Update 2:33 p.m. – The final calls have been made with Georgia going to President-Elect Joe Biden, and North Carolina going to President Donald Trump.
While the election scene inched toward the Electoral College, news media (and the world) was straddled with news of a new vaccine from Pfizer Inc. and spiking numbers from COVID-19. The Atlantic’s tracking project shows that yesterday, states reported 1.5 million tests, 151k cases, and 67k people currently hospitalized with COVID-19, while the death toll was 1,104. Elsewhere on the news media front, there have been rumblings online of a conservative shift from Facebook to new social medium Parler, and from Fox News to Newsmax and OANN. Will it last? Time will tell.
On to our weekly linkfest:
- The New York Times reported more than 21 million viewers across six networks took in the news that President-Elect Joe Biden (who has a new chief of staff) would be the 46th President, an unusually high ratings total for a Saturday morning, while Fox News viewers tuned out at a higher percentage as the coverage went on. Leadership Connect clients can see the whole Biden-Harris Transition Team.
- Meanwhile, Axios scoops that President Donald Trump may be eyeing his own subscription digital media service.
- Here’s how the Associated Press calls elections, and how it all began.
- As mentioned above, some conservatives are leaving a fact-checking Facebook for Parler, but that doesn’t mean it won’t ever face regulation. The BBC gives us a look into the ongoing debate around regulating social media.
- Twitter has shared insights into the status of its new regulations created to combat misinformation.
- Twitter announced a global release of new carousel ads. In its beta test, Twitter saw on average a ~15% increase in click-through rate relative to single-asset formats, for website carousels.* And for app carousels, it saw on average a ~24% increase in installs per impression relative to single-asset formats.*
- Related: During the pandemic, social media has become even more integral to succeeding as a real estate agent. It will continue to be key in 2021.
- Disney reports a decline in fourth quarter revenue, but Disney+ has grown to 73 million subscribers.
- Movers & Shakers
- The New Yorker has fired writer Jeffrey Toobin, who is still on leave as CNN’s chief legal analyst.
- Hearst said Debi Chirichella will be the new President of its magazine group. Chirichella has been acting president since former president Troy Young quit.
- Deals/Restructuring
- CNBC has an internal memo, reporting that AT&T Inc.’s WarnerMedia began layoffs Tuesday as the company formerly known as Time Warner restructures around streaming video. Hollywood Reporter’s Natalie Jarvey tweets the cuts could amount to 1,700 people.
- Former Facebook Product Manager Tanay Jaipuria speculates that IAC, which “got Vimeo essentially for free as part of their acquisition of CollegeHumor in 2006,” would get quite the return in a potential spinoff.
- Overseas Rumor: Reuters says European private equity fund EQT is holding preliminary talks with KPN NV over a possible takeover bid that could value the largest Dutch telecommunications company at about $13 billion.
- Meredith will split into two divisions in order to attract more potential buyers.
- Spotify Technology is acquiring podcast hosting company Megaphone for $235 million. Beyond hosting, Megaphone provides ad-insertion capabilities for publishers and targeted ad sales for brand partners. Vulture has more details.
- Ellen Chang “launched a new program, Your Press Pass, to help student reporters and other journalists connect with other media.”
- Bill Gates and Rashida Jones are starting a podcast. The first episode will feature Dr. Anthony Fauci and will air on Nov. 16.
Here’s to a better Friday the 13th than the last one.
— Megan Kashtan and Wayne McKenzie contributed to this report.