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.
RELATED:
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:
@brianros1, @egkeller, @variety, @eff, @simonowens, @nealmohan, @nealmohan, @xpangler, @ytadvertisers, @seanseaevans, @xpangler, 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 and The Information
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, The Guardian, Press Association, Wall Street Journal, Al Jazeera, WTOP News, Mirror, CBS News, Reuters and GB News
RELATED:
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:
@theins.press, Financial Times and The Guardian
New York Times:
How MeidasTouch is reshaping the progressive media landscape since Trump took office, as Democrats seek to replicate the media ecosystem that the GOP has built — The company is a leader among numerous digital-first outlets that have been reshaping the progressive media landscape since President Trump took office.
Discussion:
@jacksonboaz.bsky.social, @civex, @seangraf and @theanthonydavis.bsky.social
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.
Margi Murphy / Bloomberg:
Wikipedia editors and administrators detail the turmoil over maintaining neutrality on pages about the Israel-Hamas war and other conflicts in the Middle East — Shadow edit campaigns and political disputes have created headaches for overwhelmed editors and administrators.
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
Discussion:
@codyboteler.bsky.social and @johnemcintyre.bsky.social
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, @jason_kint, @mjbommar, Bloomberg Law, MLex and CourtListener, more at Techmeme »
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.
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.
Andrew Marchand / New York Times:
Sources: ESPN and Stephen A. Smith agree to a five-year $100M contract that has Smith continuing on his daily First Take show and scaling back other commitments — Stephen A. Smith has agreed to a new contract with ESPN worth at least $100 million for five years, an agreement that will result …
Discussion:
Awful Announcing, The Guardian, Washington Post, @betsycashmoney, @localsoundwave, @pkafka, @drewsav, @andrewmarchand, @sherman4949, @benjstrauss, Front Office Sports, Wall Street Journal, @murshedz.bsky.social, Us Weekly, The Desk, Barrett Media, Business Insider, ESPN Press Room U.S., Chicago Tribune, New York Times, KOB.com, The Independent, The Wrap, TMZ.com, The Hollywood Reporter, USA Today, NBC News, Sports Business Journal, The Daily Beast, Poynter, TVNewsCheck, Sportico, @theathletic.bsky.social, New York Post, Fox News, Variety, Deadline, @thechief.bsky.social, @cofitzgerald.bsky.social, The US Sun, @kevbo9.bsky.social, @sheehannewsletter.bsky.social, @jc1986.bsky.social, @peej.hahabean.maison, @richarddeitsch.bsky.social, @natathescribe.bsky.social, @richarddeitsch.bsky.social, @andrewmarchand.bsky.social and r/nba
