Top News:
Nilay Patel / The Verge:
The Verge unveils a $7/mo. or $50/year “dynamic metered paywall”; some content like the social feed-like homepage, live blogs, and core news posts will be free — Okay, we're doing this. — Today we're launching a Verge subscription that lets you get rid of a bunch of ads …
Discussion:
Semafor, The Verge, @timcarmody@threads.net, @danack@threads.net, @thatchriscarley@threads.net, @caseynewton.bsky.social, @simonowens.bsky.social, @philipiova@threads.net, @davidimel@threads.net, @reckless1280@threads.net, @davidpierce.xyz, @alex, @matthewkeyslive, Payday Report, @torriangray.bsky.social, @bdsams.com and Talking Biz News
Noor Nanji / BBC:
The BBC pulls MasterChef Christmas specials following allegations of inappropriate behavior against host Gregg Wallace, after initially saying it would air them — The BBC is pulling its MasterChef Christmas specials after the allegations against presenter Gregg Wallace.
Discussion:
The Independent, Variety, The Sun, spiked, Sky News, The Mirror, @sarahmanavis, Daily Star, London Evening Standard, London Evening Standard, The Independent, Daily Express, Daily Mail, Metro.co.uk, Sky News, ITV News, The Guardian, Telegraph, The Mirror, Deadline, @cantseyy, @annolivarius, Daily Mail, @parodypm.bsky.social, The Guardian, The Sun, LBC, GB News, Associated Press, Us Weekly and The Hollywood Reporter
Kendall Tietz / Fox News:
Forbes editorial staffers walk off the job, saying that management has been stalling at the bargaining table for nearly three years — The annual launch of Forbes' 30 Under 30 list is a significant day for the company — FIRST ON FOX— The Forbes Union, which represents the magazine's editorial staffers …
Marc Schneider / Billboard:
Stephen King will close his three radio stations in Bangor, Maine, on New Year's Eve, citing financial losses and his advancing age as reasons for the shutdown — A desire to “get his business affairs in better order” leads the 77-year-old horror author to shutter his trio of stations in the Bangor area.
Discussion:
WABI-TV, New York Times, @benmullin, AzerNews, Associated Press, RADIO ONLINE, Piscataquis Observer, The Boston Globe and Radio & Television …
K.J. Yossman / Variety:
AMC's and PBS' UK arms, GB News, and shopping channel QVC sign a deal with Everyone TV to offer their channels on free UK streamer Freely, starting early 2025 — AMC Networks International U.K. and PBS America are among the latest channels to join free TV streamer Freely in the U.K.
Discussion:
Advanced Television, Inside CI, Broadband TV News, GB News, Broadcast, Cord Busters, C21Media and Deadline
Ian Karbal / Pennsylvania Capital-Star:
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette strike, which began in October 2022 and exposed bitter divisions in the newsroom union, is now the longest ongoing strike in the US — To many involved, the response to growing concerns felt slow. — “The rebuilding of trust in the group, rebuilding a steward network …
Vaishnavi Chandrashekhar / Science:
India plans to pay ~$715M over three years to let ~18M students, faculty, and researchers access ~13K journals for free, under a scheme launching on January 1 — Deal allows scholars to read paywalled articles for free and will cover open-access fees — India was the third largest producer …
Discussion:
Tuhin A. Sinha on LinkedIn, @shalinsshah, @nikomccarty, @narendramodi, pib.gov.in, @nileshtrivedi, DD News, NDTV, NDTV, Research Information, The Hindu, The Hindu, India Today and Slashdot
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Cameo launches CameoX, allowing creators to self-enroll and expanding beyond A-list celebrities, after piloting the app since May 2023 and adding 31K creators — Celeb greetings app Cameo is pivoting to creators with a new product called CameoX. — The company became a pandemic hit …
Discussion:
Cameo, @mr312, @mr312 and Fast Company
Brian Steinberg / Variety:
Sean Hannity will debut a new monthly longform interview program on Fox News Media's streaming service Fox Nation, with the first episode premiering today — The longtime Fox News opinion host will debut a new monthly longform interview program on Fox Nation, the subscription-backed streaming outlet …
Discussion:
The Desk, Fox News, @bristei, @seanhannity and Deadline
Alex Heath / The Verge:
Nick Clegg says Meta's moderation “error rates are still too high” and pledges to “improve the precision and accuracy with which we act on our rules” — Meta is mistakenly removing too much content across its apps, according to a top executive.
Lauren Watson / Columbia Journalism Review:
How sanctions are affecting independent Russian outlets, as Western tech and financial companies restrict their access to audiences and revenue streams — In mid-2021, after Russian officials raided his home, Roman Anin, the founder of IStories, an independent investigative outlet in Moscow, decided to leave the country.
Zoe Williams / The Guardian:
An interview with Channel 4 News editor Esme Wren on being the BBC's Newsnight editor from 2018 to 2021, getting the infamous Prince Andrew interview, and more — Wren has been at the forefront of broadcast news for 25 years, editing Newsnight and now Channel 4 News.
Ryan Grim / Drop Site News:
An investigation finds that OCCRP, which works with major newspapers on scoops like the Panama Papers, is primarily bankrolled by the US and its Western allies — Drew Sullivan is unknown to the broad public, but the head of the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project is one of the most influential journalists in the world.
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