While many media companies have begun to reopen their doors, some like The New York Times are leaving the timelines open-ended for when employees will be required to be back at their desks, which could help them adjust to the Omicron variant’s potential threat. Here’s a round-up of where publishers stand.

• Some media businesses have already started bringing people in, while others are leaving timelines open-ended, after setting dates earlier this year.
• A new report has sent marketers scrambling for answers on whether they're using cookies without consent.
• The Digiday+ Future of TV Briefing this week looks at why managing privacy consent on connected TVs is uniquely challenging and what an industry working group is doing to tackle it.
• Though the most well-known conceptualization of the metaverse hinges on the use of VR headsets, AR technology is currently much more accessible than VR.
• As more people head back to stadiums and music venues for in-person events, Vivid Seats is hoping to capture their attention with linear and digital video.
• Attitudes toward hybrid working models vary depending on generations. More in this WorkLife story.