Apple’s plans for media dollars haven’t exactly been conspicuous -- far from it. From new ad spaces in the App Store to new search tools that could one day be monetized akin to Google, Apple hasn’t tried to hide its interest in advertising. This is the sixth piece of The Long Goodbye, our 10-part editorial series covering life after the third-party cookie. Visit our continuously updated landing page here and read more below.

• The signs that Apple is building an ads business are there — here is what we actually know.
• The pandemic seems to be pushing journalists who were already on the verge of leaving the media industry to the brink, and those that have left are not looking back.
• Independent agencies believe their environmental efforts can have a bigger impact than the giants, citing their effect on small businesses that make up 44 percent of the U.S. economy. More in this week’s Digiday+ Media Buying Briefing.
• With rising concerns about the new delta variant, experiential marketers learn to navigate event vaccine logistics.
• Psychotherapists give their take on how office romances can still thrive in hybrid-working and virtual-only setups.
• The start-up is one of a number of companies aiming to find ways to recreate company culture amid a remote world, especially as the return to office has been delayed due to the delta variant.