Mediagazer: Google plans to test Tracking Protection and blocking third-party cookies on January 4 for ~1% of Chrome users globally, ahead of a phased rollout in H2 2024 (Umar Shakir/The Verge)

Top News:

Some publishers estimate that Google's Search Generative Experience will cut referral traffic by 20% to 40% if the final version works like current iterations — Tech giant's AI-powered search product is being tested on roughly 10 million users; publishers rely on Google for traffic and see a gathering storm

Discussion: Digital Content Next, Decrypt and One Man & His Blog

James Bennet / The Economist:

Ex-NYT editor James Bennet chronicles how fewer jobs for young reporters, the NYT's business model, and new ideals have led to “illiberal bias” at the paper — America's media should do more to equip readers to think for themselves — Are we truly so precious?

Katie Robertson / New York Times:

Mother Jones and the Center for Investigative Reporting plan to merge in early 2024 with Monika Bauerlein as CEO and Clara Jeffery leading the combined newsroom — The combined newsroom will have more than 70 people. — Mother Jones and the Center for Investigative Reporting will merge next year …

Discussion: @davidcorn1@threads.net, @dicktofel@threads.net and @_lizweil@threads.net

CNBC:

Nelson Peltz's Trian nominates him and former Disney CFO Jay Rasulo to Disney's board as the fund wages its proxy battle with the media giant — - Trian Fund Management said it was nominating Nelson Peltz and former Walt Disney CFO Jay Rasulo to the media company's board.

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, CNN, New York Times, Variety, The Wrap, Wall Street Journal, Reuters, The Messenger, Deadline, The Information, The Hollywood Reporter, Cord Cutters News and LaughingPlace.com

Emma Roth / The Verge:

YouTube updates its TV app to show longer but less frequent ad breaks, after testing since September 2023, and now shows a countdown in the bottom-right corner — The next time you sit down to watch YouTube on your TV, you might notice fewer ads breaking up the video you're watching.

Discussion: 9to5Google

Dan Primack / Axios:

Vivendi says it is weighing splitting into three businesses: TV platform Canal+, ad agency Havas, and an investment firm that will include publisher Lagardère — French media and entertainment group Vivendi said that it's weighing a split into three separate businesses.

Discussion: Broadband TV News, Reuters and Wall Street Journal

Alex Weprin / The Hollywood Reporter:

Film discussion and review app Letterboxd adds showtimes for paying members in the US, the UK, Australia, Canada, and more, using aggregator Assemble's data — The film discussion and discovery platform wants users to see movies after reading about them. — Since its founding in 2011 …

Discussion: Letterboxd and Variety

Umar Shakir / The Verge:

Google plans to test Tracking Protection and blocking third-party cookies on January 4 for ~1% of Chrome users globally, ahead of a phased rollout in H2 2024 — Google is about to launch its grand plan to block third-party cookies in Chrome that many websites use to track your activity across the web for profit.

Discussion: Gizmodo, The Keyword and 9to5Google, more at Techmeme »

Drew Harwell / Washington Post:

A Pew survey of US adults finds that ~38% support a federal TikTok ban, down from 50% in March 2023; Republicans' rate of support for a ban fell from 60% to 50% — A new Pew survey suggests that the Republican-led push to ban the app will face a huge challenge in persuading voters, many of whom use the app themselves.

Discussion: Vox, Fox Business, Pew Research Center, The Hill and New York Times

Benjamin Mullin / New York Times:

Punchbowl News buys legislation data company Electo Analytics, sources say in a deal valuing Punchbowl at $100M+, and plans to raise its price by $50 in January — The congressional news start-up is doubling down on information for its audience of Capitol Hill obsessives.

Lili Bayer / The Guardian:

Ten Hungarian media outlets warn a new law creating a Sovereignty Protection Authority with broad investigatory power could “severely restrict” press freedom — Sovereignty protection office created with powers to investigate anyone active in public life

Discussion: Associated Press and Radio Free Europe/Radio …

Andrew Deck / Rest of World:

How the rise in the US of Japanese news aggregator SmartNews, valued at $2B in 2021, came to a halt in 2023, leading to CEO Ken Suzuki's departure in November — Former SmartNews employees point to failed product launches and far-right obsession of former CEO.

Discussion: @restofworld and @restofworld@threads.net, more at Techmeme »