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YouTube lifts its restrictions on Donald Trump's channel, imposed after the January 6 insurrection, after evaluating the “continued risk of real-world violence” — YouTube will lift its restrictions on former President Trump's channel Friday, a spokesperson confirmed to Axios.
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Axios shouldn't have fired Ben Montgomery for calling out Governor DeSantis' propaganda given co-founder Jim VandeHei once told Roger Ailes, “Go fuck yourself” — Reporters have been brawling with public relations flacks since the late 1800s when railroads and other corporations …
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Axios, @ianbassin, @sfdb, @jackshafer, @msamywallace, @simko_bednarski, @craigtimes, @rameshponnuru, Mediaite, Poynter, Fox News, The Hill and The Wrap
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Axios fires Tampa Bay-based reporter Ben Montgomery after he replied to an email about a Governor DeSantis event, “This is propaganda, not a press release.”
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Antenna: ~94% of Disney+ subscribers stayed after the $3/month price hike; ad-supported Disney+ versions made up 27% of sign-ups in January and 36% in February — 94% of subscribers absorbed the $3 a month rise, new data show, suggesting room for further increases
Discussion:
The Desk, Antenna, MediaPost, @richlightshed and @joshsternberg@mstdn.social


In a first for a music streaming service, Bandcamp employees in the US form a union, Bandcamp United, which will include 62 people, and ask for an NLRB election — U.S. employees at Bandcamp, an online audio distributor, have announced their formation of a union.


An interview with Mother Jones CEO Monika Bauerlein on reader donations, paywalls, and quality over quantity; readers donated 74% of its $16.8M FY 2021 revenue — “Smart, fearless journalism” is the tagline of American investigative news outlet Mother Jones - but would this mission …
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@pressgazette, @charliebeckett, @pressgazette, @pressgazette and Mother Jones


Sources: Twitter explored licensing music rights from three major labels but negotiations stalled after Elon Musk's takeover and were abandoned due to costs — Twitter didn't move forward with the music licensing deals because of costs, people with knowledge of the matter said.
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Wall Street Journal, @sisario, Insider, @kateconger, Ars Technica and MediaPost, more at Techmeme »


Meta debuts Verified in the US for $12/month on the web or $15/month on Android/iOS, with a blue badge, proactive impersonation protection, and customer support — Meta's paid verification program is available in the US starting today, CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote on his Instagram channel.
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CBS News, Reuters, The Hill, @pt, CNET, The Verge, UPI, TechCrunch and Evening Tech, more at Techmeme »


Sylvia Poggioli, the longest-serving reporter on NPR's international desk, is retiring at the end of March 2023 after 41 years at NPR and 51 years in journalism — In a note to editorial staff, Didrik Schanche, International Editor, and Edith Chapin, Acting SVP of News, made the following announcement:
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Current, @nprkelly, @kainazamaria, @pamelafessler, @scotthensley, @davidclinchnews, @davidgura and @johndankosky


How tech from Synthesia, an AI startup backed by Kleiner Perkins and GV, is being used to make deepfake news videos promoted by Venezuela's government — UK tech company developed software used in fake news videos promoted by authoritarian government — As Venezuela prepared for carnival season …
Discussion:
@ultraterm, @samgregory, @madhumita29, @halilozturkci, @zachweinberg and @joeparkdan, more at Techmeme »


Amazon stops selling newspaper and magazine subscriptions for Kindle and in print; some titles, including USA Today, are still available via Kindle Unlimited — It doesn't matter whether they're for your Kindle or in print — starting this week, Amazon will no longer sell print or digital newspaper and magazine subscriptions.


Research: global recorded music revenue rose 6.7% YoY to $31.2B in 2022, with $20B from streaming and $10.8B from indie labels and artists direct; UMG hit $9.2B — Following a spectacular year of growth in 2021, global recorded music revenue growth slowed significantly in 2022 due …
Discussion:
Music Business Worldwide and Music Ally


The Plug founder and CEO Sherrell Dorsey announces that the news outlet focused on Black tech, venture capital, and future of work news and research is closing — Dear readers, subscribers, and long-time supporters— Today is the last day our team will serve you all through The Plug.
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@ingridriley, @kristyt, @sheistyler, @lolitataub, @deongordon, @jewelmelanie, @culturebanx, @melissa_kimble and @rafat