Press Gazette
Wales Online published the story of the year Monday night featuring David Cameron's shock resignation as Prime Minister. Unfortunately as Axegrinder soon discovered, the story was a "training exercise" and was not supposed to go live on the internet. The mistake was quickly spotted and the story was pulled - but not quickly enough as several screen grabs were taken by eagle-eyed readers.
The Independent
Four days after the head of British Gas received a torrent of abuse on Twitter as he answered questions about the company's latest price rise, so Europe's biggest budget airline put up its chief executive to field questions today - apparently without briefing him. The combative CEO seemed unaware that his inappropriate response to one of the first questioners - a woman - would be seen by everyone.
Computer Business Review
Cyan Worlds, the developer of popular adventure game Myst, has begun raising funds to produce a new game via crowdfunding site Kickstarter. The company hopes to raise $1.1m (GBP679,000) to create a game called Obduction, which Cyan Worlds described as a spiritual successor to its earlier point-and-click adventure games. Myst, released in 1993, put the player in the role of the 'Stranger', who uses a special book to travel to the island of Myst.
The Drum
BBC Worldwide is to grow its content investment by GBP200m as it begins a new strategy of to build the BBC's brands and audiences, as well as its commercial successes, around the world, while also introducing three new brands and striving for greater digital innovation. Having recently announced that it would become a principal co-production partner for the Natural History Unit, BBC Worldwide will also invest in a new drama series commissioned by BBC America and BBC Worldwide Productions, called Intruders.
Press Gazette
Pictures of Prince Harry collecting a chicken take-away from Nando's in Fulham have been taken down from the Daily Mirror website, following a complaint from the Clarence House press office. The photos were carried on the Mirror and other websites and featured the prince visiting the restaurant shortly before midnight on Tuesday. They were taken inside the restaurant, apparently on a smartphone.
Journalism.co.uk
Mobile internet use, online video and utilising social media are the key trends in digital media for the near future, according to the 2013 Global Media Trends Book, published yesterday by the European Publisher's Council. The report, authored by the World Newsmedia Network (WNMN), compiles original research and more than 500 published datasets to inform media companies of "major trends in the digital media world" on a global basis, said Martha Stone, WNMN chief executive.
M&M Global
Airbnb's chief marketing officer, Amy Curtis-McIntyre, is in the midst of shaping a full marketing strategy for 2014, which will include an awareness campaign in Brazil with a focus on the World Cup, according to a report in AdAge. Working with its new agency of record, Pereira & O'Dell, Airbnb is also making two short films that could air as TV ads, according to the report, with one designed to be "artful" and the other more "commercial and explanatory". The latter will be produced in at least four languages.
The Guardian
The two titles now have a total of 350,000 subscribers to their print and digital editions, including 200,000 who receive a daily newspaper on subscription. "The Times and Sunday Times pioneered digital subscriptions and today we can see a solid customer base across every platform, including print," said Mike Darcey, the News UK chief executive. "Charging for our journalism allows us to invest in our journalism, creating an even better experience for our readers and helping to secure a sustainable future for our titles."
The Drum
The teenager, who sold his company to Yahoo earlier this year, set up after he began coding during a summer holiday when he was 12, told the audience at IAB Engage his story that led him to establish the news summarising app and sell it to Yahoo for a reported GBP20m. He concluded telling his story by stating his belief that more should be done in schools to promote the skills of coding and the art of entrepreneurship to school pupils, stating that building a company could now be achieved at any age.
Computer Business Review
Telefonica has agreed to acquire a stake in Rhapsody International, the parent firm of Napster, as part of deal to introduce the music streaming website into the telecoms group's Latin American marketplaces. As part of the deal, Telefonica will shut down its Terra subsidiary's Sonora music service in Latin America, and promote customers to swap to Napster upon its planned launch on 1 November.