Top News:
Ben Smith / Semafor:
Blaze Media's CEO says it has ended its contract with BlazeTV contributor Lauren Chen of Tenet Media, which is alleged to have been funded by Russia — The Scoop — A conservative American media company has fired one of the YouTubers implicated in an alleged Russian influence operation exposed …
Discussion:
Mediaite, The Wrap, The Daily Beast, Fox News, Washingtonian, Raw Story and @Myerman@toot.bldrweb.org
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Associated Press:
The US charges Dimitri Simes, a Russian-born US citizen and ex-Trump adviser, with working for a sanctioned Russian state TV network and laundering the proceeds — The U.S. government has charged a Russian-born U.S. citizen and former adviser to Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign …
Discussion:
Semafor, Reuters, The Hill, Raw Story, Radio Free Europe/Radio …, Rolling Stone and New York Times
CNN:
Source: Tenet Media is the Tennessee-based company the US DOJ alleges was being funded by Russia; Benny Johnson and Tim Pool say they were victims of the scheme
Source: Tenet Media is the Tennessee-based company the US DOJ alleges was being funded by Russia; Benny Johnson and Tim Pool say they were victims of the scheme
Discussion:
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New York Times:
The US sanctions five Russian news outlets including RT, sanctions RT's EIC, indicts two RT staffers, and seizes 32 domains, as it fights Russian influence
The US sanctions five Russian news outlets including RT, sanctions RT's EIC, indicts two RT staffers, and seizes 32 domains, as it fights Russian influence
Discussion:
US Department of Justice, CNN, Washington Post, Wired, WFAA-TV, @semaforben, Wired, Semafor, Voice of America, @oneunderscore__, Matthew Devost on LinkedIn, @oneunderscore__, @osullyville.bsky.social, @skykiss@sfba.social, @kareemrifai, @eelarson, @eelarson, @eelarson, @rolandsmartin, US Department of Justice, @willsommer, @lrozen, @sewingdilemma, @lrozen, @willsommer, @willsommer, @mtaibbi, NPR, @thetnholler, @yashar, @shanlonwu, @arictoler, @arictoler, @arictoler, @stevanzetti, @christogrozev, @alanfeuer, @alanfeuer, @muellershewrote, Adweek, The Guardian, The Register, @1elizabeth_jacobs@threads.net, @info_rosalie@threads.net, @info_rosalie@threads.net, The Record, The Record, Radio Free Europe/Radio …, Agence France-Presse, Radio Free Europe/Radio …, Bloomberg, Associated Press, @waldoj@mastodon.social, @joeabodnar@threads.net, @renee.diresta@threads.net, UPI, @crispinburke@threads.net, @joeabodnar@threads.net, The Verge, BleepingComputer, @renee.diresta@threads.net, CNBC, CBS News, Axios, Engadget, Tampa Free Press, The Moscow Times, Reuters, USA Today, Nextgov/FCW, @renee.diresta@threads.net, @griffinkyle@threads.net, @griffinkyle@threads.net, Fox News and Mediaite, more at Techmeme »
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
YouTube announces AI detection tools to protect against copying creators' likeness, including their faces and voices, and plans to offer AI scraping controls — YouTube on Thursday announced a new set of AI detection tools to protect creators, including artists, actors …
Wall Street Journal:
Leaked Disney files include personal data of some staff and customers and show that Disney+ had $2.4B+ revenue in Disney's March quarter, or ~43% of DTC revenue — Data trove sheds light on entertainment giant's operations, and exposes personal data of some staff and customers
Discussion:
Steve Layne on LinkedIn, The Streamable, The Media Leader, New York Post, Cord Cutters News and Fox Business
Jeremy Barr / Washington Post:
Mehdi Hasan's Zeteo News, launched in April, has 31K paid subs, including more than 1,000 at the $500+ “founder” level, accounting for ~$3M in annual revenue — The former MSNBC host's Substack-based Zeteo News has 31,000 paid subscribers and $3 million in annual revenue in just four months
Discussion:
@simondowens@threads.net, @jeremymbarr, @brianstelter and TVNewsCheck
Mark Savage / BBC:
Spotify wins a long-running, complicated music rights case in US district court, where Eminem publisher Eight Mile Style claimed Spotify lacked proper licenses — Spotify has won a long-running court case, in which it was accused of streaming Eminem's music without permission.
Discussion:
Billboard, Rolling Stone and Music Business Worldwide
Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:
The Guardian's CFO says the outlet plans to start making product recommendations with the aim of diversifying revenue through affiliate links — The Guardian is preparing to launch an e-commerce platform as it continues to look for new areas of revenue diversification.
Discussion:
Stephen Hurrell on LinkedIn and @baekdal
Dan Milmo / The Guardian:
YouTube begins limiting repeated video recommendations about fitness levels, body weights, physical features, and more to teens globally, expanding from the US — Platform will ensure algorithms do not keep pushing similar content to young viewers, even though it does not breach guidelines
Discussion:
MediaPost, BBC, The Wrap, YouTube Official Blog, @svenvd_zee, UPI, TechCrunch, The Verge and Engadget, more at Techmeme »
Christopher Palmeri / Bloomberg:
FCC filing: Larry Ellison will own 77.5% of National Amusements via a trust and series of corporations after his son David completes the purchase of Paramount — Paramount Global, the parent of CBS, will be controlled by software billionaire Larry Ellison after a group led by his son David completes …
Discussion:
The Wrap, New York Post and @lucas_shaw
Sarah Scire / Nieman Lab:
The Salt Lake Tribune's first annual report shows $15.3M in 2023 revenue and $779K net profit; in July 2024, it had 9K print subscribers and 30K digital — The first daily newspaper in the U.S. to become a nonprofit has published a refreshingly readable and transparent annual report.
Discussion:
Dave Patel on LinkedIn and What Works
John Jurgensen / Wall Street Journal:
Filmmakers from the small budget, parallel world of faith-based entertainment are going mainstream, as Amazon, Netflix, and others focus on heartland viewers — Christian filmmakers have surprised the world with a series of box office hits. Their success could change the entertainment industry.
Discussion:
Luke Roush on LinkedIn
Helen Bushby / BBC:
The UK's CMA launches an investigation into whether the sale of Oasis tickets on Ticketmaster breached consumer protection law, including via “dynamic pricing” — The UK competition regulator has launched an investigation into the sale of Oasis tickets, including the use of “dynamic pricing”.
Discussion:
CNN, Wall Street Journal, GOV.UK, Variety, Financial Times, Billboard, UPI, London Evening Standard, NME, The Guardian, Engadget, @deandunham, The Sun, @cmagovuk, CMU, @gergelyorosz, @daviddavismp, WATN, Music Business Worldwide, NBC News, Politico, KXTV, Press Association and Big Issue, more at Techmeme »