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Spotify plans to lay off ~17% of its workforce, or ~1,500 staff, to “rightsize” its costs, citing slow growth and rising capital costs, after cutting 6% in June — Spotify is eliminating about 17% jobs, its third round of layoffs this year, as the music streaming looks to become “both productive and efficient.”
Discussion:
Billboard, Fast Company, Inside Radio, Spotify, Variety, Financial Times, CNN, @lucas_shaw, CMU, @markgurman, @sarafischer, 9to5Mac, The Bookseller, @carnage4life@mas.to, Wall Street Journal, Neowin, Reuters, The Verge, BBC, Engadget, The Hollywood Reporter, Music Ally, Bloomberg and Cord Cutters News, more at Techmeme »
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A look at the escalating battle between YouTube and ad blockers, as YouTube speeds up its methods to detect blockers and rolls out new ways to serve ads — Against all odds, open source hackers keep outfoxing one of the wealthiest companies. — YouTube recently took dramatic action …
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James Dyson loses his £1M libel case against Mirror Group after a High Court judge rules Dyson was not caused “serious harm” by a January 2022 Mirror article — High Court judge says Brian Reade comment piece did not cause ‘serious harm’.
Discussion:
@jolyonmaugham, @kevin_maguire, @healthreglawyer, @shipbrief, @pressgazette, @pollyrippon, BBC, The Guardian, Boing Boing and Financial Times
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GroupM forecasts global ad spending to grow 5.8% YoY to $889B in 2023, excluding US political ads, and US political ad spending in 2024 to reach a record $15.9B — Worldwide advertising will post a 5.8 percent gain this year to $889 billion, before slowing to a 5.3 percent gain in 2024 …
Discussion:
MediaPost, Wall Street Journal, Inside Radio, AdExchanger, VideoWeek and Deadline
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Kick, the livestreaming site that grew by embracing online gambling and lax moderation, tries to move away from edgy content amid public and regulatory pressure — The Twitch competitor has doled out generous deals to content creators. It has also faced criticism for its lax moderation and embrace of online gambling.
Discussion:
@dannygroner, more at Techmeme »
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Five lessons from successful local news startups, including focusing on a single mission, openness to non-traditional reporting, and engaging the public — Let's start with an encouraging statistic: Despite years of demoralizing reports on sweeping media layoffs, nearly 300 …
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A group of 83 Spanish media outlets files a €550M lawsuit against Meta, citing unfair competition in ads due to its “massive” and “systematic” use of data — A group representing 83 Spanish media outlets on Monday said it has filed a 550 million euro ($598 million) …
Discussion:
TechCrunch
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The Guardian's senior editors issue a rare joint message to staff, warning them on signing letters and posting messages that “risk compromising” its integrity — The Guardian's most senior editors have issued a rare joint message to their staff, warning journalists …
Discussion:
@samebjones, @_claireconnelly, @s_mitchell, @jonkudelka and @markdistef
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Q&A with Kevin Delaney, who co-founded “future-of-work” media and research company Charter in 2021, on the company's goals, his time at Quartz and WSJ, and more — When I started this column, I expected it to be filled with routine Q&As about reporting, writing and editing.
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UK Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer confirms that the BBC will receive a below-inflation license fee increase; the £159 annual fee has been frozen for two years — Imminent announcement expected to signal further cuts to broadcaster's staffing and programmes
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Kiss' three current members reveal digital avatars of themselves, created by Pophouse and George Lucas' ILM, which will tour as the rock band stops live touring — On Saturday night, Kiss will close out the final performance of their “The End of the Road” farewell tour at New York City's famed Madison Square Garden.
Discussion:
The Verge, Business Insider, CMU, @eddietrunk, @benshotonfilm, @toastydecline, Variety, Heather Gallagher on LinkedIn, Digital Music News, @anshelsag, @fridayinhalifax, Rolling Stone, @kiss, Engadget, @carnage4life@mas.to, Bloomberg, Billboard, Fast Company and Associated Press, more at Techmeme »
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Anger tied to the Israel-Hamas war makes clear that journalists need to rebuild local religion coverage to show how faith-based groups shape their communities — Faith-based communities are a vibrant part of civic life, and coverage helps us build empathy for our neighbors.
Discussion:
@stevenwaldman, @jimallthetime and Jennifer Preston on LinkedIn
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How successful cricket podcasts, often begun as labors of love by obsessive fans, have persisted in a broadcasting landscape saturated by rivaling media outlets — How do fans follow a sport that feels more present than ever yet also more bloated and stratified? By listening to podcasts
Discussion:
@chickenkearv, @collinsadam, @thesportsocial, @lukemclaughlin, @cricketingview and @nightwatchmanxi