Facebook, Snap to Profit as Lockdowns Change Behavior
Bloomberg: Internet companies are likely to be long-term winners from the pandemic as lockdown measures have now lasted long enough for changes in consumer behavior to become permanent, according to Credit Suisse. "It takes 66 days for a change in behavior to turn...
AT&T’s HBO Max to Pivot Production of ‘Friends’ Reunion
Los Angeles Times: David Schwimmer, who played Ross in the hit '90s sitcom "Friends," revealed on "The Tonight Show" that tentative plans have been made to film the highly anticipated "Friends" reunion special in quarantine. "It's supposed to happen maybe in...
Spotify Unveils Video Podcasts to Compete with YouTube
Los Angeles Times: Spotify, known as a music and podcast streaming service, is making a bigger leap into video. Seven podcasts available on Spotify will show footage of podcasters recording their programs. For years, many podcasters uploaded video versions of their...
ByteDance Investors Discuss Possible Purchase of TikTok
The Information: A small group of ByteDance's US investors is discussing with the company's top management the possibility of joining forces to buy a majority stake in TikTok, as it grows more difficult for the Chinese-owned company to keep control of the fast-growing...
EBay Becomes Acquisition Target in Sell-Off of Classifieds
CNET: It's possible that, after selling off piece after piece of the company, eBay may now be small enough and focused enough to make for a good acquisition target, which is a rumor that's been swirling in the e-commerce world since the PayPal...
Google Says Technical Error Led to Removal of News Sites
Fox Business: Google had a technical issue Tuesday morning that temporarily removed the home pages of several news sites from its search results. For instance, when you Googled the Daily Caller, stories about the Daily Caller would show up but not links to its home...
Snap Plans Internal Probe After Racism, Sexism Charges
Business Insider: Snap has launched an internal investigation into allegations of racism and sexism at the company. The investigation comes after former employees spoke out in June about shrinking diversity and what they called biased editorial...
Disney’s ESPN Faces Anchor Claim of Divisive Workplace
Wall Street Journal: ESPN anchor Sage Steele has told management she believes she was excluded from a special the network aired on race last month because she wasn’t considered by certain Black colleagues to be an authentic voice for the Black...
News Corp’s Murdoch is Danger to Democracy, Grant Says
Daily Mail: Hugh Grant has labeled Rupert Murdoch a "danger to liberal democracy" and said his life was "extremely difficult after his Divine Brown escapade" in a new BBC2 documentary. "The Rise of the Murdoch Dynasty" focuses on the phone-hacking scandal of 2009 to...
Reuters Finds Anxieties Among Reporters Covering Covid
Press Gazette: A "significant" number of journalists reporting on the Covid-19 pandemic appear to be suffering signs of mental health issues, according to new research. The survey of journalists found that around 70% of respondents were suffering from some level of...
Forbes to Create Shoppable Video Offering for Advertisers
MediaPost: Forbes is working with KERV Interactive, a digital ad video platform, to create branded and shoppable content on Forbes.com. The partnership means Forbes can offer advertisers an opportunity to market individual products throughout a...
Politico Extends Staff Work-at-Home Order Through 2020
MediaPost: Politico publisher Robert Allbritton has informed employees the company is extending its work from home status for at least the remainder of 2020. "None of us want to work inside of a plexiglass bubble" he wrote, after outlining the challenges of returning...
News Corp Staffers Express Worries at Wall Street Journal
Wall Street Journal: A group of journalists at the Wall Street Journal and other Dow Jones staffers sent a letter to the paper's new publisher, Almar Latour, calling for a clearer differentiation between news and opinion content online, citing concerns about accuracy...
Drudge Report Sees a Dip in Pushing Traffic to Publishers
Axios: Drudge Report has been a dominant force in the trafficking of news and information online since the early days of internet publishing. But in recent years, data shows that Drudge doesn't push traffic to publishers like he used to, although he's still considered...
Roundup: Writers Talk About Troubles in Earning a Living
The Cut: It probably won't shock anyone to hear that it can be difficult, if not downright impossible, to make a living as a writer. Making any kind of money as a writer can mean different things: holding down a job and writing on the side, cobbling together teaching...
AT&T Delay of ‘Tenant’ Ends 2020 Summer Movie Season
New York Post: Warner Bros. says its planned summer blockbuster — the Christopher Nolan spy flick "Tenet" — would be postponed indefinitely due to the spread of the coronavirus, killing any chance of a summer rollout. "The summer movie-going season is officially...
Netflix Lands Film with Julia Roberts, Denzel Washington
Deadline: Netflix won the world rights for Julia Roberts starring with Denzel Washington and Sam Esmail directing "Leave The World Behind," a feature adaptation of an upcoming novel by Rumaan Alam. The novel will be published this fall by the HarperCollins imprint...
Disney Scrambles to Realign as Covid Rewrites Playbook
Wall Street Journal: Disney execs are scrambling to deal with what is looking to be a prolonged crisis on numerous fronts, forcing a realignment of priorities that could have lasting impacts. The company's streaming operation has proved indispensable as stay-at-home...
Discovery Ripe for Picking as Media Giants Pause Deals
CNBC: After a wave of mega-mergers, deal making is taking a breather. When deals pick up again, one analyst sees Discovery as an interesting player: "Their library of content is largely unencumbered by licensing deals so they could be a plug and play for another...
AT&T’s WarnerMedia Taps Bob Costas for Sports at CNN
Bloomberg: Veteran sports broadcaster Bob Costas has joined CNN as a contributor, more than a year after his outspokenness on football concussion risks brought his nearly 40 years at NBC to a close. Costas, 68, has been a frequent guest discussing sports in the...
Fox Corp’s Top News Hosts Face Sexual Assault Lawsuit
Vulture: A complaint filed in New York federal court on July 20 alleges sexual misconduct by top Fox News hosts including Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity and Howard Kurtz. The suit also addresses a previous rape allegation against host Ed Henry, who was fired from the...
Disney Fires Top ABC News Exec Over Racist Comments
Wall Street Journal: Disney fired senior ABC News exec Barbara Fedida after an investigation confirmed allegations that she made insensitive and racist remarks about colleagues. Fedida made "unacceptable racially insensitive comments" and managed "in a rough...
Fox Corp Adds Real-Time Odds in Redesign of Sports App
Fox Business: Fox Sports has launched a new, completely redesigned Fox Sports App and website, offering a personalized experience that allows fans to access their favorite league, team and player content while seeing real-time odds powered by Fox Bet...
AT&T’s HBO Max Preps Election Movie in Tie-Up with CNN
Broadcasting & Cable: AT&T’s HBO Max and CNN Film units have collaborated on a new documentary following a team of female journalists covering the US presidential primaries. "On The Trail: Inside the 2020 Primaries" will premiere August...
iHeartMedia Enters Multi-Podcast Deal with Tenderfoot TV
Hollywood Reporter: Tenderfoot TV, the studio behind the "Up and Vanished" podcast, has agreed to a multi-project deal with iHeartMedia. Under the terms of the deal, Tenderfoot TV will create a slate of nine new original podcasts for the iHeartPodcast Network over the...
Verizon Sees Departure of Operating Chief at TechCrunch
TechCrunch: "After more than eight years as TechCrunch's COO, I am leaving on August 21," writes Ned Desmond. "My decision is as much about my appetite for a green field as it is a recognition that TechCrunch's team is ready to put a fresh stamp on our remarkable...
Bauer to Shutter Australian, British Magazines Citing Woes
Mumbrella: Bauer Media is closing the eight Australian titles it paused during Covid-19, including Harper's Bazaar, Elle, InStyle, Men's Health, and Women's Health. Press Gazette: The British music magazine Q is closing after almost 34 years as owner Bauer fails to...
Hearst Avoids Staffer Protests Amid Black Lives Movement
Glossy: Cosmopolitan published an action plan in response to Black Lives Matter, which stated that its staff was 29% BIPOC and that it had created a voluntary inclusion committee. Cosmopolitan also said it will ensure its BIPOC representation in imagery is at least...
Meredith Pivots to $20 Subscriptions for Shelter Magazine
Folio: A year after converting Traditional Home from a primarily advertising-funded model to a more consumer-driven, newsstand-only publication, Meredith announced that it is once again selling subscriptions to the magazine. The now-quarterly title carries a $12.99...
News Corp Predicts Hybrid Model Emerging in Live Events
WWD: Wall Street Journal events chief Leigh Gilmore believes the ongoing pandemic will bring a new hybrid model to the events business. "In the short-term, virtual events will be a necessary substitute, but in the long-term, they will complement and enhance in-person...