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:
@mattrosoff, @johnbiggs, @mediaevan.bsky.social 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:
The Wrap, @benmullin, @sidhubaba, @henryporters, @dilanesper, @danmitchell.bsky.social, @curtishouck, @adudeandhisart, @maxasteele, @tonymoonbeam, @natzbandwagon, @notalwayswrite, @kimleannelliot, @scarylawyerguy, @dcg1114, @jofchalcedon, @sunnyright, @mediaevan, @edmundlee, @yeathatterrence, @tom_watson, @adelbrown, @hoosier114, @johnbiggs, @jason0x21.bsky.social, @davidfolkenflik, @davidfolkenflik and @davidfolkenflik
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:
Mediaite, Billboard, Variety, The Verge, Rolling Stone, The Hollywood Reporter, Consequence, The Root, TMZ.com, Vibe, @eriqgardner, @joecoscarelli, @joecoscarelli, @joecoscarelli, Just Jared, UPROXX and Forbes
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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:
Bloomberg, Forbes, Vibe, Bossip, Billboard, TheGrio, The Verge, Consequence, Cele|bitchy, Music Ally, Rolling Stone, UPROXX, Music Business Worldwide and The Sun, more at Techmeme »
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, CNN, New York Post, CBS News, @jeffjarvis.bsky.social, Reuters, @kenvogel.bsky.social, WPXI-TV, Digital Trends, Deadline, Dexerto, The Verge, Music Ally, Sylvia Varnham O'Regan on LinkedIn, @milkkarten, @kyurieff, @michaelsobolik, @stx12_, @awwstn, Business Insider, Raw Story, The Desk, New York Daily News, Metro.co.uk, Bloomberg, FTVLive and Fast Company, more at Techmeme »
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, MEDIANAMA, @richvn.bsky.social and Rolling Stone, more at Techmeme »
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, @glenngabe@mas.to, Digiday and Modern Retail
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 …
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
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Warner Bros. Discovery adds Anthony Noto and Joey Levin to its board; Noto is CEO of SoFi, and Levin is stepping down as CEO of Barry Diller's IAC — Noto joined the board as of Jan. 8, 2025, and Levin will join the on Feb. 1, 2025. Both will stand for election at the company's 2025 annual meeting of stockholders.
Discussion:
TVNewsCheck, Deadline, WORLD SCREEN, Reuters, The Information, The Wrap, The Hollywood Reporter, Benzinga and Yahoo Finance
Nicola M White / Bloomberg:
The US SEC sues Elon Musk, claiming he failed to timely disclose a 5%+ purchase of Twitter's stock ahead of his takeover of the social media platform in 2022 — (Adds details on Twitter share purchase from second paragraph.)
Discussion:
The Guardian, CNBC, San Francisco Business Times, RedState, Reuters, TheTruthAboutCars, Entrepreneur, Engadget, Mediaite, Business Insurance, New York Times, Sky News, The Irish Times, ZeroHedge News, UPI, BusinessMirror, The Register, Daily Caller News Foundation, Fortune, Rolling Stone, The Hill, TechCrunch, The Information, @hockeybroad.bsky.social, Yahoo Finance, US Securities …, The Boston Globe, The Verge, Axios, Politico, New York Times, The Gateway Pundit and Forbes, more at Techmeme »
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:
Hindustan Times and Digital Trends, more at Techmeme »
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