Top News:


Ruth Marcus explains why she quit WaPo, not wanting to tell readers “what Jeff Bezos thinks I should think”, and publishes her spiked column in The New Yorker — Owner Jeff Bezos wants to transform the Opinions section of the paper, where I worked for forty years.


SiriusXM undergoes another round of layoffs after reportedly cutting about 100 jobs in January; source: cuts affect the product and technology group primarily — Layoffs primarily impact the product and technology group within the operations department, sources say.
Discussion:
Billboard, Cord Cutters News, WTKR-TV, The Desk, Radio Ink, Digital Music News, Inside Radio, The Ankler and Reuters


Sources: the BBC plans to ask the UK government to take on the full costs of the World Service to counter Russia's and China's “aggressive” disinformation drive — Ministers must cover full costs of championing western values abroad, senior BBC figures to argue


Hamish McKenzie says Substack now has 5M paid subs, up from 4M four months ago and 3M a year ago, with 82% of its top 250 creators posting audio and video often — Substack co-founder Hamish McKenzie says that creators jumping ship from ‘mainstream media’ like Jim Acosta, Joy Reid and Mehdi Hasan are a big driver of the growth.
Discussion:
Christina Loff on LinkedIn, @erik_hayden, @valentinenews_, @jimacosta.bsky.social, The Hill and TVNewsCheck


Blackstone rebrands Hipgnosis to Recognition, less than a year after buying the $3B group that owns the rights to Red Hot Chili Peppers, Fleetwood Mac, and more — Investment group with rights to songs by Shakira will be ‘fundamentally different’ under unified structure
Discussion:
Digital Music News, Music Ally, Music Business Worldwide, City A.M. and Billboard


Sources: Sonos has abandoned plans to release a streaming video player, which was set to be the company's major hardware launch in 2025 — The device, codenamed Pinewood, was set to be the company's major hardware launch in 2025. … Sonos has abandoned plans to release a streaming video player …
Discussion:
Streaming Better and 9to5Mac, more at Techmeme »


A profile of fashion magazine i-D, acquired by model Karlie Kloss in 2023; EIC Thom Bettridge aims to restore “the spirit of what it was but for right now” — The art and fashion worlds convened at Rick Owens's austere Left Bank house to celebrate the relaunch of Karlie Kloss's i-D Magazine.

The Guardian agrees to pay Spectator Associate Editor Douglas Murray “substantial” damages for a column's claim Murray spoke in favor of far-right summer riots — An Observer writer inaccurately claimed comments made by Murray in 2023 had referred to the 2024 riots.
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, The Post Millennial, The Daily Wire and Mediaite


A profile of NPR reporter Anas Baba, who has spent 17 months in Gaza, one of the few journalists working full-time with a US news organization to remain in Gaza — The Palestinian journalist said it's his calling to stay in his native land and report on what happens.


Yahoo Sports launches a sports collectibles hub featuring news, video analysis, and more; The Athletic debuted a similar vertical in August 2024 — Partners include cllct, Mantel, and Sports Card Investor — Yahoo Sports debuted a new hub dedicated to coverage of collectibles …
Discussion:
Sam Farber on LinkedIn, Barrett Media and Ryan Spoon on LinkedIn


Spotify appears to have removed Andrew Tate's “pimping hoes” class; internal communications show some Spotify employees complained about offering the course — Some Spotify employees are not happy that the audio streaming giant was, until this week, hosting and profiting from a course about …


Netflix signs a deal with comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who angered people with insults about minority groups at a Trump rally, in a bid to appeal to Trump voters — Hinchcliffe's set at Madison Square Garden in October drew sharp criticism after he described Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage.”