Top News:
Tyler Pager / Washington Post:
A look at Joe Biden's media diet, which includes MSNBC's Morning Joe, CNN, Fox News, the Financial Times, the Apple News app, and the rare book for leisure — After conversations with his grandchildren, fellow churchgoers and Delaware neighbors, the president brings their worries to the Oval Office
Ax Sharma / BleepingComputer:
An India-based content farm impersonates 60+ major media outlets, including the BBC and CNN, reposting articles and selling advertorial slots for press releases — BleepingComputer has discovered a content farm operating some 60+ domains named after popular media outlets, including the BBC …
Discussion:
@BleepingComputer …
Reece Rogers / Wired:
As music from Universal Music Group artists disappears from TikTok, creators turn to royalty-free, almost-contextless sound clips — More Universal Music songs are disappearing from TikTok as the two companies fail to reach new agreements. Sound clips are ready for their big break.
Discussion:
@wiredculture, @crowslabyrinth@threads.net, @wired, The Atlantic, Music Ally and Billboard, more at Techmeme »
Lucas Shaw / Bloomberg:
While HBO hit streaming DTC profitability under David Zaslav, via licensing to Netflix, slashing marketing, layoffs, and more, WBD's stock is down 25%+ YTD — They chased Netflix and then they cut costs. Neither has worked. — Good afternoon from Las Vegas; I am here for The Netflix Slam …
Marah Eakin / Wired:
A profile of Lanny Smoot, Disney's only research fellow, who holds 100+ patents and has built an omnidirectional HoloTile Floor to allow users to walk in VR — If you've ever seen a lightsaber at a Disney park or marveled at BB-8, you've seen Lanny Smoot's work.
Discussion:
Business Insider, Observer, Variety, Wall Street Journal and The Information, more at Techmeme »
Scott Nover / Slate:
Semafor media reporter Maxwell Tani talks about cord-cutting, the importance of niches for digital media, threats from AI, and how it feels to break bad news — Maxwell Tani is known for his work on an obituary beat of sorts. A media reporter at Semafor, he always seems to be the first person …
Discussion:
@niemanlab, @hbottemiller, @amonck, @annasale, @dannygroner, @scottnover, @maxwelltani, @scottnover@mas.to, @drewkerr and @scottnover
@tdsnewsguild:
[Thread] The Desert Sun NewsGuild says it has reached an agreement for its first contract with Gannett, and its strike is now set to end on March 3 — BREAKING: The Desert Sun NewsGuild has reached an agreement for its first contract!!! We're thrilled to have a deal with immediate, life-changing raises for many of our members, annual raises for every member, and crucial workplace protections. More details to come, but first:...
Discussion:
@tdsnewsguild, @tdsnewsguild, @tdsnewsguild, @tdsnewsguild, @mattdpearce, CBS News and The NewsGuild
Thomas Germain / Gizmodo:
A look at AARoads, a dedicated US roads and highways wiki site started by a group of Wikipedia editors, after years of frustration over Wikipedia's rules — A group of Wikipedia editors wrote 15,000 articles on US roads and highways. But after a fight over the platform's rules, they went rogue.
Discussion:
@sanjaymehta, @thomasgermain and @robmv, more at Techmeme »
Mark Harris / New York Times:
An analysis of Hollywood's grim status in 2024, recovering from a year of downsizing and strikes; supply lines will take at least a year to flow at capacity — The Academy Awards ceremony, which this year will take place on March 10, traditionally provides a reliable moment of optimism for a perennially anxious industry.
Discussion:
@AnnemarieBridy@mastodon …, Stephane David on LinkedIn, @sternbergh and @jeffjarvis
David Bauder / Associated Press:
A look at the decline of cable TV networks like USA Network, Discovery Channel, and MTV; MTV's 2023 average prime-time audience was 256K, down from 807K in 2014 — The list of memorable characters and personalities who entered popular culture through cable television is long: Honey Boo Boo.
Discussion:
Gemma Jordan on LinkedIn and @knittingknots2@mstdn.social
Anthony Crupi / Sportico:
Diamond Sports files its bankruptcy reorg plan, which includes ending its Bally naming rights deal for RSNs, and says cord-cutting led to 22M fewer subscribers — Almost a year to the day after Diamond Sports filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, the operator of the 19 Bally Sports-branded RSNs …
Discussion:
@crupicrupicrupi, Sportico, Awful Announcing and Awful Announcing
Nic Fildes / Financial Times:
Australia's PM threatens action against Meta after it said it would stop paying media companies; News Corp says it threatens the viability of small media groups — Prime minister pledges to respond to move that News Corp says threatens viability of some media groups
Discussion:
Media Voices, ABC, Australian Financial Review, Crikey and Wall Street Journal
RELATED:
Bloomberg:
Meta plans to deprecate the Facebook News tab in the US and Australia in early April 2024 and stop signing deals for traditional news content in those countries
Meta plans to deprecate the Facebook News tab in the US and Australia in early April 2024 and stop signing deals for traditional news content in those countries
Discussion:
The Guardian, Meta, Media Makers Meet, Digital Journal, @jeffjarvis, @daedalus@eigenmagic.net, @realdrbrendan, @brianstelter, @jason_kint, @cameronwilson, @markdistef, @bloodiedwombat, @cameronwilson, @joshbutler, Beth Ashton on LinkedIn, The Hill, Alexandra Wake on LinkedIn, New York Post, Fast Company, The Desk, The Verge, MediaNama, Gizmodo, Alan Soon on LinkedIn, William Easton on LinkedIn, TechCrunch, @snurb@aoir.social, CNBC, The Wrap, @parismarx@threads.net, Al Jazeera, Australian Financial Review, Reuters, Mumbrella, @alansoon73@threads.net and @camwilsonreporter@threads.net
The Intercept:
At a February 13 all-hands in London, CNN staff pressed EIC Mark Thompson and others on Israel-Gaza coverage; Christiane Amanpour criticized “double standards” — CNN employees, including the renowned international news anchor Christiane Amanpour, confronted network executives …