Hi there,
If you're confused by this newsletter's subject line, I'm sorry. I have not been spared a pandemic in which this song isn't stuck in my head. It is now your burden. This sound (originally a commercial in Russia) went viral on TikTok, after it was paired with a dancing llama.
Which brings me to the latest in TikTok news.
President Trump set yet another deadline for the video sharing app. This time around, as my colleague Scott Nover reported: If TikTok were to miss the first Sept. 20 deadline to sell off its U.S. holdings, any new deal would need additional approval. It serves as an incentive for the video sharing app to secure a new owner sooner than later.
In media news:
- Time's digital revenues exceeded print revenues for the first time in the brand's history. This is an achievement The New York Times also recorded in its most recent quarter.
- Bon Appétit named award-winning chef and author Marcus Samuelsson as an advisor to the brand and guest editor of its upcoming double issue centered around the holidays. The move was announced after Adam Rapoport, the brand's former editor in chief stepped down in June after a picture of him in brownface circulated and discriminatory workplace behavior was reported at the brand.
- Quartz reported 20,000 paying subscribers after launching a paywall in May 2019. Many media organizations have recorded an uptick in paying subscribers amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Retaining them is another question entirely.
- Culture Trip, a media organization targeting millennial and Gen Z travelers, is releasing its first original podcast, called Only In. Especially for those nostalgic for Before Times, its first season is NYC-centric and the first episode profiles House of Yes.
In other news:
Fun Fact: Older viewers are streaming’s fastest-growing fans.
Need a break? How do you handle blunt prompts from brands? One ecommerce company has grown newsletter subscribers with tagline: “Emails suck. Ours don’t.”
While you're here... we're starting to collect nominations for our annual Hot List that awards notable work in TV, tech, as well as digital and print publishing. Take a look at the rules behind what qualifies. I know it's been a tough year for many businesses, but am looking forward to highlighting remarkable work from our industry.
If you have any questions on that process, or have news tips/other interesting items, please let me know at sara.jerde@adweek.com.
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