Spotify introduces a new Basic streaming plan in the US, which costs $10.99/month and includes all the benefits of Premium besides audiobook listening time (Aisha Malik/TechCrunch)

Mediagazer: Spotify introduces a new Basic streaming plan in the US, which costs $10.99/month and includes all the benefits of Premium besides audiobook listening time (Aisha Malik/TechCrunch)

Top News:

Washington Post:

In an email to staff, Telegraph editor Chris Evans says Rob Winnett has decided to stay at Telegraph and will not join the Washington Post— Robert Winnett, hired by Washington Post publisher William Lewis, faced questions about his U.K. work, including stories based on stolen records.
Discussion: The Hill, The Hollywood Reporter, New York Times, New York Post, Business Insider, Media Nation, MediaPost, NPR, The Guardian, Wall Street Journal, Mediaite, @harrytlambert, Politico, The Information, Associated Press, Semafor, @karaswisher@threads.net, @farhip, @mossbergwalt@threads.net, Axios, @karaswisher, @lionelbarber, @karaswisher, @jayrosen_nyu, Deadline, @jackshafer, @jamesrbuk, The Daily Beast, @davidfolkenflik, @jeffjarvis, @brianstelter, @semaforben, @davidfolkenflik, @emilybell, @jbenton, @benmullin, @sulliview, @jamesrbuk, @brianstelter, @jimwaterson, The Daily Beast and TVNewsCheck

Discussion:

Etan Vlessing /
The Hollywood Reporter: The Washington Post's Incoming Editor Backs Away From Role Amid Controversy

Ariel Zilber /
New York Post: UK Telegraph's Robert Winnett won't become top editor at Washington Post

Dan Kennedy /
Media Nation: Washington Post update: Winnett withdraws while Lewis hangs on — for now

David Folkenflik /
NPR: After uproar over ethics, new ‘Washington Post’ editor won't take the job

Jim Waterson /
The Guardian: UK editor backs out of top Washington Post job after US scrutiny of his past

David Gilmour /
Mediaite: NEW: Top Editor at Washington Post Out Before Even Starting Amid Paper's Turmoil

Harry Lambert /
@harrytlambert: Breaking: Rob Winnett will NOT become the next editor of the Washington Post. Chris Evans, editor of the Telegraph, emails staff: “I'm pleased to report that Rob Winnett has decided to stay with us.”

Jared Mitovich /
Politico: Robert Winnett withdraws from becoming next Washington Post senior editor

Martin Peers /
The Information: Washington Post's Editor to Be Withdraws

David Bauder /
Associated Press: Newly named Washington Post editor decides not to take job after backlash

Mizy Clifton /
Semafor: Washington Post's next editor withdraws from role

Kara Swisher /
@karaswisher@threads.net: My rat boy prediction aged well. Largely since I am familiar with the Amazon style perfected by Bezos of only giving up the ground you need to. Next: Lewis stays unless there is another problematic story. (Narrator: There will be another problematic story and I am not guessing this time.)

Paul Farhi /
@farhip: An old quote from @washingtonpost publisher Will Lewis announcing the appointment of now-resigned would-be editor Rob Winnett hasn't aged well, given that the Post's “investigative rigor” helped raise questions about Winnett's fitness for the job. [image]

Walt Mossberg /
@mossbergwalt@threads.net: Norm Pearlstine is one of the finest top editors I have ever known or worked for. He has high journalistic values and a strong business sense. He was brilliant as the top editor at the @wsj and @time Inc. So when he says Jeff Bezos needs to do more and better at the @washingtonpost , take him seriously. cc @karaswisher @mbrauchli

Kara Swisher /
@karaswisher: The first move is to get the Post to calm after this pointless and damaging period. Bezos needs to channel the Grahams in tone and gather diverse people who are actually good and innovative at digital media to work with a newsroom dying for leadership: https://www.nytimes.com/...

Lionel Barber /
@lionelbarber: His mate Rob Winnett is out, but Will Lewis stressing this time there will be a rigorous, transparent process for selecting the next editor of The Washington Post. Meanwhile, “internal affairs” continue to investigate their own publisher

Kara Swisher /
@karaswisher: Next: Lewis stays unless there is another problematic story. (Narrator: There will be another problematic story and I am not guessing this time.) Unless the third newsroom is a golden solution to fixing the Post — it is not, just an hand waving plan when simplicity is needed.

Jay Rosen /
@jayrosen_nyu: Now that's “losing the newsroom.” https://view.newsletters.cnn.com/ ... [image]

Ted Johnson /
Deadline: Robert Winnett Won't Be Moving To The Washington Post As Next Editor; CEO Will Lewis Announces New Search

James Ball /
@jamesrbuk: I do sometimes wonder why journalists are surprised the public don't trust us as much as we think they ought to - given we ask the public to simultaneously believe this was all high-minded reporting about ethics, and in no way related to internal office politics.

David Folkenflik /
@davidfolkenflik: New WashPost editor withdraws - stays in Britain after uproar over his journalistic record, and that of his patron and pal, Post publisher Will Lewis We predicted this Monday on NPR: https://www.npr.org/... Will Lewis hang on? Fresh story posting shortly on NPR [image]

Brian Stelter /
@brianstelter: “We will soon announce both the recruiting firm and process we will utilize to ensure a timely but thorough search for this important leadership role,” Lewis adds. In other words, there WILL be a process this time.

Ben Smith /
@semaforben: These Brits now exist in pure caricature in the U.S. — the guy is really widely thought of as a great editor....

David Folkenflik /
@davidfolkenflik: @Sulliview Lewis is at about a half-Licht. This was necessary for him to have even a chance to prove that his acumen for innovation and biz strategy can help the Post to a stronger future.

Joshua Benton /
@jbenton: Telling to feel the need to specify “U.S. elections,” as if the Washington Post newsroom would otherwise assume he meant some other elections

Margaret Sullivan /
@sulliview: I think the deal is Will Lewis stays, for now; Winnett's pre-ouster is the sacrifice/compromise. ... (Was his tenure even less than a single Scaramucci?)

James Ball /
@jamesrbuk: If that's how things shake out, I think the Washington Post newsroom has lost out: Winnett is a talented editor, who has overseen serious and impactful reporting projects, who I suspect the Post staff would've got along with, in time. (2/2)

James Ball /
@jamesrbuk: The assumption here will be that Winnett was thrown overboard in a bid to keep Will Lewis - about whom more serious and more recent concerns were raised, versus Winnett (1/2)

Brian Stelter /
@brianstelter: Washington Post staffers are about to be told the same thing — Robert Winnett is no longer the incoming exec editor

Jim Waterson /
@jimwaterson: Telegraph staff told that news boss Rob Winnett has decided to stay in the UK and not join the Washington Post after all..... that. “He's a talented chap and their loss is our gain,” Telegraph editor Chris Evans has told staff.

Norman Pearlstine /
The Daily Beast: Why Jeff Bezos Is Failing The Washington Post

Ted Johnson /
TVNewsCheck: Robert Winnett Pulls Out Of WaPo Editor Consideration

RELATED:

Politico:

The allegations facing Will Lewis and Rob Winnett are not remotely in line with either UK or US journalism ethics; blaming British media culture is wrong— The allegations of journalistic misconduct facing publisher Will Lewis aren't condoned in the U.K. either.

Discussion:

Oliver Darcy /
CNN: Washington Post will not bring in Robert Winnett as its top editor after report raised ethical questions

Natalie Korach /
The Wrap: Washington Post Incoming Executive Editor Robert Winnett Withdraws

Emily Bell /
The Guardian: US and UK journalism are different. But they're going to get a lot more similar

Oliver Darcy /
CNN: Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post journalists call for leadership change amid publisher scrutiny

Tom McTague /
The Atlantic: Revenge of the Brits — British editors are suddenly leading several U.S. publications. Can it last?

Alexandra Bruell /
Wall Street Journal: Washington Post CEO Plans a Mysterious ‘Third Newsroom.’ His Past Offers a Clue.

Anna Morales /
@tallulahb2012: @jamesrbuk @POLITICOMag Why do you think the phone hacking and invasion of privacy intrusions cases continue to taint British media culture?

David Clinch /
@davidclinchnews: @jamesrbuk ... I agree.

Rob Crilly /
@robcrilly: @jamesrbuk @POLITICOMag Great piece

Brian Cathcart /
Byline Times: Will Lewis and The Washington Post: 'Real Journalists Don't Ignore the Failings of Their Own Industry the Way the UK Press Does'

James Ball /
@jamesrbuk: @TallulahB2012 @POLITICOMag As I say opening the piece, I think it's because it's what first comes to mind when most Americans think of British journalism

Justin Ling /
@justinling.bsky.social: you people love a phone hacking! stop trying to pretend like you don't [embedded post]

Jeff Jarvis /
Jeff Jarvis on LinkedIn: Excellent by James Ball: Don't blame differing culture for shock at the Lewis gang's past. Yes. Blame the ethical and journalistic lapses of them and their companies: both News Corp and Telegraph. …

John Robinson /
John Robinson on LinkedIn: A failure of leadership: — You might think a decisive leader who founded Amazon would take decisive action to clean up his mess at the Washington Post. …

Jeff Jarvis /
@jeffjarvis@mastodon.social: Excellent by @jamesrbuk: Don't blame differing culture for shock at the Lewis gang's past. Yes. Blame the ethical and journalistic lapses of them and their companies: both News Corp and Telegraph. — Opinion | The Wrong Culprit in the Controversy at the Washington Post https://politi.co/3VMsfFs The Guardian: Sources: WaPo's Will Lewis advised Boris Johnson and others to “clean up” their phones during UK's COVID-era Partygate scandal in December 2021 and January 2022

Discussion:
Financial Times, CNN, @gtconway3@threads.net, @will_bunch, @djrothkopf, Poynter, @dabeard, @karaswisher, @peterjukes, @jackshafer, @jasonpedlow, @clarajeffery, The Hill, Wake Up To Politics, Newser, Media Nation, @adambienkov, The Daily Beast, @7im, @dougiec3@libretooth.gr and @jeffjarvis@mastodon.social

Discussion:
Financial Times: Washington Post publisher Will Lewis retains links to PR firm that bears his initials

Oliver Darcy /
CNN: Jeff Bezos is under fire at the Washington Post as patience wears thin among staffers

George Conway /
@gtconway3@threads.net: Is it really, really, really, really, really, really bad that the publisher of the @washingtonpost allegedly counseled British government officials to destroy evidence in an official investigation? Or is it just really, really, really bad?

Will Bunch /
@will_bunch: Just like the time Ben Bradlee advised Richard Nixon to burn the White House tapes

David Rothkopf /
@djrothkopf: They need to fire this guy and rescind the offer to his colleague asap. The longer this goes on, the longer Bezos appears indifferent to it, the deeper and more lasting the damage to the Post.

David Beard /
@dabeard: In terrible news for the battered ⁦@washingtonpost⁩, now we know the justice-obstructing “service” its new publisher performed for the UK's disgraced conservative prime minister. And why he got a knighthood. https://www.theguardian.com/ ...

Kara Swisher /
@karaswisher: The hits keep on coming: Washington Post publisher alleged to have advised Boris Johnson to ‘clean up’ phone during Partygate Covid scandal | Will Lewis | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/ ...

Peter Jukes /
@peterjukes: Lewis was a member of a so-called “brain trust” of Johnson's close political allies who were leading an effort - codenamed Operation Save Big Dog. Lewis was awarded a knighthood in 2023 for his political service to the conservative prime minister https://www.theguardian.com/ ...

Jack Shafer /
@jackshafer: “Washington Post publisher alleged to have advised Boris Johnson to ‘clean up’ phone during Partygate Covid scandal” https://www.theguardian.com/ ...

Jason Pedlow /
@jasonpedlow: Corruption at the highest levels of government. Deleting evidence. And, judging by the number of times @RishiSunak & @BorisJohnson said they “couldn't recall” while they gave evidence to the Covid enquiry, they deleted their memories too. https://www.theguardian.com/ ...

Clara Jeffery /
@clarajeffery: This should be the final nail in the coffin... should be https://www.theguardian.com/ ...

Gabe Fleisher /
Wake Up To Politics: Trump, Biden prep for high-stakes debate

Jenn Gidman /
Newser: New WaPo Publisher Was Part of ‘Operation Save Big Dog’

Dan Kennedy /
Media Nation: Drip, drip, drip — Three new data points in the ongoing implosion of Washington Post publisher Will Lewis:

Adam Bienkov /
@adambienkov: A reminder that there were 5,000 WhatsApp messages missing from Boris Johnson's phone when he gave it to the Covid Inquiry. Deliberately destroying evidence demanded by a public inquiry is a serious criminal offence punishable by up to a year in prison https://www.theguardian.com/ ... [image]

Dan Ladden-Hall /
The Daily Beast: Washington Post CEO Advised Boris Johnson to ‘Clean Up’ Phone in COVID Party Scandal: Report

Tim Dickinson /
@7im: Democracy is Deleted in Darkness @dougiec3@libretooth.gr: Three sources say Will Lewis told Tories to delete evidence from their phones to cover up Partygate. — https://www.theguardian.com/ ... #Partgate #BorisJohnson #Tories #England #COVID #Lockdown

Jeff Jarvis /
@jeffjarvis@mastodon.social: Call him Sir Won't Lewis. You won't be publishing incriminating news about me, now will you? You won't read emails from New Corp's hacking scandal; they're gone. You won't have Boris Johnson's Covid party texts; they gone. He won't soon be CEO of the Post. Or Will he? …

Washington Post:

Internal memo: ABC News Executive Editor Stacia Deshishku is leaving the network and her 35-year career in journalism— Deshishku has served as executive editor since 2022, overseeing shows and editorial strategy. — ABC News executive editor Stacia Deshishku has decided to leave …

Discussion:
@bristei, @jeremymbarr, @dylanbyers, @jeremymbarr, Variety and Deadline

Discussion:

Brian Steinberg /
@bristei: Stacia Deshishku is the latest senior ABC News exec to depart in the wake of a recent restructuring that merged the Disney unit's news operations with the company's local-stations business https://variety.com/... via @variety

Jeremy Barr /
@jeremymbarr: .@LachCartwright has more reporting on who is leaving and who is staying from ABC News' upper ranks [image]

Dylan Byers /
@dylanbyers: Six weeks ago, I reported that Stacia Deshishku was likely to leave ABC News, though she told at least one colleague at the time that Disney would need to “back up the Brinks truck” in order to make that happen. https://puck.news/... Guess they backed it up.

Jeremy Barr /
@jeremymbarr: Some news: ABC News executive editor Stacia Deshishku is leaving the network: https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ... Her departure comes, obviously, a month and a half after Kim Godwin abruptly resigned. Deshishku said she is leaving journalism and embarking on a new chapter.

Brian Steinberg /
Variety: ABC News Executive Editor Stacia Deshishku Exits

Ted Johnson /
Deadline: ABC News Executive Editor Stacia Deshishku To Exit

Yahoo Finance:

An excess of ad supply on streaming video services, after Amazon's Prime Video joined the market in January, means CPM rates have dropped for now— Amazon (AMZN) entered the ad-supported streaming space in January by defaulting all of its Prime Video subscriptions to ads.

RELATED:

Variety:
Sources: Disney is lowering ad CPM rates for Disney+ in a bid to win overall commitments during the upfront market; rivals fret about matching Disney's rates

Discussion:
@bristei, Dcn. Charlie Echeverry on LinkedIn

Discussion:

Brian Steinberg /
@bristei: Disney cuts streaming ad rates in bid to win ad dollars in tough upfront market, and rivals have been forced to match. Those who resist — Warner, Amazon, Netflix — have been left to haggle https://variety.com/... via @variety

Brian Steinberg /
@bristei: ALSO: Disney, NBCU and Fox seem to be writing the most ad deals in current upfront market, per execs familiar with negotiations. WBD, trying to get big money for Max, is having some issues.... https://variety.com/...

Brian Steinberg /
@bristei: MORE: Despite the upcoming presidential election, media buyers indicate advertisers are not lining up for news programming, and pullbacks by some pharma cos could further undermine support https://variety.com/...

Variety:

Sources: Sony is acquiring Queen's music catalog, excluding live performances, for £1B; Disney retains recorded music rights in the US and Canada— The Queen music catalog, along with a number of other rights, is in the process of being acquired by Sony Music for £1 billion …

Discussion:
Hits Daily Double!: QUEEN OF DIAMONDS — THEY ARE THE CHAMPIONS: Word has it that Sony Music has prevailed …

Laura Harman /
Metro.co.uk: Legendary 70s rock band's catalogue of hits being sold for $1,270,000,000

Dylan Smith /
Digital Music News: Queen Catalog Sale Inches Towards Reality — Sony Music Reportedly Set to Pay a Staggering $1.27 Billion

Jeff Walker /
Jeff Walker on LinkedIn: Just when you thought the value of music couldn't get any higher... Today's announcement of this $1B+ deal for Queen's catalog is the largest to date …

Marcus Wratten /
PinkNews: Queen's Brian May says calling Freddie Mercury ‘queer’ would've ‘upset’ him

Megan Armstrong /
UPROXX: Is Queen's Catalog Sale For $1.2 Billion The Biggest Deal Of Its Kind Ever?

Saleah Blancaflor /
New Jersey Online: Legendary classic rock band sells recordings for $1.27 billion, largest sale ever

Simon Kent /
Breitbart: Sony Buys Queen Music Catalog for $1 Billion

Mandy Dalugdug /
Music Business Worldwide: Queen catalog to be acquired by Sony Music in $1.27bn deal (report) @TheBreadmonkey@beige.party: This sort of thing makes me feel very uneasy - mega corporations legally owning someone's art. I know others have done it (Phil Collins etc) and the idea is to generate wealth in the short term for them and their families. But it still feels wrong somehow. — Queen Catalog to Be Acquired by Sony Music for £1 Billion …

Surej Singh /
NME: Queen sell music catalogue to Sony Music for over $1billion

TechCrunch:

Spotify introduces a new Basic streaming plan in the US, which costs $10.99/month and includes all the benefits of Premium besides audiobook listening time— Spotify is introducing a new “Basic” streaming plan in the United States, the company announced on Friday.

Discussion:
Spotify

Discussion:

Variety:

A Las Vegas jury convicts five men for operating Jetflicks, which officials say was one of the largest illegal streaming services in the US— Five men were convicted by a federal jury in Las Vegas this week for their part in operating Jetflicks, which officials say was one of the largest illegal streaming services in the U.S.

Discussion:
Fortune and Advanced Television

Lowpass:

A look at an early development version of a smart TV app for Venu Sports, offering DVR functionality, a multiview feature, a large library, and more— Unannounced features include DVR recordings, multi-view video. … Venu Sports, the upcoming sports streaming service jointly run by Fox …

Discussion:
Cord Cutters News and @bristei

Nieman Lab:

Reuters Institute: data from 47 countries shows a rise in use of video-based platforms for news, making the pivot to video look more lasting now than previously— Aggregate data from 47 countries shows all the growth in platform news use coming from video or video-led networks.

Discussion:
Media Voices and Nieman Lab

Poynter:

The Knight Foundation debuts Knight Election Hub, offering election tools and services to newsrooms that are not for profit or have revenue less than $5M/year— The Knight Foundation rolled out its election hub Thursday and expects to add more resources in the coming months.

Discussion:
@poynter: The @knightfdn has rolled out a comprehensive marketplace of tools — provided at low or no cost — to help underresourced newsrooms cover the election. https://www.poynter.org/...

Marc Lavallee /
Knight Foundation: Announcing the Knight Election Hub to Support Newsrooms

Scott Klein /
Newspack: Election Hub To Strengthen Coverage of U.S. Elections

Jon Greenberg /
Jon Greenberg on LinkedIn: Smaller newsrooms struggle to cover the 2024 election, especially locally. The Knight Election Hub, just unveiled by the @knightfoundation, offers a raft of services to help them up their game. …

Scott Klein /
Scott Klein on LinkedIn: Election Day is in 138 days. It will be yet another “most important election of our lifetimes.” But as elections grow in both consequence and complexity …

Nieman Lab:

Reuters Institute: across 20 countries, 41% of online news subscribers say they pay less than full price; 54% in Canada and 46% in the US say they pay less— Is increasing subscriber numbers by offering people rock-bottom trial prices sustainable? — It's no secret that news publishers …

Discussion:
Poynter, Press Gazette, WAN-IFRA, Reuters Institute and Media Voices

Discussion:

Charlotte Tobitt /
Press Gazette: Online news subscriptions stagnate amid jump in numbers saying they would never pay

Teemu Henriksson /
WAN-IFRA: Digital News Report 2024: Business challenges mount as subscription growth slows

Dr Craig T. Robertson /
Reuters Institute: How much do people pay for online news? And what might encourage more people to pay?

The Hollywood Reporter:

Sources: The Daily Beast's DC bureau chief Martin Pengelly has quit five weeks after being hired; the outlet will lay off several non-guild employees next week— The Daily Beast's Washington bureau chief has quit just five weeks after being hired, Hot Source has learned …

Discussion:
@lachcartwright, @dylanbyers, @noahshachtman@threads.net and TVNewsCheck

Discussion:

Lachlan Cartwright /
@lachcartwright: HOT SOURCE SCOOP: The Daily Beast's Washington bureau chief has quit just five weeks after being hired https://view.email.hollywoodreporter.co m/ ...

Dylan Byers /
@dylanbyers: The Daily Beast's D.C. bureau chief Martin Pengelly is already out, just five weeks after being hired, per THR's @LachCartwright: https://view.email.hollywoodreporter.co m/ ...

Noah Shachtman /
@noahshachtman@threads.net: Ugh. “The Daily Beast's Washington bureau chief has quit just five weeks after being hired.” The site's unionized staff is now down to “two breaking news reporters, two political reporters, an entertainment writer and a handful of others to staff its photo and social desks.” https://view.email.hollywoodreporter.co m/ ...

Brian Steinberg /