Mediagazer: Sources detail Evgeny Lebedev's decision to end the Evening Standards' daily print edition under pressure from a Saudi investor, after prevaricating for years (Adam Sherwin/The i Paper)

Reed Albergotti / Semafor:

AI search engine Perplexity says it was working on revenue-sharing deals with publishers when Forbes criticized it for misusing content from Forbes and others — The Scoop — Perplexity, the AI search startup that recently came under fire from Forbes for allegedly misusing its content …

Ashley Carman / Bloomberg:

The National Music Publishers' Association files an FTC complaint against Spotify, saying Spotify's decision to offer audiobooks reduced songwriters' royalties — Spotify's audiobook bundle has put it at war with music publishers … The audiobooks addition gave Spotify leeway to reclassify …

Discussion: Music Ally, Engadget, Digital Music News, Billboard, Music Business Worldwide and Rolling Stone

Alexandra Steigrad / New York Post:

CNN signs a deal to use AP stories on its website, the first time it has done so since cutting ties 14 years ago to focus more on original reporting — CNN staffers fear a new deal with the Associated Press may spell layoffs at the third-place cable news network.

Discussion: Editor and Publisher and NewscastStudio

Anthony D'Alessandro / Deadline:

Sony Pictures Entertainment buys Alamo Drafthouse Cinema; 35 cinemas will keep operating under the Alamo brand, and Alamo's Michael Kustermann will remain CEO — Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) has just bought Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. D eadline first told you the chain was up for sale and being shopped around to studios.

Adam Sherwin / The i Paper:

Sources detail Evgeny Lebedev's decision to end the Evening Standards' daily print edition under pressure from a Saudi investor, after prevaricating for years — Current and former employees tell the story behind the daily edition's closure — Evgeny Lebedev agreed to axe …

Discussion: @richjamesuk

Brooks Barnes / New York Times:

Disney and Ron DeSantis reach a 15-year agreement to let Disney undertake a $17B expansion of Walt Disney World near Orlando; Disney will end all litigation — The deal locks in a 15-year expansion plan for Disney World and clears a path for Disney to restart political donations in Florida.

Discussion: Orlando Sentinel, Reuters, Axios and CNN

Sam Roberts / New York Times:

Christophe Deloire, the secretary general of Reporters Without Borders, dies at 53 in Paris due to complications of brain cancer — As the leader and spokesman for Reporters Without Borders, he rescued some, sought refuge for others and lobbied for pluralism in the press.

Discussion: Reporters Without Borders, National Press Club, Associated Press and Associated Press

Gary Baum / The Hollywood Reporter:

A profile of Bryan Freedman, a divisive entertainment lawyer known for his rabidity and ruthlessness and who has represented Tucker Carlson, Don Lemon, and more — When pissed-off power players from Megyn Kelly and Bethenny Frankel to Tucker Carlson and Don Lemon need a warrior to fight …

Axios:

In an investor presentation, Newsmax discloses details of the $225M private placement and announces plans for an NYSE or a Nasdaq IPO later this year or in 2025 — - The company said it plans to go public later this year or in 2025 either on the NYSE or Nasdaq with an offering of up to $75 million.

Discussion: The Desk, Newsmax Inc., Newsmax Inc., Newsmax Inc. and The Hollywood Reporter

Andrew Marchand / New York Times:

Sources: NBC Sports and TNT Sports are expected to join Fox in presenting Big East men's and women's basketball games in 2025-26; CBS is still holding talks — Editor's note: An earlier version of this article misstated the year NBC, TNT Sports could join Fox as broadcast partners for Big East basketball games.

Discussion: The Streamable, Barrett Media, Sports Media Watch, Awful Announcing and Bloomberg

Chris Stein / The Guardian:

A look at crime-reporting social media accounts in Washington, DC, which seek accountability from leaders but often ignore context and veer into fearmongering — Critics say crime-reporting social media accounts in Washington DC promote accountability from leaders but ignore context and veer into fearmongering

Kate Knibbs / Wired:

Q&A with Jingna Zhang, the founder of anti-AI social platform Cara, about its focus on artists, having nearly 900K users, generative AI vs. creativity, and more — Artists are fleeing Meta's platforms over fears their work will be used to train AI. Photographer Jingna Zhang's Cara …

Discussion: @CStamp@mastodon.social, The Atlantic and Kate Knibbs on LinkedIn, more at Techmeme »

Margaret Sullivan / The Guardian:

Replacing Will Lewis at WaPo would be Jeff Bezos' cleanest, best move, but if he won't, he and Lewis should publicly commit to newsroom independence, and more — The paper's reinvention, with the appointment of Will Lewis as publisher, is a mess - but there's still time to turn things around

Discussion: @markjacob16, @sulliview, @jayrosen_nyc@threads.net, @esmcintyre, @dankennedy_nu@journa.host, Axios, @davidgura@threads.net and Media Nation

Discussion: @cuneytdil and @jayrosen_nyu