Top News:
Hadas Gold / CNN:
Anthropic is running Super Bowl ads criticizing ads in chatbots, prompting a public response from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman defending plans for ads in ChatGPT — A long-simmering rivalry between two of the world's biggest AI companies was on public display this week as Anthropic and OpenAI took swings at one another online.
Discussion:
@sama, Anthropic, Wall Street Journal, BBC, PC Gamer, PitchBook, @bcmerchant, @hadas_gold, Mediaweek, Android Headlines, Nicolas Young on LinkedIn, Gabriel Nicholas on LinkedIn, Suzanne Vranica on LinkedIn, Ruben Schreurs on LinkedIn, @nikitabier, CNBC, Wired, @cameron.stream, The Verge, @neo_antiquarian, @johncodes, @paulroetzer, SFist, Kaitlyn McCann on LinkedIn, @tomwarren.co.uk, Adweek, MediaPost, TVREV, Notebookcheck, Computerworld, Observer, MediaBrief, ZDNET, Variety, Techstrong.ai, PCWorld, WinBuzzer, Sherwood News, Futurism, Digital Trends, The Indian Express, Entrepreneur, Communicate Online, Phandroid, Just Jared, Blockonomi, Inc, Moneycontrol, GameRevolution, The Decoder, Business Standard, Benzinga, BMI, Digit, Livemint, Business Today, Mumbrella, SmartCompany, John Battelle's Search Blog, The Economic Times and Business Insider
New York Times:
President Trump deletes a racist video of the Obamas shared on his Truth Social feed after an outcry from some Republicans, despite the WH earlier defending it — The White House press secretary had dismissed criticism of the clip's racist content as “fake outrage.”
Discussion:
@votetimscott, Associated Press, Reuters, The Guardian, Media Matters for America, Variety, Mediaite, CNBC, Deadline, Associated Press, Deadline, Mediaite, Mediaite, Mediaite, Washington Examiner, WLT Report, Ben Ralston on LinkedIn, Mediaite, TMZ.com, Variety, MS NOW, Politico, The Hill, The Atlantic, Axios, @bynum.house.gov, Newsweek, Semafor, NewsMax.com, @samlitzinger.bsky.social, Global News, NewsNation, USA Today, The Hill, Entertainment Weekly, @carnage4life.bsky.social, @nelsoncarvajal.com, Los Angeles Times, Mother Jones, Vanity Fair, @notaaroncraig.bsky.social, @brianstelter, @bulwarkonline, Forbes, The Hill, Raw Story, Crooked Media, @brianstelter, CNN, Los Angeles Times, Axios, The Independent, TheGrio, Axios, The Times of Israel, @kelliemeyernews, Rolling Stone, Althouse, @igorbobic, Mediaite, CBS News, New Republic, @jaywillis.net, Daily Mail, All Rise News, NPR, @brianstelter, BBC, @jeffjarvis, Chicago Sun Times, @brianstelter, The Indian Express, Daily Caller News Foundation, Breitbart, Forbes, @jeffflake, @randalljstephens.bsky.social, The Guardian, Metro.co.uk, NOTUS, Screen Rant, Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Boston Globe, @acyn, Mirror, Hollywood Life, @kaitlancollins, @acyn, Al Jazeera, Bossip, @senjackreed, Axios, CBS News, @bennettjohnt, The Parnas Perspective, Just Jared, IJR, Diane Ravitch's blog, New Jersey Online, LGBTQ Nation, The Gateway Pundit, MeidasTouch News, NBC News, Democrats, New York Post and WBUR
Financial Times:
Sources: WaPo is losing about $100M per year but aiming to break even by the end of 2026, which could unlock fresh funding from Jeff Bezos — Billionaire hopes that culling hundreds of journalists will stem heavy losses and refocus the struggling newspaper
Discussion:
The Wrap, @realbobwoodward, The Guardian, @hshaban, @wapotechguild, Newsbusters, @bencjacobs, @michaelscherer, @gregjaffe, @jeremymbarr, @rachelbianca, @moorehn, @jayrosen.bsky.social, @francescaebel, Axios, twitchy.com, @sarahellison, @davidclinchnews, Daily Caller News Foundation, @dogmomager, @meredithfailson.bsky.social, Diane Ravitch's blog, Los Angeles Times, BIG by Matt Stoller, The Bulwark, Vanity Fair, The Atlantic, Drezner's World, Sky News and NPR
RELATED:
Drew Lerner / Awful Announcing:
WaPo Publisher Will Lewis appeared at NFL Honors in San Francisco Thursday, after failing to show for a Zoom call in which WaPo announced historic layoffs — Will Lewis likes sports. He just doesn't like paying sports journalists. — The Washington Post publisher who presided over the axing …
Discussion:
Puck, New Republic, @andrewhazlett, Mediaite, @farhip, The Wrap, @awfulannouncing.bsky.social, @dkthomp, @jdawsey1, @sallyjenki, @nickijhabvala, @jadabird, The Daily Beast, @ashleyrparker, @dylanbyers, @bryancurtis, @debbieegeorge, @richarddeitsch, @jstein_wapo, @bryancurtis, Eschaton and Axios
Wall Street Journal:
A civil subpoena shows the US DOJ is investigating Netflix for potential anticompetitive tactics as DOJ probes the company's proposed acquisition of WBD — As it probes bids for Warner, the department is asking if the streamer has engaged in conduct that could make it a monopoly
Discussion:
Financial Times, Bloomberg, Dow Jones Newswires, @karlbode.com, Newsmax, Sherwood News, New York Post, O'Dwyers PR and Cartoon Brew, more at Techmeme »
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Filing: Amazon's spending on content, including music, sports rights, and licensed and produced TV and film, rose 10% YoY to $22.4B — The figure was disclosed Friday in the ecommerce giant's 10-K annual filing with the SEC, a day after Amazon reported fourth quarter 2025 results.
Discussion:
Media Play News
RELATED:
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Amazon reports Q4 ad revenue up 23% YoY to $21.32B, slightly above expectations, and subscription services revenue up 14% to $13.12B
Amazon reports Q4 ad revenue up 23% YoY to $21.32B, slightly above expectations, and subscription services revenue up 14% to $13.12B
Discussion:
TheStreet, Zacks Investment Research, Marketing Dive, Miami Herald, Sherwood News, Sourcing Journal, Yahoo Finance, Retail Dive, Blockonomi, BMI, Investing.com, Gamereactor UK, Newser, Neowin, Communicate Online, Adweek, GeekWire, Modern Retail, Media Play News, The Wrap, Bloomberg, Financial Times, Amazon and CNBC
The Guardian:
The UK raises the TV license fee, the BBC's main funding source, from £174.50 to £180 a year from April 1, saying it gives the BBC a “stable financial footing” — Inflation-linked increase comes as ministers continue to review options for BBC's future funding
Discussion:
Advanced Television, Mirror, GB News, The Sun, Broadband TV News and Telecompaper
Neel Dhanesha / Nieman Lab:
How journalism co-ops Defector, Hell Gate, Aftermath, Coyote, Sequencer, and Range practice horizontal governance, structure their newsrooms, manage ads, more — “If I was less self-directed, I'd probably be freaking out.” — Defector almost didn't exist.
Democracy for Sale:
Docs: a Labour thinktank run by a current UK minister hired a PR firm in 2023 to investigate journalists from the Guardian and other outlets to ID their sources — Labour Together put private investigators onto journalists writing about its funding. Starmer's right-hand man knew. — Peter Geoghegan
Discussion:
@pressgazette.co.uk, @robinince.bsky.social, @petergeoghegan.bsky.social, Telegraph, @fkamiah17@syzito.xyz, @natacha.bsky.social, @andrewpurcell.bsky.social, @gerryhassan.bsky.social, @richardhull54.bsky.social, The Guardian, Lucas Amin on LinkedIn, @indexoncensorship.org, @eddwilson.bsky.social, @andymcdonaldmp.bsky.social, @kathyodonnell.bsky.social, @glynmoody@mastodon.social, @declassifieduk.org, @pickardje.bsky.social, Breitbart, @kimjohnsonmp.bsky.social, Canary and National Union of Journalists …
Gene Maddaus / Variety:
Netflix settles a 2022 defamation lawsuit brought by con artist Anna Sorokin's former friend, who claims she was falsely portrayed in its series Inventing Anna — Netflix has settled a defamation lawsuit brought a Vanity Fair staffer who claimed that she was falsely portrayed in the Shonda Rhimes series “Inventing Anna.”
Discussion:
The Wrap
Will Oremus / Washington Post:
NewsGuard sues the FTC, alleging censorship after the FTC barred Omnicom from working with NewsGuard as a condition of the ad agency's Interpublic acquisition — NewsGuard files lawsuit alleging censorship after Trump's FTC barred a major ad agency from using its ratings
Discussion:
MediaPost, Bloomberg, Raw Story, FIRE, @maxboot.bsky.social, Courthouse News Service, @willoremus.com, Deadline and @scottnover.bsky.social
Adam Jacobson / Radio & Television Business Report:
SiriusXM reported Q4 net income of $99M vs. $287M a year ago, rev. of $2.19B vs. $2.17B est., and “robust” guidance including an in-car audio focus; SIRI up 9% — Year-over-year sales were flat. Subscriber rolls were down compared to the final three months of 2024.
Discussion:
Bloomberg, Benzinga, Radio Ink, Insider Monkey, SiriusXM, The Hollywood Reporter, Inside Radio, Motley Fool and Barrett Media
Rebecca Rubin / Variety:
Lionsgate hires Kathleen Grace, previously chief strategy officer at AI company Vermillio, as its first-ever chief AI officer to lead AI strategy and execution — Lionsgate is leaning into AI, hiring Kathleen Grace to serve as its first-ever Chief AI Officer.
RELATED:
Etan Vlessing / The Hollywood Reporter:
Lionsgate reports a Q3 net loss of $46.2M, vs. a $21.9M loss a year earlier, $724.3M in revenue, vs. $705.9M est., motion picture revenue up 35% YoY to $421.2M
Lionsgate reports a Q3 net loss of $46.2M, vs. a $21.9M loss a year earlier, $724.3M in revenue, vs. $705.9M est., motion picture revenue up 35% YoY to $421.2M
Discussion:
Advanced Television, TheDesk.net, Deadline, Variety, Lionsgate, Media Play News and The Wrap
