Welcome to The Addition, where I cover the crossover between culture, media and sport. Thank you for reading. If you know somebody else who would find this interesting, forward it on! [Some links may help generate a commission that also supports The Addition.

Bit of a different one today, as I wrap up some bits in my notebook. Back on Monday. Will England be in the World Cup semi-finals? Keep up with the weekend's action on The Addition World Cup Live Blog.

From my Notebook

It was shocking to wake up to the news that former Conservative minister Ann Widdecombe had died aged 78. It is even more shocking to learn that there is a murder investigation under way, with a 26-year-old man now arrested. Outlets have turned on the live blogs to keep up with the latest. Lots of other people in the media should probably just keep quiet. (Yes, that means you, Adam Boulton.)

I had a fantastic day hosting the Publisher Summit on Wednesday. One thing that was so great about it was the sense of positivity. Often, such events have an air of doom and gloom. Not yesterday. It was full of brilliant media people doing brilliant things that are actually working. Nobody is saying it’s easy, but having success in media in 2026 is doable. Niches are important. Being brave and experimenting is important, too. AI is a tool, but it might not destroy us all. I believe the panels will be released as podcast episodes on the Media Voices feed, so check them out.

The other day, I highlighted the ridiculous way the media (and fans) are treating Djed Spence. Well, the Tottenham and England fullback decided that if you can beat them, join them. He popped up at a press conference as a “trainee reporter” and questioned Morgan Rogers on who the fastest player in the squad. The answer is… Djed Spence.

Podcast - TV+ Talk: Eddie Cue and the Apple TV Strategy

In the latest TV+ Talk, Charlotte Henry and Chuck Joiner discuss Eddie Cue’s Cannes Lions recognition, and what his speech tells us about the future of Apple TV.

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