Top News:
Todd Spangler / Variety:
YouTube, Google, Meta, and Snap join media companies and studios contributing to LA fire recovery efforts, with funding, products and services — YouTube, Google, Meta and Snap are pitching in to help L.A. recover from the wildfires that have caused devastation across the region and forced thousands to evacuate in the past week.
Discussion:
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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.
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.
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.
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@johnbiggs, @mediaevan.bsky.social, @mattrosoff and MediaPost
Ted Johnson / Deadline:
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre held her final press briefing, her 306th time at the briefing room lectern; Karoline Leavitt will succeed her — Marking her 306th time at the briefing room lectern, Jean-Pierre took a moment from the day's big news, the ceasefire deal reached between Israel …
Discussion:
RedState, Washington Times, Advocate, Daily Caller News Foundation, Washington Examiner, The Hill and LGBTQ Nation
Colin Kellaher / MarketWatch:
Ad-tech company Criteo names former Dentsu Americas CEO Michael Komasinski as its next CEO and a board member; he'll join the Paris-based company on February 15 — Criteo has hired Dentsu executive Michael Komasinski as the commerce media company's next chief executive.
Discussion:
Adweek, Adweek, Criteo S.A., Digiday, Retail Times, Ad Age 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:
@benmullin, Business Insider, Fox News, New York Post, CNN, @jlbarrow@threads.net, @cnn@threads.net, New Republic, The Wrap, @davidfolkenflik, @davidfolkenflik, @davidfolkenflik, @jason0x21.bsky.social, @edmundlee, @scarylawyerguy, @dcg1114, The Independent, @hoosier114, @sidhubaba, @tonymoonbeam, @natzbandwagon, @tom_watson, @jofchalcedon, @sunnyright, @henryporters, @mediaevan, @yeathatterrence, @curtishouck, @adelbrown, @adudeandhisart, @dilanesper, @johnbiggs, @notalwayswrite, @kimleannelliot, @danmitchell.bsky.social, @maxasteele, @jeffjarvis.bsky.social and Eschaton
Brian Steinberg / Variety:
Fox Sports plans to stream its February 9 telecast of the Super Bowl on Tubi, its ad-supported streaming hub, for free — Fox is taking the Super Bowl to a new frontier — or, at least to one that is new for Fox. — Fox Sports will stream its February 9 telecast of Super Bowl LIX …
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 …
Discussion:
Variety, Billboard, Business Insider, People, @itsafronomics.bsky.social, Metro.co.uk, AV Club, TMZ.com, Global News, Courthouse News Service, @joecoscarelli, @joecoscarelli, @eriqgardner, GQ, UPROXX, Mediaite, The Hollywood Reporter, Bossip, @joecoscarelli, Forbes, Consequence, The Verge, The Root, Vibe, Music Business Worldwide, New York Daily News and Just Jared
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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:
Billboard, Reuters, UPROXX, The Verge, WHDH-TV, NOW Toronto, Music Business Worldwide, ABA Journal, RADAR, Los Angeles Times, Associated Press, Page Six, Just Jared, The Mirror, New York Post, Consequence, Bloomberg, Cele|bitchy, Forbes, Digital Music News, Bossip, TheGrio, Vibe, Above the Law, Music Ally, Rolling Stone, Rolling Stone and The Sun, more at Techmeme »
Kate Knibbs / Wired:
DoubleVerify says there is a jump in AI click farms, including a network of 200+ websites called Synthetic Echo, designed to siphon ad revenue from real outlets — A new report, shared exclusively with WIRED, shows how an AI content mill with hundreds of sites managed to pull big-name advertisers into their schemes.
Discussion:
Dan Levy on LinkedIn, 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 …
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.
Todd Spangler / Variety:
NBCUniversal's head of content distribution, Matt Bond, is stepping down after 20+ years at NBCU and Comcast, as NBCU prepares to spin off some cable networks — Exec will serve in an advisory role to NBCU for ‘the next few years’ … “In the spirit of leaving on a high note …
Discussion:
Deadline, The Wrap, The Hollywood Reporter and Media Play News
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