Mediagazer: Sources: BBC Studios explores options for its Indian production business, including an exit, due to challenges like consolidation and reduced content budgets (Javed Farooqui/The Economic Times)

10:55 PM ET, January 20, 2025

Top News:

Ivan Mehta / TechCrunch:

X rolls out a dedicated video tab in the US, letting users scroll through short videos, accessible via the app's bottom bar — Social network X is trying to capitalize on trying to capitalize on the uncertainty surrounding ByteDance apps like TikTok and Lemon8 by launching a dedicated vertical video feed.

Discussion: Engadget, Smartprix, City A.M., Business Insider and Apple Support, more at Techmeme »

Ivan Mehta / TechCrunch:
Bluesky launches a custom feed for TikTok-style vertical videos in its mobile app, saying “we had to get in on the video action too”

Discussion: @bsky.app, Engadget, @ecranmobilefr.bsky.social, 9to5Mac, Axios, @adafruit.com, The Verge, DNyuz, MediaPost, @bsky.app, @jay.bsky.team, @bsky.app and Digital Trends, more at Techmeme »

Ivan Mehta / TechCrunch:
Meta unveils Edits, a video editing app coming in February on iOS and later on Android, after US app stores removed CapCut as part of the divest-or-ban law

Csongor Körömi / Politico:

Le Monde has decided it will no longer post content on X, saying Donald Trump's “alliance” with social media bosses like Elon Musk “represents a global threat” — Negatives clearly outweigh the positives, says editor-in-chief. — This article is also available in: French

Discussion: Le Monde, @greenhombre.bsky.social, @mariyaparodi.bsky.social, @pressgazette.co.uk, The Wrap, @claesdevreese@mastodon.social, @eloquence@social.coop, @jeff@newsie.social, @politico.eu, @wagatwe.com and @matv1@mastodon.social

Lewis Huckle / Feature First:

The Brutalist movie faces backlash after its editor said AI was used to improve Hungarian dialogue and create buildings in the style of architect László Tóth — Awards favourite ‘The Brutalist’ is now causing a split among its audience after it was revealed that Generative AI …

Bobby Allyn / NPR:

Trump signs an EO that pauses the TikTok ban for 75 days to give ByteDance more time to reach a deal and provides a “liability shield” to TikTok's providers — President Trump signed an executive order on Monday seeking to hit pause on a law banning TikTok and to provide …

Wes Davis / The Verge:
TikTok restores its service in the US, thanking Donald Trump for “the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties”

Discussion: @tiktokpolicy, The Desk, CNN, @sentomcotton, The Guardian, Hollywood Life, Entrepreneur, El País, Raw Story, Ars Technica, CMU, Engadget, NBC Bay Area, TechCrunch, 9to5Mac, The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, TechRadar, Joe.My.God., Reuters, BGR, DNyuz, Passionfruit, NBC News, New York Times, Music Business Worldwide, TechNode, @mjsdc.bsky.social, RTÉ, @luke_metro, @sherman4949, @brianstelter, @mikeisaac, @tahrajirari, @hasanthehun, @genepark, @zamaan_qureshi, @jason_kint, Digital Music News, @alexeheath, @wexler, @arozenshtein, @anothercohen, @luke_metro, @maxwinebach, Daily Sabah, Boing Boing, The Register, it's a rootbeer float …, @davidcelis@xoxo.zone, Bloomberg, Washington Times, The Boston Globe, MacRumors, RedState, Us Weekly, Adweek, Reason, Texas Standard, @bobbyallyn.bsky.social, Forbes, Sky News, @davidakaye.bsky.social, @davidakaye.bsky.social, @melodyschreiber.com, @taylorlorenz.bsky.social, AppleInsider, Gizchina.com, Reclaim The Net, @bobbyallyn@threads.net, Gizmodo, NewsNation, The Verge, @socialmedialab.ca, The Wrap, Washington Examiner, The Hill, @ebakerwhite.bsky.social, Wired, @markey.senate.gov, Daily Mail, Mercury News, Politico, @chancemiller.me, Full Feed, Mediaite, Engadget, Althouse, @davidpierce.xyz, TechCrunch, @chancemiller.me, al.com, New York Daily News, @pwnallthethings.bsky.social, CNBC, 9to5Mac, @fraying.bsky.social, @jessmaddox.bsky.social, @junlper.beer, @reckless.bsky.social, @reckless.bsky.social, Business Insider, The Indian Express, Associated Press, Semafor, The Sun, Axios, Rolling Stone and Fox Business, more at Techmeme »

Javed Farooqui / The Economic Times:

Sources: BBC Studios explores options for its Indian production business, including an exit, due to challenges like consolidation and reduced content budgets — BBC Studios, a subsidiary of BBC Group, is exploring options for its India content production business, including a potential exit …

Discussion: Deadline and Variety

David Folkenflik / NPR:

Judd Legum, founder of Popular Information, launches Musk Watch, a twice-weekly Substack focusing on Musk's influence and actions over Trump's presidency — News organizations are grappling with how to cover the overwhelming pace of news expected from the return to power of President-elect Donald Trump later today.

Discussion: City A.M., @atrupar, The Hill, @juddlegum, @juddlegum and @pqpolitics.bsky.social

Colby Hall / Mediaite:

Nielsen: the top 500 most-watched cable news shows in the US since the 2024 election on November 5 all aired on Fox News — While the term “mainstream media” is often used as shorthand by conservative pundits as a way to talk about what they see as liberal bias in legacy media, the term misses the mark by a vast margin.

Discussion: @tvgrimreaper and New York Post

Daniel Thomas / Financial Times:

The UK's News Media Association criticizes the BBC for using public money to advertise its apps when users search for media apps in Google Play and App Store — News organisations accuse broadcaster of ‘aggressive’ tactics that could harm local and commercial media services

Discussion: Advanced Television and Advanced Television

Mark Sweney / The Guardian:

Reach's stock rises 25%+ as it says it expects to beat forecasts of £97.4M in adjusted operating profit for 2024; its stock is up 41% over the past 12 months — Publisher was helped by strong digital advertising performance towards end of year, say analysts

Discussion: @marksweney, The Standard and RTÉ

Jillian Deutsch / Bloomberg:

Meta says it will continue to use its fact checkers outside of the US “for now”, and plans to see how its Community Notes system works in the US before deciding — Meta, which said it will replace third-party fact checkers in the US with a community notes system …

Discussion: @mathver.bsky.social and TechCrunch, more at Techmeme »

Megan Graham / Wall Street Journal:

Kantar Group sells its media measurement and analytics unit Kantar Media to private equity firm HIG Capital for ~$1B — The media measurement and analytics company will part from parent Kantar Group — Market-research firm Kantar Group is selling its media measurement and analytics unit Kantar Media …

Discussion: Advanced Television, The Media Leader, MediaPost, Media Play News and The Times

The Information:

Source: Meta is offering creators with large TikTok followings bonuses ranging from $10K to $50K/month to post videos on Instagram Reels before other platforms — Instagram isn't letting a good TikTok crisis go to waste. — Representatives for the Meta Platforms-owned app in the last week …

Discussion: @lindsaypalmer.bsky.social, @frozencusser.bsky.social, @kyurieff, MEDIANAMA and Business Insider, more at Techmeme »

Cat Zakrzewski / Washington Post:

Trump signs an EO to end “federal censorship” of online platforms, and directs the AG to probe if the Biden admin engaged in censorship of Americans' views — President Donald Trump signed an executive order intended to stop “government censorship,” a sweeping action …

Discussion: The Post Millennial, Raw Story, The Verge, @jackmjenkins, @digiphile, The Register, The White House, @rgoodlaw.bsky.social, @rcmacleod.bsky.social, @rgoodlaw.bsky.social and Newsbusters, more at Techmeme »

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Dominic Ponsford / Press Gazette:
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Discussion: @palewire

Michael M. Grynbaum / New York Times:
Analysis: Trump chose 19 Fox News hosts, commentators, on-air experts, producers, and other personnel to work in his second administration

Discussion: @jerrymberger, Mediaite, @jeremymbarr, NPR, @jeremymbarr, @mediaite, @jeremymbarr, @jdbunchanumbers.bsky.social and Raw Story

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Mina Haq / PEN America:
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Earlier Picks:

Lucas Shaw / Bloomberg:
Sources: Kevin Hart has stepped in as CEO of his media company, Hartbeat, following layoffs and the departures of two CEOs over 15 months

Discussion: @lucas_shaw and @steveberkowitz

Max Tani / Semafor:
Sources: the News Media Alliance has been assembling a copyright infringement case against a “major AI company” and will likely announce it in the coming weeks

Ayman Oghanna / Columbia Journalism Review:
A freelance journalist describes covering conflicts while struggling with bipolar disorder and addiction, in an industry that poorly acknowledges mental illness

Discussion: @columjournreview.bsky.social and Freddie deBoer

Mark Sweney / The Guardian:
London Live, the local TV channel owned by the London Standard chairman, Evgeny Lebedev, will stop broadcasting after a little over a decade of mounting losses

Discussion: Daily Mail and @douglasmackenzie.bsky.social

From Techmeme:

Bloomberg:
The Trump administration exempts smartphones, laptops, hard drives, processors, memory chips, and machines used to make semiconductors from reciprocal tariffs

Sankalp Phartiyal / Bloomberg:
Sources: Apple produced $22B worth of iPhones in India in the 12 months ended March 2025, up nearly 60% YoY, and now makes 20% of its iPhones in the country

Martine Paris / Forbes:
Sam Altman says ChatGPT users had doubled in the past few weeks and that “10% of the world uses our systems”, which would peg the number closer to 800M users

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