Top News:

Quartz CEO says even with 17K paid subscribers, the company is laying off 80 staff, closing physical offices in four locations as it seeks profitability by 2022 — Quartz CEO Zach Seward's remarks to staff re today's layoffs: “This is no doubt the greatest challenge we have faced as a company.. I have made the very difficult decision to eliminate about 80 roles at Quartz and make other changes in order to improve the health of our business” https://twitter.com/...
Discussion:
New York Times, @kerrymflynn, Talking Biz News, @emilywithrow, Adweek, @kerrymflynn, @moorehn, @ashkan, @jason, @jenniavins, @elanazak, @timfernholz, @sarahfkessler, @marcatracy, @eacrunden, @elanazak, @johnxenak, @jeffjarvis, @jbenton, @lattif, @brizzyc, @glichfield, @oliviamesser, @jeffjarvis, @annalecta, @mims, @domdifurio, @mitrakalita, @nicholasadeleon, @martyswant, @davidmackau, @samthielman, @davegershgorn, @shortformernie, @sona_here, @aldenwicker, @newspaperwallah and @emilybell


By using phrases like “raises new questions”, media is repeating mistakes of 2016, giving unearned credibility to political attacks in the guise of objectivity — The latest developments in the Michael Flynn case should prompt us to revisit one of the most glaring failures …
Discussion:
Slate, @theplumlinegs, New York Times, The Hill, @mlcalderone, @ejdionne, @theplumlinegs, @jayrosen_nyu, @jeffjarvis, @theplumlinegs, @jamisonfoser, @umanoid, @theplumlinegs, @normornstein, @elongreen, The Intercept, @sbagen, @a_m_dolan, The Week, Letters from an American and The Daily Beast


Forcing Facebook and Google to pay for news could lead to uncritical reporting on tech; better approaches would tackle roots of media woes, including ad markets — Exponent — as promised! — will be back tomorrow, talking about podcasting, Spotify, and working from home. — On to the update:


LinkedIn Editorial is rebranding to LinkedIn News; the team now has 76 editors across 15 countries and the Daily Rundown is received by 46M users — Rebranding aims to drive editorial recognition and build user trust — LinkedIn is rebranding its editorial team from LinkedIn Editorial …
Discussion:
@kerrymflynn and @markscott82


From August, Chrome will start blocking ads that consume 4MB of network data, 15 seconds of CPU usage in any 30 second period, or 60 seconds of total CPU usage — Google today announced that Chrome will start blocking resource-heavy ads. The company ads that mine cryptocurrency …
Discussion:
Chromium Blog, @glenngabe, @daniel_bilar, @epro and The Verge, more at Techmeme »


Inside AT&T's $4B bet to stand out in the streaming wars through HBO Max, which is to launch on May 27 despite 30 projects shuttering due to the pandemic — A starry group came together for a meeting at Courteney Cox's Malibu beach house on Oct. 5, 2019. Had the paparazzi gotten wind, pandemonium would have surely ensued.
Discussion:
@ser_jon_arryn, @shitfund, CortaCable, @xpangler, The Streamable, MediaPost, Variety, Always Be Watching, /Film and Observer, more at Techmeme »


Scener now supports HBO Now and HBO Go, allowing up to 20 viewers to watch together via a Chrome browser extension; the startup already supports Netflix — Katy Perry, John Legend Join Houseparty's Celeb-Studded Livestreaming Event This Weekend (EXCLUSIVE)
Discussion:
TechCrunch, @xpangler, @xpangler and The Streamable


Media analyst Owen Van Essen, president of a newspaper industry M&A firm, predicts 200 to 300 small weekly newspapers will not be around by the end of the year — Solid local reporting, regular coverage of business openings and ribbon cuttings, a trusted presence for decades in Washington County …
Discussion:
@nattyrose007, The Media Nut, @nick_mathews, Talking Biz News, @ashkan and @kellystrib


BuzzFeed to end news operations in the UK and Australia and furlough ten in UK and four in Australia; sources: those furloughed are “highly unlikely” to return — Website says it will focus on news that ‘hits big’ in US after advertising revenue dried up
Discussion:
Press Gazette, BBC, @amolrajan, @bizpears, @bizpears, Press Gazette, @williamsjon, @jerometaylor, @greenslader, @rmac18, @domponsford, @culttture, CNN, @darrylmason, @david_dobbs, @emilybell, @dailekelleher, @doctoryasmin, @farrellpf, @fionakatauskas, @ppantsdown, @jacquelinemaley, @grogsgamut, @crimegiri, @catrinnye, @simoncrerar, @jo_tovey, @joshbutler, @simoncrerar, @miriamelder, @matthewchampion, @paleofuture, @pilhofer, @alexwickham, @marinahyde, @cstross, @andywigmore, @drfrancesryan, @wblau, @tompeck, @matthewwells, @hasanpatel, @joshgnosis, @shirazmaher, @liamthorpecho, @jonwalker121, @arusbridger, @matinastevis, @andyjey, @louiseridley, @hannahalothman, @janinegibson, @katebevan, @ashkan, @hannahalothman, Folio, @maxwelltani, Business Insider and The Hill


Reporters in the US and abroad face altercations with anti-lockdown protestors, an extension of the general antagonistic feeling toward journalists — Journalists covering the pandemic have faced the wrath of people who are against social-distancing restrictions.
Discussion:
@annaliznichols, @ac_woods, @uspresstracker, @brieannafrank, @wvuflu, @annaliznichols, @jeremyjojola, @michaelkruse, @marcatracy, @davidgilbertccm and @projomike


Sources: it isn't unusual for 50% of seats at US cinemas to be empty on weekends without hurting business, so a box office hit can happen with checkered seating — Before COVID-19, it wasn't unusual for 50 percent of seats at U.S. theaters to remain empty on the weekends without dampening business overall.
Discussion:
@pameladaym, @theromit and @davezatz


Forbes changes its contributor pay scale, ending the $500 guarantee for writers with 7 monthly posts and reducing the repeat-reader bonus from 5 cents to 1 cent — Forbes quietly restructured its pay scale for contributors amid the coronavirus pandemic, ending the $500 guarantee for any writer …
Discussion:
Talking Biz News