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One of Silicon Valley's most formidable venture capital firms is doubling down on content, putting some tech media outlets on edge.

Why it matters: Andreessen Horowitz isn't interested in traditional journalism, but, in an era where content and reach is power, it wants to exert more influence over how people think about tech and business issues.

Catch up quick: Andreessen Horowitz (a16z for short) isn't new to content. Some of its partners are veteran bloggers and authors. For years, it's hosted podcasts and produced live events. And its investments have included Facebook, Reddit, Pinterest and Substack.

  • The firm also has employed a former Wired editor for the past six years, and has become an omnipresent force on new social chat app Clubhouse (in which it's the largest outside investor).

Driving the news: A16z, a multi-billion dollar firm that invests across industries, announced in January that it's building a new and separate media property. "We want to be the go-to place for understanding and building the future, for anyone who is building, making, or curious about tech," it said in a blog post.

  • Some tech journalists were immediately skeptical, particularly as a16z has gone from being the Valley's most press-friendly VC shop to becoming much more circumspect.
  • It also came against a backdrop of several tech execs publicly pushing back against mainstream media publications, believing they've become interchangeable groupthink that focuses primarily on negative narratives.
  • Some of those tech executives feel it's best to ignore interview requests, and instead share thoughts directly via personal or company media channels.
  • In short: Andreessen Horowitz has been accused of seeking to disintermediate the press, either as punishment for unflattering coverage or as an effort to shape future coverage.

A source familiar with Andreessen Horowitz's thinking says the aim of its content effort is to supplement rather than supplant — to elevate innovation and leave the exposés to others.

The big picture: Venture capital firms have long used content marketing as a tool to accrue talent and entice entrepreneurs. It's not uncommon to hear founders reference a16z blogs or research in pitch meetings. The main difference here is that a16z is making content more central to its strategy.

Go deeper:Media's deepening trust crisis

Transcripts show George Floyd told police "I can't breathe" over 20 times

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Newly released transcripts of bodycam footage from the Minneapolis Police Department show that George Floyd told officers he could not breathe more than 20 times in the moments leading up to his death.

Why it matters: Floyd's killing sparked a national wave of Black Lives Matter protests and an ongoing reckoning over systemic racism in the United States. The transcripts "offer one the most thorough and dramatic accounts" before Floyd's death, The New York Times writes.

The state of play: The transcripts were released as former officer Thomas Lane seeks to have the charges that he aided in Floyd's death thrown out in court, per the Times. He is one of four officers who have been charged.

  • The filings also include a 60-page transcript of an interview with Lane. He said he "felt maybe that something was going on" when asked if he believed that Floyd was having a medical emergency at the time.

What the transcripts say:

  • Floyd told the officers he was claustrophobic as they tried to get him into the squad car.
  • The transcripts also show Floyd saying, "Momma, I love you. Tell my kids I love them. I'm dead."
  • Former officer Derek Chauvin, who had his knee on Floyd's neck for over eight minutes, told Floyd, "Then stop talking, stop yelling, it takes a heck of a lot of oxygen to talk."

Read the transcripts via DocumentCloud.