Top News:
Katie Robertson / New York Times:
Music and culture outlet Paste Magazine buys Jezebel, with plans to start publishing today, and Splinter, the political news site shut down by G/O Media in 2019 — The pioneering feminist website is being sold to Paste by G/O Media, which had shut down the site this month.
Discussion:
Adweek, @scottnover, @ethangach, @timreganporter, @austinlouisray, @thekarliehustle and @plsburydoughboy.bsky.social
Steven J. Horowitz / Variety:
Spotify details the most-streamed albums, songs, and podcasts in 2023: Taylor Swift and Bad Bunny, Flowers by Miley Cyrus, The Joe Rogan Experience, and more — Spotify has revealed its annual Wrapped campaign for 2023, announcing the top-streamed artists, albums, songs and podcasts in addition …
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Ann-Marie Alcántara / Wall Street Journal:
Spotify launches Spotify Wrapped 2023, adding a new Me in 2023 feature to assign users 12 themes that describe their listening, available on mobile and desktop — The listening recap, available Wednesday, takes over social media every year — It's the time of year many people have been anxiously awaiting: Spotify Wrapped season.
Discussion:
Adweek, Fast Company, Ad Age, Variety, The Drum, The Verge, Android Headlines, Wired, Engadget, Pocket-lint, Android Authority and Forbes, more at Techmeme »
Natasha Lomas / TechCrunch:
Adalytics: Google ads appear on many compromising sites that make up its Search Partners network; Google attacks Adalytics but plans to review its findings — Adtech report exposes brand safety and ad fraud risks lurking in the Google Search Partners network...
Discussion:
Fast Company, MediaPost, Ad Age, Search Engine Land, AdExchanger, Politico, Adweek and Digiday, more at Techmeme »
Drew Harwell / Washington Post:
A Washington Post spokesperson says the company has decided to pause advertising on X, after Elon Musk's amplification of the Pizzagate conspiracy theory — The far-right theory motivated a gunman to fire multiple rounds inside the Comet Ping Pong pizzeria in Northwest Washington in 2016.
Discussion:
Washingtonian, NBC News, Poynter, MIT Technology Review, The Daily Beast, @froomkin, @ndrew_lawrence, @mike_isaac@threads.net, The Hill, HuffPost, MediaPost, @TimKarr@mastodon.social, Gizmodo, Mediaite, @shoq@mastodon.social, @dzuidijk@threads.net, Search Engine Land, @Waterloo2@mstdn.party, @tchambers@indieweb.social, Futurism, @kenwhite.bsky.social, @kilgoretrout.bsky.social, @mjk_4mjk@mastodon.ie, @mjk_4mjk@mastodon.ie, @emilybell.bsky.social, @kevinmkruse.bsky.social, @kilgoretrout.bsky.social, @willoremus@mastodon.social, Montgomery Independent, @robpegoraro@journa.host, @drewharwell@threads.net, Rolling Stone, The Messenger and CNN, more at Techmeme »
Steph Brawn / The National:
The BBC apologizes after an “editing error” led to an inaccurate Arabic translation being shown against an interview with a released Palestinian prisoner — THE BBC has issued a formal apology after an “editing error” led to an inaccurate translation being shown against an interview with a released Palestinian prisoner.
Discussion:
@marcowenjones, @marcowenjones, @libyaliberty, @areyouawitchor2, @miqdaad, @plazynoodles, @respondcrisis and Mediaite
Variety:
Robert De Niro criticizes Apple and the Gotham Awards, after sources say Apple cut part of his speech slamming Donald Trump, which he read anyway from his phone — The “Killers of the Flower Moon” actor was gearing up to slam Donald Trump at Monday's Gotham Awards, but when he took the stage …
Mike Seymour / fxguide:
Unity plans to cut 265 jobs, or 3.8% of its workforce, and end its services deal with VFX company Wētā FX to focus on its core business in a “company reset” — UPDATE: Scroll down for a statement from WētāFX: — Reuters is reporting that Unity Software …
Discussion:
@tvaziri, @timsoret, @mikeisaac, @yiningkarlli, @mudron, @andytouch, @mikeseymour, @filmbot, @jackelder, @michael_french, @andybiar, @gamefromscratch, @josephjacks_, @brkeogh, @carnage4life@mas.to, @yiningkarlli@mastodon …, @whorfin@mastodon.social, @aras@mastodon.gamedev.place and @tvaziri@mastodon.social, more at Techmeme »
Mark Sweney / The Guardian:
The Guardian reaches a first-look deal with Sony Pictures Entertainment to develop the Guardian Media Group's content for adaptation to film and TV — Collaboration will give Sony Pictures Entertainment exclusive first-look rights to Guardian's global journalism
Discussion:
@jimmfelton, @david_chippa, Deadline, Variety, @stokel, Broadband TV News and The Hollywood Reporter
Karlene Lukovitz / MediaPost:
Digital TV Research: global video-on-demand subscriptions are expected to grow by 321M between 2023 and 2029 to 1.79B, with the six top US-based services up 26% — Global subscription video-on-demand/SVOD subscriptions will grow by 321 million between 2023 and 2029, to reach 1.79 billion …
Christopher Williams / Telegraph:
Jeff Zucker, CEO of Abu Dhabi-backed RedBird IMI and ex-CNN head, insists he would preserve editorial independence of The Telegraph under RedBird's funding plan — CNN veteran insists editorial independence would be preserved under proposed new ownership — The leader of the Abu-Dhabi …
Discussion:
Press Gazette, @claireatki, @ltthompso, Daily Mail and The Guardian
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Apple launches Apple Music Replay, letting users review their 2023 history like top songs and artists, but the feature is still no match for Spotify Wrapped — Apple's year-end review and answer to Spotify Wrapped, Apple Music Replay, has arrived, but it's still no match for Spotify's personalized look back at your year in music.
Discussion:
Forbes, The Drum, The Verge, Android Authority, Pocket-lint and Music Ally, more at Techmeme »
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Corbin Bolies / The Daily Beast:
A look at The Middle, a weekly public radio show hosted by ex-NPR host Jeremy Hobson that airs on 400 stations and hopes to reach the political middle of the US — Public radio's listenership is decidedly liberal. A new weekly radio show from a former NPR producer seeks to change that.
Discussion:
Kim Grehn on LinkedIn