MediaPost | Around the Net In Media

Almost Half Of Global Ad Spend Is Going Through Platforms, Not Agencies

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 21:26:22 -0400

The advertising industry is being split in two by an iceberg effect, said Ian Whitaker, a research analyst and advisor, PPC Land reports. Visible above the surface are advertisers like Pepsi, Coca-Cola and Unilever, that traditional agencies have always served. Below the surface are small-and medium-sized advertisers who never engage agencies, but rather work directly with platforms. Roughly 40 to 45 percent of all global advertising spend now comes from that lower segment, and that its share is growing year over year, Whitaker estimated. Whitaker made his remarks during a conversation with Daniel Knapp, IAB Europe’s chief economist.

Trump Administration Subpoenas 'NYT' Reporters

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 21:22:48 -0400

Several New York Times reporters have been subpoenaed after they reported on security concerns regarding the new Qatari-donated Air Force One, the Times reports. The subpoenas, some of which were served at the reporters’ homes, seek to force the journalists to testify before a federal grand jury in New Yor on Wednesday. They mark an escalation in President Trump’s efforts to intimidate independent news organization. “The appearance of federal law enforcement agents on the doorstep of news reporters should shock the conscience of any American who believes in the Constitution and the press freedom it protects,” said David McCraw, the top newsroom lawyer at the Times, in a statement.

Search Visibility Is Being Altered By AI

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 21:17:13 -0400

Media teams have not yet reckoned with the impact of artificial intelligence on search, according to an article in Marketing Dive. Of all consumer searches, 37% are now started with AI tools instead of Google or Bing, research shows. And 60% of searches end without a click, the users getting their answers from AI summaries. Moreover, these behaviors are accelerating. Winning in these conditions requires seeing paid search, organic SEO and AI visibility as one integrated system.

Google Offers Search Setting That Can Train AI

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 21:14:03 -0400

Google is rolling out a new setting in its Search services called Search Services History, and is using the searches to train AI, Fox News reports. This includes queried files, images that were uploaded, voice searches and Search Live recordings. When turned on, the Save Media setting can allow Google to save media from Search services interactions to improve Google’s AI models and technologies.

Media Outlets Ask Court To Penalize OpenAI For 'Discovery Misconduct'

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 23:21:10 -0400

Several media outlets, including The New York Times and the Daily News, have asked a federal judge to impose sanctions on OpenAI, alleging that the firm “chose obstruction” and is hiding evidence in the copyright infringement case now in discovery, U.S. News & World Report writes. The Thursday filing argues that OpenAI is not releasing data sets and ChatGPT logs that document how it used copyrighted new content, and that it should be penalized for “discovery misconduct.”

'New York Times' Executive Editor Calls Move Into Video 'A Race Against Time'

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 23:17:56 -0400

Joe Kahn, the executive editor of The New York Times, said the publication’s rush into video is a “race against time,” and as “as big a transformation as the print-to-digital transformation,” “The Hollywood Reporter writes. But it drew snide remarks from media veterans who remember the last pivot to video in the 2010s, the scars of which still linger in newsrooms. Kahn made his remarks on Peter Kafka’s Channels podcast.

Meta's Lawyers Slam $1.4 Trillion Demand In Multi-State Lawsuit

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 23:14:23 -0400

Meta is hitting back at the lawsuit that could result in its paying $1.4 trillion, almost the entire valuation of the company, to California and three other states, Deadline reports. “A sanction of that size has no analog in the history of consumer protection enforcement,” said Meta’s defense team in a filing this week. But attorneys general from California, Colorado Kentucky and New Jersey accused Meta of “unfair or unconscionable trade practices.” The case is about to go before an Oakland, California jury.

Hostelworld Retains Neverland Creative To Build Its Youth Audience

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 23:10:56 -0400

Hostelworld, a social media-powered online travel agent, has appointed Neverland Creative to lead its creative strategy, Decision Marketing reports. The agency has been tasked with developing a new brand strategy and creative platform. The goal is to build cultural relevance and grow the youth-backpacker and budget-travel audience. Hostelworld now has 3.4 million social members.

Boston Sues Social Media Firms Over Alleged Addictive Qualities

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 22:12:24 -0400

The City of Boston has joined a lawsuit against several social media companies, including Meta, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube, claiming that their addictive features are creating a youth mental health crisis, NBC Boston reports. “Social media companies have evidence of the harm they are causing to our kids by designing platforms that keep them hooked in endless scrolling and monetizing engagement at the expense of their mental health,” said Boston Mayor Michelle Wu. “Boston is taking legal action to protect children and youth and hold these companies accountable.”

Lego Surprises Metro Riders With Supercar Recreation

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 22:07:44 -0400

Lego, believing that it sometimes pays to show a physical product rather than an image, has transformed Shanghai metro stations with a replica of the new supercar, Technic Koenigsegg Sadair’s Spear, utilizing 4,104 pieces, Creative Blog reports. Most people will never experience the 5 million car, but they can build their own 1:8 scale recreation, Lego says.

'The Daily Wire' Sells Its Jeremy's Razors Brand

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 21:59:22 -0400

The Daily Wire, a conservative-leaning digital media company, is selling its Jeremy’s Razors brand and Jeremy’s Chocolates, to Boreing Media, a new company founded by former Daily Wire CEO Jeremy Boreing, who left the firm last year, Semafor reports. The Daily Wire started Jeremy’s Razors to compete with Harry’s Razors, a client that bolted after complaints about coverage of trans and gender issues. “Jeremy’s Razors exists because of our fundamental belief that conservatives have to stop complaining about the left dominating all of our institutions and start building our own instead,” Boreing said.

Israeli AI Startup Raises $27 Million In Funding

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 21:44:57 -0400

Velocity, an Israeli startup that develops infrastructure for revenue generation and distribution for AI applications, has generated $27 million in a seed funding round, CTech reports. The founders, Tal Shoham (CEO), Amir Shaked (COO), and Nimrod Zota (CPO), were senior executives at IronSource and Unity. They were joined at Velocity by Guy Kirschbaum, founding vice president of engineering. “We aspire to build a company like IronSource,” Shoham said. “We have a similar vision of creating monetization infrastructure, but not for gaming companies, for native AI companies that face a much bigger challenge.”

Judge Tosses Trump Media's $3.7B Lawsuit Against 'The Washington Post'

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 19:45:26 -0400

Trump Media’s $3.7 billion defamation lawsuit against The Washington Post was thrown out by U.S. District Judge Thomas Barber, the Post reports. The judge granted The Post’s motion for summary judgment, saying that Trump Media “failed to present evidence that would allow a jury to find by clear and convincing evidence” that The Post “published the allegedly defamatory statements with actual malice.”

Baltimore Public Media, Delmarva Announce Collaboration

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 19:41:51 -0400

Baltimore Public Media and Delmarva Public Media have formed a strategic partnership to expand local journalism across Maryland and the Delmarva Peninsula, WYPR reports. The two organizations will share content, reporting, and resources, but will maintain their distinct identities and local focus. "Public media has always been strongest when it works together,” says Craig Swagler, president and CEO of Baltimore Public Media. “This partnership is how we turn that belief into action.”

Bloomberg Signs Deal To Provide Content Via Muck Rack

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 19:41:32 -0400

Bloomberg Media will provide content on Muck Rack, a communications platform used by public relations teams, the firms announced, Talking Biz News reports. Bloomberg.com group subscribers will now be able to access Bloomberg reporting within Muck Rack. “A Bloomberg story about a competitor, a market shift, or a breaking regulatory development is a critical piece of coverage that is something to act on,” says Greg Galant, cofounder and CEO of Muck Rack, in a statement. “Having that reporting inside the Muck Rack workflow changes how quickly and confidently teams can respond and analyze the coverage.”

Adobe's Marketing And Creative Stack Now Has A Data-Centric Layer

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 19:36:14 -0400

Adobe is using its LiveRamp partnership to more directly provide the commerce media segment with its GenStudio content tools, according to an analysis for investors by Yahoo Finance. The move enriches Adobe’s marketing and creative stack with a a data-centric layer, and is in sync with a broader industry push toward more targeted and automated campaigns in which AI plays a larger role.

Conservative Groups Ask FCC To Deny ABC License Renewals

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 20:53:58 -0400

A group of prominent conservative organizations has petitioned the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to deny license renewal requests from ABC’s eight local television stations, the Guardian reports. The groups, including the Center for American Rights, accuse ABC of supporting the Chinese communist party and of political, racial and sexual bias. Earlier, FCC leader Brendan Carr required that ABC apply several years early to maintain its ability to broadcast.

Fox News Media Led On YouTube In Q2, MS Now Was Second

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 20:47:38 -0400

Fox News Media was the leading news publisher on YouTube and in social media during the second quarter, The Desk.net reports. It generated 1.4 billion YouTube video views, topping MS Now (763 million), CNN (511 million), ABC News (337 million), NBC News (310 million) and CBS News 9136 million). Fox said Q2 was its seventh consecutive quarter as the top-performing news brand on YouTube.

Digital Turbine Ad Platform Sees Increased Demand

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 20:42:20 -0400

Digital Turbine's APPS advertising platform is gaining momentum in the form of increased advertiser demand, a larger publisher base and AI-driven monetization capabilities, Yahoo Finance reports. The platform connects advertisers, app developers, publishers, wireless carrier and OEMs. In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, the company’s App Growth Platform revenues grew 57% year over year while brand advertising increased by more than 50%, and DT Exchange by 60%+.

Media Are Uniting, Pushing Back Against First Amendment Attacks

Sun, 05 Jul 2026 21:25:55 -0400

The First Amendment is a deeply cherished right, but in the last week alone, secret DOJ subpoenas came to light that have targeted reporters at The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal while “simultaneously, Trump himself has threatened fresh lawsuits against ABC for its coverage of the Reflecting Pool fiasco,” Fortune reports. And the president is pursuing a $15 billion defamation lawsuit. But the media are pushing back. “Finally recognizing the mutual existential threat, The Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune, ABC, CBS, and the American Newspaper Publishers Association joined forces to formally back the Times,” Fortune continues.

Omnicom Study Says Traditional Ad Model No Longer Works

Sun, 05 Jul 2026 21:19:00 -0400

The traditional practice of developing a creative asset and adapting it across all channels has given way to a model in which consumers interact with brands through multiple platforms, devices, formats and AI-powered experiences, Omnicom Media writes in a new study: “Connected Content: The Force Multiplier for Maximizing Brand Influence,” Portada reports. Companies now seek to align creative messaging, media context and audience mindset.

Digital-First News Site Evolves Into A Local News Network

Sun, 05 Jul 2026 21:13:03 -0400

Village Media, which began as a digital-first community news site, has evolved into a network of profitable local operations, thanks to the realization by Jeff Elgie, its founder and CEO, that this is where the audience had gone, Editor & Publisher reports. Richard Gingras, a former Google executive who is now Village Media’s board chair, heard Elgie testify before a Canadian parliamentary committee. “He said that he was in five markets and he was profitable,” Gingras said. “My eyes lit up.”

Bending Spoons Makes Public Offering

Sun, 05 Jul 2026 21:07:39 -0400

Bending Spoons -- a Milan-based tech conglomerate that has acquired several brands including, AOL and Vimeo -- went public on the Nasdaq this week, briefly reaching a market capitalization of over $25 billion, TechCrunch reports. Its focus is to make the brands more financially successful through tech and AI, and often price hikes and layoffs. Matteo Danieli, co-founder and chief product officer, said the company is “remarkably stable” despite the changes.

Comcast Selloff Signals New Era Of Hollywood Moguls

Thu, 02 Jul 2026 21:52:00 -0400

Comcast’s breakup marks the close of the Hollywood era dominated by moguls like Rupert Murdoch, Ted Turner, Sumner Redstone, John Malone and Brian L. Roberts, The Los Angeles Times writes.. “There was a time that Murdoch, Malone and Brian were really industry leaders who could affect change,” said Bank of America managing director Jessica Reif Ehrlich. “That’s not true any longer.” The shift also means that brands that offer streaming will be the winners.

Shopline And Shopify Settle Their Software Copyright Suit

Thu, 02 Jul 2026 21:30:18 -0400

Shopline and its parent company JOYY have settled a copyright lawsuit filed by Shopify, Reuters reports. The suit accused Shopling of copying its software to build a competing product. "Shopline copied our Dawn theme, rebranded it, and sold it against us," said Shopify general counsel Jean Niehaus in a statement. "We took them to court and they've been ordered to stop and to pay us. Open source is built on trust and we'll defend that every time someone treats it as a free pass to steal."

Pinterest Helps Advertisers Track Their Overseas Campaigns

Thu, 02 Jul 2026 21:26:25 -0400

Pinterest is offering a feature that will help advertisers better understand how their ad campaigns are doing in various countries, ALMCorp. reports. Residing on Pinterest’s ad platform, the “markets view” feature is designed to give businesses the ability to see how their PIN campaigns perform across several regions simultaneously. It is designed for businesses that sell their products overseas or plan to start doing so.

Delta To Feature 'Wall Street Journal,' 'New York Times' Content On Planes

Thu, 02 Jul 2026 21:20:58 -0400

Delta Air Lines has expanded its Delta Sync platform by integrating The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times into its connectivity portal, Travel And Tour World reports. Premium passengers with real-time news and business intelligence. Delta is also integrating video content from the publications into its seatback entertainment systems in nearly 900 aircraft, including business interviews.

Paramount To Pull Out Of UIP To Allay EU's Antitrust Concerns

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 23:32:00 -0400

Paramount Skydance will withdraw from United International Pictures (UIP), a film distribution joint venture with Universal Pictures, in order to gain European Union approval for its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, The Hollywood Reporter writes. Antitrust regulators urged Paramount to drop its UIP stake to calm antitrust concerns expressed by European cinema operators and to secure approval of the $111 billion deal.

Tech Billionaires Now Control The Most Visible Newsrooms In The U.S.

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 23:28:17 -0400

The media business is being increasingly shaped by a small group of billionaires like Jeff Bezos, David Ellison, Michael Bloomberg and Marc Benioff, whose interests go far beyond journalism, according to an analysis by Observer. Their decisions have an impact on newsroom direction and public trust as they control the most visible outlets in the country. The article is accompanied by a roster of tech founders and investors with media interests.

Former Conde Nast Leader Charles H. Townsend Dies At 82

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 23:22:28 -0400

Charles H. Townsend, who was chief executive of Condé Nast during a period in which the company and other media firms were rocked by falling ad revenues and the shift from print to digital, has died at age 82, The New York Times reports. Townsend, who started his 12-year tenure in 2004, oversaw the closures of Gourmet, Details and Lucky.