Mediagazer: X is showing some ads in users' Following feeds without an “Ad” label, indicated only by clicking on the three-dot menu, which could attract the FTC's attention (Sarah Perez/TechCrunch)

4:25 PM ET, September 8, 2023

Top News:

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, The Information, Gizmodo, The Verge, CMU, Music Ally and The Bookseller, more at Techmeme »

Jim Friedlich / Nieman Reports:

Press Forward is by far the largest coordinated philanthropic effort to support local news, and its $500M commitment could generate billions more in new support — A nonpartisan group of 22 foundations today announced the launch of Press Forward, a nationwide coalition committing …

Discussion: macfound.org, Werd I/O, Washington Post, Newser, MediaPost, The Hill, Associated Press, Free Press, Second Rough Draft, Nieman Lab, Axios, American Public Media, Poynter, NPR and New York Times

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,” …

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

Daniel Frankel / Next TV:

In another carriage dispute, Dish Network says Hearst pulled 37 network affiliates in 27 markets off of Dish, calling pay TV negotiations a “broken system” — Hearst is demanding ‘tens of millions of dollars’ in broadcast retransmission rate increases, Dish claims

Discussion: Awful Announcing, The Wrap, Reuters, The Desk, Radio & Television …, WBBH-TV, DISH Network Corporation, @matthewkeyslive and Cord Cutters News

Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:

X is showing some ads in users' Following feeds without an “Ad” label, indicated only by clicking on the three-dot menu, which could attract the FTC's attention — X, the company formerly known as Twitter, has been caught running unlabeled ads in users' Following feeds …

Discussion: Mashable, @checkmyadshq and 9to5Mac, more at Techmeme »

Niala / @nialaboodhoo:

[Thread] Axios plans to shut down its daily 10-minute news podcast, Axios Today, on September 15, replaced by “a new weekly show” also hosted by Niala Boodhoo — Some news, as they say: As we shared on this morning's episode, @axios Today will be winding down as a daily podcast, BUT, not to worry, I'll still be in your ears! (Keep reading)

Discussion: @nialaboodhoo, @nialaboodhoo and @nialaboodhoo

Todd Spangler / Variety:

Roku removes at least 37 original shows from the Roku Channel, including Reno 911! and a remake of The Fugitive, as part of its announced effort to cut costs — Other titles pulled include ‘Children Ruin Everything,’ ‘Most Dangerous Game,’ ‘Andy Cohen Diaries,’ ‘Cup of Joe’ with Joe Jonas

Discussion: The Desk, Deadline, Lowpass, @pkafka, @devincf, @xpangler, @joelmathis.bsky.social, @uticaeric, SlashFilm, Collider and The A.V. Club

Nieman Lab:

A study of 7,266 users from the US, the Netherlands, and Poland: non-news websites, like entertainment pages, expose people to more politics than news websites — Plus: The catalyzing effect of attacks on journalists, how journalists describe their target audiences, and new evidence of local news nonprofits' impact.

Discussion: @niemanlab

Robin Kemp / The Clayton Crescent:

Robin Kemp, who founded The Clayton Crescent and covered the 2020 US election in her part of Georgia, closes the outlet and moves to Savannah's The Current — For three years and four months, I have singlehandedly provided high-quality, professional news coverage to, for, and about this community.

Discussion: The Current, Talking Biz News, @claireschaffins, @danimmergluck, @matthewboedy, @johnruchatlanta, @alexip718, @marianliou, @rahulbali, @landmanspeaking and @newsworthy17

Michael Hunter / London Evening Standard:

Concord plans to acquire Round Hill Music Royalty Fund, whose back catalog includes songs from The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Louis Armstrong, for £375M — Star-studded back catalogue including The Beatles and The Rolling Stones and Louis Armstrong to go private — T

Discussion: Billboard, Music Ally and Reuters

Reuters:

Japanese broadcasters NHK, NTV, TV Asahi, and Fuji TV issue apologies for not covering sexual 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 …

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, @theinsneider, @paulbogaards, @sarahroseetter, @sarahroseetter, @asdkfjasdlfjd, @tajjaisen, @jeffjarvis, @megireid and @mollsotov89

Archived Page Info:

This is a snapshot of Mediagazer at 4:25 PM ET, September 8, 2023.

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Who's Hiring in Media?

Senior Data Journalist, NY — WSJ

Manager - Publishing Editorial, Manila — Reuters

Oil Reporter, Singapore — Bloomberg

Newsperson - State Govt. & Politics, CA — AP

Business Reporter, SC — Post & Courier

State Government Reporter, WA — Seattle Times

Climate Crisis Columnist — Prospect UK

Multimedia Journalist, CA — Paramount

Community Engagement Mgr., DC — Freedom Forum

Senior California Politics Reporter, CA — SFGATE

Staff Writer - Business, NY — WIRED

Team Editor - Opinion, ON — Toronto Star

Assistant Correspondent, DC — Kyodo News

Climate & Weather Reporter, MN — Star Tribune

Senior Tech Editor, Remote US — The Verge

Lead Business Reporter, TN — Daily Memphian

Managing Editor, WA — Everett Herald

Private Credit Reporter, NY — Debtwire

City Correspondent, London — Financial News

Legislative Reporter, CA — Sacramento Bee

Reporter, PA — Tribune-Review

Visual Editor, Remote — Rest of World

Staff Writer, MI — Watershed Voice

Senior Political Reporter, DC — The Lever

California Playbook Writer, CA — Politico

National Investigative Reporter, NY — HuffPost

Business & Gaming Reporter, NV — Las Vegas Sun

Coastal Climate Reporter, SC — Island Packet

Environment & Energy Reporter, CT — CT Mirror

Coordinating Editor, OR — OPB

Editor, Remote US — Daily Kos

Business Reporter, WA — Longview Daily News

Editor-in-Chief, AZ — Phoenix New Times

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More News:

James B. Stewart / New York Times:
Sources: Mattel stands to earn 5% of Barbie's $2B expected box office revenue, a percentage of the profits as the movie's producer, and payments as the IP owner

Discussion: Forbes, The Information, Comic Book, Fox Business, Ad Age, ComingSoon.net, Variety, Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter, The Messenger and Tubefilter

Peter Kiefer / The Ankler:
Sources: Apple spent $5M on the film rights for Michael Lewis' book about Sam Bankman-Fried; at least eight Hollywood projects on SBF are in the works so far

Discussion: @technologizer@threads.net, more at Techmeme »

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 the CEO when the deal closes

Discussion: Forbes, TPG Press, @bostonjerry, Fortune, Puck, Billboard, @danprimack, Financial Times, Front Office Sports, Wall Street Journal, Reuters, The Wrap, Deadline, Variety, Los Angeles Times and WWD

Rick Porter / The Hollywood Reporter:
Nielsen delays plans to use Amazon's streaming data in NFL ratings after the Video Advertising Bureau's criticism and plans to work with the MRC to get approval

Discussion: Ad Age, MediaPost, The Streamable, Sports Media Watch, Front Office Sports, Wall Street Journal, Variety and Ad Age

Hamish McKenzie / On Substack:
Substack sets a goal of making the 2024 US election “the Substack Election” and hires publicist and producer Catherine Valentine to lead politics initiatives

Discussion: The Information, @mobute.bsky.social, @mobute.bsky.social and @katieharbath.bsky.social

URL Media:
URL Media, a network of media outlets focused on communities of color, receives a $1M Knight Foundation investment to support its 21 partners

Discussion: @mitrakalita, @mitrakalita, American Press Institute, @mitrakalita, @susanmcp1 and @blackamazon

Earlier Picks:

Linda Hardesty / Fierce Wireless:
The Senate votes 55 to 43 to approve Anna Gomez as the fifth FCC commissioner, breaking the deadlock at the agency and giving the FCC a 3-2 Democratic majority

Christopher Dring / GamesIndustry.biz:
The ESA announces organizer ReedPop will not be working on future E3 events and informs the Los Angeles Convention Center that 2024's E3 will not be held there

Discussion: PC Gamer, Eurogamer.net, @film_girl, Rock, Paper, Shotgun, Video Games Chronicle, VentureBeat, Neowin, The Verge, My Nintendo News, IGN and Insider Gaming

Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Snapchat adds new safety features for minors, including making it harder for strangers to contact teens and removing accounts marketing inappropriate content

Discussion: Neowin, Snapchat, Engadget and CNN

Max Tani / @maxwelltani:
Memo: Andrew Golis, WNYC's chief content officer and former Vox general manager and Vox Media VP of network development, is leaving WNYC

Discussion: Inside Radio, @maxwelltani, RadioInsight and Radio & Television …

Jess Weatherbed / The Verge:
Google releases its relevance and measurement APIs for Privacy Sandbox in general availability, making them available in Chrome without browser flags or trials

Discussion: TechCrunch, The Privacy Sandbox, @baekdal, Freestar, The Register, AdExchanger, 9to5Google, Gizmodo and Neowin, more at Techmeme »

From Techmeme:

Kent Walker / The Keyword:
Google says the DOJ's “wildly overbroad proposal goes miles beyond the Court's decision”, would hurt US consumers, and jeopardize the US' global tech leadership

Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority:
Source: Google has canceled the development of a second-generation Pixel Tablet, planned for release in 2025, due to concerns that it wouldn't sell very well

Hannah Lang / Reuters:
Sources: a16z, Ripple, Kraken, and Circle are jostling for a seat on Trump's promised crypto advisory council, which is expected to set up a bitcoin reserve

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