Top News:
New York Times:
Sources: Vice Media is preparing to file for bankruptcy; a source says more than five companies have expressed interest in acquiring it but chances are slim — The company, which was once valued at $5.7 billion, has been struggling to find a buyer this year.
Discussion:
Awful Announcing, The Guardian, The Hill, Mediaite, Wall Street Journal, The Wrap, @default_friend, @ajitpai, @musezack, @themaxburns, The Information, @primoradical, @meghanemurphy, @brianstelter, @bigblackjacobin, @tomgara, @keegan_hamilton, @passionweiss, @nicoleperlroth, @jillkrajewski, @claytravis, @tvgrimreaper, @justinbaragona, @joohnchoe, @sherman4949, @nickkristof, @karlbode, @ezralevant, @b_judah, @ashkan, @scottmgreer, @enrique_acevedo, @filmthepolicela, @aaronbastani, @jude_mugabi, @_llebrun, @bgurley, @picardonhealth, @fourverts, Fortune, Deadline and New York Magazine
Matt Binder / Mashable:
Automattic plans to drop its WordPress plugin JetPack's ability to automatically tweet blog posts, citing Twitter's dramatic change to its API terms and pricing — Twitter continues to lose vital support from major companies. — When users set up a brand new WordPress-powered website …
David Pierce / The Verge:
How free 24/7 ad-supported TV services like Tubi, Pluto TV, and The Roku Channel, with their big content libraries, became the fastest-growing streaming segment — Call it FAST, call it AVOD, call it whatever you want. Free ad-supported streaming is having a moment, and it's only going to get bigger from here.
Discussion:
@anibundel, @hshaban, @buzzedition, Variety, Digital Content Next, MediaPost and Adweek
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Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Amazon rolls out Fire TV Channels, its FAST video experience for Fire TV devices, after monthly hours streamed of FAST content grew 300%+ in the past six months — Amazon is doubling down on free, ad-supported content with today's introduction of Fire TV Channels, its new, free and ad-supported …
Discussion:
The Desk, The Streamable, About Amazon, Digital Trends, Deadline and The Verge, more at Techmeme »
Rebecca Rubin / Variety:
The Super Mario Bros. Movie crosses $1B globally at the box office, becoming the first to do so in 2023 and the most financially successful video game movie yet — “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” is officially the first film of the year to cross the coveted $1 billion milestone.
Discussion:
The Verge, Comic Book, @starryeyedwho, New York Times, Nerdist, @epro, Insider, TMZ.com, The Hollywood Reporter, The Wrap, The Week, IGN, Associated Press, Media Play News, Forbes, Screen Rant, SlashFilm, Vanity Fair, Collider and Gizmodo, more at Techmeme »
Dominic Patten / Deadline:
At the WHCD, President Biden called for the release of Evan Gershkovich and Austin Tice, offered support to their families, and said “journalism is not a crime” — “I believe in the First Amendment, and not just because my good friend Jimmy Madison wrote it,” …
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NBC News, C-SPAN on YouTube, Fox News, C-SPAN on YouTube, The Daily Beast, The Hollywood Reporter, Insider, Reuters, Slate, Vibe, @greenhousenyt, Los Angeles Times, The Wrap, Rolling Stone, The Week, The Hill, Washington Post, New York Times, New York Post, Deadline, Forbes, @brianstelter, People.com, @cspan, @misterzook, The White House, @cspan, @people, National Review, @rollingstone, @rollingstone, @marlownyc, @rollingstone, The Hill, @lebergerdavid, CBS News, Washington Post, NPR, Variety, The Guardian, C-SPAN, C-SPAN, C-SPAN, The Guardian, Breitbart, CNN, ABC13, Mediaite, New York Daily News, PoliticusUSA, TVLine, The Hollywood Reporter, Wall Street Journal, The Hill, Politico and The A.V. Club
Sarah Fielding / Engadget:
Amazon plans to make 100+ Prime Video original series and movies available on its free streaming service Freevee, formerly IMDB TV, gradually throughout 2023 — Amazon has announced it's making over 100 Prime Video original series and movies available on Freevee, its free streaming service.
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The Hollywood Reporter, Digital Trends, The Verge, The Streamable, The Wrap, Deadline, Gizmodo, Variety and Tv Technology
Ben Smith / Semafor:
Sources: ABC News is scrambling to replace Nate Silver's election forecasting model, which the network rented from Silver as part of ESPN's 2013 deal with 538 — I've spent my career in digital media, so it was humbling to stand in a corner at the lavish CBS News party at the French …
Discussion:
@jbillinson and Mediaite
Davey Alba / Bloomberg:
NewsGuard finds 49 websites with generic names like “News Live 79” using generative AI and posing as news outlets; some feature falsehoods and programmatic ads — The news-rating group NewsGuard has found dozens of news websites generated by AI chatbots proliferating online …
Discussion:
The Hill, @gianluca_string, @prisus, @sarahscire, @daveyalba, @daveyalba, @karlbode, @emilymbender, @daveyalba, @adamsinger, Gizmodo, @businessposthq, @mattdpearce, @ouranosaurus, @mmitchell_ai, @alistairmbarr, @simonwdc, @independent_ie, @grady_booch, @lisagiven, @mylesudland, @jamesrbuk, @emilybell and @blackamazon, more at Techmeme »
Pete Hammond / Deadline:
The Motion Picture Academy sets new Oscar campaign rules for private events, social media use, and more after Andrea Riseborough's surprising acting nomination — The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Monday revealed its updated rules and regulations for the 96th annual Academy Awards.
Discussion:
The Wrap, The Playlist, GoldDerby, The A.V. Club, Los Angeles Times, IndieWire, Variety, Vanity Fair, The Hollywood Reporter and Rolling Stone
Pesha Magid / Columbia Journalism Review:
A profile of Jeff German, a Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter murdered in September 2022 after a career covering the city's mob violence and the men behind it — In 1978, forty-four years before Jeff German was murdered, he left Milwaukee for a job at The Las Vegas Sun.
Discussion:
Washington Post
Amrita Khalid / The Verge:
Spotify's Findaway says Findaway Voices, its audiobook distributor for indie authors, is dropping its 20% distribution fee for audiobooks purchased on Spotify — Spotify-owned audiobooks seller Findaway will no longer take a 20 percent cut of royalties for titles sold on its DIY Voices platform …
Discussion:
Findaway Voices Blog and TechCrunch