Top News:
Max Tani / Semafor:
Slate says 2023 was the most profitable year in its 27 year history, with revenue up 28% YoY through investments and growth in its podcasts and website — The Scoop — Amid a difficult year for news media last year, at least one legacy digital media company has quietly been moving the other direction.
Discussion:
Axios, Chris Peterson on LinkedIn, @rafat, @benjysarlin, @saletan, @annasale, @paldhous, @katie_rayford and @maxwelltani
Hanaa' Tameez / Nieman Lab:
Interviews with the four co-founders of 404 Media, who each own 25% of the tech news outlet, which they say is profitable six months after launch — “Owning our own work, and being beholden to no one but our readers and colleagues — as opposed to say, investors, venture capitalists …
Daniel Thomas / Financial Times:
How generative AI is transforming the advertising industry; WPP and Publicis plan to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to embed AI in their businesses — At the start of the year, every single one of the roughly 100,000 people working for advertising giant Publicis received a video message …
Lynn Neary / NPR:
Bob Edwards, the veteran broadcaster who hosted NPR's Morning Edition for 24 years, dies at 76 — Bob Edwards, the veteran broadcaster and longtime host of Morning Edition who left an indelible mark on NPR's sound, has died. He was 76 years old. — NPR's Susan Stamberg …
Discussion:
NPR, Washington Post, CNN, NBC News, @Bcollinsmn@mstdn.social, Barrett News Media, @mcguffindavid, @nprinskeep, @erinedmison, @nprpatrick, Brett Zongker on LinkedIn, David Gura on LinkedIn, @kenrudin, @nprscottsimon, @carlquintanilla, @dangillmor@mastodon.social, @tamarakeithnpr, The Hill, @jamesfallows, Inside Radio, @lauren@mastodon …, @fritschner, @jennifervanasco, @iraglass, @silasdhouse, @eugeneholley, Newser, @davidfolkenflik, Deadline, Elizabeth Blair on LinkedIn, New York Times, Media Nation and Radio & Television …
John Archer / Forbes:
Amazon's Prime Video basic ad tier, which US subscribers who didn't pay extra were downgraded to on January 29, doesn't support Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos — Amazon AMZN caused a furor recently when it announced that it was introducing advertisements right across its Prime Video streaming service.
Emilia David / The Verge:
Fandom faces criticism from fan Wiki creators after its new generative AI feature Quick Answers gives inaccurate answers to fan questions — Fandom, which hosts wikis for many fandoms, will roll out generative AI features that it previously tested but now promises users will be able to opt out.
Discussion:
@glenngabe, @dangillmor@mastodon.social, @aires@tiggi.es and @cityhoosier
Brian Steinberg / Variety:
A look at Jon Stewart and Rachel Maddow's test to boost talk TV via Monday appearances; Vivvix: Daily Show had $39.9M in ad sales in 2022 vs. $129.1M in 2014 — Can Mondays do for the TV business what Thursdays and Sundays once did? Some of the medium's best-known personalities are trying to figure this question out.
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times, New York Times, TVLine, Hollywood Reporter, The Wrap, Vanity Fair, The Hill, Rolling Stone, @zsharf, StyleCaster, Jezebel, Slate, The Daily Beast, CBS News, @bristei, Decider, @pkafka, GoldDerby, UPROXX and Deadline
Amanda Silberling / TechCrunch:
Music encyclopedia EveryNoise, which uses Spotify data, stopped updating after Spotify laid off the employee running the site in December, pissing off its fans — Now, Glenn McDonald's beloved Every Noise At Once project is in jeopardy — On a brutal December day, 17% of Spotify employees found …
Discussion:
@devilontheshore, @everynoise, @everynoise, @akinikolaidis, @thediscovertab, @mavoyofficial, @conradev, @glenn_mcdonald, @akinikolaidis, @charliebaranski, @everynoise, @glenn_mcdonald, @gareth_simpson, @martinmwiener, @johnaustinperry, @fringemusicfix, @akinikolaidis, @akinikolaidis, @tedolsen, @carlzoilus, @everynoise, @glenn_mcdonald, @everynoise, @mavoyofficial, Hacker News and Slashdot, more at Techmeme »
Carlos Aguilar / New York Times:
A look at movie distributor GKids, which is redefining animation for US audiences by releasing bold work from around the world, including Studio Ghibli's movies — The small distributor has outsize influence because it handles Studio Ghibli films in the United States. Its titles have earned 13 Oscar nods.
Discussion:
@e_vb_, @nytimesarts, @realdrtacosalad and @carlos_film
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Meta begins testing “today's topics” on Threads in the US, surfaced in the app on the Search page and in the For You feed, that can feature political content — After acknowledging last week that Meta's X competitor Threads would not actively recommend political content …
Discussion:
The Verge, @zuck@threads.net, @greeblehaus@threads.net, @chris@threads.net, @mosseri@threads.net, @katienotopoulos@threads.net, @carlas@threads.net, @mattnavarra@threads.net, @keithedwards@threads.net, @bmotheprince@threads.net, @kimberleyannjohnson …, @daveleebbg@threads.net, Engadget, @harryjsisson@threads.net, @hardin@threads.net, @petrikajander, @renee.diresta@threads.net, 9to5Mac, @willoremus@threads.net, @willoremus@threads.net and @timothybucksf@threads.net, more at Techmeme »
RELATED:
Washington Post:
Some news creators and journalists, who moved from X to Threads, criticize Meta for planning to stop recommending political content on Instagram and Threads
Discussion:
Media Voices, Mississippi Free Press, Julia Rosen on LinkedIn, Garbage Day, Media Nation, Reclaim The Net, BGR, @Wolven@ourislandgeorgia.net, @ashtonpittman, @hashtagcpt, @carnage4life, Quartz, Political Wire, @taylorlorenz@threads.net, Instagram, @dead.place, @Laukidh@infosec.exchange, @jonasd@threads.net, @aaronhuertas_de@threads.net, @moskov@threads.net, @taylorlorenz@threads.net, @taylorlorenz@threads.net, @karissabe@threads.net and @goldman@threads.net
Nilay Patel / The Verge:
Q&A with the US DOJ's Jonathan Kanter on Google's ad tech and search cases, media consolidation, blocking Penguin's merger with Simon & Schuster, and more — The assistant attorney general says “the resonance these issues have is something that I've never witnessed in my lifetime.”
Bron Maher / Press Gazette:
Guardian forecasts a £39M deficit in FY 2023/24 as ad revenue was down 16%, or £9M, in the nine months to Dec. 31 and membership revenue was £3M behind budget — Digital reader revenue came in 4% below expectations. — Advertising revenue at Guardian News and Media was down £9m …
Discussion:
Media Voices
Clara Aberneithie / Press Gazette:
An interview with The Times' Paul Morgan-Bentley on going undercover with British Gas debt collectors as part of an investigation into pre-payment energy meters — Getting something “badly wrong” is what keeps head of investigations Morgan-Bentley up at night.
Discussion:
@pressgazette
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