Simon Owens
@simonowens.bsky.social
Media industry journalist who runs a newsletter and podcast. You can reach me at simonowens@gmail.com
Reposted by Simon Owens
Trump is clearly not well.
At a meeting with oil industry CEO’s Trump suddenly interrupts his introductory remarks, gets up and looks out the window and starts talking about his ballroom. Trump then realizes his mistake and says “unusual time to look”, and sits back down to continue.
At a meeting with oil industry CEO’s Trump suddenly interrupts his introductory remarks, gets up and looks out the window and starts talking about his ballroom. Trump then realizes his mistake and says “unusual time to look”, and sits back down to continue.
January 10, 2026 at 8:57 AM
Trump is clearly not well.
At a meeting with oil industry CEO’s Trump suddenly interrupts his introductory remarks, gets up and looks out the window and starts talking about his ballroom. Trump then realizes his mistake and says “unusual time to look”, and sits back down to continue.
At a meeting with oil industry CEO’s Trump suddenly interrupts his introductory remarks, gets up and looks out the window and starts talking about his ballroom. Trump then realizes his mistake and says “unusual time to look”, and sits back down to continue.
Reposted by Simon Owens
WSJ investigation: In the past 6 months ICE agents have fired at vehicles 13 times, leading to:
* 8 people shot
* 5 of which were U.S. citizens
* 2 died
* no victims drew a weapon
The playbook: Agents box in a vehicle, block attempts to flee, then fire
www.wsj.com/us-news/vide...
* 8 people shot
* 5 of which were U.S. citizens
* 2 died
* no victims drew a weapon
The playbook: Agents box in a vehicle, block attempts to flee, then fire
www.wsj.com/us-news/vide...
Videos Show How ICE Vehicle Stops Can Escalate to Shootings
A WSJ visual investigation found that the Minneapolis ICE killing is one of 13 incidents where federal immigration agents have used deadly force against civilians in vehicles since July.
www.wsj.com
January 10, 2026 at 3:44 PM
WSJ investigation: In the past 6 months ICE agents have fired at vehicles 13 times, leading to:
* 8 people shot
* 5 of which were U.S. citizens
* 2 died
* no victims drew a weapon
The playbook: Agents box in a vehicle, block attempts to flee, then fire
www.wsj.com/us-news/vide...
* 8 people shot
* 5 of which were U.S. citizens
* 2 died
* no victims drew a weapon
The playbook: Agents box in a vehicle, block attempts to flee, then fire
www.wsj.com/us-news/vide...
I’m jealous of the fitness influencers who have their own fully stocked home gyms. I want to work out in total isolation.
January 9, 2026 at 11:56 PM
I’m jealous of the fitness influencers who have their own fully stocked home gyms. I want to work out in total isolation.
Reposted by Simon Owens
at some point we're gonna have to have a real conversation about why we're still paying federal taxes to a regime that isn't using them to help anyone, but instead is using them to brutalize us
January 9, 2026 at 11:22 PM
at some point we're gonna have to have a real conversation about why we're still paying federal taxes to a regime that isn't using them to help anyone, but instead is using them to brutalize us
If there's one thing I thought we learned in the 2010s, it's that ad-supported media outlets rarely see the sort of scale that VCs look for.
simonowens.substack.com/p/are-vcs-in...
simonowens.substack.com/p/are-vcs-in...
Are VCs investing in media companies again?
PLUS: Bari Weiss’s early stumbles
simonowens.substack.com
January 9, 2026 at 12:36 PM
If there's one thing I thought we learned in the 2010s, it's that ad-supported media outlets rarely see the sort of scale that VCs look for.
simonowens.substack.com/p/are-vcs-in...
simonowens.substack.com/p/are-vcs-in...
This is a fun narrative of Google’s early stumbles with AI — it actually developed some early chatbot tools that it refused to launch, providing the opening for ChatGPT — and how it leveraged its massive reach and money war chest to claw its way back to the forefront of AI innovation.
How Google Got Its Groove Back and Edged Ahead of OpenAI
After ChatGPT dominated the early chatbot market, Google staged a comeback with a powerful AI model. It also launched the biggest search-engine overhaul in years.
www.wsj.com
January 9, 2026 at 2:13 AM
This is a fun narrative of Google’s early stumbles with AI — it actually developed some early chatbot tools that it refused to launch, providing the opening for ChatGPT — and how it leveraged its massive reach and money war chest to claw its way back to the forefront of AI innovation.
Whenever a media outlet raises money, I always ask myself one question: What could it do with this money that it couldn't do through the revenue it already generates?
Exclusive | Media Startup Semafor Raises $30 Million in New Funding Round
The digital media outlet, which aims to inform the “global leadership class,” plans to expand its events business and add journalists.
www.wsj.com
January 9, 2026 at 1:52 AM
Whenever a media outlet raises money, I always ask myself one question: What could it do with this money that it couldn't do through the revenue it already generates?
Michael Wolff, who is most famous for a book published during the first Trump Administration, has become a huge hit on Instagram with the help of his wife, a 45-year-old social media influencer. The two now run Substack newsletters that collectively have over 8,000 paid subscribers between them.
How to Live Like a Wolff
www.nytimes.com
January 9, 2026 at 1:29 AM
Michael Wolff, who is most famous for a book published during the first Trump Administration, has become a huge hit on Instagram with the help of his wife, a 45-year-old social media influencer. The two now run Substack newsletters that collectively have over 8,000 paid subscribers between them.
It remains strange that Spotify is aggressively trying to cut into YouTube's dominance when it comes to video podcasts while also licensing some of its podcasts to Netflix. Perhaps this is an enemies-of-my-enemies-are-my-friends situation?
Creators Say Spotify Pays Up to Twice as Much as YouTube for Video Podcasts
The Swedish streaming giant is stepping up its courtship of YouTubers as it pushes deeper into video
www.bloomberg.com
January 8, 2026 at 11:27 PM
It remains strange that Spotify is aggressively trying to cut into YouTube's dominance when it comes to video podcasts while also licensing some of its podcasts to Netflix. Perhaps this is an enemies-of-my-enemies-are-my-friends situation?
Setting aside Bari Weiss's politics, she's just such a bad fit to run CBS News. Not only does she not have a reporting background, but she also has no experience leading a large bureaucratic organization -- in fact, one of the things she's most famous for is leaving the New York Times in a huff beca
The Tony Accords
Tony Dokoupil’s disastrous debut as anchor of CBS Evening News highlights the uncomfortable truth about Bari Weiss’s tenure: While her politics take center stage, it’s her inexperience that’s her real...
puck.news
January 8, 2026 at 4:34 PM
Setting aside Bari Weiss's politics, she's just such a bad fit to run CBS News. Not only does she not have a reporting background, but she also has no experience leading a large bureaucratic organization -- in fact, one of the things she's most famous for is leaving the New York Times in a huff beca
A lot of legacy media companies are dipping their toes into the Creator Economy, but I think Fox is ahead of the curve in terms of aggressively experimenting in this space, which is ironic given it's one of the few companies still thriving on linear TV.
variety.com/2026/digital...
variety.com/2026/digital...
Fox Launches Creator Studios Venture to Develop Next-Generation Talent and Content
Fox is leaning in to creators, launching a digital-first division that aims to develop innovative content and tap into social media communities.
variety.com
January 8, 2026 at 2:49 PM
A lot of legacy media companies are dipping their toes into the Creator Economy, but I think Fox is ahead of the curve in terms of aggressively experimenting in this space, which is ironic given it's one of the few companies still thriving on linear TV.
variety.com/2026/digital...
variety.com/2026/digital...
I find it strange that Spotify gets criticized so much for not paying artists enough when it's more aggressive with sharing revenue with creators than every major tech platform other than YouTube. Why don't Instagram and TikTok receive more hate for hoarding most of their revenue?
Spotify lowers monetization threshold for video podcasts | TechCrunch
Spotify is dropping the minimum episode requirement to three, minimum consumption hours to 2,000, and engaged audience member threshold to 1,000 over the last 30 days.
techcrunch.com
January 8, 2026 at 2:37 PM
I find it strange that Spotify gets criticized so much for not paying artists enough when it's more aggressive with sharing revenue with creators than every major tech platform other than YouTube. Why don't Instagram and TikTok receive more hate for hoarding most of their revenue?
A lot of legacy publishers like the Washington Post and CNN are suddenly trying to partner with creators.
simonowens.substack.com/p/legacy-pub...
simonowens.substack.com/p/legacy-pub...
Legacy publishers embrace the Creator Economy
PLUS: Are MAGA media outlets cratering?
simonowens.substack.com
January 8, 2026 at 12:06 AM
A lot of legacy publishers like the Washington Post and CNN are suddenly trying to partner with creators.
simonowens.substack.com/p/legacy-pub...
simonowens.substack.com/p/legacy-pub...
ICE agents are domestic terrorists.
January 7, 2026 at 9:08 PM
ICE agents are domestic terrorists.
My newsletter sponsorship index has tracked over 1,200 sponsors so far across a range of niches. If you use it to land just one sponsor it more than pays for itself. Other similar databases on the market cost over $5,000 a year. Mine costs a measly $150.
January 7, 2026 at 3:35 PM
My newsletter sponsorship index has tracked over 1,200 sponsors so far across a range of niches. If you use it to land just one sponsor it more than pays for itself. Other similar databases on the market cost over $5,000 a year. Mine costs a measly $150.
Probably because they know Elon is a monkey with a big platform who likes to fling his feces, and they just don't want the headache of having feces flung at them.
Elon Musk's Grok AI is making thousands of deepfaked sexual images of women and children with an app freely distributed by Apple and Google. Why are they sitting silent?
From @status.news www.status.news/p/tony-dokou...
From @status.news www.status.news/p/tony-dokou...
January 7, 2026 at 2:26 PM
Probably because they know Elon is a monkey with a big platform who likes to fling his feces, and they just don't want the headache of having feces flung at them.
Mark Kelly has emailed me five times today (I have my Gmail filters set so these go straight to trash). Whichever consultant is advising candidates to do this is absolutely destroying the Democratic party and turning millions of voters off.
January 7, 2026 at 3:02 AM
Mark Kelly has emailed me five times today (I have my Gmail filters set so these go straight to trash). Whichever consultant is advising candidates to do this is absolutely destroying the Democratic party and turning millions of voters off.
Media companies like the Washington Post and CNN are in the early stages of building out creator networks where they partner with up-and-coming creators on content creation and monetization. It's an acknowledgment that power is shifting away from large news brands toward individual personalities. Wh
Why publishers are building their own creator networks
Publishers are forming creator networks to regain control, combat traffic declines, and reach audiences shifting toward influencers.
digiday.com
January 7, 2026 at 1:26 AM
Media companies like the Washington Post and CNN are in the early stages of building out creator networks where they partner with up-and-coming creators on content creation and monetization. It's an acknowledgment that power is shifting away from large news brands toward individual personalities. Wh
One of the original recipients of the "Substack Pro" advances -- a discontinued program where Substack would front a large sum of money to larger creators to incentivize them to use the platform -- explains why he moved his publication to Ghost. If you follow the debate about Sub
This newsletter is now on Ghost
Summary: Asian Century Stocks has moved from Substack to another platform called Ghost. You don't have to do anything and your experience will be almost exactly the same as before. New posts will deli...
www.asiancenturystocks.com
January 7, 2026 at 12:00 AM
One of the original recipients of the "Substack Pro" advances -- a discontinued program where Substack would front a large sum of money to larger creators to incentivize them to use the platform -- explains why he moved his publication to Ghost. If you follow the debate about Sub
A lot of plus-sized influencers and models are suddenly landing a lot fewer brand deals, and they're blaming it on the rise of GLP-1 drugs. Supposedly, brands are scaling down their plus-size products as that overall market shrinks. Even plus-sized creators who use affiliate links are noticing that
‘Less People Click If You’re a Size 16’
How plus-size influencers are faring in a GLP-1 world.
www.vulture.com
January 6, 2026 at 10:43 PM
A lot of plus-sized influencers and models are suddenly landing a lot fewer brand deals, and they're blaming it on the rise of GLP-1 drugs. Supposedly, brands are scaling down their plus-size products as that overall market shrinks. Even plus-sized creators who use affiliate links are noticing that
This is interesting, but it’s tough to read too much into it when traffic is falling across the board for news sites as big tech platforms rein in outbound clicks.
One thing I will note is that MAGA outlets are in some ways more vulnerable to traffic declines since most don't monetize with subscr
One thing I will note is that MAGA outlets are in some ways more vulnerable to traffic declines since most don't monetize with subscr
MAGA media sites fizzle as infighting splinters messaging
The constellation of disparate voices, preaching conflicting messages, aren't as powerful as they once were in uniting the party.
www.axios.com
January 6, 2026 at 9:42 PM
This is interesting, but it’s tough to read too much into it when traffic is falling across the board for news sites as big tech platforms rein in outbound clicks.
One thing I will note is that MAGA outlets are in some ways more vulnerable to traffic declines since most don't monetize with subscr
One thing I will note is that MAGA outlets are in some ways more vulnerable to traffic declines since most don't monetize with subscr
Live music performances have never been more popular, but the industry is struggling to attract and train "roadies" -- the people responsible for doing all the behind-the-scenes work of running a live show. Their craft involves everything from building props to designing light shows -- highly techni
A Booming Live Music Industry Looks for Its Next Generation of Roadies
With concerts now one of music’s main revenue engines, the industry is racing to replace an aging labor pool of skilled engineers, programmers and technicians.
www.bloomberg.com
January 6, 2026 at 7:42 PM
Live music performances have never been more popular, but the industry is struggling to attract and train "roadies" -- the people responsible for doing all the behind-the-scenes work of running a live show. Their craft involves everything from building props to designing light shows -- highly techni
2025 did seem like a turning point for Substack. Not only did the Free Press -- a publication that started from scratch on Substack -- sell for $150 million, but a lot of brands and creators who weren't primarily known for their writing moved onto the platform. While it doesn't yet have the cultural
The Year the Newsletter Business Reached a Fever Pitch
Writers, investors and pop stars alike are building new media businesses to connect directly with readers and fans.
www.wsj.com
January 6, 2026 at 7:13 PM
2025 did seem like a turning point for Substack. Not only did the Free Press -- a publication that started from scratch on Substack -- sell for $150 million, but a lot of brands and creators who weren't primarily known for their writing moved onto the platform. While it doesn't yet have the cultural
This is an interesting deep dive into how an attorney who specializes in the Creator Economy approaches writing contracts for brand deals. There are so many factors a creator doesn't consider when trying to hammer out their first deals, and it can expose them to a lot of risk.
🔴 How to negotiate brand contracts like a creator attorney
A creator economy attorney with a decade of experience in the field on the contract clauses brands hope you'll skip, how to chase down late payments, how to properly hire a team, and more.
www.creatorspotlight.com
January 6, 2026 at 6:26 PM
This is an interesting deep dive into how an attorney who specializes in the Creator Economy approaches writing contracts for brand deals. There are so many factors a creator doesn't consider when trying to hammer out their first deals, and it can expose them to a lot of risk.
On January 6, 2021, Trump tried to overthrow the federal government and failed. There’s no other true interpretation of what happened. He and his collaborators should be in prison for it.
January 6, 2026 at 6:12 PM
On January 6, 2021, Trump tried to overthrow the federal government and failed. There’s no other true interpretation of what happened. He and his collaborators should be in prison for it.