Mediagazer: X is showing some ads in users' Following feeds without an “Ad” label, indicated only by clicking on the three-dot menu, which could attract the FTC's attention (Sarah Perez/TechCrunch)

4:25 PM ET, September 8, 2023

Top News:

Sources: Spotify plans to test a free audiobook bundle for its paying subscribers that offers up to 20 hours of content per month, as part of an audiobook push — Audio streamer to test program with listeners to learn about customer demand for audiobooks — Spotify plans to test …

Discussion: 9to5Mac, The Information, Gizmodo, The Verge, CMU, Music Ally and The Bookseller, more at Techmeme »

Jim Friedlich / Nieman Reports:

Press Forward is by far the largest coordinated philanthropic effort to support local news, and its $500M commitment could generate billions more in new support — A nonpartisan group of 22 foundations today announced the launch of Press Forward, a nationwide coalition committing …

Discussion: macfound.org, Werd I/O, Washington Post, Newser, MediaPost, The Hill, Associated Press, Free Press, Second Rough Draft, Nieman Lab, Axios, American Public Media, Poynter, NPR and New York Times

Krystie Lee Yandoli / Rolling Stone:

In a call with Tonight Show staff, Jimmy Fallon said he's “sorry” and didn't mean to “create that type of atmosphere”, after a report detailed a toxic workplace — “Sorry if I embarrassed you and your family and friends...I feel so bad I can't even tell you,” …

Krystie Lee Yandoli / Rolling Stone:
Interviews with 16 current and former employees describe a toxic workplace at The Tonight Show, starting with Jimmy Fallon's outbursts and erratic behavior

Daniel Frankel / Next TV:

In another carriage dispute, Dish Network says Hearst pulled 37 network affiliates in 27 markets off of Dish, calling pay TV negotiations a “broken system” — Hearst is demanding ‘tens of millions of dollars’ in broadcast retransmission rate increases, Dish claims

Discussion: Awful Announcing, The Wrap, Reuters, The Desk, Radio & Television …, WBBH-TV, DISH Network Corporation, @matthewkeyslive and Cord Cutters News

Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:

X is showing some ads in users' Following feeds without an “Ad” label, indicated only by clicking on the three-dot menu, which could attract the FTC's attention — X, the company formerly known as Twitter, has been caught running unlabeled ads in users' Following feeds …

Discussion: Mashable, @checkmyadshq and 9to5Mac, more at Techmeme »

Niala / @nialaboodhoo:

[Thread] Axios plans to shut down its daily 10-minute news podcast, Axios Today, on September 15, replaced by “a new weekly show” also hosted by Niala Boodhoo — Some news, as they say: As we shared on this morning's episode, @axios Today will be winding down as a daily podcast, BUT, not to worry, I'll still be in your ears! (Keep reading)

Discussion: @nialaboodhoo, @nialaboodhoo and @nialaboodhoo

Todd Spangler / Variety:

Roku removes at least 37 original shows from the Roku Channel, including Reno 911! and a remake of The Fugitive, as part of its announced effort to cut costs — Other titles pulled include ‘Children Ruin Everything,’ ‘Most Dangerous Game,’ ‘Andy Cohen Diaries,’ ‘Cup of Joe’ with Joe Jonas

Discussion: The Desk, Deadline, Lowpass, @pkafka, @devincf, @xpangler, @joelmathis.bsky.social, @uticaeric, SlashFilm, Collider and The A.V. Club

Nieman Lab:

A study of 7,266 users from the US, the Netherlands, and Poland: non-news websites, like entertainment pages, expose people to more politics than news websites — Plus: The catalyzing effect of attacks on journalists, how journalists describe their target audiences, and new evidence of local news nonprofits' impact.

Discussion: @niemanlab

Robin Kemp / The Clayton Crescent:

Robin Kemp, who founded The Clayton Crescent and covered the 2020 US election in her part of Georgia, closes the outlet and moves to Savannah's The Current — For three years and four months, I have singlehandedly provided high-quality, professional news coverage to, for, and about this community.

Discussion: The Current, Talking Biz News, @claireschaffins, @danimmergluck, @matthewboedy, @johnruchatlanta, @alexip718, @marianliou, @rahulbali, @landmanspeaking and @newsworthy17

Michael Hunter / London Evening Standard:

Concord plans to acquire Round Hill Music Royalty Fund, whose back catalog includes songs from The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Louis Armstrong, for £375M — Star-studded back catalogue including The Beatles and The Rolling Stones and Louis Armstrong to go private — T

Discussion: Billboard, Music Ally and Reuters

Reuters:

Japanese broadcasters NHK, NTV, TV Asahi, and Fuji TV issue apologies for not covering sexual abuse allegations at a J-pop agency, after the agency apologized — After Japan's top talent agency Johnny & Associates apologised on Thursday for decades of sexual abuses committed by its late founder …

Sophie Vershbow / Esquire:

Interviews with authors and publishing insiders reveal the broken system of blurbs; a few authors say blurbs helped launch their careers, but hated the process — Do authors actually like the books they endorse—or even read them? Writers, literary agents, and publishing workers …

Discussion: @taylorlorenz, @mattzollerseitz, @theinsneider, @paulbogaards, @sarahroseetter, @sarahroseetter, @asdkfjasdlfjd, @tajjaisen, @jeffjarvis, @megireid and @mollsotov89

Archived Page Info:

This is a snapshot of Mediagazer at 4:25 PM ET, September 8, 2023.

View the current page or another snapshot:

Who's Hiring in Media?

Bureau Chief - Houston, TX — Reuters

Consumer Tech Reporter, CA — Bloomberg

Associate Editor, Remote US — TechCrunch

Economic Development Reporter, CT — CT Mirror

Business Editor (Contract), MA — MIT Tech Review

Local Editor, SC — Post & Courier

Cops & Courts Reporter, WA — Daily Herald

Chief Obituaries Writer, London — The Telegraph

News Reporter, MA — Berkshire Eagle

Latino Communities Editor, CA — Fresno Bee

Freelance Contributor, FL — Miami New Times

Enterprise Reporter, CA — SF Standard

Senior Editor, DC — Global Press

HCMG Opinion Editor, CT — CTInsider

State Government Reporter, WA — The Olympian

Writer - Streaming (Temporary), GA — CNN

Data Reporter, TX — Houston Business Journal

Town Reporter, CT — The Day

Weekend Audience Editor, VA — Politico

ETF Reporter, NY — Pensions & Investments

Managing Editor, FL — HRDC

Business Reporter, WA — Seattle Times

Associate Editor, NY — Beer Marketer's Insights

Freelance Reporter, NC — PBS Charlotte

Crypto/Markets Reporter - Europe — The Block

Education & Family Reporter, OR — Lookout Local

Red Sox Reporter, MA — Boston Globe

Investigative Reporter, NC — Charlotte Observer

Publication Editor, MI — NowKalamazoo

Sports Reporter, OH — Daily Standard

Writer - Women's Soccer, Remote US — The Athletic

Senior IP Correspondent, London — MLex

General Assignment Reporter, MI — SPJ

Add your company here

See Also:

Mediagazer: site main

Mediagazer River: reverse chronological Mediagazer

Mediagazer Mobile: for phones

Mediagazer Leaderboard: Mediagazer's top sources

Subscribe:

Mediagazer RSS feed

Mediagazer on X

Mediagazer on Mastodon

More News:

James B. Stewart / New York Times:
Sources: Mattel stands to earn 5% of Barbie's $2B expected box office revenue, a percentage of the profits as the movie's producer, and payments as the IP owner

Discussion: Forbes, The Information, Comic Book, Fox Business, Ad Age, ComingSoon.net, Variety, Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter, The Messenger and Tubefilter

Peter Kiefer / The Ankler:
Sources: Apple spent $5M on the film rights for Michael Lewis' book about Sam Bankman-Fried; at least eight Hollywood projects on SBF are in the works so far

Discussion: @technologizer@threads.net, more at Techmeme »

Alex Weprin / The Hollywood Reporter:
Artémis, François-Henri Pinault's investment firm, acquires TPG's majority stake in CAA; CAA's Bryan Lourd is expected to be named the CEO when the deal closes

Discussion: Forbes, TPG Press, @bostonjerry, Fortune, Puck, Billboard, @danprimack, Financial Times, Front Office Sports, Wall Street Journal, Reuters, The Wrap, Deadline, Variety, Los Angeles Times and WWD

Rick Porter / The Hollywood Reporter:
Nielsen delays plans to use Amazon's streaming data in NFL ratings after the Video Advertising Bureau's criticism and plans to work with the MRC to get approval

Discussion: Ad Age, MediaPost, The Streamable, Sports Media Watch, Front Office Sports, Wall Street Journal, Variety and Ad Age

Hamish McKenzie / On Substack:
Substack sets a goal of making the 2024 US election “the Substack Election” and hires publicist and producer Catherine Valentine to lead politics initiatives

Discussion: The Information, @mobute.bsky.social, @mobute.bsky.social and @katieharbath.bsky.social

URL Media:
URL Media, a network of media outlets focused on communities of color, receives a $1M Knight Foundation investment to support its 21 partners

Discussion: @mitrakalita, @mitrakalita, American Press Institute, @mitrakalita, @susanmcp1 and @blackamazon

Earlier Picks:

Linda Hardesty / Fierce Wireless:
The Senate votes 55 to 43 to approve Anna Gomez as the fifth FCC commissioner, breaking the deadlock at the agency and giving the FCC a 3-2 Democratic majority

Christopher Dring / GamesIndustry.biz:
The ESA announces organizer ReedPop will not be working on future E3 events and informs the Los Angeles Convention Center that 2024's E3 will not be held there

Discussion: PC Gamer, Eurogamer.net, @film_girl, Rock, Paper, Shotgun, Video Games Chronicle, VentureBeat, Neowin, The Verge, My Nintendo News, IGN and Insider Gaming

Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Snapchat adds new safety features for minors, including making it harder for strangers to contact teens and removing accounts marketing inappropriate content

Discussion: Neowin, Snapchat, Engadget and CNN

Max Tani / @maxwelltani:
Memo: Andrew Golis, WNYC's chief content officer and former Vox general manager and Vox Media VP of network development, is leaving WNYC

Discussion: Inside Radio, @maxwelltani, RadioInsight and Radio & Television …

Jess Weatherbed / The Verge:
Google releases its relevance and measurement APIs for Privacy Sandbox in general availability, making them available in Chrome without browser flags or trials

Discussion: TechCrunch, The Privacy Sandbox, @baekdal, Freestar, The Register, AdExchanger, 9to5Google, Gizmodo and Neowin, more at Techmeme »

From Techmeme:

Mark Gurman / Bloomberg:
Sources: Apple preps a major interface revamp for iOS 19, iPadOS 19, and macOS 16, loosely based on visionOS, with a consistent design and simpler navigation

Tom Warren / The Verge:
Leaked video: Sony is working on a prototype AI-powered version of a PlayStation game character that can interact with players through voice prompts

Jaspreet Singh / Reuters:
ServiceNow says it plans to acquire agentic AI company Moveworks for $2.85B, its largest-ever acquisition, in a cash and stock deal set to close in H2 2025

Sister Sites:

Techmeme
Top news and commentary for technology's leaders, from all around the web

memeorandum
What US political commentators are discussing online right now

WeSmirch
The top celebrity news from all around the web on a single page