Top News:


The BBC launches social.bbc, an “experimental” Mastodon server with posts from a handful of BBC accounts, and plans to try out the server for six months — The BBC has launched its own “experimental” Mastodon server, marking one of the first major news outlets to establish an instance on the Twitter alternative.
Discussion:
TechCrunch, BBC, @renwillis@mstdn.social, @hrefna@hachyderm.io, @BBC5Live@social.bbc, @1br0wn, @adrianpolglase@mastodon …, @BenjaminHan@sigmoid.social, @BBCRadio4@social.bbc, @davemolloy, @BBC_News_Labs@social.bbc, @hamatti@mastodon.world, @BBCRD@social.bbc, @BBCRD@social.bbc and @BBCTaster@social.bbc, more at Techmeme »


Twitter/X files a lawsuit against Center for Countering Digital Hate, accusing the nonprofit and its backers of “actively working to prevent free expression” — The Center for Countering Digital Hate said it had received a letter from X, Twitter's parent company …
Discussion:
Center for Countering …, CNN, Insider, Washington Post, The Verge, Engadget, Poynter, Benzinga, Associated Press, @elonmusk, CNBC, Variety, Wall Street Journal, NBC News, @mediaevan, Al Jazeera, Free Press, The Daily Beast, @seancasten, The Hill, @mjplitnick, Twitter, The Hollywood Reporter, @flitteronfraud, @mobbiemobes, @lanceulanoff, Financial Times, @tonyromm, @emilybell, Black America Web, @mattyglesias, @kadorgan, @rakeshlobster, @elivalley, Bloomberg, @mattschaar, Quartz, Mashable, HuffPost, Semafor, Breitbart, @bestoftvbots, @emptywheel, @taylorlorenz, Mediaite, @sheeraf.bsky.social, TechCrunch, @themckenziest.bsky.social, The Guardian, @GossiTheDog@cyberplace.social, @adamserwer.bsky.social, @ariegoldshlager@mstdn.social, d2331, The Wrap and Boing Boing, more at Techmeme »


Sources: Disney hired Kevin Mayer and Tom Staggs, two ex-executives seen as potential successors to Bob Iger during his first stint as CEO, as advisers to Iger — Disney has hired two former executives who were seen as potential successors to Bob Iger during his first stint as the company's chief executive …
Discussion:
Puck, Deadline, Variety, @themeparkdirk, The Information, @danprimack, NBC 7 San Diego, New York Times, The Hollywood Reporter, Front Office Sports, New York Post, Axios, @dsnynewscast, Los Angeles Times, Awful Announcing, @mattbelloni, Next TV, The Wrap, Barrett Media, Bloomberg and Cord Cutters News, more at Techmeme »


A look at the decline of Pittsburgh news site The Incline, launched in 2016 by Jim Brady with a $2.6M investment from Gannett, as its last journalist leaves — An online Pittsburgh newsroom's last remaining journalist says goodbye, as the city's media landscape sputters.
Discussion:
@ckrewson, @sarahscire, @brian__conway and MediaPost


Amazon will require streaming services on Fire TV to give 30% of their ad impressions to Amazon, or in certain countries share 30% of ad revenue, from Sept. 1 — Amazon will soon require international app developers who offer ad-supported streaming video services available to Fire TV users …


Sources: under pressure from the EU, Meta offers to seek user consent in Europe for targeted ads based on users' digital activity as soon as October 2023 — Under pressure from regulators, the Facebook and Instagram owner proposes asking users to opt in before targeting ads with their digital activity


Cineworld says it has emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy after cutting debt by $4.53B, raising $800M in new equity, and securing $1.71B in debt financing — Cineworld Group (CINE.L) said it has emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy after nearly 11 months, coming out with lower debt and a new slate of management and board.
Discussion:
CNN, Variety, Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter


Sources: Trump subpoenaed Fox News for Tucker Carlson's unaired interview with a former US Capitol Police chief, as part of a lawsuit defense; Fox News refused — The former president is demanding the network turn over footage and communications that he could use to defend himself …
Discussion:
Mediaite, CNN, Forbes and @eriqgardner


How a 149-year-old Georgia weekly grew after being taken over by UGA's journalism school, winning awards, tripling ads, and doubling subscriptions in 18 months — In the first 18 months, The Oglethorpe Echo added digital products, won awards, tripled advertising, and doubled subscriptions.
Discussion:
@gradydeanuga, @sarahscire and @amandacbright


After a digital artist opted out of the Stable Diffusion training set, the community made a model copying his style, raising questions around open-source models — More popular than Picasso and Leonardo Da Vinci among AI artists, Greg Rutkowski opted out of the Stable Diffusion training set.
Discussion:
@molly0xfff@hachyderm.io, @parismarx@mastodon.online and @carnage4life@threads.net


DoubleVerify, which offers software for digital media measurement and analytics, agrees to acquire digital ad campaign optimization company Scibids for $125M — DoubleVerify is acquiring Scibids, a digital campaign optimization firm. — The cash-and-stock transaction is valued at $125 million …
Discussion:
Insider, @doubleverify, @ainvest_wire, DoubleVerify, @larakiara, AdExchanger and Dow Jones Newswires


Content licensing organization NLA Media Access says it helped get around 700,000 stolen news articles removed in 2023 so far globally, up from 30K in 2022 — Content farmers appear to be “getting a bit more brazen”. — Copyright theft affecting news publishers in the UK and around the world is …
Discussion:
@pressgazette and @pressgazette