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Yesterday was a big football day, and in less than two weeks, we’ll see a new king crowned between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers. But before then, look out for the Grammy Awards next week. Lots of stuff coming up! |
In other news… the news is on fire, arthouse cinema is all the rage, and AI is coming to drone delivery. |
Top Trends
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MEDIA |
 | Fire sale // GIF by Kate Walker |
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Newsrooms are getting torn apart |
The Future. In the past month, newsrooms have been downsized en masse, publications have shut down, staffs have been in an uproar, and an entire industry has been in chaos. As media consumption, especially in the news space, continues to transform, many outlets may only survive by either becoming licensed info farms for AI or rebooting as niche brands that use their publications as entryways into other revenue streams. |
Paper clippings
Media is having a terrible, no good, very bad start to 2024. |
Layoffs have hit many storied outlets like The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Time, Condé Nast, and National Geographic, while publishers are also looking to offload some brands wholesale. That’s because news consumption has changed in recent years, with TikTok, Google Search, Apple News, and even newer digital-first publications becoming preferred sources, while traditional publishers have lost readership (and engagement on X). Also, there’s been a crunch in digital advertising, with money funneling to platforms like Google, Meta, and Amazon in order to capture the most eyeballs. So, many publications have put up paywalls, but those prices have proven steep for many consumers.
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Over the past couple of decades, news organizations relied on the vision or charity of billionaires, private equity firms, or a good ole family business to keep things afloat. |
But, with everyone currently obsessed with profits above all else, there doesn’t seem to be any money worth losing for a good cause. |
So, now we want to hear from you… |
YOUR DAILY POLL |
We ask the hard-hitting questions. |
Are traditional publishing giants your go-to news sources? |
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78.3% of you voted No in Friday’s poll: Will you check out Zellerfeld? |
“I don’t wear anything with laces.” |
“Expensive and hella ugly? Nope.” |
“Too expensive.” |
“They look ugly to me.” |
“Not a sneakerhead.” |
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ENTERTAINMENT |
 | From TikTok to tickets // Illustration by Kate Walker |
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Arthouse cinema goes viral |
The Future. Speciality movies like TheIron Claw, Poor Things, The Zone of Interest, and The Holdovers — films that typically skew older — are hits with the under-35 crowd. 2024 could see several breakout arthouse hits, prompting studios to diversify their slates to capture the zeitgeist. |
Audience discovery
Many of this season’s awards movies are seeing over 60% of their ticket sales come from millennials and Gen Zers — the biggest turnout since the early 2000s, says Focus Features’ President of Distribution, Lisa Bunnell. |
How’d this happen? |
COVID changed moviegoing behavior, with audience members aged 35 to 40 and older not going to the theaters as much. Meanwhile, young people have fueled a cinema revival, crowning theaters like the Alamo Drafthouse as social hubs, while loyalty programs at chains make moviegoing more affordable. People under 35 chose A24 as their brand of cool, while older millennials preferred Marvel and DC… and that tent has expanded to include anything giving that unique but abstract A24 vibe. Many movies have gone viral on TikTok due to their younger stars, boundary-pushing subject matter and style, and even audience reaction videos — a phenomenon that propped up wider-release films, too.
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When comparing the box office grosses of the awards films from 2022 to those from last year, 2023 may have been a paradigm shift for mainstream cinema. |
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The Weeknd breaks Spotify |
Yes, it’s true. Just as the singing-acting-producing phenomenon teases his sixth — and possibly final — album, The Weeknd has reached four billion streams on Spotify with his 2019 smash-hit “Blinding Lights.” And he’s the first artist ever to do so. |
See the chart above for proof. |
Pretty impressive, huh? |
The chart is impressive, too. It’s all thanks to the fine work of Chartr. You can find their other cool charts in their newsletter here. |
Subscribe to Chartr and get access to the coolest charts on the internet today. |
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ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE |
 | Courtesy of Wing |
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AI hits the gas on package delivery |
The Future. AI is reshaping the logistics industry, making innovations like drones, robots, and urban scanning realities. Once completely rolled out, same-day delivery may be the perk that turns brands into bestsellers. |
Mail upgrade
If you think Prime shipping is efficient now, AI could put it into hyperdrive. |
According to WSJ, it’ll power… |
Drones. “Last mile delivery” (delivery from the local warehouse to your front door) is typically the most difficult part of shipping, so Amazon and Walmart are testing drones to make it quicker and more efficient, with AI choosing the best place to drop a package. Robots. AI is also tackling “last 50 feet delivery” (the distance between a truck and your front door), with new autonomous robots being able to climb curbs and stairs to drop off parcels. Parking. AI is scouting locations for trucks, with sensors made in partnership with the Energy Department letting drivers know where empty spots are, or estimating when a spot will open, so they can make a quick delivery — saving 28% of a driver’s time.
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There are more ways AI is being used — like determining the most efficient locations to unload packages and beefing up safety measures — which could make both drivers’ and pedestrians’ lives much easier. |
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In a financial pickle? |
Money Pickle can help. |
We know that finding a financial advisor you trust at an affordable price is no easy feat. |
Money Pickle covers all things money — taxes, retirement, investing, estate planning, inheritance, etc. You provide information about your situation, and they’ll match you with an advisor who knows how to get you out of whatever pickle you’re in. |
The advisor will review your financial situation, offer valuable second opinions, and give you info on how they can provide further customized assistance — for FREE. |
Sounds like you just got yourself out of a pickle. |
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Highlights |
The best curated daily stories from around the web |
Media, Music, & Entertainment |
Vince McMahon is out at the Endeavor-owned fight giant TKO after a bombshell sexual assault lawsuit was filed by a former staffer. Read More → deadline Blumhouse is opening a major horror exhibit at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado — the hotel that inspired The Overlook in Stephen King’s The Shining. Read More → indiewire Axios is debuting an entertainment division with projects from Guy Ritchie, Mark Whalberg, Chrissy Teigen, and Tom Brady. Read More → thr
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Fashion & E-Commerce |
Bernard Arnault, the chairman and CEO of LVMH, isnow the richest person in the world, amassing a fortune worth $207.8 billion. Read More → forbes A group of Farfetch investors, dubbed the 2027 Ad Hoc Group, has formed to oppose the fashion marketplace’s sale to South Korea’s Coupang. Read More → bof French fashion houses are very into the styles of Detroit-based workwear staple Carhartt right now. Read More → highsnobiety
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Tech, Web3, & AI |
In partnership with NIFT |
After a years-long battle, Epic may finally be bringing back Fortnite (and its Epic Games store) to iOS… at least in the EU. Read More → theverge The NSA admitted that it routinely buys Americans’ internet browsing histories without warrants… and that the practice is currently legal. Read More → techcrunch MIT researchers have developed a 3D printing technique that uses liquid metal to speed up the process. Anyone else getting T2 vibes? Read More → engadget
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Creator Economy |
TikTok sent several influencers from the #FilmTok community to the Sundance Film Festival, hooking them up with screenings, press junkets, and, of course, access to parties. Read More → tubefilter YouTube is cracking down on the diversity and inclusion requirements for creators to be part of its short-form video community support program. Read More → insider Twitch has removed the $100,000 cap on its Partner Plus program after it proved to be a “disincentive” for streamers. Read More → tubefilter
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Keep the editorial team going! Buy the team a coffee! ☕️ |
Today’s email was written by David Vendrell.
Edited by Boye Akolade. Copy edited by Kait Cunniff.
Published by Darline Salazar. |
