Top News:
Dawn Chmielewski / Reuters:
Paramount Global and Skydance Media announce a merger of the two companies, ending months of chaotic talks; memo: the deal is expected to close in H1, 2025 — Skydance Media and Paramount Global (PARA.O) agreed to merge, the companies announced late Sunday evening, opening a new chapter for one of Hollywood's oldest studios.
Discussion:
MediaPost, The Hollywood Reporter, Mumbrella, The Wrap, Variety, Bloomberg, IndieWire, New York Times, Business Insider, Deadline, IF Magazine, @richlightshed, @mattbelloni, Deadline, Media Play News, CBS News, @lkimmasters@threads.net, @harrisharrisev9, @mattnicholas, @andykleinman, @btmcclure, @xpangler, @benmullin, Axios, @loudmouthjulia, Sara Fischer on LinkedIn, Wall Street Journal, The Daily Beast, Cord Cutters News, Reuters, @lucas_shaw, The Hollywood Reporter, @lucas_shaw, @lucas_shaw, Los Angeles Times, The Information, Variety, The Wrap, New York Times, The Media Leader, r/boxoffice, r/wallstreetbets, r/MediaMergers and r/startrek
Calum Jaspan / Sydney Morning Herald:
Memo: Nine's Pedestrian Group restructures as CEO departs, staff faces cuts, and licensing deals to publish Vice, Gizmodo, Kotaku, others in Australia get axed — The chief executive of Nine-owned Pedestrian Group, Matt Rowley, will leave the youth publisher as part of a major restructure …
Discussion:
Mumbrella, The Guardian and @alexkidman@aus.social
Gillian McGoldrick / The Philadelphia Inquirer:
WURD says Biden's interview, with questions provided by his aides, was conducted without management knowledge and is parting ways with Andrea Lawful-Sanders — The Philadelphia radio host who admitted to using questions prepared by President Joe Biden's campaign in one of his first postdebate interviews …
Discussion:
WURD Radio, Axios, @brianstelter, CNN, Fox News, @brianstelter, New York Times, New York Post, @alexthomp, Ashanti Maya Martin on LinkedIn, The Wrap and Mediaite
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Michael D. Shear / New York Times:
Biden aides provided questions for radio interviews on The Source on Philadelphia's WURD, on July 3, and The Earl Ingram Show on Wisconsin's WAUK, on July 4 — The host of “The Source” on WURD in Philadelphia said officials provided her with a list of eight questions to choose from.
Discussion:
ABC News, Fox News, @justinbaragona, Mediaite, @charlesarthur, @jonkarl, @jabeale, @victorblackwell, @alexthomp, @aghamilton29, TMZ.com, @ethank@threads.net, @ethank@threads.net, CNN, CBS News, Deadline, Axios, The Wrap and ABC News
Ashley Belanger / Ars Technica:
As Glaze, a free tool to help artists prevent AI from copying their style, sees an “explosion in demand”, researchers say its protections can be bypassed — Artists must wait weeks for Glaze defense against AI scraping amid TOS updates. — For many artists, it's a precarious time to post art online.
Jef Feeley / Bloomberg:
Discovery investors reach a $125M settlement over claims that company insiders reaped improper benefits worth $1B+ in its $43B merger with WarnerMedia — - Settlement involves payment by Advance/Newhouse partnerships — Merger created one of world's largest entertainment companies
Discussion:
Deadline
Ben Church / CNN:
A look at concerns about Saudi Arabia “sportswashing” as it hosts the Esports World Cup; Saudi Arabia's PIF has bought some of the biggest gaming companies — In the heart of Saudi Arabia's capital, a seismic moment for esports is underway; one which has triggered both excitement and concern across the industry.
Discussion:
@slasher, @obiexyz, @jacobwolf, @myra__davis, @fishstix, @devrelcallum, @rlewisreports, @jacobwolf, @dszajnuk, @jimohagan, @fishstix, @rlewisreports, @invert_lol, @pengu, @bekahboo1290, @middlecottisme, @thechowderhead, @hoffasaurusx, @owcesports, @ewc_en, @ow_svb, @moneyfolder5, @mattomattik, @cointree_ow, @daesanghyeokie, @lsxyz9, @jimohagan, @lsxyz9, @teadvocated, @liquid112, @slasher, @liquidnazgul, ABC News (Australia) on YouTube, BBC, VG247, BBC News on YouTube, The Esports Advocate, The Esports Advocate and CBC News
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Mario Koran / New York Times:
A reporter describes how college journalism classes helped him go from being in jail to becoming a NYT Local Investigations Fellow and Wisconsin Watch reporter — While serving a sentence for burglary, I enrolled in a college journalism class. When I interviewed my correctional officer, my world broadened.
Discussion:
Marc Lacey on LinkedIn, @ricfouad, @joshrmoore, @jmalewitz, @jordancoll21, @mariokoran and @keribla
John Hanna / Associated Press:
Former Marion County Record reporter Deb Gruver agrees to accept $235,000 to settle part of her lawsuit over a police raid on the Kansas paper in August 2023 — A former reporter for a weekly Kansas newspaper has agreed to accept $235,000 to settle part of her federal lawsuit over a police raid …
Discussion:
Deadline, New York Times, @apjdhanna and @apjdhanna
Li Yuan / New York Times:
How xenophobic content on Chinese social media, directed towards Japan, the US, Jews, and others, became the subject of a debate and spreads despite censorship — Violent attacks on foreigners have prompted a debate about extreme nationalism online in a country that heavily censors information the government bans.
Cynthia Littleton / Variety:
At the half-year mark, Hollywood media giants have had double-digit stock price declines, except Disney and Fox, and will likely stay underwater in 2024 — Disney and Fox Corp. buck the downtrend for showbiz shares at the midyear mark — As always, the numbers tell the tale.
Shubham Sharma / VentureBeat:
ElevenLabs launches Voice Isolator, a freemium AI tool for removing background noise from audio files for film, podcast, and interview post production — ElevenLabs, the AI voice startup known for its voice cloning, text-to-speech and speech-to-speech models, has just added another tool to its product portfolio: an AI Voice Isolator.
Discussion:
@racheltobac, @elevenlabsio, @ammaar, @elevenlabsio, ElevenLabs, Maginative, Cryptopolitan and Hacker News, more at Techmeme »
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