Mediagazer: A US judge rejects X's bid to block California's AB 587, which seeks to control toxic social media posts by requiring companies to disclose moderation policies (Bloomberg)

9:15 PM ET, December 28, 2023

Top News:

Altice USA announces the sale of Cheddar News to the media company Archetype, owned by PE firm Regent; source: the deal is structured as an “earn out” deal — - Cheddar News-owner Altice USA announced Thursday it has sold the financial news streaming service to the media company Archetype …

Discussion: The Wrap, The Information, Cheddar News, @rafat, Wall Street Journal, @sherman4949, @sherman4949, The Hollywood Reporter, The Messenger, Talking Biz News and NBC 7 San Diego

Paul Farhi / Washington Post:

A profile of Francesca Street, whose Chance Encounters love stories for CNN.com appeared five times on Chartbeat's list of 2023's most-engaging stories — The 29-year-old CNN reporter, who writes about love and romance, was one of 2023′s most popular reporters

Discussion: @farhip

Chartbeat Blog:
A list of 2023's most engaging stories: CNN had the most entries on the list, and most prominent themes were “catastrophe”, “memorial”, and “human connection”

Discussion: KEYT-TV, @noahshachtman, @gaydos_ and @kevinroose

Mike Masnick / Techdirt:

The New York Times' lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft relies on a false belief that copyright can limit the right to read and process data — This week the NY Times somehow broke the story of... well, the NY Times suing OpenAI and Microsoft. I wonder who tipped them off.

Discussion: Times of India, @mer__edith, @MattHodges@mastodon.social, @wholemarsblog, @ceciliazin, @josephjacks_, @ernie@writing.exchange, @glynmoody@mastodon.social, @LaureM@federate.social, @zackkanter, @mmasnick@mastodon.social, @norabelrose, @willoremus@threads.net, Bloomberg, GeekWire, Financial Times and The Information, more at Techmeme »

New York Times:
The NYT sues OpenAI and Microsoft for copyright infringement, alleging they used millions of its articles to train AI, the first major US media outlet to sue

Discussion: United States District Court Southern District of New York, The Indian Express, @mathewi@threads.net, @edmundlee@threads.net, The Hollywood Reporter, @carnage4life@threads.net, @austen, @garymarcus, @mathewi, Digital Journal, 24/7 Wall St., @afinetheorem, @jason_kint, @benedictevans@threads.net, @garymarcus, GeekWire, @corybe@threads.net, Financial Times, Plagiarism Today, @ajs, Inquirer News, WINK News, @benwansell, @jason_kint, Bloomberg, CNN, Dataconomy, @ceciliazin, @ceciliazin, @jason_kint, @jason_kint, @jason_kint, @jason_kint, Engadget, TweakTown, @alexbruell, @reckless1280@threads.net, The Desk, @eriqgardner, David L. Simons on LinkedIn, @jeffjarvis, Wall Street Journal, The Information, @nexusben, @semafor, @loudmouthjulia, @davidclinchnews, @bdsams, @ivanthek, @rogoswami, @asharma, MediaPost, Axios, Associated Press, @jeffjarvis@threads.net, @jeffjarvis@threads.net, @jeffjarvis@threads.net, Jason Calacanis on Startups, Gizmodo, Fast Company, Deadline, Ars Technica, @kalihays1@threads.net, @martinsfp@threads.net, Boing Boing, Mother Jones, Alex Smith on LinkedIn, WHYY, Publishers Weekly, TechCrunch, Mashable, Irish Examiner, The Guardian, New York Daily News, Agence France-Presse, Tales from a Phoenix, Newser, BGR, Los Angeles Times, The New York Times Company, Shelly Palmer, Neowin, The Hill, Washington Post, The Wrap, @MattHodges@mastodon.social, New York Post, Reuters, The Verge, @happicamp@threads.net, @ErikJonker@mastodon.social, Semafor, The Hollywood Reporter, CNBC, @jeffjarvis@threads.net, @blackamazon.bsky.social, Variety, News/Media Alliance, The Messenger and Publishers Lunch, more at Techmeme »

Eugene Weekly:

Eugene Weekly in Oregon cancels its print edition for now after discovering it had been “the victim of embezzlement at the hands of someone we once trusted” — EUGENE WEEKLY IS FIGHTING TO COME BACK AFTER A MASSIVE FINANCIAL BLOW — Eugene Weekly is this town.

Discussion: MediaPost, The Desk, @NIH_LLAMAS@mastodon.social, @mangotable@famichiki.jp and @slowenough@mastodon.social

Bloomberg:

A US judge rejects X's bid to block California's AB 587, which seeks to control toxic social media posts by requiring companies to disclose moderation policies — - Measure seeks to control toxic posts on social media platforms — Company alleged state is trying to censor controversial speech

Discussion: Reuters, The Hollywood Reporter, Reason and The Atlantic

Angela Fu / Poynter:

Research: the US news industry cut 2,681 jobs from January to November 2023, not including buyouts, more than in all of 2022 or 2021, and 130+ newspapers closed — It's a sharp reversal from the last two years, when layoffs fell and some news outlets even expanded.

Discussion: @joelmathis.bsky.social and Joel Marino on LinkedIn

Colin Mann / Advanced Television:

Podcast listening on the BBC Sounds app rose 34% YoY through November 2023; this year's numbers include smart speaker data starting in April — In 2023 (January to November) there were over 2 billion plays of radio, music and podcasts on the BBC Sounds app, as listeners continue to enjoy …

Discussion: Radio Ink

Justin Baragona / The Daily Beast:

Newsmax ratings, which exploded after Fox ousted Tucker Carlson, have gradually declined; Q4 primetime ratings fell 14% QoQ but they remain higher than in 2022 — Newsmax was riding sky-high on surging ratings after its top rival, Fox News, fired its biggest star—but here's how it eventually came crashing back down.

Discussion: Adweek

TheRighting:

Analysis: 17 of the top 20 right-wing news websites saw their unique visitors decline YoY in November 2023; Hannity grew 122% YoY and Infowars grew 46% YoY — Eighty-five percent of right wing news websites in TheRighting's top 20 lost year-over-year (YOY) unique visitors according …

Discussion: @therighting and @farhip

Jill Goldsmith / Deadline:

Lionsgate closes its acquisition of Hasbro's eOne for $375M plus assuming some production financing loans; Lionsgate's library grows by 6,500 film and TV titles — Lionsgate said today its acquisition of global entertainment platform eOne from Hasbro is done.

Discussion: Observer, Variety, The Desk, IndieWire, ComingSoon.net, The Wrap, The Hollywood Reporter and Media Play News

Washington Post:

Sources: India pressed Apple to come up with alternative explanations for warning Indian journalists and opposition politicians of state-sponsored iPhone hacks — NEW DELHI — A day after Apple warned independent Indian journalists and opposition party politicians in October that government hackers …

Daniel Tilles / Notes From Poland:

The Polish government puts TVP, Polskie Radio, and news agency PAP into liquidation, after the country's president vetoed plans to provide funding for 2024 — In the latest escalation of the bitter struggle for control over Poland's public media, the new government has announced …

Discussion: @danieltilles1, Inquirer News and Reuters

Bartosz Brzeziński / Politico:
Poland's new government taking sweeping steps to free its state media sets off a political war, including the appointments of two dueling chiefs of public TV

Discussion: Notes From Poland, Semafor and Reuters

Financial Times:

Insider Intelligence: LinkedIn's ad revenue, which rose 10.1% YoY to nearly $4B in 2023, could grow 14.1% YoY in 2024, as brands seek to reallocate X ad spend — Microsoft-owned professional networking site has increased revenues as big brands boycott rival platform

Discussion: MediaPost, Business Post, PYMNTS.com and James Eagle on LinkedIn, more at Techmeme »

Reuters:

Sources: Telecom Italia has renewed its five-season deal with DAZN to show Serie A soccer games on its streaming platform TimVision, for €43M to €46M per year — Telecom Italia (TIM) (TLIT.MI) has renewed a deal with sports streaming service DAZN to continue offering Italy's top Serie …

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Disney, WBD, Comcast, and Paramount face a year of reckoning in 2024 after losing $5B+ in 2023 from the streaming services they built to compete with Netflix

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Paige Skinner / HuffPost:
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Wall Street Journal:
A look at ReelShort, a Chinese-backed app featuring dramas with one-minute episodes; its CEO says ReelShort has generated $22M+ in revenue since its 2022 launch

Associated Press:
Study: social media companies collectively made nearly $11B in US ad revenue from minors in 2022; YouTube derived the most from users 12 and under, at $959.1M

Discussion: CBS News, Benzinga, Harvard T.H. Chan School …, PLOS and MediaPost

Earlier Picks:

Al Tompkins / Poynter:
The FCC rejects radio and TV broadcasters' call for deregulation, reaffirming limits on the number of TV or radio stations that owners can control in a market

Discussion: Federal Communications …, Ted Hearn on LinkedIn, Ted Hearn on LinkedIn, Policyband, @mglowe@mstdn.social, The Desk, @panamared27401@mstdn.social, RadioInsight, Next TV and Inside Radio

Rick Porter / The Hollywood Reporter:
Broadcast ratings sank in fall 2023 due to the Hollywood strikes; ABC and NBC fared best thanks to NFL games, CBS and Fox fell 32% YoY and 26% YoY, respectively

Discussion: Variety, TVLine, Benzinga and @tvgrimreaper

Andrew Jack / Financial Times:
Sorbonne University plans to use OpenAlex, a nonprofit academic data provider, from January 1, boosting a growing movement to make research available for free

Discussion: @drmarcduffy, @openalex_org, Alexandre Zagoskin on LinkedIn and @petersuber@fediscience.org

From Techmeme:

John Hudson / Washington Post:
Sources: White House National Security Advisor Michael Waltz and other NSC members have conducted government affairs over personal Gmail accounts

Sergiu Gatlan / BleepingComputer:
Google researchers say DPRK's IT workers are fraudulently securing positions at companies in Germany, Portugal, and the UK, after facing sanctions in the US

Wikimedia:
The Wikimedia Foundation says base bandwidth demand for downloading Wikimedia Commons multimedia content is up 50% since January 2024, driven by AI crawlers

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