Top News:
Chris Thompson / Defector:
Vice leadership failed to act as responsible stewards of a good product, and instead paid themselves lavish salaries and burned through hundreds of millions — Vice was a good website. On Thursday it was killed by its private equity owners, in a characteristically cruel and sudden maneuver …
Discussion:
Pluralistic, @doctorow, @sorayamcdonald@threads.net, @doctorow, @doctorow, @jason, @doctorow, @jeremymbarr, @davidclinchnews, @tvgrimreaper, @mjgault, @ninastarner, @adamjkovac, @sarahscire, @sharonwaxman, @nick_kapur, @nina_metz, @juliaccarpenter, @defectormedia, Slate, MobileSyrup, @quillmatiq@threads.net, Ian Greenleigh on LinkedIn, Gail J. Cohen on LinkedIn, 404 Media, @KarlBode@masto.ai and @jswatz.bsky.social
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Wall Street Journal:
Internal memo: Vice Media “will no longer publish content on vice.com” and may partner with established media companies to distribute its content
Discussion:
One Man & His Blog, @janusrose, Slate, @broderick, Kevin Mercuri on LinkedIn, @felixsalmon, Business of Fashion, CNN, Nicholas Yanes on LinkedIn, @maxwelltani, @maxwelltani@threads.net, @neuwaves, @annamerlan, Nieman Lab, Dylan Harari on LinkedIn, @tati_wm, @scottnover, TVNewsCheck, @elaheizadi, @ameliargh, @lorenzofb, @bcmerchant, @katiedrumm, @katiedrumm, @bcmerchant, @motherboard, @benmullin, @maxwelltani, @timmarchman, @rumpfshaker, @theloniusly, Press Gazette, @leximcmenamin, Variety, Awful Announcing, The Guardian, Rolling Stone, @stefthepef@mastodon.social, Deadline, @karlbode.bsky.social, Talking Biz News, @BenjaminHCCarr@hachyderm.io and Mediaite
Benjamin Mullin / New York Times:
Internal memo: Vice Media executives plan to lay off hundreds of its 900+ employees over the next week, and the company is in advanced talks to sell Refinery29
Discussion:
@lmatsakis, @jason_koebler, @karenkho, @megreenwell, @scottnover, @adamm0rgan, @chronotope, Deadline, CBS News, CMU, @misstessowen, @daithaigilbert, @maxwellstrachan, The Verge, CNN, Raw Story, Newser, Media Voices, UPI, hellgatenyc, Sydney Morning Herald, Washington Post, Rachel White on LinkedIn, HuffPost, The Desk, @soupsoup@threads.net, @emilybellnyc@threads.net, @dkiesow@threads.net, @emilybellnyc@threads.net, New York Daily News, The Hill, @blogdiva@mastodon.social, The Wrap, @skullwizard.bsky.social, MediaPost and Hollywood Reporter
Lauren Feiner / The Verge:
A preview of the NetChoice cases to be argued at SCOTUS on February 26, about the constitutionality of Texas and Florida laws regulating social media content — The ruling could impact other publishing industries and future social media regulation. … Social media companies have long …
Discussion:
The New York Review of Books, @lauren_feiner, Associated Press, Slate and Fast Company, more at Techmeme »
Sara Fischer / Axios:
NPR affiliate WAMU is shutting down local news site Dcist and laying off 15 employees to focus on audio and plans to add 10 new positions — - “We're making the choice to invest in what we're better at than anyone else in this town, and that's audio,” Pulley-Hayes said.
Discussion:
@wemakewamu, Washington Post, Coleen O'Lear on LinkedIn, @eleanornorton, @wesleylowery, Armando Trull on LinkedIn, @coop_rebecca, @jwhitepubradio, @floorcharts, @tamarakeithnpr, @robertwhite_dc, @wemakewamu, @jfkucinich, @elaheizadi, @jasonshevrin, @emma_a_whitford, @maustermuhle, @maustermuhle, @emmasarappo, @nicdawes, @digiphile, @digiphile, @maustermuhle, @jbenton, @ckrewson, @jeffjarvis@threads.net, @elaheizadi, Inside Radio, The Hill, @abeaujon@threads.net, Current, Benjamin Freed on LinkedIn, Andi McDaniel on LinkedIn, Sara Fischer on LinkedIn, @jenhoward.bsky.social and The Wrap
Janko Roettgers / Lowpass:
A look at possible effects of Walmart's Vizio purchase: a negative impact on Roku, for whom Walmart is a big retail partner, and Vizio's data unit shutting down — Big box bucks — Together with … Tuesday's news that Walmart is acquiring Vizio for $2.3 billion has the potential …
Discussion:
Forbes, Fast Company and Wall Street Journal
Chris Welch / The Verge:
Three years after Spotify's original announcement that it would launch a higher-quality audio subscription, the company has yet to roll out the feature — I was really hoping I wouldn't have to do this again. Last year, it seemed like there was no reason to believe Spotify would ever roll …
Brian Steinberg / Variety:
WBD reports Q4 revenue down 7% YoY to $10.3B, adjusted EBITDA down 5% YoY to $2.5B, 97.7M global streaming subscribers, and a $103M streaming profit for 2023 — The owner of the TNT and TBS cable networks,. the Warner Bros. studio and the Max streaming service reported a loss of $400 million …
Discussion:
Forbes, The Wrap, The Hollywood Reporter, @royprice, @lucas_shaw, @picklemaddierix, @jbflint, @richlightshed, @jbflint, CNBC, @lmoses, The Desk, The Wrap and Warner Bros. Discovery
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Matthew Keys / The Desk:
Cord Cutters News lays off EIC Roger Cheng, who joined in July 2023, and two staff writers, as the outlet plans to focus more heavily on its YouTube channels — The publication favored by streamers will publish guides and focus on the production of YouTube videos moving forward.
Discussion:
@cordcuttersnews, @shelbybrown91, @rogerwcheng and Cord Cutters News
Steven McIntosh / BBC:
UK police will take no further action against suspended GB News host Dan Wootton, who was accused of using fake identities to bribe men for explicit material — Police have said they will take no further action against GB News presenter Dan Wootton. — The New Zealand-born broadcaster …
Discussion:
Mediaite, Telegraph, Daily Express, Press Gazette, The Guardian, Deadline, The Independent and Byline Times
Amie Parnes / Vanity Fair:
A journalist tells how Jimmy Finkelstein wooed her to The Messenger, reassured staff two months before closure, and left her without a promised severance — I have yet to receive a promised severance following the media start-up's abrupt collapse, which left hundreds of us without jobs.
Discussion:
@carrasquillo, @jonallendc, @amieparnes, @benmullin and @mkady
Rani Molla / Sherwood Media:
In response to a query for news stories about Putin's comments on Navalny's death, Microsoft's AI-assisted search Copilot invented Putin quotes — Microsoft really wants you to use its new Copilot AI-assisted search. Not only was the service featured in an expensive Super Bowl spot …
Discussion:
NewsNation, @ranimolla, @nothingsmonstrd.bsky.social, CNN, Politico, @joshuatopolsky@mastodon …, New York Post, The Hill and The Daily Beast
Check My Ads Institute:
Paste co-founder and EIC Josh Jackson, whose company bought Jezebel in November 2023, says that overly broad brand safety efforts are hurting journalism — Josh Jackson was shocked when he found out what term, if used in the music publication he co-founded, could automatically strip an article of ad revenue.
Bloomberg:
Bill Ackman hires a law firm, which demands “immediate retractions and corrections” from Business Insider in a “final attempt to avoid litigation” — - Law firm issues demand letter on behalf of Ackman's wife — News outlet published stories saying wife committed plagiarism
Discussion:
@billackman, @dylanbyers, @maxwelltani, @aidnmclaughlin, The Wrap, New York Post, Talking Biz News and Observer
Nicholas Quah / Vulture:
A look at Matthew Belloni's What I'm Hearing newsletter, which covers the structures of Hollywood's business and has become a must-read among the power elite — How Matthew Belloni became the must-read columnist for Hollywood's executive class. — The Hollywood journalist Matthew Belloni …
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