Top News:
Sara Fischer / Axios:
OpenAI will fund the expansion of Axios to Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Boulder, and Huntsville, as part of a broader content-sharing and technology deal — - Google struck a deal with McClatchy to fund the creation of three digital-only local newsrooms in 2019.
Geoff Weiss / Business Insider:
TechCrunch says it has cut staff amid “evolving needs” and fewer than 10 employees were impacted; no other Yahoo properties were impacted — - TechCrunch has cut staff amid “evolving needs,” the company told Business Insider. — The Washington Post, HuffPost, and Vox Media have all conducted layoffs in 2025.
Discussion:
@johnbiggs, @mediaevan.bsky.social, @mattrosoff and MediaPost
David Folkenflik / @davidfolkenflik:
[Thread] 400+ WaPo journalists, including some star reporters, call on Jeff Bezos to intervene, saying they are “deeply alarmed by recent leadership decisions” — NEWS: More than 400 Washington Post journalists - including some of its most distinguished reporters & editors - have sent plea to owner Jeff Bezos to intervene at the paper. While not citing CEO Will Lewis by name, it casts a harsh light on his leadership./more
Discussion:
Fox News, New York Post, The Wrap, New Republic, @benmullin, The Independent, Eschaton, @davidfolkenflik, @davidfolkenflik, @davidfolkenflik, @jason0x21.bsky.social, @edmundlee, @scarylawyerguy, @dcg1114, @hoosier114, @sidhubaba, @tonymoonbeam, @natzbandwagon, @tom_watson, @jofchalcedon, @sunnyright, @henryporters, @mediaevan, @yeathatterrence, @curtishouck, @adelbrown, @adudeandhisart, @dilanesper, @johnbiggs, @notalwayswrite, @kimleannelliot, @danmitchell.bsky.social and @maxasteele
Joe Coscarelli / New York Times:
Drake sues UMG for defamation and harassment, calling its release and promotion of “Not Like Us” an example of valuing “corporate greed” over artists' safety — In a federal lawsuit on Wednesday, Drake accused Universal Music Group of putting his life and reputation …
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Steven J. Horowitz / Variety:
Drake pulls his petition accusing UMG and Spotify of inflating Kendrick Lamar's “Not Like Us” with bots and payola; the diss track accuses Drake of pedophilia
Discussion:
Reuters, Billboard, Los Angeles Times, Bossip, Associated Press, Music Business Worldwide, Page Six, The Mirror, New York Post, Digital Music News, Above the Law, Rolling Stone, Bloomberg, Forbes, Vibe, The Verge, Consequence, UPROXX, Cele|bitchy, TheGrio, Music Ally, Just Jared, Rolling Stone and The Sun, more at Techmeme »
New York Times:
Two Iranian officials say Elon Musk helped secure the release of Italian journalist Cecilia Sala after she was jailed in Iran; Italy's PM had credited diplomacy — The Italian journalist was released soon after Elon Musk met with an Iranian ambassador, officials in Iran said.
The Information:
Sources: TikTok plans to switch off its app in the US on January 19 unless SCOTUS blocks the ban; the law only requires app stores to stop TikTok app downloads — TikTok plans to shut off its app for U.S. users on Sunday, the day a federal law will ban the app, unless the Supreme Court intervenes …
Discussion:
Variety, The Wrap, Social Media Today, Gizmodo, Passionfruit, New York Times, USA Today, Consequence, Reuters, New York Post, CBS News, WPXI-TV, Sylvia Varnham O'Regan on LinkedIn, Digital Trends, @jeffjarvis.bsky.social, Music Ally, @milkkarten, @kyurieff, Dexerto, @michaelsobolik, @stx12_, @awwstn, @kenvogel.bsky.social, The Verge, CNN, Deadline, Business Insider, Raw Story, The Desk, New York Daily News, Metro.co.uk, FTVLive and Fast Company, more at Techmeme »
George Winslow / TV Tech:
Survey from US TV trade group TVB: over half of Netflix, Disney+, and Max subscribers are on ad-free tiers, local TV news is the most trusted news source, more — New TVB study highlights the importance of broadcast TV for brands … In more specifically highlighting the enduring importance …
Discussion:
TVNewsCheck, TVB and Radio & Television …
The Verge:
Court docs: internal chats suggest Meta used data from piracy site LibGen to train its Llama AI models and worked to conceal it, as Meta raced to beat rivals — A major copyright lawsuit against Meta has revealed a trove of internal communications about the company's plans to develop …
Discussion:
Publishers Weekly, @richvn.bsky.social, MEDIANAMA and Rolling Stone, more at Techmeme »
Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:
The Independent promotes its deputy editor Chloe Hubbard to UK editor, reporting to Geordie Greig as the brand's global EIC — The Independent has promoted its deputy editor Chloe Hubbard to UK editor. — Hubbard, who first joined The Independent as assistant editor in 2017 …
Jaffer Zaidi / The Keyword:
Google says it has partnered with the AP to deliver a feed of real-time information to enhance the usefulness of results displayed in the Gemini app — The AP will now deliver a feed of real-time information to help enhance the usefulness of results displayed in the Gemini app.
Discussion:
TechCrunch, Associated Press, Engadget, 9to5Google, @glenngabe@mas.to, Digiday and Modern Retail, more at Techmeme »
Ed Nawotka / Publishers Weekly:
Created by Humans, a startup cofounded by Trip Adler that helps writers license books to AI companies, launches for authors and announces it raised a $5M seed — Created by Humans has officially launched its promised AI rights licensing platform for authors.
Discussion:
PRWeb and Publishing Perspectives
Reuters:
Court filing: Meta says it may have to “roll back or pause” some features in India after a CCI directive banned WhatsApp data sharing with Meta for ad purposes — Meta may have to “roll back or pause” some features in India due to an antitrust directive which banned …
Discussion:
9meters, @adityakalra, Hindustan Times and Digital Trends, more at Techmeme »
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