Top News:
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Amazon reports Q4 ad revenue up 23% YoY to $21.32B, slightly above expectations, and subscription services revenue up 14% to $13.12B — The company's shares fell in after-hours trading Thursday after Amazon said it expected $200 billion in capital spending for 2026 as it races to compete in the AI space.
Discussion:
Adweek, The Guardian, TechCrunch, The Wrap, CNBC, Runtime, GeekWire, The Information, Associated Press, Deadline, Financial Times, Media Play News, Motley Fool, Modern Retail, CNBC, Amazon and Barchart.com, more at Techmeme »
Alexander Osipovich / Wall Street Journal:
Thomson Reuters' CEO says AI cannot easily replace the company's legal-research expertise, after its stock fell following the release of Claude legal work tools — Two of the companies battered by this week's artificial-intelligence selloff, Thomson Reuters and Intercontinental Exchange …
Discussion:
Globe and Mail, Reuters and Business Insider, more at Techmeme »
RELATED:
Kenneth Li / Reuters:
Thomson Reuters reports Q4 revenue up 5% YoY to $2B, matching est., and news division organic revenue up 5% to $232M, boosted by licensing deals; TRI falls 7%+ — Thomson Reuters (TRI.TO) reported higher fourth-quarter revenue on Thursday, boosted by its legal, tax and accounting and corporates businesses …
Discussion:
Dow Jones Newswires, Benzinga, Thomson Reuters, Talking Biz News, Wall Street Journal and Associated Press
Corbin Bolies / The Wrap:
News Corp reports $242M in Q2 net income, down 21% YoY, rev. up 6% YoY to $2.36B vs. $2.30B est., digital-only WSJ subs up 13% to 4.3M, HarperCollins rev. up 6% — The company's Dow Jones and real estate businesses also posted revenue growth — News Corp CEO Robert Thomson highlighted …
Discussion:
Mumbrella, New York Post, Wall Street Journal, News Corporation, A Media Operator and Reuters, more at Techmeme »
Derek Thompson / @dkthomp:
Matt Murray saying that WaPo will no longer write for “one slice of the audience” demonizes the strategy of fiercely reporting on Trump that made it successful — This part of the Matt Murray email to WaPo staffers makes me most depressed about the paper's future. What you've got here is a media company where the owner has not only overhauled strategy but also required that new leadership pursue a Bad Strategy and demonize the very [image]
Discussion:
@mattzeitlin, @herbscribner, @thatjenmonroe, @mikeisaac and @alex_kirshner
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Jeremy Barr / The Guardian:
Marty Baron says “I firmly believe” Jeff Bezos prioritizes his other interests over WaPo; Jim VandeHei says “I have no clue what their strategy was or is”
Discussion:
TechCrunch, Townhall, The Borowitz Report, Business Insider, Fox News, The Bulwark, @morganvisconti.bsky.social, HotAir, Washingtonian, @jimvandehei, MS NOW, @semaforben, Lawyers, Guns & Money, twitchy.com, @davidfolkenflik, @jeremymbarr, Drezner's World, Crooks and Liars, The American Spectator, Longreads, Australian Financial Review, Agence France-Presse, Esquire, Deseret News, NewsMax.com, The NewsGuild, Media Nation and The Wrap
Ruth Marcus / New Yorker:
How Jeff Bezos forced WaPo into severe decline in President Trump's second term, including mass layoffs that seem to transform it into a kind of Politico-lite
How Jeff Bezos forced WaPo into severe decline in President Trump's second term, including mass layoffs that seem to transform it into a kind of Politico-lite
Discussion:
404 Media, Poynter, Newslaundry, Townhall, New Republic, Josh Loftin on LinkedIn, @murshedz.bsky.social, Aditya Kalra on LinkedIn, Awful Announcing, To the Contrary, Erin In The Morning, Slate, @dinfontay.com, @RonaldTooTall …, The Atlantic, The Cross Section, @jimvandehei, @jhweissmann, Nieman Lab, @zzzzaaaacccchhh, The Wrap, Axios, Climate-Colored Goggles, @nitashatiku, @isaacstanbecker, @chuckculpepper1, @nastyagalouchka, @denk_tweets, @pbump.com, @shannonosaka.bsky.social, BY GLENN KESSLER, Dan Gillmor on LinkedIn, Melanie Sill on LinkedIn, Business Insider, Talking Points Memo, @hammancheez.bsky.social, Pen Strokes, @bgrueskin.bsky.social, @heatherthereporter …, @rmac.bsky.social, @samadams.bsky.social, @samadams.bsky.social, Truthout, @whitehouse.senate.gov, Aftermath, NextDraft, @PeteTucker@mastodon.social, Al Jazeera, @gonebabygone.bsky.social, Techdirt, @gonebabygone.bsky.social, @csammells.bsky.social, Breitbart, @chrislhayes.bsky.social, @leahmillis.bsky.social, @lunaluvgood2020.bsky.social, @leahmillis.bsky.social, The Nation, @timothynoah.bsky.social, Ace of Spades HQ, @jkavanagh.bsky.social, @jackmirkinson.bsky.social, @kristinekenyon.bsky.social, @jackmirkinson.bsky.social, @susanrinkunas.com, @susanrinkunas.com, @brianpjcronin.bsky.social, @ginnyhogan_@threads.com, @noturtlesoup17.bsky.social and The Atlantic
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Ex-WaPo Executive Editor Marty Baron says “this ranks among the darkest days in the history of” the paper; WaPo laid off Amazon beat reporter Caroline O'Donovan
Ex-WaPo Executive Editor Marty Baron says “this ranks among the darkest days in the history of” the paper; WaPo laid off Amazon beat reporter Caroline O'Donovan
Discussion:
Talking Biz News, gofundme.com, New York Post, @ceodonovan, CBS News, Associated Press, @markfollman.bsky.social, @propublicaguild.org, twitchy.com, @flyingwithsara.bsky.social, @51st.news, @mrdanzak.com, @bestforbritain.org, The Daily Caller, campaignlive.com, The Daily Wire, @jennycohn.bsky.social, The Guardian, The Bulwark, France 24, Benzinga, PetaPixel, New York Times, Mediaite, @fheinderyckx@mastodon.social, @corbinbolies, @benmullin, ARLnow, The Indian Express, The Wrap, @ceodonovan, @jeremymbarr, @mat, @mlcalderone, @senwarren, @kensweet, @davidfolkenflik, @davidfolkenflik, NPR, @sherrilynifill@threads.com, @geoffrbennett@threads.com, Grabien, Forbes, Awful Announcing, Gamereactor UK, PBS NewsHour, The Moderate Voice, Mediaweek, NewsMax.com, Inc.com, Mind Matters, @gabyhinsliff.bsky.social, Joseph Menn on LinkedIn, Screen Rant, LinkedIn News, Miriam Smallman on LinkedIn, Emily Guskin on LinkedIn, @nhannahjones.bsky.social, @nhannahjones.bsky.social, The Independent, The Hill, Gizmodo, Salon, Baller Alert, Feed Me, @viacristiano.bsky.social, @alissawilkinson.bsky.social, GeekWire, @kateconger.com, The 51st, @heidireinberg.bsky.social, @justinbaragona.bsky.social, @noahshachtman.bsky.social, @davidakaye.bsky.social, @laurenkaorigurley.bsky.social, Daniel Wolfe on LinkedIn, The Kyiv Independent, @anoraker.com, @sadbumblebee.buzz, Fast Company, Fox News, Meidas+, @sifu.tweety.fish, Politico, Washington Times, @harrisondsmith.bsky.social, @timrecuber.bsky.social, Sports Business Journal, @susanrinkunas.com, Entrepreneur, @karaswisher.bsky.social, @juliaangwin.com, Lori Montgomery on LinkedIn, WLT Report, @raphae.li, @drewharwell.com, Townhall, @tierneymaps.bsky.social, The Post Millennial, Yahoo Finance, HuffPost, The Guardian, New Republic, NBC News, @tcobserver12.bsky.social, @dan-sinnamon.bsky.social, @thelincoln.bsky.social, @joshuasweitz.bsky.social, @thrasherxy.bsky.social, @davidzipper.bsky.social, @actfortransit.bsky.social and @reevesjw.bsky.social
Brian Stelter / CNN:
In an interview, WaPo Executive Editor Matt Murray says Jeff Bezos supports “reinvention” and wants the WaPo to be “a bigger, relevant, thriving institution”
In an interview, WaPo Executive Editor Matt Murray says Jeff Bezos supports “reinvention” and wants the WaPo to be “a bigger, relevant, thriving institution”
Discussion:
Status, Fox News, New York Sun, @jeremymbarr, Washingtonian, PJ Media, The American Bazaar, @timkarr.bsky.social, Vanity Fair, Newser, @mikeisaac, Gulf Business, Cele|bitchy, MS NOW, @peterbakernyt.bsky.social, The Hill, Blaze Media, Talking Biz News, @j9talley, @garygrumbach, @brianstelter, Semafor, IJR, @ericcasey.bsky.social, @rcmacleod.bsky.social, Poynter, Business Insider, twitchy.com, Life, Liberty, Property, Le Monde, Bloomberg, The Daily Caller, The Information, CNN, NPR, @washpostcomms, Semafor, @maxwelltani, New York Times, The Wrap and The Athletic
Rebecca Rubin / Variety:
Lionsgate hires Kathleen Grace, previously chief strategy officer at AI company Vermillio, as its first-ever chief AI officer to lead AI strategy and execution — Lionsgate is leaning into AI, hiring Kathleen Grace to serve as its first-ever Chief AI Officer.
Discussion:
The Wrap, Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter and Media Play News
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Etan Vlessing / The Hollywood Reporter:
Lionsgate reports a Q3 net loss of $46.2M, vs. a $21.9M loss a year earlier, $724.3M in revenue, vs. $705.9M est., motion picture revenue up 35% YoY to $421.2M — The Hollywood major unveiled its latest financial results as a standalone film and TV studios company after splitting from its Starz streaming platform.
Discussion:
Variety, The Wrap, Deadline, Lionsgate and Media Play News
Jonathan Vanian / CNBC:
Reddit reports Q4 revenue up 70% YoY to $726M, vs. $665M est., DAUq up 19% to 121.4M, above est., forecasts Q1 revenue above est., announces a $1B share buyback — Reddit shares rose 6% and then receded to flat in after-hours trading on Thursday after the company reported fourth-quarter earnings …
Discussion:
Mediaweek, Reuters, Investor's Business Daily, Benzinga, Reddit Upvoted, Bloomberg and Sherwood News, more at Techmeme »
Jennifer Maas / Variety:
Crunchyroll says it is developing original video game titles under its Crunchyroll Games banner in partnership “with Japanese publishers and global developers” — Anime media giant Crunchyroll is now developing original video game titles under its Crunchyroll Games banner.
Discussion:
@team.trinketstudios.com, Screen Rant and Dexerto
Sergiu Gatlan / BleepingComputer:
Substack notifies users about a “limited” data breach in October 2025, found on February 3 and now patched; a threat actor leaked a database of ~697K records — Newsletter platform Substack is notifying users of a data breach after attackers stole their email addresses and phone numbers in October 2025.
Barry Schwartz / Search Engine Land:
Google releases a core update to Discover, rolling out first to US users, aiming to cut clickbait and show more locally relevant, in-depth, timely content — Google has released the February 2026 Discover core update, which focuses specifically on how content is surfaced in Google Discover.
Discussion:
Search Engine Journal, Glenn Gabe on LinkedIn and Search Engine Roundtable
Mark Stenberg / Adweek:
Outside Interactive, formerly Outside Media, which pivoted from ads to a recurring revenue model, reports 2025 revenue up 23% YoY to $125M and its first profit — Following a five year transformation, the platform brought in $125 million in 2025, over 60% of which came from recurring lines of revenue
Discussion:
Mark Stenberg on LinkedIn
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Kamala Harris rebrands and revives KamalaHQ as Headquarters, a “Gen-Z led progressive content hub”, in partnership with People For the American Way — New initiative teams with People For the American Way, founded by Norman Lear — Kamala Harris, more than a year …
Discussion:
HotAir, Slow Boring, Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion, RedState, New York Sun, The Verge, The Washington Free Beacon, People For, MS NOW, So What, The Cut, The Post Millennial, @jdbunchanumbers.bsky.social, Louder With Crowder, New York Post, Fox News, Baller Alert, BizPac Review, NOTUS, San Francisco Chronicle, TheGrio, New Jersey Online, CNN, Mediaite, New Republic and Just Jared
