Top News:
Hamish McKenzie / Substack Blog:
Substack announces Substack Local, a $1M initiative to help up to 30 independent writers build local subscription news outlets via a cash advance, advice, more — A panel of independent judges will work with Substack to select up to 30 local news writers to participate in the program.
Discussion:
Vox, American Press Institute, @azirulnick, TechCrunch, @wongmjane, Nieman Lab, @amywestervelt, @mathewi, @kateyrich, @annehelen, @brianmrosenthal, @joshi, @sethabramson, @pkafka, @markstenberg3, @aaronhuertas, @travelinganna, @mediaevan, @dicktofel, @craigsilverman, @ubiquity75, @bmorrissey, @mattyglesias and @craigsilverman
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Katie Robertson / New York Times:
Reuters is introducing a paywall: after registration and a free preview period, subscriptions will cost $34.99/month; it also plans to launch newsletters — Reuters will begin charging for access to its website as it tries to capture a slice of the digital subscription business.
Discussion:
@nytimes, Reuters, Variety, The Hill, @mathewi, @jamesrbuk, @mmasnick, @samir_madani, @stephennellis, @josephfcox, @ourobororoboruo, @selenalarson, @mradamtaylor, @owillis, @jenwunder, @jeffjarvis, @alexweprin and @realbengilbert
Mark Stenberg / Adweek:
Ziff Davis union is staging a 24-hour walkout after failing to reach a contract establishing a $65K salary floor with Ziff Davis, owner of PC Mag and others — The union represents the editorial staffs of Mashable, PC Mag, Ask Men, and Geek
Discussion:
@zdcreatorsguild, @morgan_sung, @futureboy, @dimeford and @jordanwminor
Sara Fischer / Axios:
Sources: three media veterans are launching a subscription media company with funding led by 40 North Media and TPG Growth, to bundle journalists and resources — Joe Purzycki, Jon Kelly and Max Tcheyan are striking off on their own.
Discussion:
New York Times, @benyt, @kimmasters, Columbia Journalism Review, @michelledean, @albertburneko, @atrubek, @tomgara, @kimmaicutler, @karaswisher, @edmundlee, @jayrosen_nyu, @sarthakgh, @anibundel, @jmrivera02, @bigblackjacobin, @tomgara, @edmundlee, @nbj914, @film_girl, @michellemanafy, @loudmouthjulia, @chaykak, @eliotwb, @lkmcgann, @nickconfessore, @kantrowitz, @nbashaw, @doree, @loudmouthjulia, @loudmouthjulia, @loudmouthjulia, @katie_robertson, @silviakillings, @lpolgreen, @loudmouthjulia, @axios, @dylanbyers, @peterhamby, @mikeallen, @sarafischer and The Hill
Cassandra Garrison / Reuters:
Televisa Univision is launching its planned streaming platform in the US and Mexico next year before expanding elsewhere in Latin America and Europe — MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Television Univision, a newly formed Spanish media venture, will launch its planned streaming platform in the United States …
Discussion:
Variety and Digital TV Europe
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Rick Porter / Hollywood Reporter:
Univision and Mexico's Televisa unveil a $4.8B deal to merge, partly financed by a $1B Series C led by SoftBank's Latin American Fund
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times, @gtzarcelia, @giancarlosopo, @megjameslat, Pink's Bottom Line on Media …, @aquinas82nd, The Hill, @fidmart85, @w7voa, FierceVideo, Axios, Financial Times, The Desk, Forbes, Bloomberg, Deadline and Reuters
Wall Street Journal:
Sources detail how Amazon uses its power across markets to compel companies like WarnerMedia, Viacom, and AMC Networks to accept its terms — A heavyweight in retail, cloud computing, digital advertising, streaming and smart speakers, the tech giant compels vendors in one market to engage with it in others
Discussion:
Beyond Search, @hawleymo, @danamattioli, @wsj, @danamattioli, @wsj and Insider
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Pearpop, which has built a marketplace for buying and selling TikTok collaborations among creators, has raised $16M and plans to expand to other social networks — Pearpop is turning social-media capital into real dollars — and the startup has banked $16 million to build out its marketplace …
Discussion:
TechCrunch, Fast Company and Rolling Stone
Brian Steinberg / Variety:
Disney confirms that Kim Godwin will be the next president of ABC News, taking over the role most recently held by James Goldston — Kim Godwin, a veteran of local and national TV-news operations, will be the next president of ABC News — and the first Black executive to run a broadcast-network news operation.
Discussion:
CNN, CNN, Poynter, @bristei, The Daily Beast, New York Times, @soledadobrien, @kathleencarrll, @deannafrytv, @enrique_acevedo, @yamiche, @errolbarnett, @jonathanblakely, Adweek, New York Post and The Wrap
Justin Baragona / The Daily Beast:
Tucker Carlson used the J&J vaccine pause to suggest the US government knows that COVID-19 vaccines don't work but is purposely “not telling you that” — “Well, you'd hate to think that especially if you've gotten two shots but what's the other potential explanation?
Discussion:
@jesselehrich, The Hill, @mattgertz, Columbia Journalism Review, Today's Edition Newsletter, @vermontgmg, @jon_allsop, @mattnegrin, @davidfrum, @chelseaclinton, @aravosis, @rschooley, @drkomanduri, @oliverdarcy, @patterico, @parkermolloy, @ericboehlert, Media Matters for America, New Republic, @mattgertz, Washington Post, Fox News, The Hill and Mediaite
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
In TikTok's first-ever funding of an episodic series by a publisher, the company is backing VIRAL from NowThis, featuring health experts and a live pandemic Q&A — TikTok is taking another step towards directly funding publishers' content with today's announcement that it's financially backing …
Discussion:
MediaPost
Morgan Chalfant / The Hill:
The White House Correspondents' Association dinner has been canceled for a second year due to the pandemic; the next dinner is set for April 30, 2022 — The annual White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) dinner has been canceled for the second year in a row due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Discussion:
The Wrap, Variety, @jayrosen_nyu, @ameshiacross, @rtyson82, Newser, Politico, Washingtonian and TVNewser
Max Willens / Digiday:
The New York Post says it is testing a personalized shopping widget after its affiliate commerce revenues grew 94% YoY in 2020 — The New York Post is one of many publishers that's recently learned its audience trusts their shopping recommendations. It's trying to get more mileage …
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