Mediagazer: Bluesky has 20M+ users after hitting 15M on Nov. 13; Appfigures: it's been #1 in US App Store since Nov. 13; Similarweb: its DAU gap with Threads is narrowing (Sarah Perez/TechCrunch)

3:50 PM ET, November 19, 2024

Top News:

Brian Stelter / CNN:

Sources: MSNBC's Morning Joe meeting with Trump was driven by fears of retribution from the incoming administration, including governmental and legal harassment — New York CNN — — “Morning Joe” co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski announced Monday, in dramatic fashion …

Brian Stelter / CNN:
MSNBC co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski face criticism after revealing they went to Mar-a-Lago to meet President-elect Donald Trump

Discussion: Mediaite, Mediaite, The Hill, RedState, @katiephang, New York Post, New York Times, Fox News, Daily Caller News Foundation, The Daily Beast, Raw Story, Wall Street Journal, @oliverdarcy@threads.net, Washington Examiner, Status, @brianstelter, @joenbc, @froomkin, @bristei, @nick_field90, @brianstelter, @iamchanteezy, @jeffjarvis, @brianstelter, @j_fassler, @chrisfromga68, @wendyday5013, @thetnholler, @jeffjarvis, Daily Mail, Politico, HuffPost, @jeffjarvis, @brianstelter, freebeacon.com, The Wrap, The Gateway Pundit, One America News Network, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, The Daily Caller, People, Breitbart, Trending Politics …, Alternet.org, IJR, @brianstelter.bsky.social, @kfile.bsky.social, @justinbaragona.bsky.social, TVLine, Newsbusters, HotAir, Vanity Fair, @samsteindc.bsky.social, al.com, Washington Times and Barrett Media

Sean Burch / The Wrap:

In a statement, Jay Penske says The Hollywood Reporter has replaced co-EIC Nekesa Mumbi Moody with Shirley Halperin, following staff cuts in June and August — Halperin recently resigned as editor of Los Angeles Magazine — The Hollywood Reporter replaced co-editor in chief Nekesa Mumbi Moody …

Discussion: Reuters, Talking Biz News and The Hollywood Reporter

Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:

Bluesky has 20M+ users after hitting 15M on Nov. 13; Appfigures: it's been #1 in US App Store since Nov. 13; Similarweb: its DAU gap with Threads is narrowing — Bluesky, the social network and X competitor has been benefiting from a surge of departures from the Elon Musk-owned app formerly known as Twitter.

Ingrid Lunden / TechCrunch:

Spines, an AI-powered self-publishing service for book authors that provides suggestions on edits, cover design, more, raised a $16M Series A after a $6.5M seed — Generative AI has upended how we write things, or even if we write at all. Now a startup wants to be the main character …

Discussion: Spines

Apple:

The NYT's The Daily tops Apple Podcasts' most popular US shows in 2024, followed by Crime Junkie, The Joe Rogan Experience, Dateline NBC, and SmartLess — Today, Apple shared the most popular podcasts of 2024, with year-end charts localized for listeners in nearly 100 countries and regions.

Discussion: Variety, AppleInsider, BGR, @alexweprin and 9to5Mac

Bloomberg:

Source: Microsoft reaches a deal with News Corp's HarperCollins to use nonfiction titles to train AI models; HarperCollins says authors can opt out — - Nonfiction books will be used for training AI models — AI companies and publishers have butted heads in lawsuits

Discussion: Publishers Weekly, @uwestenderphd.bsky.social, The Bookseller, @felixgillette.bsky.social, The Guardian, Music Ally, @nicolap.bsky.social, @amykristinsanders.bsky.social, The Verge, @kagan@wandering.shop, @samleecole.bsky.social, @tylerking.bsky.social, @adrienneleigh.bsky.social, @parodius.bsky.social, Library Journal infoDOCKET and BGR, more at Techmeme »

Bruna Horvath / NBC News:

Social media users criticize Coca-Cola over an AI-generated Christmas video; many creatives say it is distasteful to use AI tech instead of the work of artists — The video was meant to pay homage to a classic 1995 Coca-Cola commercial. — Coca-Cola is facing backlash online …

Ted Johnson / Deadline:

Donald Trump selects Fox Business' The Bottom Line co-host and former congressman Sean Duffy to be his nominee for secretary of transportation — Duffy, a former congressman, is the co-host of Fox Business' The Bottom Line and is a contributor to the news network.

Aaron Katersky / ABC News:

Filing: Alex Jones asks a judge to halt the sale of Infowars; a company affiliated with him, which was the losing bidder, seeks to disqualify The Onion's bid — Jones called The Onion's winning $1.75 million bid “sheer nonsense.” — Alex Jones of Infowars talks to the media while visiting …

Discussion: Austin American-Statesman, Bloomberg Law, Associated Press, @benmullin, Reuters and New Republic

Ivan Mehta / TechCrunch:

Amazon says Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers in the US, the UK, and Canada can now listen to one audiobook per month from Audible's catalog for free — Amazon said on Tuesday that it will let Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers access one audiobook per month from Audible's catalog for free.

Karissa Bell / Engadget:

Instagram says it is testing letting users reset the algorithmic suggestions that power Feed, Reels, and Explore, and the update “will soon roll out globally” — The app will offer users a chance for a “fresh start” with the algorithm. — If your Instagram recommendations …

Discussion: Business Insider, The Hill, Fortune, Neowin, 9to5Mac, @metanewsroom, BGR, Mashable, Meta, TechCrunch, The Independent, The Verge and Bloomberg, more at Techmeme »

Reuters:

Sources: Sony is in talks to acquire Japanese media powerhouse Kadokawa, which publishes anime and more, in the coming weeks; Kadokawa had a ~$2.7B market cap — Sony (6758.T) is in talks to acquire Kadokawa (9468.T), the Japanese media powerhouse behind the “Elden Ring” game …

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More News:

Sara Fischer / Axios:
Sources: Apple has started selling its own ad inventory for Apple News; publishers will get a 70% cut of the ad revenue generated by Apple within their articles

Discussion: AppleInsider, 9to5Mac and @sarafischer, more at Techmeme »

Helen Coster / Reuters:
Sally Buzbee, most recently the executive editor of the Washington Post, will join Reuters as News Editor for the US and Canada

Discussion: MediaPost, Press Gazette, Associated Press, Talking Biz News and Reuters

Press Gazette:
UK news agency SWNS, based in Bristol with 50 reporters, photographers, editors, and others that provide content to The Sun and more, plans a US expansion

Emanuel Maiberg / 404 Media:
BuzzFeed commenters criticize it for using Trendii's AI-powered ad platform, which recommends products based on images in articles, including disturbing images

Discussion: @jasonkoebler@mastodon.social and @josephfcox

Katie Kilkenny / The Hollywood Reporter:
Writers Guild of America East members who work at PBS member stations threaten a strike if a deal isn't reached by the end of their contract on November 21

Discussion: The Wrap, @wgaeast, AV Club, Current, Variety and Deadline

Earlier Picks:

Aditi Agrawal / Hindustan Times:
In a lawsuit, Indian news agency ANI accuses OpenAI of exploiting its news content in an unauthorized manner for commercial gain

Discussion: MediaPost, MEDIANAMA, Reuters, TechCrunch, SpicyIP, Bloomberg, Scroll.in, @refsrc and Anushree Rauta on LinkedIn

Dominic Ponsford / Press Gazette:
The Telegraph calls for a change in UK law after police accuse journalist Allison Pearson of a breach of the Public Order Act over an old, deleted X post

Discussion: GB News, @jonsopel, UnHerd, @polblonde, @markhiggie1, @jasonmackenzie, @allisonpearson, Telegraph, Press Gazette, HotAir, Telegraph and The Guardian

Brooke Singman / Fox News:
Trump says it is “vital” to have a “free, fair, and open media” and he has “an obligation” to be “open and available to the press”

Brian Stelter / CNN:
Brendan Carr promises to “enforce” broadcast media's “public interest obligation” as FCC chair and has recently singled out NewsGuard for “censorship”

Pew Research Center:
News influencers survey: 21% of US adults say they get news from social media influencers, 85% of influencers are on X and 27% identify as right-wing, and more

Discussion: Mediaite, @ourobororoboruo.bsky.social, User Mag, The Latino Newsletter, Nieman Lab, @jayrosen.bsky.social, Poynter, Inside Radio, Engadget, Associated Press, @samfbiddle, Washington Times, Karri Carlson on LinkedIn, @meredithconroy.bsky.social, Tubefilter, @michellemanafy.bsky.social, CNN, @ernie@writing.exchange, @ernie.tedium.co, @ianbremmer.bsky.social, Erika Marzano on LinkedIn, @walldo.bsky.social, Axios, @hannahcov.bsky.social, @csmapnyu.org, The Hill, The Desk, @philipmai.com, Irish Independent, @socialmedialab.ca, @katestarbird.bsky.social, @katestarbird.bsky.social, @cingraham.bsky.social, The Independent, @oclairouin.bsky.social, @karissabe.bsky.social, MediaPost, @danahull.bsky.social, @cbdawson.bsky.social, @danielavis.bsky.social, @rainesford.bsky.social, Business Insider, CNBC, Press Gazette and Bloomberg

From Techmeme:

Tom Warren / The Verge:
Microsoft unveils the $349 Windows 365 Link, a mini PC for its Windows 365 cloud service running a “super hardened version of Windows”, shipping in April 2025

Sara Fischer / Axios:
Meta is forming a new product group to build AI tools for businesses, led by Clara Shih, most recently the CEO of Salesforce AI

Emanuel Maiberg / 404 Media:
Niantic says it is using data generated by Pokémon Go players to create a large geospatial model, or LGM, that can navigate the real world and power robots

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