Top News:
Thomas Germain / BBC:
A look at YouTube's hidden world: most of the videos on the platform capture everyday life and have rarely been seen, with the median video having just 41 views — There's a secret side of YouTube, just beyond the guiding hand of the algorithm - and it's nothing like what you know.
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Todd Spangler / Variety:
A look at YouTube's origins, growth, and domination as the platform turns 20, including an interview with CEO Neal Mohan, who is nearing 10 years at the company
A look at YouTube's origins, growth, and domination as the platform turns 20, including an interview with CEO Neal Mohan, who is nearing 10 years at the company
Discussion:
@variety, @xpangler, @eff, @simonowens, @nealmohan, @brianros1, @nealmohan, @xpangler, @ytadvertisers, @seanseaevans, @egkeller, Todd Spangler on LinkedIn, Abhinav Rastogi on LinkedIn, Eric Barradas on LinkedIn, @eff@mastodon.social, Bao Nguyen on LinkedIn, Rahul Jindal on LinkedIn, Adweek, @rachelcoyleohio.bsky.social, The Information and Variety
BBC:
Three Bulgarians were found guilty of spying for Russia; they targeted journalists Christo Grozev and Roman Dobrokhotov, who have worked with Bellingcat — Three Bulgarian nationals have been found guilty of spying for Russia, in what police have described as “one of the largest” foreign intelligence operations in the UK.
Discussion:
Guernsey Press, eutoday.net, Press Association, The Guardian, Wall Street Journal, Metro.co.uk, Al Jazeera, Jersey Evening Post, Mirror, WTOP News, Financial Times, CBS News, Reuters, The Sun and GB News
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Christo Grozev / The Insider:
Former Bellingcat journalist Christo Grozev details how Bulgarian spies for Russia, recently convicted, plotted to kidnap and murder him and his colleague — A jury at the Old Bailey, London's Central Criminal Court, has just found six of my compatriots — citizens of Bulgaria …
Discussion:
Jersey Evening Post, @theins.press, Reuters and The Guardian
Anupreeta Das / New York Times:
A look at India's book festival boom, driven by young people who are increasingly reading literature in their native languages alongside books in English — From beaches to hilltops, young people are driving a boom in literary events as they read more in India's dozens of native languages.
Winston Cho / The Hollywood Reporter:
After Disney, WBD, Apple, Amazon and others resumed ads on X, five US senators have asked the DOJ to probe whether Musk is pressuring businesses to return to X — Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, Apple, Amazon, Comcast and Lionsgate, among others, have resumed advertising, some starting last year.
Anthony Ha / TechCrunch:
A US federal judge allows the Kadrey v. Meta case, in which authors allege Meta violated IP rights by using their books to train Llama models, to move forward — A federal judge is allowing an AI-related copyright lawsuit against Meta to move forward, although he dismissed part of the suit.
Discussion:
CourtListener, @jason_kint, @kcesq, @jason_kint, CourtListener, @jason_kint, @mjbommar, MLex and Bloomberg Law, more at Techmeme »
Cody Boteler / The Baltimore Banner:
At least 20 journalists left The Baltimore Sun since David Smith and Armstrong Williams bought the paper a year ago; several cited concern over political slant — Sun owner David Smith has pushed a conservative agenda that has upended the city's biggest newspaper
Alex Heath / The Verge:
MrBeast's investor pitch deck shows consumer packaged goods driving forecasted growth through 2026; its Feastables revenue matched core video business in 2024 — Leaked plans reveal the ambitions — and risk appetite — of the biggest YouTuber on earth.
Discussion:
Benzinga, @discussingfilm, @alexeheath and @reckless.bsky.social
Andrew Fedorov / Columbia Journalism Review:
How Russian editions of US lifestyle magazines rebranded under new Kremlin rules, after US publishers pulled their licenses following the invasion of Ukraine — When American magazines pulled out of Russia, the editors stuck around and remade them for the country left behind—without mentioning war.
Sean Burch / The Wrap:
Paramount files two motions in Trump's lawsuit against CBS News, one seeking dismissal on First Amendment grounds and the second saying Texas is the wrong venue — Paramount says President Trump's lawsuit over a “60 Minutes” interview with Kamala Harris is “an affront to the First Amendment”
Discussion:
The Hill, HuffPost, Adweek, @harrymccracken@mastodon …, The Guardian, Axios, Fox News, New Jersey Online, Newser, New York Post, @peterstefanovic.bsky.social, The Independent, Deadline, Variety, Mediaite, @bejust.bsky.social, Cord Cutters News, The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline and Los Angeles Times
Michael Savage / The Guardian:
Sources: GB News and the Spectator owner Paul Marshall met senior figures in UK's right-leaning media to discuss a plan to fund a new generation of journalists — Multimillionaire Paul Marshall understood to be talking to senior figures in Britain's right-leaning media about the idea
Trishla Ostwal / Adweek:
Perplexity begins ads on The Ben Shapiro Show, with Shapiro using the AI search engine to verify claims, as some tech companies embrace right-wing media — The deal signals a cultural shift as Silicon Valley embraces right-wing influences — For years, right-wing political commentator Ben Shapiro …
Discussion:
Raw Story, @realdailywire, @trishlaostwal, @trishlaostwal, @largesseadultson.bsky.social, The Daily Wire, @lizburns.bsky.social, Trishla Ostwal on LinkedIn, @m00dswing.bsky.social, The Information, @foxglove.bsky.social, @ashwinrodrigues.com, @bft.wtf, @phillipcarter.dev, @hilli.tech, @raiberthopper.bsky.social, @scoutsaber.bsky.social, @mitchsaid.bsky.social, @edzitron.com and @paleofuture.bsky.social
