Top News:
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Google adds AI-powered article summaries for free articles, not paywalled ones, to its Search Generative Experience and says publishers can block the feature — Google today is rolling out a few new updates to its nearly three-month-old Search Generative Experience (SGE) …
Clay Risen / New York Times:
Joann Meyer, who worked for nearly 60 years at the The Marion County Record in Kansas, died on August 12, a day after police searched the newspaper's offices — She collapsed a day after the police raided her home and the offices of The Marion County Record, a weekly paper in Kansas.
Jay Peters / The Verge:
Users of XPro, previously TweetDeck, report encountering X Blue paywalls to use the service; X said on July 3 that “in 30 days” XPro would be subscriber-only — X, the social network formally known as Twitter, appears to be finally following through on its promise to make TweetDeck a paid service.
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Murray Stassen / Music Business Worldwide:
X files for dismissal of a copyright lawsuit filed in June by the US National Music Publishers' Association over alleged infringements of ~1,700 works — Unlike rivals like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, X - the Elon Musk-owned social media service formerly known as Twitter …
Discussion:
Plagiarism Today, Complete Music Update, Yahoo Entertainment, Billboard and Digital Music News
Washington Post:
X added five-second delays, some now removed, on t.co links to Instagram, Facebook, Threads, Bluesky, Substack, the NYT, Reuters, and other sites Musk attacks
Discussion:
Insider, MediaPost, Fortune, @evilmicrowizard …, New York Post, 9to5Mac, Poynter, The Guardian, AdExchanger, @schwarz, @minimaxir, @kenli729, @sheila_dang, @drewharwell, @mikeisaac, @billbrown, @mattsclancy, @minimaxir, B&T, @mikeisaac, @drewharwell@mastodon.social, CNN, @yoyoel.com, @reporterzoe@threads.net, TechCrunch, The Verge, New York Times, Boing Boing, Music Ally, @piattodelgatto.bsky.social, Mediaite, @drewharwell.com, @drewharwell.com, @mmasnick.bsky.social, @ben@werd.social, @dsilverman@mastodon.social, @jimray@mastodon.social, @yair-rosenberg.bsky.social, @yoyoel.com, @Claeshs@newsie.social, @adamserwer.bsky.social, @endeavorance@astral.camp, Variety, @martinsfp.bsky.social, @mtsw.bsky.social and Hacker News
Danielle Kaye / NPR:
NPR names Eva Rodriguez as VP and executive editor in charge of its global news operations; Rodriguez was previously the EIC of nonprofit The Fuller Project — NPR has named veteran newsroom leader Eva Rodriguez as its next vice president and executive editor, a role that will put her at the helm …
Soraya Amiri / The Walrus:
A female Afghan journalist recounts leaving Kabul after the Taliban regained power in the country in 2021, as she reflects on life as a journalist in exile — At 8:30 one August morning two years ago, I was at home in the Pul-e Surkh area of Kabul when my sister called.
Discussion:
Al Jazeera, @jhrnews, @thewalrus, @jenniferhollett, @inamdarsiddhesh, @thewalrus, Voice of America, Reporters Without Borders, Fox News and Semafor
Alexandra Alter / New York Times:
The Authors Guild, the American Booksellers Association, and the Open Markets Institute urge the DOJ and the FTC to investigate Amazon's book market “monopoly” — The online retailer's size and sway affects the free exchange of ideas, the groups argue.
Discussion:
Bloomberg, The Verge and @arjun.bsky.social, more at Techmeme »
Claudia Chiappa / Politico:
Russia expels Eva Hartog, Politico Europe's reporter in Moscow, after 10 years reporting in the country, without giving any details on how the ruling was made — As Putin escalates crackdown on foreign media, longtime correspondent Eva Hartog is forced out by the Kremlin.
Discussion:
Al Jazeera, @mariageorgieva, @polinaivanovva and @jason_corcoran
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty:
Iran sentences Saeed Roustayi to six months for screening his film Leila's Brothers at 2022 Cannes “without authorization”; he will serve about nine days — Celebrated Iranian director and screenwriter Saeed Roustayi has been sentenced to six months of correctional imprisonment …
Discussion:
Variety, The Guardian, Byline Times and Hollywood Reporter
Wall Street Journal:
Analysis: the average price of major ad-free streaming services is up nearly 25% in about a year, as companies try to push users toward ad-supported tiers — Price push by Disney, others is part of effort to trim losses, steer users toward more-lucrative ad-supported plans — Call it streamflation.
Discussion:
The Streamable, Fast Company, The Verge, MIT Technology Review, Digiday and Washington Post
Alex Weprin / The Hollywood Reporter:
Amazon hikes the price of Music Unlimited for Prime subscribers, up $1/month to $9.99 for individual plans and family plans up $1/month to $16.99 — Amazon previously raised the prime of Amazon Music Unlimited for non-Prime members earlier this year. — Amazon Music Unlimited …
Discussion:
TechCrunch, Music Business Worldwide, Music Ally, Deadline, Billboard, Variety, The Verge, Digital Music News and Cord Cutters News
Patrick Frater / Variety:
Tencent Music reports Q2 revenue up 6% YoY to ~$1.01B, revenue from music subscriptions up 37% YoY to ~$399M, and subscribers up 20% YoY to 99.4M — Subscriber numbers increased by 20% year on year and by 5 million quarter on quarter, to hit 99.4 million, the company said.
Discussion:
RTÉ, Music Ally, Reuters, Digital Music News and Music Business Worldwide
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