Top News:
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
A look at the reasons why Artifact failed, including not growing its user base outside the US and user confusion about its ever-growing set of features — Last week, Artifact, a buzzy news app from Instagram's co-founders, announced it was shutting down after failing to gain critical mass …
Meg James / Los Angeles Times:
The LA Times Guild calls for a one-day walkout on January 19 to protest planned cuts; sources: layoffs may affect at least 100 people, or ~20% of the newsroom — Los Angeles Times newsroom guild leaders called for a one-day walkout — Friday to protest planned cuts to offset steep financial losses …
Discussion:
The Messenger, Axios, Poynter, @benmullin, @benmullin, @angiejaime, @nafeesasyeed, @jeremymbarr, @parismarx, @gabemschneider, @bcmerchant, @jessicamartinez, @joshpcain, @corbinbolies, @eedugdale, @gerrickkennedy, @cassiermartin, @latguild, @davidfolkenflik, @cmonstah, @awprokop, Reuters, The Hollywood Reporter, The Hill, @pkafka, @aritbenie, @amyalexca.bsky.social, CNN, The Wrap, @imleor.bsky.social, @craigwelch@threads.net, @oliverdarcy@threads.net, Deadline, @evanrodge@threads.net, The Hollywood Reporter, The Daily Beast and The Wrap
Ryan Broderick / Fast Company:
Former and current Twitch employees describe how Twitch never understood what its users wanted, failed to go mainstream, alienated its top creators, and more — Four years after Twitch took over the livestreaming world, its future is more uncertain than ever.
Discussion:
@djfluffkins, The Information and @mattnavarra@threads.net, more at Techmeme »
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Lucas Shaw / Bloomberg:
Sources: PE firm Silver Lake plans to sell parts of Endeavor after it takes the entertainment company private; Silver Lake holds a 71% voting stake in Endeavor — The group's bid will be delivered in coming weeks to Endeavor's independent directors, who will hire advisers to evaluate the terms …
Discussion:
The Wrap and @lucas_shaw
Elena Khokhlova / 24.kg:
Kyrgyzstan police raided outlets 24.kg and Temirov Live, and detained 11 current and former Temirov Live journalists on January 16 for allegedly inciting unrest — «The United States is deeply concerned by reports of recent actions taken by the government of the Kyrgyz Republic …
Discussion:
Reuters, Radio Free Europe/Radio …, United States Department … and eeas.europa.eu
Alicja Ptak / Notes From Poland:
After a top Polish court rejected the government's changes to state media management and liquidation of state media, the government declared the ruling invalid — Poland's Constitutional Tribunal (TK) has ruled that using commercial law to implement changes in the management of public media …
Marc Hogan / Rolling Stone:
As Condé Nast merges Pitchfork with GQ, a longtime Pitchfork staffer reflects on the publication's evolution and its impact on music journalism and his own life — As the hugely influential music site is being “folded into GQ,” a longtime staffer looks back on what P4K meant and how working there changed his life
Discussion:
@ganserband, @d_felsenthal, @noahshachtman, @michaelbarthel, @marchogan, The Honest Broker, @future_of_music, The Guardian, BBC, CMU, Digital Journal, Washington Post, HuffPost, Boing Boing, The Hollywood Reporter, Digital Music News, The Verge, New York Daily News, New York Times, Billboard and The Daily Beast
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Cynthia Littleton / Variety:
Luminate: US program premieres dropped 21% YoY to 1,784 in 2023, the lowest level since at least 2018; US theatrical-wide film releases were up 41% YoY — Premieres of new and returning TV shows fell sharply last year while the number of movies getting a theatrical wide release went way up.
Discussion:
The Hollywood Reporter
Emilia David / The Verge:
TikTok is testing AI Song, a tool powered by the LLM Bloom that generates songs from text prompts and allows users to toggle the song's genre — TikTok has launched many songs that have gone viral over the years, but now it's testing a feature that lets more people exercise their songwriting skills... with some help from AI.
Discussion:
TechCrunch, Music Ally and MediaPost, more at Techmeme »
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Filing: Apple details new US App Store rules letting devs link to external payments, says apps in its Video Partner and News Partner program are not eligible — Apple this week updated its App Store rules to comply with a court order after the Supreme Court declined to hear …
Gillian Brassil / Sacramento Bee:
The US House of Representatives passes the PRESS Act, protecting reporters from being compelled by the government to disclose their sources and information — The House of Representatives passed a bill Thursday to strengthen journalists' protection of confidential sources from federal investigation.
New York Times:
A look at the struggles of billionaire-owned Time, The Washington Post, and The Los Angeles Times, all of which, sources say, lost millions of dollars in 2023 — Time magazine, The Washington Post and The Los Angeles Times — owned by Marc Benioff, Jeff Bezos, and Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong — are still losing money.
K.J. Yossman / Variety:
Email: Amazon Prime Video is restructuring its European teams to focus on regional content, and cuts local content and staff in Africa and the Middle East — Amazon Prime Video is restructuring its international business to focus on European originals. The re-org includes cutting content and staff in Africa and the Middle East.
Discussion:
Broadband TV News, @joeyakan, @i_am_gwingy, @eboigbeanita, Nairametrics, Techpoint Africa, TechCrunch, TechCabal and Tech Labari
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