For the Record

Microsoft Backs Proposed Australian Media Laws:

Microsoft said Wednesday that it "fully supported proposed new laws in Australia that would force internet giants Google and Facebook to pay domestic media outlets for their content," according to a Reuters staff report. "While Microsoft is not subject to the legislation currently pending, we'd be willing to live by these rules if the government designates us," the company said in a statement. "The code reasonably attempts to address the bargaining power imbalance between digital platforms and Australian news businesses." Earlier in the week, Prime Minister Scott Morrison confirmed that Microsoft "was ready to step in and expand its search product Bing in Australia if Google pulls its search engine" from the country, where it currently maintains a 94% market share.

Gizmodo Editor Responds to Dismissal:

Former Gizmodo Senior Consumer Tech Editor Alex Cranz has alleged that she was fired from the newsroom last Friday "for her involvement in a union letter about an 'internal tech product' sent to management, and that her termination came after members of management approached her with 'false allegations' about her work performance that she had contested," according to J. Clara Chan of The Wrap. "I will continue to contest this unjust termination as I feel it is important for G/O Media to understand it cannot bully employees," said Cranz in a statement. "There are always paths to a positive resolution and I am deeply saddened that G/O Media has chosen the most unpleasant one." Former Gizmodo Editor in Chief Kelly Bourdet has backed Cranz, alleging that the editor was subjected to "bizarre and overt targeting" by management in a formal complaint to the newsroom's human resources department. In a statement, G/O Media characterized Cranz's accusations as "meaningless."

Politico's Steel Steps Down:

Politico CEO Patrick Steel announced Tuesday that he will step down this summer, according to Katie Robertson of The New York Times. Under his tenure, which commenced in 2017, the news site "doubled in size, expanded into new regions and completed its largest acquisition, the energy and environment website E&E News." Owner Robert Albritton added that "an executive search firm would help the company find its next chief executive." Steel previously worked as an investment banker and as a special assistant in the Clinton White House.

80 Journalists Arrested in Russian Protests:

Approximately 80 journalists "were arrested in Russia over the weekend amid continued protests against the detainment of opposition leader Alexei Navalny," according to Joseph Choi of The Hill. Those arrested included Sergey Smirnov, editor of the alternative news outlet Mediazona and Anton Feinberg of the Russian media group RBC. "The arrest and detention of Smirnov and dozens of other journalists is an attempt to intimidate and silence Russia’s independent media during a moment of national upheaval," said Polina Sadovskaya, PEN America’s Eurasia director. "As the government attempts to silence Navalny and all those who call for change, authorities only succeed in reinforcing the power of those dissenting voices and the fragility of the state. Further, in attempting to intimidate and silence the press, Putin’s government exposes its own fear of those who report the truth."

Facebook Tests Privacy Notification:

Facebook "is testing a notification that notifies Apple iOS users about ways the tech giant uses their data to target personalized ads to them," Sara Fischer of Axios reported Monday. The notification, which stems from "upcoming changes to Apple's privacy settings that will make it harder for Facebook and others to collect data on Apple users for ad targeting," asks Apple iOS users to opt in to having their data collected instead of opting out. The platform's developers have postulated that no more than 30% of users will elect to opt in, "making it much harder for advertisers to target potential Apple customers without as much access to their data." 

HD Media Sues Google, Facebook:

West Virginia-based HD Media "has filed a lawsuit against Google and Facebook, saying the two archrivals conspired to further their dominance of the digital advertising market.” Jeff Morris of WCHS reported Friday. The company, which operates such newspapers as The Herald Dispatch and the Charleston-Gazette Mail, has alleged that Google is Google "violating antitrust laws, monopolizing the online advertising revenue market and threatening the extinction of local newspapers across the country." The lawsuit further alleges that Google and Facebook "conspired to further their worldwide dominance of the digital advertising market in a secret agreement." 

AAM Creates Digital Audit Program:

The Alliance for Audited Media "has launched a third-party audit program for digital publishers in an effort to combat ad fraud and reassure media buyers that domains are legitimate," according to Ray Schultz of MediaPost. The new offering will certify publishers by "verifying their traffic sources and analyzing their business operations and site traffic," with audited publishers eligible to appear on the AAM Audited Domain List. Meredith Corporation, American City Business Journals and The Globe and Mail are among the publishers that created the audit, which will be free to AAM clients through 2021.

Pakistan Frees Men Convicted in Pearl Case:

Pakistan's highest court "has ruled that four men convicted of kidnapping and murdering American journalist Daniel Pearl should go free" in a decision immediately condemned by the United States as an "affront to terrorist victims everywhere," Sophia Saifi of CNN reported Friday. Pearl was posted as the South Asia bureau chief of The Wall Street Journal in 2002 when he was kidnapped and ultimately beheaded while reporting on British terrorist Richard Reid. In a statement, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the United States is "prepared to prosecute" alleged perpetrator Ahmad Omar Saeed Sheikh Sheikh domestically "for his horrific crimes against an American citizen."

Facebook Plans Newsletter Tools:

Facebook "is working on newsletter tools for journalists and writers, according to three people familiar with the company’s plans, a move toward offering more services to independent writers as the social network jumps into the fast-growing newsletter space," Mike Isaac of The New York Times reported Thursday. "We want to do more to support the independent journalists and experts who are building businesses and audiences online," said Campbell Brown, the platform's vice president for global news partnerships. The product is envisioned as a continuation of the company's "plan to provide more legitimate news sources," as exemplified by the News Tab, a destination in its mobile app that "displays stories from publishers like The Washington Post, Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times."

Facebook Anticipates 'Advertising Headwinds':

Facebook said it anticipates facing “more significant advertising headwinds” this year amid the implementation of iOS 14 and an "evolving regulatory landscape" in its fourth quarter earnings report, Anthony Ha of TechCrunch reported Wednesday. Ha added that the platform "has already been waging a bit of a campaign against Apple’s upcoming privacy changes, which will require app developers to ask users for permission in order to use their IDFA identifiers for ad targeting." The company "reported $28.1 billion in revenue, of which $27.2 billion came from ads, with earnings per share of $3.88," surpassing analysts' expectations.