Top News:
Max Tani / Semafor:
Slate says 2023 was the most profitable year in its 27 year history, with revenue up 28% YoY through investments and growth in its podcasts and website — The Scoop — Amid a difficult year for news media last year, at least one legacy digital media company has quietly been moving the other direction.
Discussion:
Chris Peterson on LinkedIn, @rafat, @benjysarlin, @saletan, @annasale, @paldhous, @katie_rayford and @maxwelltani
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Hanaa' Tameez / Nieman Lab:
Interviews with the four co-founders of 404 Media, who each own 25% of the tech news outlet, which they say is profitable six months after launch — “Owning our own work, and being beholden to no one but our readers and colleagues — as opposed to say, investors, venture capitalists …
Discussion:
@mjnblack, @nbj914, @zackwhittaker@mastodon.social, @jpalfrey and @digiphile
Daniel Thomas / Financial Times:
How generative AI is transforming the advertising industry; WPP and Publicis plan to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to embed AI in their businesses — At the start of the year, every single one of the roughly 100,000 people working for advertising giant Publicis received a video message …
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Meta begins testing “today's topics” on Threads in the US, surfaced in the app on the Search page and in the For You feed, that can feature political content — After acknowledging last week that Meta's X competitor Threads would not actively recommend political content …
Discussion:
The Verge, @zuck@threads.net, @mosseri@threads.net, @kimberleyannjohnson …, @willoremus@threads.net, @chris@threads.net, @carlas@threads.net, @keithedwards@threads.net, @daveleebbg@threads.net, @hardin@threads.net, @willoremus@threads.net, @mattnavarra@threads.net, @bmotheprince@threads.net, @renee.diresta@threads.net, @greeblehaus@threads.net, @katienotopoulos@threads.net, @harryjsisson@threads.net, @timothybucksf@threads.net, Engadget, @petrikajander and 9to5Mac
RELATED:
Washington Post:
Some news creators and journalists, who moved from X to Threads, criticize Meta for planning to stop recommending political content on Instagram and Threads
Discussion:
Garbage Day, Mississippi Free Press, Reclaim The Net, Julia Rosen on LinkedIn, Media Nation, BGR, @Wolven@ourislandgeorgia.net, @ashtonpittman, @hashtagcpt, @carnage4life, Instagram, Quartz, Political Wire, @taylorlorenz@threads.net, @dead.place, @Laukidh@infosec.exchange, @jonasd@threads.net, @aaronhuertas_de@threads.net, @moskov@threads.net, @taylorlorenz@threads.net, @taylorlorenz@threads.net, @karissabe@threads.net and @goldman@threads.net
Lynn Neary / NPR:
Bob Edwards, the veteran broadcaster who hosted NPR's Morning Edition for 24 years, dies at 76 — Bob Edwards, the veteran broadcaster and longtime host of Morning Edition who left an indelible mark on NPR's sound, has died. He was 76 years old. — NPR's Susan Stamberg …
Discussion:
Washington Post, Inside Radio, New York Times, CNN, The Hill, Brett Zongker on LinkedIn, NBC News, Radio & Television …, Elizabeth Blair on LinkedIn, @Bcollinsmn@mstdn.social, Barrett News Media, @mcguffindavid, @nprinskeep, @erinedmison, @nprpatrick, David Gura on LinkedIn, @kenrudin, @nprscottsimon, @carlquintanilla, @dangillmor@mastodon.social, @tamarakeithnpr, @jamesfallows, @lauren@mastodon …, @fritschner, @jennifervanasco, @iraglass, @silasdhouse, @eugeneholley, Newser, @davidfolkenflik and Media Nation
Emilia David / The Verge:
Fandom faces criticism from fan Wiki creators after its new generative AI feature Quick Answers gives inaccurate answers to fan questions — Fandom, which hosts wikis for many fandoms, will roll out generative AI features that it previously tested but now promises users will be able to opt out.
Discussion:
@cityhoosier, @glenngabe, @dangillmor@mastodon.social and @aires@tiggi.es
Brian Steinberg / Variety:
A look at Jon Stewart and Rachel Maddow's test to boost talk TV via Monday appearances; Vivvix: Daily Show had $39.9M in ad sales in 2022 vs. $129.1M in 2014 — Can Mondays do for the TV business what Thursdays and Sundays once did? Some of the medium's best-known personalities are trying to figure this question out.
Discussion:
CBS News, Hollywood Reporter, @bristei, The Wrap, The Hill, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, @zsharf, Los Angeles Times, Slate, Decider, @pkafka, UPROXX and Deadline
Felix M. Simon / Columbia Journalism Review:
A report on the use of AI in news organizations, based on 170 interviews with employees at 35 publishers in the US, UK, and Germany and international experts — Executive Summary — Despite growing interest, the effects of AI on the news industry and our information environment — the public arena — remain poorly understood.
Discussion:
Nieman Lab, @michellemanafy@journa.host and Media Makers Meet
John Archer / Forbes:
Amazon's Prime Video basic ad tier, which began on Jan. 29 in the US as a downgrade to subscribers, quietly cut Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos sound support — Amazon AMZN caused a furor recently when it announced that it was introducing advertisements right across its Prime Video streaming service.
Clara Aberneithie / Press Gazette:
An interview with The Times' Paul Morgan-Bentley on going undercover with British Gas debt collectors as part of an investigation into pre-payment energy meters — Getting something “badly wrong” is what keeps head of investigations Morgan-Bentley up at night.
Discussion:
@pressgazette
Mark Sweney / The Guardian:
An interview with Channel 4 CEO Alex Mahon on changes in the UK's broadcast TV market, cuts to the network's program budget, and a gradual shift to streaming — The network boss believes production companies that underpin Britain's global reputation face being forced out of business
Discussion:
Melissa Carr on LinkedIn, Stephen Arnell on LinkedIn, Alex Mahon on LinkedIn and CityAM
Committee to Protect Journalists:
Malaysia sentences British anti-corruption reporter Clare Rewcastle Brown to two years in prison in absentia for criminal defamation over her 1MDB reporting — The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Malaysian authorities to reverse the decision to sentence British anti-corruption …
Discussion:
BBC and Malay Mail
Daniel Thomas / Financial Times:
A look at the uncertain future of TalkTV as its star presenter Piers Morgan moves to YouTube, saying his daily show had become an “unnecessary straitjacket” — Outspoken presenter is moving his ‘Uncensored’ show from TalkTV to YouTube — Piers Morgan, the outspoken presenter …
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