Top News:
Katie Robertson / New York Times:
The MacArthur Foundation and 20+ nonprofits announce Press Forward, an initiative to invest $500M over five years in local news, aiming to raise and invest $1B — The effort, spearheaded by the MacArthur Foundation, will give grants to support newsrooms and start-ups as concern grows over the rapid disappearance of local news outlets.
Discussion:
macfound.org, American Press Institute, Poynter, @mitrakalita, Media Voices, @jimfriedlich, @journalismproj, @peterlattman, @vabvox, @chicagosamir, Washington Post, Nieman Lab, Axios and NPR
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Jim Friedlich / Nieman Reports:
Press Forward is by far the largest coordinated philanthropic effort to support local news, with the potential to become a much larger, ongoing effort — A nonpartisan group of 22 foundations today announced the launch of Press Forward, a nationwide coalition committing more than $500 million …
Discussion:
Werd I/O, Newser, The Hill, MediaPost, Associated Press, Free Press, Second Rough Draft, American Public Media and Poynter
Krystie Lee Yandoli / Rolling Stone:
In a call with Tonight Show staff, Jimmy Fallon said he's “sorry” and didn't mean to “create that type of atmosphere”, after a report detailed a toxic workplace — “Sorry if I embarrassed you and your family and friends...I feel so bad I can't even tell you,” …
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Krystie Lee Yandoli / Rolling Stone:
Interviews with 16 current and former employees describe a toxic workplace at The Tonight Show, starting with Jimmy Fallon's outbursts and erratic behavior — Sixteen current and former staffers say Fallon's erratic behavior spoiled their “dream” of working on The Tonight Show — I
Discussion:
CBS News, Screen Rant, NME, @aodespair, al.com, @thewrap, ET Canada, WSVN-TV, @ricardoharvin@mstdn.social, Breitbart, Page Six, New York Post, The Hollywood Reporter, Insider, @ernie@writing.exchange, Vanity Fair, The Wrap, KTVX-TV, @realityblurred@mastodon …, Collider, Us Weekly, The Messenger, Fox News, IGN, Mercury News, The Daily Beast, IndieWire, @simli.bsky.social, Metro.co.uk, @paulconstant.bsky.social, TVLine, The A.V. Club, Page Six, City A.M., @thefarmerjones.bsky.social, @sydneyy.bsky.social, @noahshachtman@mstdn.social, UPROXX and Boing Boing
Wall Street Journal:
Sources: Spotify plans to test a free audiobook bundle for its paying subscribers that offers up to 20 hours of content per month, as part of an audiobook push — Audio streamer to test program with listeners to learn about customer demand for audiobooks — Spotify plans to test …
Discussion:
9to5Mac, Music Ally, CMU and The Bookseller, more at Techmeme »
Michael Hunter / London Evening Standard:
Concord agrees to buy music copyright-focussed investment firm Round Hill Music, whose catalogue includes songs from The Beatles and Louis Armstrong, for ~$469M — Star-studded back catalogue including The Beatles and The Rolling Stones and Louis Armstrong to go private — T
Discussion:
Billboard, Reuters, Music Ally and CMU
Sophie Vershbow / Esquire:
Interviews with authors and publishing insiders reveal the broken system of blurbs; a few authors say blurbs helped launch their careers, but hated the process — Do authors actually like the books they endorse—or even read them? Writers, literary agents, and publishing workers …
Discussion:
@taylorlorenz, @mattzollerseitz, @paulbogaards, @asdkfjasdlfjd, @tajjaisen, @jeffjarvis and @megireid
Reuters:
Japanese broadcasters including NHK and NTV issue rare apologies for failing to report on sex abuse allegations at a J-pop agency, after the agency apologized — After Japan's top talent agency Johnny & Associates apologised on Thursday for decades of sexual abuses committed by its late founder …
Discussion:
New York Times, NME, BBC, BBC, Agence France-Presse, Sky News, Deutsche Welle, South China Morning Post, The Guardian, BNN Bloomberg, Nikkei Asia, Agence France-Presse, @piyococcochan2, @kizzy224, @bill_emmott, @landerswsj, @kenmogi, @jayallen_uj, @jayallen_uj, @nakajimayuwuto, @jayallen_uj, @jakeadelstein, ギネス …, @martinsfp.bsky.social, The Japan News, La Prensa Latina Media, The Japan News, WION, Kyodo News+, The Japan Times, The Asahi Shimbun, Reuters on YouTube, BBC News on YouTube, The Mainichi, NHK WORLD, The Mainichi, SoraNews24, France 24, The Asahi Shimbun, The Japan Times, The Japan News, Reuters, ABC News, Fox News, The Messenger, Variety, Bloomberg, CNN and r/japan
James B. Stewart / New York Times:
Sources: Mattel stands to earn 5% of Barbie's $2B expected box office revenue, a percentage of eventual profits as a producer, and payments as the IP owner — The company's approach has paid off to a degree that even the C.E.O. could hardly have believed possible.
Discussion:
Ad Age, Fox Business, Forbes, Variety, Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter, The Messenger and Tubefilter
Rick Porter / The Hollywood Reporter:
Nielsen delays use of Amazon streaming data in NFL ratings after criticism from the Video Advertising Bureau and plans to keep working with the MRC on approval — The ratings service says it will wait until an industry regulatory board signs off on including the first-party numbers.
Discussion:
The Streamable, Sports Media Watch, Front Office Sports, Wall Street Journal, Variety, Ad Age and MediaPost
Alex Weprin / The Hollywood Reporter:
Artémis, François-Henri Pinault's investment firm, acquires TPG's majority stake in CAA; CAA's Bryan Lourd is expected to be named CEO of CAA — Bryan Lourd, Kevin Huvane, and Richard Lovett will remain the co-chairman of CAA, with Lourd set to be named CEO. — CAA has a new majority owner.
Discussion:
Billboard, Puck, @danprimack, Fortune, Financial Times, Front Office Sports, Wall Street Journal, Reuters, The Wrap, Deadline, Variety, Los Angeles Times and WWD
Peter Kiefer / The Ankler:
Sources: Apple paid $5M for film rights to Michael Lewis' book about Sam Bankman-Fried; at least eight Hollywood projects are in the works so far on SBF — Apple paid $5M for Michael Lewis' book, a Nanette Burstein doc is underway, and a who'll-finish-first race is afoot as the crypto con projects pile up
Discussion:
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