Top News:
Paul Sawers / VentureBeat:
Spotify announces a hateful content and conduct policy to distance itself from controversial artists and introduces AudioWatch tool to scan its back catalog — Spotify has announced a new hate content and hateful conduct policy as it looks to distance itself from controversial music artists …
Discussion:
Billboard, newsroom.spotify.com, Bloomberg, Associated Press, @danrys, @pitchfork, The Muse, @buzzfeedben, @mtfiii and The Verge, more at Techmeme »
Bloomberg:
House Democrats release 3,519 Facebook ads from Russia-linked accounts, spanning 2015 to 2017, showing a coordinated campaign to sow distrust in US politics — - House Intelligence Committee Democrats publish 3,519 ads — Posts targeted specific groups to inflame civil discord
Discussion:
NBC News, Fast Company and ABC News, more at Techmeme »
Shan Wang / Nieman Lab:
Medium abruptly ends feature that let publishers use the platform to collect revenue from their own subscriptions, affecting 21 publishers — “Could we have a better metaphor for the way Silicon Valley considers local journalism?" fumed the owner of one of these remaining publications.
Discussion:
@fara1, New York Times, @halimahmarcus, @jasonabbruzzese, @backertools, @alexeheath, @holdenthepage, @mathewi and Fast Company, more at Techmeme »
Simon Dumenco / Ad Age:
The Onion's Clickhole launches a new vertical called Resistancehole, an anti-Trump satire site and sister site to Patriothole, which was started last year — Do you oppose President Trump? And do you have a sense of humor about your opposition? (Or do you not have a sense of humor about it but don't realize it?)
Discussion:
ClickHole
CNNMoney:
Democratic lawmakers press AT&T for details about payments to Michael Cohen, Trump's personal lawyer, in light of Time Warner merger and net neutrality repeal — AT&T confirms it paid Trump lawyer Michael Cohen's company — The public is just now learning about AT&T's payments to President Trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen.
Discussion:
Politico, CNN, @kylegriffin1, @kylegriffin1, New York Magazine, Gizmodo, The Daily Beast and Mediaite
RELATED:
CNNMoney:
Amid its Time Warner merger, AT&T confirms it paid Trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen for “insights” on administration in 2017
Amid its Time Warner merger, AT&T confirms it paid Trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen for “insights” on administration in 2017
Discussion:
ProPublica, CNBC, Dallas Morning News, @jpodhoretz, Fox News, bookforum.com, @fordm, @joshtpm, @ericgarland, @jaketapper, Motherboard, Gizmodo, The Atlantic, Light Reading and The Daily Caller
Barry Schwartz / Search Engine Land:
Gannett reaches deal to buy search marketing company WordStream for $130M in cash plus up to $20M in earnout through 2020 if revenue goals are met — WordStream, the paid search software company that helps advertisers manage their PPC campaigns, has been acquired by the Gannett Company for $150 million.
Discussion:
MediaPost, USA Today, WordStream and @adammedros
David Shepardson / Reuters:
FCC says that the Obama-era net neutrality rules from 2015 will end on June 11; Senate to vote as early as next week on whether to reject the FCC repeal — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Communications Commission said in a notice Thursday that landmark 2015 U.S. open-internet rules will cease on June 11.
Discussion:
The Hill, 9to5Mac and Fortune, more at Techmeme »
Matt Labunka / Facebook:
Facebook Live will now let publishers crosspost live video across pages, use persistent stream keys for easier setup, says live rewind is coming soon — Today we are rolling out several new features that are focused on making it easier for publishers to go live on Facebook.
Discussion:
Tubefilter and Marketing Land
Cynthia Littleton / Variety:
AMC Networks' Q1 revenue grew 2.9% YoY to $741M with a 10.8% gain in content licensing and distribution revenue that offset a 8.8% drop in ad sales — AMC Networks delivered strong gains in revenue and earnings per share in the first quarter as gains from content licensing pacts offset a 9% slump in ad sales.
Discussion:
The Wrap, Multichannel News, AMC Networks Inc. and Deadline
Jeffery C. Mays / New York Times:
NYC council member wants to prioritize Freedom of Information requests from professional media, but one expert says the plan could hurt journalists — Ritchie Torres is looking for allies in his new role as head of the City Council investigations committee: journalists.
Discussion:
@nyclu and @shanegoldmacher
Corinne Ramey / Wall Street Journal:
A look at Wikipedia's Arbitration Committee, its own internal “Supreme Court” with 15 jurists, which adjudicates the most serious disputes arising on the site — Online committee called ArbCom tries to keep the peace at internet encyclopedia; 'I don't understand why passions run so high here.'
Discussion:
@alephblog, @harrisonstephen, @pdberger, @zzzooey and @saraheneedleman, more at Techmeme »
CNNMoney:
Internal emails show that executives at conservative Salem Media Group pressured radio hosts to be more pro-Trump amid 2016's election — Executives at Salem Media Group, a conservative media company that syndicates some of the country's most recognized talk radio hosts and operates a batch …
Discussion:
@natemcdermott, @lachlan, @vitruvianmonkey, Splinter, @davidfrum, Mediaite, @oliverdarcy and @oliverdarcy