discussion:
Verizon, The Desk, TechCrunch, Light Reading, Front Office Sports, Tubefilter, Awful Announcing, Media Play News, The Streamable, 9to5Google, CNET, The Verge, Deadline and Cord Cutters News


Sources: Linda Yaccarino pitched her vision for Twitter/X to talent agencies in LA and met with Disney, in a bid to bring stars and influencers to the platform — Social media app's new chief meets with agents at leading talent agencies amid controversy over rebranding to ‘X’
Discussion:
@apocalypticanow.bsky.social, The Wrap and Fortune, more at Techmeme »


Sources: music rights company BMI is again exploring options including a sale; BMI switched to a for-profit model in 2022 after failing to sell itself in 2021 — Broadcast Music Inc (BMI), the music rights company representing top songwriters such as Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift and Rihanna …
Discussion:
Inside Radio, @iatalkspace, Music Business Worldwide, Billboard and Digital Music News


Indonesia restricts X.com, which now redirects to twitter.com after Twitter rebranding to X, as the domain had been previously used by porn and gambling sites — Medan, Indonesia - Elon Musk's aspirations for X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter, have hit a stumbling block …
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, NBC News, @ryanschultz@mastodon.social, @Rasta@mstdn.ca, Insider, Engadget, Newslit Daily, Insider, Gizmodo, UPROXX and Financial Times, more at Techmeme »


Google says 2B+ logged-in monthly users are watching YouTube Shorts, up from 1.5B+ in June 2022, and YouTube is reaching 150M people on their TVs in the US — Google said today that more than 2 billion logged-in monthly users are watching YouTube Shorts, giving it an edge over competitors like TikTok and Instagram Reels.
RELATED:

YouTube's ad revenue increased 4.4% YoY to $7.67B in Q2, above expectations of $7.43B and a reversal after three consecutive quarters of declines
Discussion:
Simon Owens's Media Newsletter, @eric_seufert, @howardlindzon, Quartz, Reuters, The Desk, @eric_seufert, @richlightshed, Tubefilter, Broadband TV News, @tvgrimreaper, @quinnypig, @nicoagrant, The Hollywood Reporter, KNSD-TV, Digital Music News, New York Times, Mobile Dev Memo, Alphabet Inc., Deadline, The Wrap and Wall Street Journal