Mediagazer: An untitled countdown timer viewable only on the Threads.net homepage in EU countries suggests that the service will be expanded to EU users on December 14 (Jess Weatherbed/The Verge)

12:45 PM ET, December 8, 2023

Top News:

After a Reuters report found that Israel fired the shells that killed journalist Issam Abdallah, Israel says Abdallah was in an active combat zone — The Israeli military, responding on Friday to a Reuters investigation that determined its forces killed a Reuters journalist in southern Lebanon on Oct. 13 …

Discussion: Media Nation, The Wrap, Talking Biz News, HuffPost, CBS News, @jsymmescobb@threads.net, Mediaite, PetaPixel, Why Evolution Is True, The Messenger, UPI and The Guardian

Jess Weatherbed / The Verge:

An untitled countdown timer viewable only on the Threads.net homepage in EU countries suggests that the service will be expanded to EU users on December 14 — Following its rollout in countries like the US and UK this past July, Threads will finally be expanded to users in the European Union on December 14th.

Discussion: 9to5Mac and Interhacktives, more at Techmeme »

Sarah Scire / Nieman Lab:

An experiment involving nearly 1,500 US readers showed that people perceived news outlets as less trustworthy when the outlets labeled articles as AI-generated — “We already expect quite a lot from the public in terms of media literacy to be able to navigate the contemporary information environment …

Discussion: @joelmathis.bsky.social, American Press Institute, @nic221@techhub.social, Media Voices and Digiday

Lisa Heyamoto / LION Publishers:

Lessons from LION's Revenue Growth Fellowship: revenue growth requires operational readiness, a clear strategy, leader involvement, and hiring the right person — How strategy, structure and consistency are essential for revenue growth, and other lessons learned from our Revenue Growth Fellowship

Sam Kille / Report for America:

Report for America adds dozens of new host newsrooms and opens applications for 50+ new reporting jobs, including seven involving statehouse coverage for the AP — Report for America has announced the selection of dozens of new host newsroom partners while opening applications for just over 50 …

Discussion: AZ Luminaria

Reuters:

Axel Springer is shutting down its news aggregator app Upday at the end of December and plans to relaunch it as a “trend news generator” driven by AI in 2024 — Axel Springer is shutting down the news outlet Upday, the German publishing giant said on Friday, in plans to revive the brand as a …

Discussion: Nieman Lab

Todd Spangler / Variety:

Spotify says CFO Paul Vogel plans to leave on March 31, 2024, and launches a search for a successor; Daniel Ek wants a CFO “with a different mix of experiences” — Spotify said chief financial officer Paul Vogel will leave the company next year and that it has launched a search to find a replacement.

Zachary Small / New York Times:

Artforum's Year in Review issue arrives late and about a third smaller than its year-ago issue, as a boycott persists after it fired its editor David Velasco — The magazine's first issue since its top editor was fired is noticeably slimmer. Contributors pulled articles because of the response …

Discussion: @zacharyhsmall, @zacharyhsmall, @artsjournalnews and @steevn.bsky.social

Kevin Lind / Columbia Journalism Review:

Q&A with nonprofit news outlet WyoFile's reporter Angus M. Thuermer Jr. about the state of Wyoming media, covering climate change in a polarized state, and more — Angus M. Thuermer Jr. has been a reporter, photographer, and editor in Wyoming for forty-five years—a career, he says …

Discussion: @koshywrites, @sammy_roth and Global Investigative …

Jake Kanter / Deadline:

The BBC says the new TV license fee deal leaves a £90M funding gap, as insiders warn the deal sets a “worrying” precedent and “threatens the BBC's independence” — EXCLUSIVE: BBC insiders have voiced alarm over a funding deal that has blown a £90M ($113M) …

Discussion: WORLD SCREEN, @scottygb, @jake_kanter, @jake_kanter, @scottygb, Press Gazette and The Sun

Steven McIntosh / BBC:
UK Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer says the BBC's license fee will rise 6.6% to £169.50 in April 2024 after a two-year freeze; the BBC expects a ~£90M funding gap

Brian Steinberg / Variety:

Disney is mulling launching shopping and gaming experiences on Disney+, with which advertisers could get involved, hinting at an ad presentation on January 10 — Advertisers have eyed the Disney+ streaming hub as a place where they might tuck a promotional message alongside the binge-watch …

Discussion: MediaPost, Engadget, Graham Fisher, ACE on LinkedIn and The Streamable

Bron Maher / Press Gazette:

UK magazine publisher Future reports FY 2023 revenue down 4% YoY to £788.9M, and plans to hire 150 editorial staff over the next two years; FUTR drops 16%+ — The company's share price sank 20% after disappointing 2023 results. — Magazine publishing giant Future plc has announced …

Discussion: @seangriffey, @pressgazette, @seangriffey, FUTURE PLC, Financial Times and MediaPost

Brian Steinberg / Variety:

Disney and Brittney Griner, who Russia arrested and held in 2022, strike a deal to tell “the nuances of her story” across ESPN, ABC News, and a scripted series — Disney wants to get into the Brittney Griner business. — The inspirational WNBA All-Star, who was arrested …

Discussion: New York Post, The Wrap, WORLD SCREEN, Awful Announcing, The Hill, Rolling Stone, TVLine, The Hollywood Reporter and Barrett Media

Alex Weprin / The Hollywood Reporter:

Amazon signs a three-year deal with IPG's Mediabrands, whose clients will advertise on Amazon Prime Video, which will get an ad tier in 2024 in nine countries — The advertising holding company will add Prime Video to its client's media buying strategies. — With Amazon about to turbocharge …

Discussion: VideoWeek, Variety, Cord Cutters News, MediaPost, Adweek and Ad Age

Todd Spangler / Variety:
Amazon and Premier Boxing Champions sign a multiyear US rights deal to distribute pay-per-view boxing on Prime Video, as Paramount shuts down Showtime Sports

Discussion: The Sun, Bad Left Hook, @a_s12, @primesportspr, Amazon Studios, Awful Announcing, Next TV, The Desk, Barrett Media and Cord Cutters News

Archived Page Info:

This is a snapshot of Mediagazer at 12:45 PM ET, December 8, 2023.

View the current page or another snapshot:

Who's Hiring in Media?

Output Producer, CA — AP

China Markets Correspondent, Shanghai — Reuters

Senior Assignment Editor, DC — WaPo

Breaking News Editor, Tokyo — Bloomberg

Senior Correspondent - Wealth, NY — WSJ

Reporter - Ottawa Bureau — Globe & Mail

Local Government Reporter, IA — The Gazette

Research Director, CA — OCBJ

Immigration Enforcement Reporter — Documented

Presque Island Reporter, ME — Bangor Daily News

Contributing Parks Ed. - SW, CA — SFGATE

AI Content Editor, WA — Outlier

Legislative Reporter, TN — Daily Memphian

Editorial Assistant, Remote US — Launch Potato

Elon Musk Reporter, NY or CA — The Information

Government & Politics Editor, WA — Seattle Times

Business & GA Reporter. VT — VTDigger

Sports Reporter, WA — Everett Herald

Energy Reporter, TX — Houston Chronicle

Senior Reporter, SC — Island Packet

Trade & Climate Correspondent, DC — FT

Reporter, WI — Racine County Eye

Political Newsletter Writer, CO — The Lever

Jackson Reporter, MS — Verite

Music Editor, AZ — Phoenix New Times

Breaking News Reporter, NV — Las Vegas Sun

Fearless Reporter/Producer, IA — BPC

Reporter II - Technology, Remote — NPR

Editor, Remote US — Daily Kos

City Reporter, WA — Tacoma News Tribune

Executive Editor, OR — Lookout Local

Education & Budget Reporter, CA — Politico

Senior Writer/Editor, FL — Gulfshore Business

Media Editor, Remote — Axios

Add your company here

See Also:

Mediagazer: site main

Mediagazer River: reverse chronological Mediagazer

Mediagazer Mobile: for phones

Mediagazer Leaderboard: Mediagazer's top sources

Subscribe:

Mediagazer RSS feed

Mediagazer on X

Mediagazer on Mastodon

More News:

Christi Carras / Los Angeles Times:
Study: since the Hollywood strikes began in May 2023, entertainment employment in Los Angeles fell 17% to ~118K workers, with a collective wage loss of ~$1.4B

Discussion: The Hollywood Reporter, @otiscollege, The Messenger, Deadline, Otis College of Art and Design and Variety

Bron Maher / Press Gazette:
The UK's The New European EIC says the outlet ended November with 28K+ subscribers, ~17.4K of which are digital, and October was its first profitable month

Discussion: @matthewdancona and @pressgazette

CNN:
CNN plans to host two Republican presidential primary debates, set for January 10 in Iowa and for January 21 in New Hampshire; CNN Max will stream both debates

Earlier Picks:

Todd Spangler / Variety:
Memo: Vice Media Group co-CEO Hozefa Lokhandwala plans to step down to start “a new endeavor”, leaving Bruce Dixon as the sole CEO; Lokhandwala joined in 2018

Discussion: The Hollywood Reporter, The Wrap and @maxwelltani

Jay Peters / The Verge:
Sony removing Discovery content due to licensing “arrangements” and unexpectedly banning PSN accounts are timely reminders that users don't own digital content

Discussion: Kotaku, @jezcorden, @tomwarren, @datnofact, @hazzadorgamin, @jezcorden, @ethangach, @ncrav@mas.to, Business Insider, PlayStation, Mark Humphrey on LinkedIn, New York Times and @mookie@troublemaker.social

Katie Robertson / New York Times:
About 700 Washington Post employees go on a 24-hour strike, protesting stalled union contract negotiations and expected layoffs, the first walkout since 1975-76

From Techmeme:

Lee-Anne Mulholland / The Keyword:
Google files its proposed remedies in the DOJ's search antitrust lawsuit, including letting browser companies have multiple default agreements across platforms

Reuters:
Albania bans TikTok for a year from January 2025, part of a broader plan to make schools safer following the killing of a 14-year-old near a school in November

Andrew J. Hawkins / The Verge:
The US NHTSA suggests easing rules allowing for fully driverless cars and urges companies operating driverless cars to share more data for greater transparency

Sister Sites:

Techmeme
Top news and commentary for technology's leaders, from all around the web

memeorandum
What US political commentators are discussing online right now

WeSmirch
The top celebrity news from all around the web on a single page