Top News:
New York Times:
Trump sues ABC and George Stephanopoulos for defamation over Stephanopoulos's on-air remarks that Trump had been found liable for raping E. Jean Carroll — The lawsuit stems from the anchor's recent contentious interview with Representative Nancy Mace. — Former President Donald J. Trump filed …
Discussion:
CNN, The Wrap, Mediaite, Fox News, Reuters, Deadline, New York Post, The Daily Caller, The Daily Beast, The Hill, @humb1962, @thatguyinfla, @67sound.bsky.social, @lakewitchhouse.bsky.social, @louisjmarinelli, @genuine_rp, @ericabbenante, @comicozzie58, @wizzyprobsii, @clayandbuck, @genuine_rp, @bpaulkelly, @atrupar, @hudsonrivercroc.bsky.social, @bsbeamer.bsky.social, @mommabearjogs, LAW.com, @nancymace, @omunderdal, @cecil_duncan, @katekilla.bsky.social, @muellershewrote, @kari_beach, @karimx1696315, @chesswpigeons, @CarlG@esq.social, @paleofuture.bsky.social, @alllwftopic and The Desk
Becky Quick / CNBC:
George Lucas backs Bob Iger in the proxy battle between Disney and activist investor Nelson Peltz; sources say Lucas is Disney's largest individual shareholder — - Filmmaker and Hollywood legend George Lucas is endorsing Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger in the bitter proxy battle launched by activist investor Nelson Peltz.
Foo Yun Chee / Reuters:
EU DMA hearing: a Meta lawyer says Meta offered to cut its EU monthly subscription for Facebook and Instagram from €9.99 to €5.99 to address regulatory concerns — Meta Platforms (META.O) has offered to almost halve its monthly subscription fee for Facebook and Instagram to 5.99 euros …
Discussion:
TechCrunch, The Verge, Channel NewsAsia, @kayjebelli, @kayjebelli, @ttoboyle and Digital Markets Act, more at Techmeme »
Reuters:
After oral arguments, SCOTUS appeared wary of curbing US government contacts with social media platforms in the First Amendment case of Murthy v. Missouri — U.S. Supreme Court justices on Monday appeared skeptical of a challenge on free speech grounds to how President Joe Biden's administration …
Discussion:
@renee.diresta@threads.net, @brian.fishman.5@threads.net, @b_fung@threads.net, @alex.stamos@threads.net, @crumbler@threads.net, @soupsoup@threads.net, @b_fung@threads.net, The Daily Caller, @jvagle.bsky.social, @mmasnick.bsky.social, The Klonickles, Washington Post, Reclaim The Net, The Verge, Associated Press, Politico, New York Post, Free Press, Semafor, @willoremus@mastodon.social, New York Times, CBS News and Wired, more at Techmeme »
Jesse Whittock / Deadline:
Paramount+ plans to roll out its ad tier in Canada in April and Australia in June 2024, and to launch its Premium plan in Europe this month, starting in France — Paramount+'s international ad-tier plans are coming together. — The streaming service's Basic (with ads) …
Discussion:
The Streamable, Reuters, Paramount+, Broadband TV News, The Hollywood Reporter and WORLD SCREEN
Stuart Dredge / Music Ally:
Spotify: in 2023, 66K artists received $10K+, up from 57K in 2022, with 50%+ from non-English speaking countries, while 11,600 got $100K+, and 1,250 got $1M+ — - Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) — Every year, Spotify updates its Loud & Clear website with new data about its music payouts.
Discussion:
The Wrap, Variety, @spotifyartists, @eldsjal, @duboff, CMU, TVNewsCheck and Spotify
Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:
An interview with Good Housekeeping Managing Director Liz Moseley on launching its first paid-for app, VIP membership, its testing facility, video, and more — The UK edition of women's magazine Good Housekeeping is “unbelievably successful” by various metrics, as its new managing director Liz Moseley put …
Discussion:
@pressgazette, @juliemediumhare and @pressgazette
Nieman Lab:
A look at Sahan Journal, a nonprofit news site for Minnesota's immigrants with a $3M annual budget and 23 full-time staffers, as its founder steps down as CEO — Five years after launch, Sahan Journal has a $3 million annual budget and 23 full-time staffers.
Discussion:
@skamidi, @catalyst_press, @skamidi, What Works and @dankennedy_nu@journa.host
Wall Street Journal:
A profile of ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro, who races to reinvent ESPN's business by pursuing multiple streaming strategies at once amid a collapse of cable TV — Cable TV's collapse is forcing the Disney property out of its comfort zone, from hiring risky talent to a streaming gambit that ticked off the NFL
Discussion:
Awful Announcing, @asharma, @sportstvratings, Front Office Sports, @thesimonetti and Wired
Graciela Mochkofsky / New York Times:
The cost of a journalism education has become an insurmountable barrier for just the kind of people the industry needs most; j-schools need to go tuition free — Many uncertainties haunt the field of journalism today — among them, how we can reach our audience, build public trust in our work, and who is going to pay for it all.
Discussion:
@craignewmark, @risj_oxford, @cathyarnst, @sarah__bartlett and @jeremycaplan
Alex Weprin / The Hollywood Reporter:
Andy Borowitz relaunches his column The Borowitz Report on Substack; paying subscribers will get additional longer-form content, live chats, and more — Just a few months after parting ways with The New Yorker, the satirist is planning a newsletter, live chats, and perhaps even a podcast.
Discussion:
The Borowitz Report and @alexweprin
Patrick Frater / Variety:
Tencent Music reports Q4 revenue down 7% YoY to $971M and a $198M profit; in 2023, paying subscribers rose 21% YoY to 107M and net profit rose 36% YoY to $735M — Net profits at Tencent Music Entertainment, China's largest digital music company, climbed 36% to reach $735 million (RMB5.22 billion) …
Discussion:
Tencent Music