Top News:


How local US news outlets in the total solar eclipse's path are covering the event, using it as an opportunity to broaden their appeal beyond current audiences — “Celestial events tend to draw highly engaged audiences, and this one is no exception.” — Incarcerated New Yorkers facing a lockdown (and suing successfully against it).


Spotify debuts AI Playlist in beta for its Premium users in the UK and Australia, letting Android and iOS users generate and revise playlists using text prompts — Spotify already found success with its popular AI DJ feature, and now the streaming music service is bringing AI to playlist creation.
Discussion:
MediaPost, Spotify, Observer, Variety, Music Ally, Filipe Roque on LinkedIn, 9to5Mac, Music Business Worldwide, @spotifynews, @carnage4life, @stufflistings, Mashable, @scobleizer, Gautam Talwar on LinkedIn, Steven Finch on LinkedIn, Tom's Guide, @tonyjebara, The Verge, BGR, @cweichen, @eldsjal, Matt Cronin on LinkedIn, Jan-Paul Jeffrey on LinkedIn, CMU and 9to5Google, more at Techmeme »


LA Times names Terry Tang as executive editor, the first female editor in the paper's 142-year history; Tang has been interim executive editor since January — Terry Tang, who has been leading the Los Angeles Times newsroom since late January on an interim basis, has been formally named executive editor.


Former Business Insider EIC Jim Edwards and two others launch MoneyIn2, a personal finance brand on Substack, offering two minutes of information per day — MoneyIn2 hopes to tell those who don't yet have money how to make it. — Open publishing and newsletter technology has “opened the market” …
Discussion:
Talking Biz News, @jim_edwards, @jim_edwards and Jim Edwards on LinkedIn


TikTok expands TikTok Lite, which gives people financial incentives to watch its videos, to Spain and France, amid growth struggles in Europe — TikTok's growth in Europe has slowed down so much that it's rolling out a new app that gives people financial incentives to watch its videos.
Discussion:
TechCrunch, @iatalkspace, Politico and Bloomberg


Sources: if Skydance and National Amusements merge, David Ellison would become CEO of the combined company; Ellison aims to spend billions to rebuild Paramount — - Producer, tech heir has a month to seal a definitive agreement — He needs to sell Paramount's board on merger with his company
Discussion:
The Wrap, The Desk, The Streamable, @lucas_shaw, @lucas_shaw, @lucas_shaw, @lucas_shaw, @lucas_shaw, @lucas_shaw, Variety and CNBC


More than 30 Colorado newsrooms, led by COLab, launch a statewide initiative to better cover the 2024 US elections by focusing on voter concerns — More than two dozen Colorado newsrooms have launched an unprecedented collaboration to better cover the 2024 elections.
Discussion:
Media Nation, @jayrosen_nyu, Coloradoan Online, Colorado Public Radio, Denver Post and Colorado Newsline


Sources: The Overseas Press Club is split about naming a new award after Shireen Abu Akleh, the Palestinian-American journalist killed by an Israeli soldier — The Middle East conflict divides a group of international journalists. — The Overseas Press Club is at war over a new award for covering conflict.
Discussion:
@davidmcneill3, @lailaalarian, @rafat, @linaabuakleh, @lukeoneil47 and @freddydeknatel


Unionized workers at two Gannett outlets, the Austin American-Statesman and the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, strike over stalled contract negotiations — Unionized workers at the Austin American-Statesman and the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle are striking over stalled contract negotiations
Discussion:
@susandecarava, @poynter, MediaPost and The NewsGuild


UK-based The News Movement's EIC and co-founder Kamal Ahmed leaves to join The Telegraph as director of audio, its second co-founder to leave in recent months — Ahmed, one of five co-founders of The News Movement, will co-host The Daily T with Camilla Tominey.
Discussion:
@beccahutson, @kamalahmednews, @pressgazette, @pressgazette and @pressgazette


Sources say Soros Fund Management's move to become the largest shareholder in radio company Audacy could be the beginning of a bigger audio buying spree — The Scoop — George Soros thinks it's good business, and perhaps good politics, to be in your ears.
Discussion:
@maxwelltani, @roblevine82, The Daily Caller and @semafor


Nielsen data from 2021 to 2023: nine of the 10 most-watched streaming programs are reruns, but a majority of the 100 most popular titles are original series — Netflix isn't the most-watched streaming service in the US. But it does have the most hit shows. — We are inching closer to Paramount having a new owner.
Discussion:
The Verge, @lucas_shaw, The Hollywood Reporter, @lucas_shaw, @lucas_shaw and @lucas_shaw, more at Techmeme »