Top News:
Joshua Benton / Nieman Lab:
The Messenger's flop was the result of Jimmy Finkelstein's blindness to bad ideas, like its traffic-chasing strategy, not a consequence of economic headwinds — The flaws in the site's strategy were highly predictable (and repeatedly predicted). But Jimmy Finkelstein's muddled nostalgia …
Discussion:
Axios, @froomkin, @jayrosen_nyu, @jordannovet, @snigdhasur, @jragazzo, @scottnover, @ryangrim, @nohodge, @theakglassman, Newser, The Daily Beast, Variety, The Wrap and Deadline
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The Daily Beast:
Ex-employees of The Messenger file a class-action lawsuit against the shuttered outlet, alleging that it failed to give them proper notice ahead of their firing — The class-action lawsuit comes just a day after The Messenger closed up shop for good, firing its hundreds of staff without offering them severance.
Discussion:
@benmullin, Deadline, The Hill, Hollywood Reporter, Axios, @juliareinstein, Politico, @willsommer, @ellefs0n, @juliareinstein and The Wrap
Jordan Hoffman / New York Magazine:
A Messenger journalist describes his time working for the outlet, where the expensive offices were empty and reporters were instructed to chase trending topics — A text time-stamped 1:19 a.m. early Wednesday read, “I think it's over, man.” It was a Los Angeles-based colleague at The Messenger.
Dexter Thomas / Wired:
Q&A with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew on the company's music festival in Mesa, AZ, his background, TikTok and music, music labels, US scrutiny, moderation, and more — A few weeks ago, Shou Zi Chew sat down with WIRED to tell us how he's trying to make TikTok better.
Discussion:
NPR, Gizmodo, Music Ally, The Verge, The Hill, The Information, The Daily Beast and The Messenger
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Ashley Carman / Bloomberg:
UMG begins pulling its artists' music from TikTok after negotiations failed; videos featuring UMG-owned songs will be muted, and users can pick a new soundtrack
Discussion:
UMG, TMZ.com, Insider Intelligence, Digital Music News, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Fast Company, Wired, Fox News, Music Business Worldwide, Lefsetz Letter, Geoffrey Colon on LinkedIn, The Verge, Reuters, VIBE.com, Tubefilter, New York Times, Billboard, The A.V. Club, New York Daily News, The Hill, @simondowens@threads.net, Gizmodo, Variety, Wall Street Journal, UPROXX, Courthouse News Service, USA Today, Consequence, CNN, New York Times, Rolling Stone, Music Ally, @carnage4life@mas.to, TechNode, Forbes, The Music Network, Deadline, Polygon, Us Weekly and RAIN News
Kevin T. Dugan / New York Magazine:
Interviews with shareholders and current and ex-employees suggest that SI's publisher Arena missed the licensing payment by choice, not because it lacked money — At about 4 p.m. on Thursday, January 25, the board of the media conglomerate the Arena Group met after the company had blown up its license to publish Sports Illustrated.
Discussion:
@jayshams and @leomschwartz
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Salvador Rodriguez / Wall Street Journal:
Meta reports Q4 revenue up 25% YoY to $40.1B, with ad revenue of $38.7B, ad impressions delivered across its Family of Apps up 21%, and average ad price up 2% — Company posts biggest quarterly revenue gains in two years — Facebook parent Meta Platforms posted its fourth consecutive quarter …
Chris Willman / Variety:
Chuck Philips, a Pulitzer Prize-winning Los Angeles Times journalist known for his investigative reporting on the music industry, died in January at age 71 — Chuck Philips, a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist renowned for his reporting on dark corners of the music industry, died in January at age 71.
Discussion:
@khal, The Daily Beast, @hearinladotcom, The Wrap and Media Moves
Anna Nicolaou / Financial Times:
Sources: some independent record labels are pushing back on Apple's plans to pay more for spatial audio tracks, saying it benefits larger record companies — Groups behind Adele and Phoebe Bridgers among those against songs recorded in higher-quality audio receiving more money
Jim Edwards / Press Gazette:
Google plans to limit news publishers to tracking users across five of their own websites under its Privacy Sandbox, which is set to replace third-party cookies — Details have emerged of how Google's Privacy Sandbox could strengthen its online monopoly. — Google plans to limit the sharing …
Discussion:
@pressgazette, Paweł Nowacki on LinkedIn, The Drum, Poynter and The Register, more at Techmeme »
Max Tani / @maxwelltani:
Memo: The Wall Street Journal EIC Emma Tucker restructures its DC bureau, shutters the DC-based Business and US-China teams, and lays off “a number” of staffers — Note from WSJ EIC Emma Tucker to Journal staff about today's layoffs changes to the paper's DC bureau. The business team and Washington-based China team are both shuttering. [image]
Lesley Goldberg / The Hollywood Reporter:
Highlights from Netflix's press event: a push for live programming, no planned theatrical releases, licensing content from others won't impact originals, more — A greater push for live programming, no theatrical releases and much more from content chief Bela Bajaria.
Discussion:
@tsoh_investing, @thr, @ryansatin, @reecekelleyg, @meltzersaidwhat, Deadline, Deadline, Variety, The Playlist and POST Wrestling
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Apple Q1: revenue of Services, which includes Apple TV+ and Apple Music, rose 11% YoY to a record $23.1B, and installed base crossed 2.2B active devices — Apple turned in another record quarter in its services business, as strong iPhone 15 sales boosted total revenue in the last three months of 2023.
Discussion:
@neilcybart, Engadget, AppleInsider, Apple, Media Play News and The Hollywood Reporter, more at Techmeme »
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