Top News:
Benjamin Mullin / New York Times:
Letterboxd's founders sell a majority stake to Victoria-based Tiny; a source says the deal values the film-focused social network with ~10M users at $50M+ — Two designers from New Zealand built a wildly popular social network for movie buffs. Now, they're cashing in (and sticking around for the sequel).
Amanda Zamora / The 19th:
Amanda Zamora says she will step down as publisher of The 19th at the end of 2023 and continue working on The 19th News Network as an advisory director — After more than four and a half years with The 19th, Amanda Zamora will step down as publisher at the end of this year. — Co-founder and Publisher
Ashley Carman / Bloomberg:
Podcast company Pushkin Industries is laying off 17 of its 54 employees, its second round of cuts in 2023, and making changes to its leadership team — ‘The Tipping Point’ author will step into editorial director role as part of executive shakeup — Bestselling author Malcolm Gladwell's company …
Discussion:
@brianstorms@mastodon.social
Richard Sandomir / New York Times:
Ed Fancher, one of the founders of The Village Voice and its publisher for 19 years, is dead at 100 — A psychologist, he started the alternative weekly with Dan Wolf and Norman Mailer in 1955. “We were crazy enough to think it would succeed,” he said. — Ed Fancher, a psychologist …
Discussion:
@tromano, @joeconason and @johnk77t
Amanda Silberling / TechCrunch:
X CEO Linda Yaccarino says that the company has paid out nearly $20M to creators; Elon Musk said in July 2023 that the first payments totaled $5M — The company formerly known as Twitter has paid out nearly $20 million to creators, according to a post from X CEO Linda Yaccarino.
Discussion:
@lindayax, @lhamadopagode, @rakeshlobster and @jboorstin
The Marshall Project:
The Marshall Project launches its second local news operation in Jackson, Mississippi, with two reporters starting October 2 — Two journalists will produce enterprise and investigative journalism for audiences across Mississippi, including those affected by its criminal justice system.
Discussion:
New York Amsterdam News
Bob Sillick / Editor and Publisher:
A look at Agenda Watch, built by Stanford's Big Local News, which scrapes public agencies' documents to help reporters on city hall, police, and schools beats — A journalist's job can be exciting: uncovering a critical lead for a new story or elbowing aside a gaggle of other media pros to question a government official.
Washington Post:
The Supreme Court agrees to hear two cases concerning whether Florida and Texas can restrict social media companies from removing political posts or accounts — The Supreme Court on Friday said it would wade into the future of free speech online and decide whether laws passed in Texas …
Discussion:
New York Times, Bloomberg, Engadget, Reuters, @thefireorg, Gizmodo, New York Daily News, Associated Press, The Hill, CBS News, Los Angeles Times, SCOTUSblog and @mjs_dc, more at Techmeme »
Naomi Clarke / The Independent:
GB News presenter Calvin Robinson says he has been suspended for defending Dan Wootton online, making him the channel's third suspended presenter — Robinson hosts a religious current affairs programme on the channel. … GB News presenter Calvin Robinson has said the broadcaster has suspended …
Discussion:
The Guardian, The Sun, Sky News, @calvinrobinson, @calvinrobinson, @calvinrobinson, The London Economic, Yahoo News, Deadline and Broadband TV News
Nieman Lab:
Two experts warn generative AI could threaten press freedom by deepening media dependence on tech companies and urge journalists to develop power to shape AI — Generative AI systems act like “stochastic parrots,” using statistical models to guess word orders and pixel placements.
Discussion:
@blprnt, @froomkin, @niemanlab@mastodon.social and @ananny@scholar.social
Brian Steinberg / Variety:
AMC Networks launches an ad-supported AMC+ tier for $4.99 per month, featuring fewer than five minutes of ads per hour and the same programming as ad-free — AMC Networks has joined the ranks of ad-supported streaming. — The company said Thursday that it has begun rolling …
Discussion:
The Streamable, MediaPost, Deadline, The Verge, Advanced Television, IGN, Adweek, TVLine, The Wrap, The Hollywood Reporter and Cord Cutters News
Ross A. Lincoln / The Wrap:
Negotiations between SAG-AFTRA and video game companies end without a deal; the current contract will continue as the sides “make final efforts to reach a deal” — Current contract extended as groups prepare for “final efforts” to reach a new agreement
Discussion:
IGN, Variety, Deadline and Los Angeles Times