Top News:
Brian Stelter / CNN:
Opinion columnist Jennifer Rubin leaves WaPo to launch The Contrarian on Substack, to combat the “authoritarian threat” with the tagline “Not owned by anybody” — New York CNN — — Veteran opinion columnist Jennifer Rubin is becoming the latest in a long list …
Ben Smith / Semafor:
Tech reporter Ashlee Vance has left Bloomberg to start a media company called Core Memory, with documentaries, a YouTube show, podcast, and newsletter planned — The Scoop — The prolific Bloomberg tech journalist Ashlee Vance has left to start a new media company around his curious …
Discussion:
Core Memory, @urbanistvc, @nearcyan, @bznotes, @gaurabc, @jamescham, @fleetwood___, @johncoogan, @alanjeffries, @davidramli, @dadiomov, @markmilian, @ashleevance and Talking Biz News
Financial Times:
Some advertisers raise brand safety concerns over Meta's content moderation changes, fearing a surge in harmful content and misinformation on its platforms — Mark Zuckerberg's unexpected ‘free speech’ overhaul of Meta's content moderation has sparked concerns among advertisers that it will lead …
RELATED:
David Allen Green / Financial Times:
How aligning with Trump's new administration lets Meta and X pivot from futile cooperation with the EU and other jurisdictions to confrontation and coercion
Discussion:
Lauri Rechardt on LinkedIn, @reichenstein@mastodon.social, Stuart Lambert on LinkedIn, @diegocastaneda, @gideonrachman, @shaneliamconway, @danielagabor.bsky.social, @jwsidders.bsky.social, Hürriyet Daily News, @henrymance.bsky.social, @ianfraser.bsky.social, @davidallengreen … and @juddlegum.bsky.social
Jonathan Vanian / CNBC:
Sources: Mark Zuckerberg faces less friction in making broad policy changes after Meta's layoffs in 2022 and 2023, which hit much of its civic integrity teams
Discussion:
Quartz, Benzinga, notes from all fours, @sbyrnes.bsky.social, @justiceleague00.bsky.social and Daring Fireball
Renée DiResta:
Meta's changes to its content policies will appease vocal political critics only for the short term, and they signal a retreat from responsibility to users
Dominic Ponsford / Press Gazette:
UK's Daily Mirror gives journalists individual online page-view targets; some print reporters covering more serious news fear the targets will affect quality — Mirror journalists have been given individual targets for online page views in a move that has raised concerns for some about the potential impact …
Mark Gurman / Bloomberg:
Sonos CEO Patrick Spence is leaving following a botched app revamp that upset customers and stymied growth; board member Tom Conrad is named interim CEO — - 'We've let far too many people down,' company tells staffers — Former Snap and Pandora executive Tom Conrad named interim CEO
Discussion:
The Verge, TechCrunch, Gizmodo, TechRadar, Digital Trends, 9to5Mac, BGR, @chriswelch, @markgurman and @tomwarren, more at Techmeme »
Bloomberg:
Amid LA's fires, studios halted work on over a dozen projects, including shows like Wheel of Fortune; IATSE union: 8K+ of its members live in evacuation zones — First came the pandemic. Then came the strikes. Now, the fires. — Every Angeleno has experienced an earthquake, but the threat of fire has often felt more distant.
Discussion:
Lucas Shaw on LinkedIn and @carlquintanilla.bsky.social
RELATED:
Jonathan Stempel / Reuters:
SCOTUS declines to hear a bid by Meta to avoid a class action by advertisers that accused the company of overcharging by inflating ad reach — The U.S. Supreme Court declined on Monday to hear a bid by Meta Platforms (META.O) to avoid a multi-billion dollar class action by advertisers …
Discussion:
Associated Press, Supreme Court of the United States and Reclaim The Net, more at Techmeme »
Kerry Flynn / Axios:
T-Mobile agrees to acquire Vistar Media, which focuses on programmatic digital out of home advertising, for $600M in cash; the deal is expected to close in Q1 — T-Mobile has agreed to acquire Vistar Media, an ad tech firm specializing in digital out-of-home, for $600 million, the companies announced on Monday
Discussion:
Digiday and T-Mobile US, Inc., more at Techmeme »
Politico:
Jack Blanchard, who is currently Politico's UK editor, will move to Washington DC to become managing editor and author of its flagship Playbook newsletter — - Andrew McDonald promoted to London Playbook Author — ARLINGTON, Va - POLITICO today announced that Jack Blanchard will take charge …
Discussion:
Politico
Toby Helm / The Guardian:
Sources: the UK considers tightening rules on MPs' contracts with media outlets, as some MPs doubled their parliamentary salaries as presenters on TV channels — Jacob Rees-Mogg and Nigel Farage are among those who have earned large sums from broadcasters, but a tightening of rules on MPs' outside interests is being considered
Discussion:
@lucympowell, GB News, @stutay.bsky.social, The Mirror and @harryeccles.bsky.social
Riley MacLeod / Aftermath:
The Washington Post's renaming of its PR team to Star Talent Unit, focusing on “personalities and creators”, promotes false ideas about how journalism gets done — Good journalism isn't created in a vacuum — Yesterday, The Washington Post (former employer of Nathan Grayson and me) …
James Hale / Tubefilter:
Streams Charts: Twitch watch time fell to 1.58B hours in December, its lowest monthly total since July 2020, as the number of channels live at any one time rose — Something interesting may have happened on Twitch in December. — Over the course of the month, the platform accumulated 1.58 billion hours …
Discussion:
Dexerto
Naman Ramachandran / Variety:
Ormax Media: the Indian box office shrank 3% YoY to $1.37B in 2024, the second-highest-grossing year in the history of Indian cinema despite the dip — The Indian box office grossed $1.37 billion in 2024, marking a 3% decline from the record-breaking $1.41 billion achieved in 2023, per numbers from Ormax Media.
Discussion:
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