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Google announces a licensing program to pay publishers for content for a new news product, launching later this year, as part of the Google News Initiative — In a major departure from its long-standing practice of not paying publishers directly to distribute their work …
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Nieman Lab, The Keyword, Ad Age, Press Gazette, CNN, American Press Institute, Variety, MediaPost, @sarafischer, Politico, Business Insider, New York Daily News, Talking Biz News, Wall Street Journal, @juddlegum, @dkiesow, @pilhofer, TechCrunch, Gizmodo, The Wrap, @jeffjarvis, The Verge, Engadget, International Business …, 9to5Google, @dangillmor, @davidclinchnews, @sundarpichai, Australian Financial Review, Neowin, Search Engine Land, CNBC, news.cgtn.com, @tonyromm, Forbes, @cg_williams, @kent_walker, @bradbender1, CNET, VentureBeat, Mashable, Financial Times, New York Post and Bloomberg, more at Techmeme »

Ben Shapiro's The Daily Wire has massive engagement on Facebook, helped by a network of pages that simultaneously post at least 10 Daily Wire links per day — Founder of The Daily Wire, Ben Shapiro. (MARK RALSTON/AFP via Getty Images) — The success of The Daily Wire …
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@juddlegum, @juddlegum, @jjohnsonlaw, @jkarsh, @tyadkisson, @caseynewton, @chronotope, @chronotope, @seanthekelly, @nickconfessore, @kimmasters, @tyadkisson, @nickconfessore, @phidippides26, @ehananoki, @juddlegum, The Media Nut, @juddlegum, @slpng_giants, @profcarroll, @nkulw and @juddlegum

Laura Hazard Owen named editor of Nieman Lab, replacing Joshua Benton, who will return to reporting as a senior writer — Two journalists at Nieman Lab, the Nieman Foundation's publication covering digital innovation and change in journalism, are moving into new roles beginning on July 1, 2020.
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@jbenton, @niemanlab, @shansquared, @rasmus_kleis, @jeffjarvis, @mathewi, @clockwerks, @dskok, @loisbeckett, @emilybell and @craigsilverman


Freelancers and contractors are rarely counted in the tabulations of journalism jobs lost amid the pandemic, and they face higher risks, often without insurance — While nearly every industry is facing layoffs due to the coronavirus epidemic, journalism is bearing a particular brunt.
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Nieman Lab, NPR, @aylajean, @spj_tweets, @karrieurbanist, @monicaprelle, @theturkishlife, @lebassett, @jennerowell, @justin_ling, @niemanstory, @cafwu, @ericfish85 and The Intercept


Facebook says it is globally rolling out a notification screen warning users if they try to share content that's more than 90 days old — Facebook announced Thursday that it would introduce a notification screen warning users if they try to share content that's more than 90 days old.
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About Facebook, Adweek, @allisonlcarter, @janelytv, Fortune, Neowin and CNET, more at Techmeme »


TikTok launches a new site, TikTok for Business, as a home for marketing products and resources and launches a new AR ad format to rival Snapchat — TikTok is announcing to advertisers that it's open for business. The company is today officially introducing a new brand and platform called …
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Adweek, The Drum, @marie_haynes, @dylanbyers and @taylrn, more at Techmeme »


An overview of 3 studies on the relationship between consuming rightwing media and believing in pandemic conspiracy theories or failing to try to avoid COVID-19 — The three studies paint a picture of a media ecosystem that entertains conspiracy theories and discourages audiences from taking steps to protect themselves and others


Gone with the Wind returns to HBO Max with an intro video saying the film “denies the horrors of slavery” and a one-hour panel discussion of its legacy — “Gone With the Wind” is back on HBO Max — with two additional videos that discuss the historical context of the classic film.
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The Wrap, Mediaite, Deseret News, @kibblesmith, CNN, Engadget, The Verge, The Streamable, The A.V. Club, UPROXX, Fox News, Decider and /Film


Sources: E.W. Scripps is exploring a sale of podcasting service Stitcher in the wake of big TV station acquisitions last year — TV broadcaster E.W. Scripps Co. is shopping podcasting service Stitcher around, according to people familiar with the matter, in an apparent effort to cash …
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@nwquah, @lauramandaro and @jbenton


Vice launches Vice World News, which will create international TV, audio, and digital news programming across beats like climate, drugs, privacy, inequality — Vice Media Group Wednesday set the premiere for Vice TV's Disruptors (working title), a new series with sports journalists Jemele Hill …
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Vice News will launch a weekly investigative podcast, distributed on the iHeartPodcast Network
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LeBron James and Maverick Carter's media company SpringHill consolidates Robot, SpringHill Entertainment, and Uninterrupted, and raised $100M at its March debut — “We've been through a lot this year,” said LeBron James. The three-time NBA champion and Los Angeles Laker talked …
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CNN, New York Post, @larakate, @kingjames, @putemupcdukes, @bmorrissey, @thelakersreview, @springhillent, @dylanbyers, @ddotomen, @robnorman, @afrosypaella, @jasonwstein, @msshanitarenee, @thelakersreview, @navigatingnikki, @darrenrovell, @brianstelter, @_chefdon_, @brianstelter, Axios, Variety, Deadline and The Hill


UNC report finds that ~25% of the 9K papers published in 2004 have failed and 1,800 communities that had newspapers in 2004 are now news deserts — The relentless spread of news deserts was speeding up even before the coronavirus incapacitated local economies, and since then the rate has accelerated some more.


Ben & Jerry's, Eddie Bauer, and Magnolia Pictures join Patagonia, REI, and others suspending Facebook ads in July to protest amplification of hate speech — Eddie Bauer, Magnolia Pictures, Ben & Jerry's and others have suspended campaigns over the platform's content moderation practices.
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Business Insider, Press Gazette, AdMonsters, @benandjerrys, The Independent, MediaPost, The Week, @karaswisher, seattlepi.com, @mattnavarra, Fast Company, BRANDED, @karaswisher, @megancgraham, @donie, @jason_kint, @slpng_giants, @jimrutenberg, The Guardian, @ma_franks, @tiffkhsu, @mikeisaac, Mediaite, Boing Boing and New York Post
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